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The devastating drought, coupled with the grave impact that extreme temperatures have on agricultural producers, calls for government support, Grain SA said in a statement.

The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor in the US has indicated that agricultural economists agree Brazil will remain the world’s top exporter of soya bean in the 2023/24 season.

The Valley Afrika Droughtmaster Stud Production Sale was held on the farm Strydfontein on 2 August on behalf of AC de Klerk.

A major part of Namibia is experiencing an acute drought, with the situation particularly serious south of the capital, Windhoek, with little or no rain received during the 2022/23 rainy season. According to Thinus Pretorius, chairperson of Namibia’s Livestock Producers’ Organisation, some parts south of Keetmanshoop had not received any rain.

Farmers in the Northern Cape, where a devastating drought has prevailed since 2011, are still in dire straits, despite the rainfall that occurred recently in some parts of the region.

Although the tractor sales figures for October released by the South African Agricultural Machinery Association (SAAMA) on Monday (7 November) were the highest in 40 years, this was probably based on “necessity, rather than extravagance”, according to Derek Matthews, chairperson of Grain SA, who said that “after several years of drought, many farmers had delayed replacing tractors.”

While earnings from ostrich production have declined following the fresh meat export ban caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak, the birds remain a valuable income contributor. Glenneis Kriel spoke to farmer Jolian du Preez, who survived the tough times and is now expanding his operation.

Boets Nel, co-owner of De Krans Wines near Calitzdorp, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how his business survived the drought, coped with COVID-19 trade restrictions, and adapted to a changing market.

Derec Giles admits that he wouldn’t have been able to financially survive the ongoing drought on his farm in the Klein Karoo without his highly diversified approach to production. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about each of his enterprises.

As the world grapples with supply chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the agriculture department in France has warned that the unusually low winter rainfall will negatively affect crop yields there.

The Northern Cape’s Williston district is sheep country through and through, but six years of drought have made extensive sheep farming here desperately difficult. Wouter Kriel spoke to producer Hannes Esterhuyse about how he has adapted his operation to run optimally despite the drought.

According to Peter and Francy Schoeman of Langbaken Karoo Cheese, their cheese business has enabled them to survive the prolonged drought in the area. They spoke to Wouter Kriel about how they developed their sheep farm into a cheese operation.