South Africa

The sellers of foodstuffs, who exploit South Africans currently under lockdown restrictions by unjustifiably hiking prices of high-demand staples, will face serious consequences, such as hefty fines and imprisonment.

In this second episode of our special coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic podcast Farmer’s Weekly SA editor, Denene Erasmus again highlights how the publication has adapted to keep readers up to date with news and information relevant to the sector and the public at large during this critical period.

Prior to the national lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), stakeholders in South Africa’s agriculture industry had already started engaging with government about measures that would enable food security and prevent scenarios such as food riots.

Unlike highly perishable and other food crops, wool is considered a non-essential agricultural product.

Smallholder farmers have expressed disappointment with the application process for receiving financial relief from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (department of agriculture) during the lockdown period which was implemented to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The South Africa blueberry industry continues to set record-breaking growth trends, with export volumes for 2019/2020 increasing more than 50% compared with the previous season.

Due to panic-buying by consumers prior to the national lockdown aimed at containing the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, South Africa’s red meat industry saw some short-term gains.

South Africans should prepare themselves for heavy rainfall and a preview to the coming winter as a cold front makes its way across the central and south-eastern parts of the country over the next few days.

Agricultural companies and entities in South Africa and other parts of the world are repurposing parts of their operations to manufacture products to bolster the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Agricultural commodities have, for the most part, come off lightly amid worldwide supply chain disruptions as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic.

The South African agriculture sector forms the backbone of South Africa’s economy, but this fact has been largely ignored by government.

Opportunities exist for farmers and agro-processors to enter the small, but growing paprika market in South Africa.

It is still uncertain how the lockdown for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and depreciation of the rand will impact farm input prices.

In this first episode of our special coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic podcast series, Farmer’s Weekly editor, Denene Erasmus, gives an update on how the publication has adapted to keep readers up to date with news and information relevant to the sector, and the public at large, during this critical period.

Investing in research and marketing for the dragon fruit industry is needed for this sector to realise its potential in terms of job creation and offering a feasible investment for small-scale farmers.

South Africa’s wine industry will be allowed to export finished goods, both packaged and bulk, during the remainder of the lockdown period which was aimed at containing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The deaths of nine farmworkers in a road accident on the N1 between Touws River and De Doorns have sent shockwaves through the agricultural community.

Over the past week, Western Cape farmers have donated tons of fresh produce to FoodForward SA, a non-profit organisation assisting communities experiencing food shortages during the lockdown for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic.

If it spreads further afield, the African armyworm [Spodoptera exempta (Walker)] outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Nkandla and Msinga areas could be the final nail in the coffin for many livestock farmers in the province.

For the foreseeable future, South African garlic lovers will have to accept dramatically increased prices for their favourite food flavouring until delays in international logistics are smoothed out.