Opinion

The buck stops with government, whose policymakers should stop scapegoating and allow South Africa’s economy to flourish in a free market, writes Temba Nolutshungu of the Free Market Foundation.

Ideal climatic conditions and access to irrigation have helped to propel South Africa’s raisin industry to ever-greater heights. But deficient logistics infrastructure and a lack of processing capacity are hampering further expansion, says Pieter Botha, Nedbank Business Banking’s area client manager for the Northern Cape.

In a recent report, the Namibia Agricultural Union outlined the state of that country’s agriculture sector, and how it has been affected by COVID-19 and other factors.

Groundwater is an essential tool in agricultural production. However, it remains an untapped resource in Africa, as this recently published report shows.

Energy-related challenges pose a significant obstacle to the agriculture sector’s continued growth in South Africa, says Abraham Cambridge, founder and CEO of The Sun Exchange, which specialises in solar-energy projects.

According to a UN report, there is evidence that captive breeding is being used in some instances as a guise for the illegal trafficking of wildlife and their body parts.

A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme says wildfires will become an increasing reality for the world due to climate change and other factors. Thus, fire management and risk reduction are essential.

A new report states that the lack of coordinated action on climate change poses profound dangers to society. Amongst these is an increase in already stark inequalities.

The year is certainly flying by at lightning speed, and it’s incredible that we are already entering the annual cycle of agricultural shows in South Africa.

While the use of plastics has helped farmers to produce more with less, the material presents an enormous environmental issue. This report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations looks at alternatives that can be introduced by farmers and governments to reduce reliance on plastics in agricultural production and thereby cut down on pollution.

In South Africa, about 30% of local agricultural production is wasted every year, which is equivalent to an estimated R60 billion, or around 2% of GDP. In a country where 30% of households are at risk of hunger, 31% experience hunger and 13 million children live in poverty, this waste is unsustainable and needs to change, says James Brand, a senior associate in ENSafrica’s Natural Resources and Environment department.

Soil pollution is a serious challenge worldwide, resulting in environmental damage and potential health hazards to people and animals. This report examines affordable ways in which farmers can limit its effects on their crops and reduce further soil degradation.

It is often argued that the ability of the local dairy industry to grow or even survive will depend on the extent to which it can compete with imported dairy products. But can South African dairy farmers succeed when the odds are so clearly stacked against them? Bertus van Heerden, chief economist of the Milk Producers’ Organisation, and Prof Johann Kirsten, director of the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University, carried out a price analysis to get some answers.

A new study on emergency food relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, by researchers Camilla Adelle and Ashley Haywood, shows how civil society groups can help to restore South Africa’s ailing food system in the long term, and why government needs to aid the process by providing an enabling environment.

Access to effective antimicrobials and their appropriate use have a role in productive and sustainable agriculture. However, the misuse of these products has contributed to rising rates of antimicrobial resistance, impairing public health, food and agriculture production systems, and food security. The UN’s recent action plan serves as a road map for focusing global efforts to address antimicrobial resistance.

Mooketsa Ramasodi, director general of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, argues that bringing South Africa’s informal livestock sector fully on board will not only improve the lives and future prospects of smallholder farmers, but also maximise profits for the industry as a whole.

Social protection programmes to help farmers become more resilient aren’t just safety nets, but can help them make investments and meaningfully engage in markets, says the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme’s Hunger Hotspots report highlights the countries most at risk of increased food insecurity from August to November 2021. In Southern African, these include Mozambique, Madagascar, Angola and the DRC.

It has been almost 13 years since I wrote my first stories for Farmer’s Weekly as a freelance journalist, and now, as we start a new year, the time has come for me to start something new.

The past year has brought with it many challenges, including a significant increase in the prices of agricultural inputs. However, farmers have shown that there is much strength in unity, and they have managed to push through these difficulties to end 2021 on a high, as these agricultural leaders show.