South Africa

Wine export volumes have declined by 5%, from 388.1 million in 2021 to 368,8 million litres in 2022, while export value dropped by 2,4%, from R10,2 billion to R9,9 billion, according to the recently released Wines of South Africa Export Report 2022.

The declining Energy Availability Factor of Eskom’s fleet reflected the cumulative impact of historical underinvestment in maintenance and assets, exacerbated by flaws in the design of new power stations in the last decade, according to an announcement by the South African National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM).

Farmers in the Northern Cape, where a devastating drought has prevailed since 2011, are still in dire straits, despite the rainfall that occurred recently in some parts of the region.

South Africa’s largest tobacco manufacturer, British American Tobacco (BAT), has entered into a process of restructuring, because of an “explosion in illicit tobacco sales” following the ban on cigarette sales during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in 2020.

South Africa’s agriculture sector is on the cusp of a devastating catastrophe because of the country’s inability to provide sufficient electricity to keep the wheels of the agricultural value chain rolling.

Even as South Africa’s potato industry feels the weight of adverse production conditions, high input costs and rolling blackouts, producers have reason for optimism.

While the sugar industry anticipates harvesting a similar volume of sugar cane as the average of the past five years, any increase in the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), or sugar tax, would result in severe damage to the struggling industry.

South Africa’s commercial pig sector aims to grow its market share throughout 2023 by improving consumer awareness, while simultaneously boosting sustainability in terms of production.

The poaching of endemic succulent species in South Africa presents a very serious threat that can lead to many species becoming extinct, including those in the Hoodia, Conophytum and Euphorbia genera.

South African farmers “need to take a serious look at the sustainability and recyclability of their fresh produce packaging if they want to take advantage of emerging market opportunities around the world”.

The drop in South Africa’s fuel prices, which came into effect on Wednesday (4 January), is a positive development that will lower agricultural production costs.

A total of 3 864 farms were sold in South Africa between January and October 2022, a significant increase from the 3 133 over the same period in 2021, according to Johann Bornman, chairperson of Agri Development Solutions.

The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) expects volumes of table grapes for exporting to decrease by almost 8% in the 2022/23 season, down from the previous season’s 77,7 million 4,5kg-equivalent cartons to about 71,7 million.

Consumers’ focus on healthy living was helping to drive growing global demand for olive oil, according to Vittoria Jooste, CEO of the South African Olive Association.

This year has been the South African wool industry’s most challenging time in two-and-a-half decades, according to Leon de Beer, general manager of the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA).

The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on South Africa’s game ranching industry will be considerably lower in 2023 than during the past two years.

Significant investments in South Africa’s poultry sector are expected to accelerate its transformation, thereby creating a significant number of jobs.

The best New Year's resolution for farmers and agribusiness leaders is to focus on self-improvement, as this will lead to greater wisdom and problem-solving skills.

A warning has been issued for members of the public to be on high alert for incidences of rabies in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and the area on the border between the Free State and Lesotho.

Agri SA welcomed the initiative taken by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) in convening a meeting between stakeholders in an attempt to fix the country’s dilapidated rural road infrastructure.