SA, Peruvian avocados saturate European markets

FreshFruitportal.com reports that South African avocado exporters are reeling after their shipments clashed with Peru's avocado exports, flooding the European market. 1 Jun 2012 12:06

Zuma: Freedom of expression, dignity must both be upheld

President Jacob Zuma says both the right to dignity as well as the right to freedom of speech must be upheld and that no right is superior to other rights. 1 Jun 2012 06:26

Free State DRD issues veld fire warning

The Free State's Department of Rural Development (DRD) has issued a warning to farmers and landowners, asking them to remain vigilant during the veld fire season. The first fire in the Free State has already occurred in Vrede in the Thabo Mofutsanyane District, destroying 2 000 hectares, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) reports. 31 May 2012 11:06

Cofamosa seeks R257m for Moz irrigation project

The Committee for the Facilitation of Agriculture between Mozambique and South Africa (COFAMOSA) is seeking 861 million Meticais (about R257 million) to enable the irrigation of 10 000 hectares of agricultural land in the southern Mozambican province of Maputo's Moamba district. 30 May 2012 14:04

One-sided recommendations hurt Africa's tobacco farmers

iAfrica.com reports that representatives of hundreds of thousands of African tobacco farmers in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have gathered at the International Tobacco Growers Association Africa Regional Meeting to discuss recommendations made by international regulators the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). 30 May 2012 13:31

Chintsa Crafters are testing SA's bamboo market

Five crafters from an east coast resort near East London are helping to assess the readiness of the South African market for bamboo products as development financier, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), continues with the implementation of one of its strategic agro-processing initiatives, bamboo. 30 May 2012 10:10

Partnership to address Africa's agricultural challenges

Weekend Argus reports that the World Trade Centre (WTC) and Agri Mega Group (AMG) have forged ties to address Africa's agricultural challenges and to position the continent to become the food hub of the world by signing a memorandum of agreement in Cape Town recently. 28 May 2012 12:22

Greenpop in need of a truck for trees

Greenpop is setting up an ongoing tree planting and eco-education project in Livingstone, Zambia - the country with one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. As a kickstart, it is hosting a three-week volunteer event from 1 to 21 July this year. The organisation is appealing to anyone interested in sponsoring a Truck for Trees. 28 May 2012 07:37

AfriSam brings food sustainability to rural community

A year ago, women from Rethabiseng, outside Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng, were struggling to make a living off the sales of their chickens to the local community. Today, just twelve months on, a multi-million rand enterprise development initiative from AfriSam will see these women's dream of having a good income from sustainable farming come true. 28 May 2012 07:20

Fear of nationalisation, labour laws, inhibit investments in agriculture

South African policies on agriculture and farming need to be addressed to ensure sustainable farming, investment and security of food supply in the future, said agriculture union TAU-SA general manager Bennie van Zyl. He added that - as concerns grew over land ownership - many skilled farmers were leaving the industry and even the country, reducing commercial farming skills and output, Engineering News reports. 25 May 2012 13:40

State to spend R2,7bn buying farmland to redistribute

The government plans to spend R2,7bn buying more than 320000ha of agricultural land during the current financial year in a bid to advance its land reform programme, says Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti. 25 May 2012 11:35

SA maize output down 0.6% to 11.056mt

SA's maize output estimate for the 2011-12 season has been lowered by 0.6% to 11.056 million tons‚ the Crop Estimates Committee said in its revised area and fourth production forecasts on summer crops on Thursday (24 May 2012). 25 May 2012 11:32

Wool prices softer as euro crisis deepens

Wool prices softened further at this week's sale as the crisis in the euro zone deepened, said Cape Wools on Wednesday (23 May 2012). The market indicator shed 2.5% to close at R95,69/kg. 25 May 2012 10:29

Govt should 'take people out of Bantustans' by expropriating land

The chairperson of parliament's land reform committee wants people out of the over-crowded former "Bantustans" and says the government must make use of its right to expropriate land to do this, iafrica.com reports. Stone Sizane said after a briefing by the land reform department in Parliament that the government was not making sufficient use of its right to expropriate land. 24 May 2012 17:12