Poultry industry winning battle against unfair trade
The fight against unfair competition and illegal imports is starting to reap benefits for the broiler industry.
Urgent action needed to fight locusts across large parts of SA
The enormous swarms of brown locusts currently in evidence across the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape need to be eradicated as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the provinces’ farmland.
Russia-Ukraine conflict threatens SA fruit exports
The economic sanctions imposed on Russia following that country’s attacks on Ukraine are having a negative impact on the South African fruit and wine industries.
Uncertainty at Land Bank amid key resignations
Christo van der Rheede, executive director of Agri SA, has expressed certainty that the newly installed board of the Land Bank, and a new CEO, who still has to be appointed, will inspire confidence in the bank.
Sin tax hike will negatively affect job creation – agri leaders
Stakeholders in the South African agriculture sector have voiced their disappointment about the above-inflation increases in excise duties, announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, during the national budget address on Wednesday, 23 February.
Call for Free State farmers to pay for road repairs met with dismay
Farmers in the Free State are in a catch-22 situation following a call by the Free State provincial government for the province’s farming sector to repair the ever-deteriorating provincial road network at their own cost.
Winter grain farmers to feel fuel price pinch
The expected increase in the fuel price for March will be especially devastating for winter grain producers, who are currently gearing up to start planting.
Small livestock farmers in the Free State ‘besieged’ by thieves
Farmers in the Phuthaditjhaba district of the Free State are left at the mercy of stock thieves, with little or no support from the South African Police Service (SAPS).
‘Lack of access to machinery hampering developing farmers’
Developing farmers who struggle to gain access to machinery at the right time during the production process should consider hiring a contractor, rather than buying their own equipment.
‘Mandatory EU alcohol labelling unlikely to impact SA wine exports’
Although the adoption of recommendations to make health warnings mandatory on all alcoholic drinks in Europe could initially result in additional costs, it is not expected to have a major impact on South African wine producers.
Former Tongaat Hulett executives released on bail in fraud case
A culture of deference and a lack of challenging authority at Tongaat Hulett Limited (THL) resulted in employees following instructions without questioning the basis for accounting practices, according to an investigation by auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
‘Ramaphosa’s SONA pronouncements need to be turned into action’
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA 2022), on Thursday, 10 February, has been met with mixed reactions from stakeholders in the local agriculture sector.
Call to halt captive breeding of all big cat species
Animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is urging government to include all big cat species, including tigers, in its new protective legislation for lions, and prohibit the commercial trade in all big cats and their body parts.
‘Minimum wage increase could cripple smaller farmers’
Small- and medium-sized horticulture farmers, in particular, will be worst affected by the recently announced increase in the national minimum wage, according to Mariette Hugo, Hortgro’s group operations manager.
SONA 2022: ‘Economically sound actions needed to drive agri growth’
Outlining their expectations for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), scheduled for Thursday, 10 February, agricultural associations agreed that more action and less talk about economic recovery was needed.
Fears mounting about renewed FMD outbreak in KZN
Farmers in the Mtubatuba district of KwaZulu-Natal are “hoping and praying” that the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) case detected at a dip tank in the previously reduced Disease Management Area (DMA) does not mean the disease has spread further.
World Wetlands Day: SA farmers praised for wetland conservation
Wetlands and the essential role these areas play is often overlooked, neglected and abused.
‘Turn-around strategy needed for SA’s malting barley industry’
South Africa’s malting barley production fell 95 000t short of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev) 360 000t-mandate during the past season, due to farmers rather planting crops with lower risk, such as canola and wheat.
‘Interest rate increase not all doom and gloom for agri sector’
The latest increase in the repo rate as announced by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) should curb inflation, which could hold more benefits than disadvantages for South African agriculture in the long term.
Heavy rain puts a damper on SA’s maize crop estimate
South African growers have planted around 2,6 million hectares of maize this summer season, 5,29% less than the 2,7 million hectares planted in the previous season, the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) announced on 27 January.
