South Africa

Following the arrest of two suspects who allegedly defrauded a Free State farmer out of sheep to the value of R4,9 million, Free State Agriculture has reiterated its warning to farmers to remain vigilant, and to be scrupulous when verifying the bona fides of people with whom they conduct business.

The new R21,69/hour national minimum wage (NMW) for farmworkers, which will come into effect on 1 March, has been met with concern by major organised agriculture bodies in South Africa.

The remarkable work of the agriculture sector amidst the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was acknowledged during this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Widespread rain over the past few weeks have significantly pushed up dam levels across the country, according to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The national average level of South Africa’s dams was at 85,4% of capacity compared with 61,8% for the corresponding period in 2020.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at 19:00 on 11 February. The annual address kicks off the Parliamentary year and focuses on the economic and political state of the country.

New outbreaks of the brown locust Locustana pardalina have been reported over a wide area of the Central and Upper Karoo in January and February 2021 following good rain.

Market sentiment in the agriculture machinery sector remains positive with a significant increase in tractor sales for the month of January.

Minister of Employment and Labour Thembelani Nxesi recently announced that the minimum wage for farmworkers has increased by 16% to bring it in line with the national minimum wage.

South Africans looking to take advantage of work opportunities on US farms need to have a strong work ethic and, where applicable, the necessary skills to reliably undertake what farmers there expected of them.

Establishing partnerships between government, the private sector and foreign investors is an important step to launching biofuels projects through innovative financing models in South Africa.

Nampo Harvest Day 2021 has officially been postponed to August. The event was initially supposed to be held from 11 to 14 May, but was now scheduled to take place on 17 to 20 August at Nampo Park in Bothaville.

Skyrocketing garlic and ginger prices prompted the National Consumer Commission (NCC) to launch an investigation into allegations of price gouging.

The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure has announced that the deadline for written submissions by interested parties on the Expropriation Bill [B23 – 2020] has been extended from 10 to 28 February.

Intake volumes for South African table grapes are expected to increase to between 65,3 million and 69,8 million 4,5kg-equivalent cartons, according to the South African Table Grape Industry’s (SATI) third crop estimate for the 2020/2021 season, released on Wednesday, 3 February.

South Africa lost 394 rhinos to poachers in 2020, but according to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, this was the lowest figure for the past six consecutive years.

Free State Agriculture (FSA) remains vehemently opposed to certain clauses in the Expropriation Bill and seriously questions government’s sincerity with regard to the issue of land expropriation and ownership, according to Francois Wilken, FSA president.

The recently released 2020/2021 summer crop planting estimates from the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) indicate that farmers have planted about a 6,2% larger area to grain and oilseed crops at 4,19 million hectares.

After starting the year with fuel price increases of more than 40c/ℓ for petrol and 55c/ℓ for diesel, the Automobile Association (AA) indicated that it expected the petrol price for both grades to increase sharply by more than 80c/ℓ in February.

A decision on whether the 2021 Nampo Harvest Day will go ahead in a physical format will be taken at a meeting to be held on Thursday, 4 February.

South Africa’s wine industry is finally heading to court over the third liquor ban that was compounding financial losses already suffered by wine farms, retailers and related businesses during previous COVID-19 lockdown related bans on the sale of alcoholic drinks.