Steady interest rates outcome still positive for agriculture in tough times
As widely expected, the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) kept the repo rate steady at a record low of 3.5% in its first meeting of 2021. Although the inflation outlook…
SA pome fruit growers expect a good 2021 crop
The pome fruit harvest is underway with positive expectations for 2021. Last year saw a much better winter with enough rain in the majority of the production areas. Cooler weather…
Wine export report shows market stability despite alcohol bans
According to the latest report by Wines of South Africa, the 2020 export volumes echo that of a challenging 2019, despite a five-week-long ban on exports and huge challenges at…
APPOINTMENT OF WILLIE JACOBS AS CEO OF POTATOES SA
Willie Jacobs took over the leadership of Potatoes SA (PSA) as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after Dr André Jooste, who as part of his career planning, left the organisation after…
Mutant roots reveal how we can grow crops in damaged soils
For years, conventional wisdom has held that roots don’t grow as deep in hard soil because it’s just too difficult for them to physically push through it. But our new…
Land reform: Importance of exploring, understanding various models to fast-track pace in 2021
The Vumelana Advisory Fund, a not-for-profit organisation that supports beneficiaries of the land reform programme to make land productive, believes the various models on how land reform can be administered…
Free State floods: road infrastructure is crumbling
Free State Agriculture (FSA) has warned that the Free State province’s road infrastructure is in a dire state. FSA has directed an urgent letter to the Free State Department of…
Tridge report looks at an eventful year for agri industry
A report by Tridge, a global sourcing hub concerned with cross-border trade, entailed the most significant events within the agri industry for 2020. It includes information on the impact of…
Identity of quarantine nematode confirmed
Dr Antoinette Swart of the National Collection of Nematodes found two female nematodes and several juveniles of the genus Ditylenchus in a garlic sample submitted for analysis by the Department…
New species of leafhopper associated with rooibos tea
Leafhoppers are sap-sucking insects capable of transmitting plant viruses and phytoplasmas. A recent taxonomic study of local leafhopper species was based on specimens curated by the South African Nursing Council…