Farmers brace for potential diesel price hike in August

South African motorists are cautiously awaiting news on August fuel prices, with predictions leaning towards a slight decrease for petrol and a possible increase for diesel.

Boer Goat stud sells two rams for R1 million each

It was a great achievement for the Lukas Burger Boer Goat Stud near Griekwastad in the Northern Cape to sell two rams for R1 million each on the same day.

Sandveld water restrictions catastrophic for food security

Skyrocketing potato prices seen at the end of 2023 could become the new reality if water usage restrictions are imposed on farmers in the Western Cape’s Sandveld region

Agri department ready to grow despite budgetary constraints – Steenhuisen

The new agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, intends to accelerate the implementation of the Agricultural and Agro-Processing Master Plan, get more smallholder farmers to access foreign markets, modernise legislation and strengthen biosecurity.

SA loses R24bn in revenue to illicit tobacco sales

British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) has called on the new government to crack down on illicit tobacco to “plug a R24 billion” revenue leak.

Eastern Cape farmers suffer livestock losses due to veld fires

Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe is swiftly mobilising resources to assist farmers in the Qumbu Local Municipality who have suffered significant losses due to recent veld fires.

New provincial MECs appointed to lead SA’s agriculture sector

In a sweeping reshuffle, new MECs of agriculture were appointed across several provinces in South Africa, bringing fresh leadership and perspectives to the agriculture sector.

Black frost devastates Limpopo farmers, threatens potato prices

Limpopo farmers face significant financial setbacks following a severe black frost that struck over the weekend, causing extensive damage to crops across the province.

Rain and intense cold weather conditions continue in Western Cape

The South African Weather Service has issued a level 8 warning for disruptive rain in the Western Cape as another intense cold front is heading towards the province.

SA grapples with AGOA compliance concerns

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been a cornerstone of economic relations between the US and sub-Saharan Africa for over two decades.

Farmers urged to prepare for veld-fire season amid early outbreaks

Free State Agriculture (FSA) urged farmers and landowners to prepare in earnest for the coming veld-fire season. The first few notable fires of the season had already occurred in, among others, Bethlehem, Clarence and Wesselsbron.

Major stock theft crackdown brings relief to Eastern Cape farmers

In a significant crackdown on stock theft, the commercial farmers of the Ugie, Maclear (Nqanqarhu) and Elliot (Khowa) areas in the Eastern Cape witnessed a breakthrough.

Guava association expects smaller 2024 harvest

The Guava Producers’ Association (GPA) has adjusted its guava production estimate down from 25 200t to 22 500t, making the harvest 16% smaller than the 26 641t harvested last season and the smallest harvest in the past three years.

Agriculture department split: what does it mean to the sector?

During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent cabinet announcement, he stated that the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform would be split into two ministries.

Government urged to step up rural safety interventions

Farm attacks and murders spiked in June and have continued with a bloody start in July. A 65-year-old farm manager was stabbed to death in the early morning hours of Monday on a farm near Porterville in the Western Cape.

New ministers for departments of agriculture and land reform

South Africa’s new cabinet ministers for agriculture, and land reform and rural development, might hail from different political parties, but their ideologies are much aligned in theory to that of the ANC.

Rankings place SA ports among world’s worst

In the recently released World Bank and S&P Container Port Performance Index 2023, the Port of Cape Town fell from 347th place in the 2022 rankings, when only 348 ports were ranked, to the bottom of the list at number 405.

Agribusiness Confidence falls to a 15-year low

The Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) has fallen by 2 points to 38 in the second quarter of 2024, indicating that agribusinesses remain downbeat about business conditions in South Africa.

SA’s fresh produce prices vs the world’s: are they the cheapest?

The elephant in the Competition Commission’s Fresh Produce Market Inquiry (FPMI) has yet to be addressed despite the provisional report being released on Wednesday.

Fresh produce inquiry confirms dilapidated infrastructure impedes transformation

An untenable environment in which farmers have to operate has been cited as the reason transformation has mostly failed within the fresh produce sector in South Africa, and why participation from small-scale and historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs) is low in the market.

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