AFGRI Agri Services, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), an affiliate of Vendanta Resources, and ImpactAgri Holdings are combining forces to promote agriculture and food processing in Zambia’s Copperbelt region. The companies intend to create jobs and preserve ecosystems around KCM’s mines. According to Steven Din, CEO of KCM, the mining company’s…
South African poultry producers have been afforded a second opportunity to fight Namibia’s import restrictions on SA chicken. The case was heard in Namibia’s High Court. The restrictions in question have been valid since April 2013 and were intended to protect Namibia’s young poultry industry. In April 2014 the South…
Agriculture had a lion’s share in ensuring that South Africa has a positive trade balance and the sector is expected to thrive in 2018. In the South African agricultural business chamber Agbiz’s Agribusiness Outlook 2018, Sifiso Ntombela, Head of Trade and Investment Intelligence at the organisation, said that the primary…
The agriculture sector showed the biggest growth in the South African economy during the third quarter of 2017. According to Statistics SA, agriculture, forestry and fisheries showed robust growth of 44.2%, the biggest quarterly growth since 1996. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2% during the quarter and…
The Ghanaian and South African chicken industries are joining forces in the fight against cheap imported chicken from the European Union (EU). The Ghanaian and South African poultry associations, the anti-dumping campaign, FairPlay Movement, and the Food and Allied Workers’ Union (FAWU) have signed a memorandum of understanding on the…
Africa spends a significant amount of money importing dairy products that could be produced locally. “In East Africa there’s a yearly shortage of 40 billion litres of milk. Products that we can produce ourselves shouldn’t be imported,” says dr. Okeyo Mwai, lead scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (Ilri)…
Philafrica Foods, a food processing company operating in Africa and based in South Africa, sees great potential in cassava processing and has expanded its operations accordingly. The firm, which forms part of Afgri Group Holdings, has bought a controlling stake in The Dutch Agricultural & Trading Company’s (DADTCO) cassava processing…
The South African government and poultry industry have set up a protocol for the import of fertilised broiler chicken hatching eggs, which will now be negotiated with trade partners. The import of the eggs can alleviate the supply shortage caused by the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus. The Department…
Philafrica Foods, which forms part of the South African company Afgri Group Holdings, has formed a 50/50-partnership with Novos Horizontes, a Mozambican chicken producer, to develop the poultry industry in this country. According to mr. Roland Decorvet, Philafrica Food’s CEO, between 60% and 70% of the chicken consumed in Mozambique…
Agriculture is no longer a popular career choice, and a ministerial committee should be appointed to discuss urgent problems. This was one of the recommendations from a panel of the Academy of Science of South Africa (Assaf) in the report “Revitalising Agricultural Education and Training in South Africa.” Several panel…
It is not only in South Africa where farmers and their businesses are targets of crime. Crime on farms have increased globally and more produce and equipment have been stolen. At the International Conference for Local Crime, international speakers discussed how farmers across the world are increasingly concerned and anxious.…
Information on the involvement of South Africa’s government in crop insurance could be available during the national budget, while insurance for emerging farmers will also be on the agenda. “The government and private insurers are investigating various policy solutions for the development of a crop insurance scheme, which could ease…
A task team has been appointed to decide whether South African poultry farmers can vaccinate birds against the highly infectious H5N8 bird flu. This comes after senior role players in the industry met with Senzeni Zokwana, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The parties agreed that a decision about vaccination…
Small-scale farmers must create platforms where they can inform government about their problems. This according to Dr Brylyne Chitsunge, a successful small-scale farmer from Gauteng. At a dairy day Dr. Faffa Malan, manager at the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa, referred to her as a problem-solver. During the annual…
Two South African Ministers have called upon white farmers to lend a helping hand to emerging black farmers at a conference about transformation. Senzeni Zokwana, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries used the example of Bobby Godsell, CEO of AngloGold, who was a mentor to Patrice Motsepe, mine magnate and…
Emerging farmers’ access to financing should be combined with technical support, said the executive head of the Land Bank. Mr TP Nchocho, with the undersigning of a memorandum of an agreement (MoU) between the bank and Pick ’n Pay, said access to finances cannot solely be the main catalyst for…
An increase in trade between countries in Southern Africa can promote growth in the South African economy and local businesses. This according to Falilou Fall, head of the Africa chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), who recently released a report on the South African economy. At…
The two most important departments for the development and support of farmers, are without leaders. This is a crisis, says Afasa. The African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (Afasa) expressed its displeasure over the suspension of Mike Mlengana, director- general of Agriculture, Forrestry and Fisheries. The suspension of Mlengana -…
Farming is slowly but surely moving from small farms to much bigger ones. Prof Ferdi Meyer, director at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), said it is one of the biggest trends on the continent, as well as in sub-Saharan Africa. Speaking at the recent Farmers Weekly Agribusiness Africa…
South Africa is the 19th country to sign the agreement for a Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) in Africa. The area includes 26 countries from three regional economic communities: the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), and the East African Community (EAC).…
Buyers and sellers of live chickens reacted positively to governments set of requirements on how poultry may be sold. The conditions must prevent the highly contagious H5N8 virus, also known as bird flu, from spreading. The measurements were put in place after an outbreak on two commercial farms. Government first…
The South African government has replaced its ban on the sale of live chickens with a set of strict conditions under which it may be sold. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana said the ban was introduced to prevent the spread of the H5N8 bird flu virus. The…
An estimated 28 000 chickens must be slaughtered after the recent outbreak of avian flu on a farm in Villiers. The highly contagious avian flu broke out among commercial chickens in South Africa for the first time. In a statement, Astral – South Africa’s biggest poultry producer – said it…
The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) warned that South African chicken farmers should be very careful after the outbreak of the highly pathogenic bird flu in Zimbabwe. The warning was issued by Kevin Lovell, CEO of SAPA, after an outbreak of the virus at a commercial breeding farm in Zimbabwe.…
