South Africa

The theft of fuel from the Transnet pipeline network is an enormous problem in South Africa, according to Christo van der Rheede, Agri SA’s executive director.

There are fears that this season could see some of the worst infestations of brown locusts (Locustana pardalina) in South Africa on record.

The agriculture sector is expected to expand 7,6% year-on-year in 2021, but in the long term growth is expected to decline.

While farmers are forced by state veterinarians to slaughter chickens, pigs and cattle to prevent the spread of some diseases, government is compensating only a few of those producers.

Work is under way to establish a high-altitude national park in the Eastern Cape mountains close to the Lesotho border.

South African agribusiness leaders remain optimistic about trading conditions, albeit slightly less so than they were earlier this year.

The Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) has welcomed the reduction in the size of the disease management area (DMA) for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in KwaZulu-Natal.

Tractor and combine harvester sales in August are a clear indication that farmers remain optimistic about the production conditions for the season ahead.

South Africa’s economy expanded 1,2% quarter-on-quarter, with the transport, storage and communications industries making the largest contribution at 6,9%, followed by agriculture at 6,2%, according to the latest data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

More than one million hectares of grazing have so far been lost to wildfires in the North West, Free State and Northern Cape this year.

The Beer Association of South Africa (BASA) is actively trying to obtain relief for the excise duty burden placed on craft brewers.

While 2,7 million chickens have already been culled since an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in South Africa in April, it remains unclear whether government will compensate farmers for all losses.

South Africa is on track to produce a record volume of canola, according to the first production forecast for winter grains released by the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) this week.

A recent notice issued by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) instructs food inspectors and those of designated assignees to follow up on food labelling that is misleading or incorrect in terms of the Agricultural Product Standards Act of 1990 (APS Act).

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns continue to have a negative impact on the private wildlife industry in South Africa.

Farmers in the Western Cape have expressed great joy about the snowfall on various mountains across the province during the weekend of 28 and 29 August.

Over the last two years, a number of new records have been set for the highest prices ever paid for registered bulls from different breeds sold at production auctions.

Anti-dumping duties on bone-in chicken imports were renewed against the UK, Germany and the Netherlands for an additional five years on 23 August 2021.

At least 3,5t of dead fish have already been collected following the torching of an agricultural chemical warehouse during the recent civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.

In the second quarter of 2021 (Q2) South Africa’s official unemployment rate increased to its highest level since Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) started publishing its Quarterly Labour Force Survey in 2008.