Farmers in the eastern summer rainfall areas are once again experiencing problems with cutworms.

First, eight of his calves were stolen, and now 33 cows and 11 calves have been poisoned. “I can’t explain how it feels. It’s not a pretty sight,” says Ockert Goosen.

Weather predictions suggest good rain showers from the second week of December in areas that still need to do plantings, but high temperatures may persist until then.

A new cassava initiative, Project White Gold, has been introduced in northern KwaZulu-Natal to grow the local economy and promote social transformation.

With the harvesting season for canola ending, indications point to the highest yield yet, surpassing 220 000 tons.

Open-pit coal mines have irreversibly changed the character of the fertile highveld of Mpumalanga.

Lesetja Kganyago, governor of the Reserve Bank, has announced that the repo rate remains unchanged at 8.25%. Therefore, the prime lending rate stays at 11.75%.

Jehiel Oliver, founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, wants to combine African traditions, technology and agricultural activities to realise his vision for the future of farming.

Bats can be an effective and natural pest control method in apple orchards, according to Alexandra Howard, a PhD candidate in the Department of Zoology and Entomology and the Afromontane Research Unit at the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa campus.

Queues of ships at Durban harbour have raised concerns about shortages of imported products, such as fertiliser. But advance planning has ensured the availability of fertiliser – in the short term at least.

The Kgodiso Development Fund, established by PepsiCo South Africa after the acquisition of Pioneer Foods in 2020, has invested in agri-tech start-up Khula! 

Despite challenging economic times and a devastating veld fire that destroyed much grazing land, the Van Zyl family of Kroon Livestock, Vryburg, had another excellent auction.

The pattern of light rainfall over western grain-producing regions is expected to continue until mid-December.

Farmers should judiciously use available agents against ticks or include natural repellents in their tick control programmes.

Severe thunderstorms and wind that could cause damage are possible today in parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Strong winds may also occur in parts of the Northern Cape and Western Cape.

Amendments to the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) prohibit the trading of water rights and prioritise empowerment.

Absa Bank, in partnership with Urban Harvest, has developed and donated a food garden to Groutville High School in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, as part of the bank’s Possibilities Unearthed initiative.

Farmers and conservationists are working together in the greater Kruger National Park (KNP) region to restore and maintain the Sabie River, part of the region’s strategic water source area (SWSA).

Sophy Litshani Musabeni, a farmer from Gauteng, was named the best new entrant to commercial agriculture when Agricultural Writers SA announced their 2023 winners at a prestigious event in the Western Cape on Friday, November 17.

The planet is experiencing one of the warmest years on record. The presence of El Niño and unfavourable conditions in the Indian Ocean that have a significant impact, especially on the southern hemisphere, could cause very high temperatures in South Africa from December to March, warns Johan van den Berg, an independent agricultural meteorologist.

A world-renowned group of embroidery artists have used their craft to express the threat climate change poses to small, rural communities.

The agricultural sector is one of the economic sectors most affected by the consequences of load-shedding. On the eve of a busy period for many parts of the sector, uncertainty hangs in the air about whether it will have to endure such dire load-shedding again this summer.

Since the directorate of animal health’s previous report on October 2, eight new cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been reported.

An Angus breeder from the Eastern Cape, Chris Purdon of Cathcart, recently recorded his 10 000th registered calf.