South Africa

Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, delivered the medium-term budget policy statement on Thursday, which was met with mixed reactions from the agriculture sector.

It is essential for South African livestock producers to recognise that the consumer is king and that the new generation of red meat buyers have very specific demands. This was according to Prof Arno Hugo, professor in Animal Science in Meat Science at the University of the Free State.

South Africa’s agriculture sector is ramping up biosecurity measures to combat foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in affected provinces, with North West, Free State, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga implementing targeted testing and movement controls.

Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba is taking decisive action to combat corruption, firmly warning officials to stop diverting drought relief funds meant for struggling farmers.

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has put the brakes on the commercial release of Bayer’s drought-tolerant maize variety MON87460, citing that the Department of Agriculture and the Executive Council (EC) for Generically Modified Organisms (GMO) did not follow due diligence in their risk assessment when they approved the permit.

The macadamia industry is at risk of repeating past mistakes by once again becoming overly reliant on the Chinese market, which could lead to further disruptions.

The 2024 wildfire season has officially become the worst in South Africa in the past eight years, with the Working on Fire-Kishugu joint venture having responded to an unprecedented 2 304 wildfire incidents by 21 October.

Director General of the Department of Agriculture Mooketsa Ramasodi delivered a keynote address at the launch of Agrimall, a new digital platform aimed at revolutionising South Africa’s agriculture sector. The event took place recently in Midrand.

The South African red meat industry must undergo significant renewal to address future challenges, says Kobus Bester, director of the Livestock Registering Federation.

The agriculture sector in Gauteng faces a potential crisis as water shortages grip the province, worsened by significant leaks in Johannesburg’s water infrastructure. Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, MEC of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has highlighted the serious consequences for farmers relying on municipal water.

The Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) launched a large-scale cropping programme in Ngxakaxha village, Mbhashe Local Municipality, on Wednesday. The initiative is part of broader efforts to tackle poverty in the province.

The agriculture sector in South Africa needs to change the way it thinks about pest management and biodiversity, according to Dr Johnnie van den Berg, manager of the integrated pest management programme at the Unit of Environmental Services of the University of North-West.

Despite the fact that South Africa is an agricultural powerhouse, over 20% of its population is food insecure, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). With World Food Day commemorated on 16 October, agricultural organisations are turning their attention to policies that hinder food security.

The agriculture sector will have to reconstruct and re-engineer itself to remain a force 10 and more years from now, according to Johann Kotzé, CEO of Agri SA.

The South African egg industry joins the global celebration of World Egg Day on 11 October, highlighting the essential role that eggs play in both nutrition and economic sustainability.

John Steenhuisen, minister of the Department of Agriculture, recently announced the results of the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey in Pretoria.

The Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) is planning on launching the first phase of the red meat traceability system by the start of November.

South African cotton farmers’ yields are double that of the average in Africa, highlighting the importance of having access to genetically modified (GM) seed.

Summer has always been a pivotal season for farmers, but with the rising intensity of heatwaves due to climate change, its impact on agriculture is becoming even more pronounced.

The production of snake antivenom in South Africa has seemingly come to a standstill. The situation is dire, as health practitioners and veterinarians, in particular, are finding it impossible to obtain it.