South Africa

ProVeg International has hailed the recent interdict awarded to the South African Consumer Goods Council, to prevent the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) and its designated assignee, the Food Safety Agency, from seizing any plant-based meat alternative products deemed to be in breach of Regulation 1 283 of the Agricultural Product Standards Act No. 199 of 1990.

The lack of action taken to have agricultural import bans imposed by Botswana, and more recently Namibia, lifted is creating a feeling among South African fresh produce farmers that government has failed them.

Good news for South African consumers is that government recently published a detailed set of standards for the manufacturing of boerewors.

The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa and multinational logistics company DP World, which holds the concession to operate the export terminal at the Port of Maputo, recently hosted stakeholders on a tour of the facilities in Mozambique.

South African wool producers have expressed jubilation about the lifting of the ban on wool exports to China.

The Department of Basic Education’s drive to close “uneconomical schools” in rural areas is threatening the future sustainability of the farming sector.

Agri North West has expressed concern about the fact that cattle that had been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the province were not being branded by government officials as was legally required.

Participants at the virtual launch of the BFAP Baseline Outlook 2022-2023 report on Wednesday, 18 August expressed optimism about the long-term growth of the agriculture sector, despite the challenges outlined in the report.

Canine brucellosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Brucella canis, could threaten the fertility of dogs being bred in South Africa, according to Dr Kurt de Cramer, a veterinarian at the Rant-en-Dal Animal Hospital in Krugersdorp, Gauteng.

The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza’s decision to place South Africa’s cattle on a 21-day lockdown will “hurt the entire beef value chain, but the alternative would be far worse”. This was according to James Faber, chairperson of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO).

The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) has denied claims that it is using aggressive and strong-arm tactics to liquidate clients who default on their loan repayment obligations.

Western Cape farmers have welcomed the South African Weather Service’s (SAWS) warning that a series of cold fronts are expected to affect large parts of South Africa during the following five days.

South Africans have until 8 September to make submissions to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment following the release of a White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity.

Citrus growers are likely to only receive half their expected returns on any fruit released after South Africa was granted leave to process the more than 2 000 containers of oranges that had been stuck at EU ports since the introduction of new phytosanitary regulations there.

Mushroom prices in South Africa are still recovering after production of the crop came under pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the negative impact of trade restrictions on the food service and tourism markets.

Jumbo (WZ 1452), an eight-year-old Boran bull, is an exceptionally well-balanced animal that is structurally correct on nearly every level.

Persistently wet lands have forced many farmers in South Africa’s summer rainfall region to make use of additional casual labourers to harvest grain and oilseed crops.

The current and unwarranted ban on wool exports from South Africa to China, due to recent foot-and-mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in parts of the country, is the biggest challenge the industry has faces during the past two centuries.

Rhino poachers are moving away from the Kruger National Park to private reserves, with KwaZulu-Natal suffering the most incidents so far this year.

Plant numbers in the Succulent Karoo Biome are declining at an alarming rate due to the combined impact of climate change and the illegal removal of these rare and endangered plants from their natural habitat.