Tabla de contenidos para 25 April 2025 en Farmer's Weekly

After nearly a month of arguments, South Africa's Budget was finally passed in the National Assembly on 2 April. There were no amendments made to the Budget as delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in March, and South Africans will see a 0,5% increase in VAT from 1 May. This will be followed by a 0,5% increase in VAT in 2026. Also, income tax brackets will not be adjusted for inflation. This means that if your annual income is close to entering a higher income tax bracket, should your income go up due to a bonus or increase, you will be pushed into a higher tax bracket, which means you will pay more to the South African Revenue Service. Tellingly, the DA, one of the parties constituting the Government of…

During US President Donald Trump's campaign in 2024, the notion of a metaphoric ‘deep state’ emerged several times in speeches, and among his followers, the existence of a state within a state became a normal political narrative. The notion of a deep state is relevant to the radical changes brought about by Trump, because the Trump administration is of the opinion that elements of the so-called deep state reside in global funding of several organisations, a bloated federal bureaucracy, and agencies in the US federal government structure referred to by Trump as the “swamp”. It seems as if the idea of the existence of a deep state is the merging of conservative political ideologies, speculation about secrecy, conspiracy theories and a huge resentment of a dominant federal bureaucracy and agencies,…

South Africa's citrus industry has achieved a milestone with the first shipment of locally grown lemons arriving in India at the end of March. The consignment, exported by FruitOne, marks the beginning of the 2025 season and is expected to open up new trade opportunities in one of the world's fastest-growing fruit markets. Speaking to Farmer's Weekly, Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), said the Indian market held great potential for South African citrus. “India's large population, its predominantly vegetarian dietary practices, and its growing demand for fresh fruit make it a highly promising market for our citrus exports,” said Ntshabele. He added, however, that a key challenge was the 30% import tariff imposed on South African citrus by India. Ntshabele said that the…

Government is intensifying efforts to tackle the growing problem of counterfeit honey products infiltrating the market, according to Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau. This followed a reported increase in the sale of counterfeit honey. “There is an ongoing Department of Agriculture inspectorate service to crack down on [counterfeit] honey. We need to strengthen food standards and enhance enforcement and inspections by the regulators,” Tau said in an interview with Farmer's Weekly. Tau explained that consumer protection measures, such as product recalls, and increased dissemination of information by The National Consumer Commission (NCC), were important in this regard. He added that the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) had been tasked with deploying trade remedies to counter the surge of imported honey that may not meet local standards. The…

A study by the Agricultural Research Council's Infruitec-Nietvoorbij in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, is evaluating ways to protect buchu plants against wild harvesting. Dr Ngwatshipane Mashabela, senior researcher at the institution, told Farmer's Weekly that buchu grew naturally in the dry mountainous areas of the Western Cape, where it had become threatened because of overharvesting for medicinal purposes. The crop is also in high demand on the essential oil and perfume market. Mashabela said that the research, which started about seven months ago, aims to preserve wild buchu by improving the sustainability of commercial buchu production and uncovering sustainable harvesting practices. “Currently there are only a handful of commercial buchu producers around the Cederberg, Piketberg and Wellington. We, therefore, decided to evaluate irrigation levels required by buchu plants for optimal production,…

In the ongoing quest for sustainable and eco-friendly farming solutions, beneficial nematodes have emerged as an important tool for both pest control and soil health. While many farmers are familiar with plant-parasitic nematodes that cause significant crop damage, beneficial nematodes play a crucial role in maintaining soil ecology and controlling pests. Dr Tshimangadzo Ramakuwela, a lecturer in the Department of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Pretoria, says nematodes are microscopic roundworms found in almost every habitat on earth. “They play quite diverse roles. Some nematodes are beneficial, while others are plant-parasitic and cause crop damage,” she says. TYPES OF BENEFICIAL NEMATODES Ramakuwela adds that while plant-parasitic nematodes feed on the roots of cultivated crops, leading to root deformities such as galls, beneficial nematodes can be classified into…

Duckweed (family: Lemnoideae), also known as water lentils, is a flowering aquatic plant, which, according to researchers, has great potential for agricultural use as a soil enricher, fuel source and protein-rich feed. According to a recent article published by ScienceDaily, scientists have released new and more accurate genome sequences for five species of duckweed. “These sequences reveal several genes that (when present or absent) may be behind the plant's unique traits and versatility,” ScienceDaily reported. Rob Martienssen, study lead, said the team used “cutting-edge technology” to produce a catalogue of genes. “We could tell exactly which genes were there and which were not. A lot of genes that are missing are responsible for features of the plant: open stomata or the lack of roots. We could identify genes that were…

The South African economy will be able to grow by 3% per annum, without any further interventions, if the logistics and energy crises are solved. This was according to Theo Boshoff, CEO of Agbiz, who spoke at the International Fresh Produce Association's Fresh Solutions event, held in late March near Somerset West in the Western Cape. Boshoff said that the Roadmap for the Freight Logistics System, adopted by Cabinet towards the end of 2023, was a move in the right direction, by putting steps into place to facilitate the participation of private third parties in the rail network. Transnet's Network Statement has also been released, setting out the process, conditions and fees with which any train operating company, including Transnet, should adhere to in order to operate on South Africa's…

Results for potato cultivar trials for the past season show promising results for farmers seeking stable, consistent performers, according to Potatoes South Africa (Potatoes SA). Every year, Potatoes SA conducts trials across production regions in South Africa. With the Sandveld in the Western Cape, where potatoes are grown under irrigation, and Reitz in the Free State, where potatoes are cultivated on dryland, having completed their harvests in the first quarter, these results have now been published. For the Sandveld, the Lanorma variety topped the list for dependability, followed by Panamera and Sifra over a three-year period. Over a five-year period, Sifra proved to offer the most consistent performance, followed by Panamera and Mondial. Enrike Verster, a researcher at Potatoes SA, told Farmer's Weekly that the results proved the importance of…

The growing middle class, along with greater health and environmental awareness, has resulted in a huge demand for organic produce, according to Aleksandr Chumak, deputy head of the Russian organisation, RusQuality. Chumak was speaking at the recent Organic & Natural Products Expo Africa held in Cape Town and said that demand in Russia for organic wine, fruit and vegetables, which could not be produced in Russia, was especially high. To take advantage of this demand, organic farmers needed to ensure that they received the relevant certification from RusQuality, the organic certification programme in Russia and the only certification programme acknowledged and accepted in the country. “Our organic certification programme was started five years ago to rid the Russian market of greenwashing. Since then, we have issued over 600 organic certificates.…

A South African hydroponics farming system won first prize at the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme – South Africa (GCIP-SA) Awards, held in March in Johannesburg. This innovative system allows farmers to grow crops using up to 90% less water and requires only 10% of the land compared to traditional farming methods. Hosted by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility, the awards acknowledge the outstanding achievements of entrepreneurs and innovators who are driving sustainable solutions. AB Farms, founded by Mogale Maleka, beat seven other competitors to claim the sustainable development award. His farm was recognised for its commitment to clean energy solutions. Speaking to Farmer's Weekly, Maleka said: “Winning the award as…

At the beginning of March, US President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada as well as additional duties on Chinese imports. In its latest (January 2025) World Economic Outlook publication, the International Monetary Fund warns that the intensification of protectionist policies could lead to lower investment, distort trade flows, and disrupt supply chains. Trump's decisions and the threat of further trade measures already had an effect on South Africa. In March, the South African Reserve Bank cited the uncertainty created by Trump's actions as the main reason for not lowering interest rates. TRADE LIBERALISATION Trade restrictions were common in most countries until and even after World War II. International trade liberalisation started after countries experienced the successes of international co-operation in the financial and monetary…

South Africa must build on the positive sentiment currently evident in agriculture and agribusinesses by implementing long-standing plans and tackling the long-term growth constraints in the sector. The path ahead for the sector remains clear throughout the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP), which took the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to draft. The AAMP's core objective is to drive inclusive growth in the sector by addressing constraints across commodities and cross-cutting matters such as land reform. In early February, US President Donald Trump cited misleading claims about South Africa's land reform in his executive order against South Africa. Amid these headlines, we worried that there would be a sense of pessimism about business conditions in the sector. However, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index, a sentiment indicator in South Africa's…

The red meat industry is in for a shake-up as it strives to get a full traceability system in place for the industry by the end of the year. “We're going to make a lot of farmers angry, but we won't ensure South Africa's biosecurity if we don't put the correct systems in place,” said Dewald Olivier, CEO of the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS). RMIS recently announced the appointment of biosecurity marshals that would enhance disease monitoring, enforce compliance and strengthen biosecurity protocols across the industry. The marshal is authorised under the Animal Diseases Act No. 35 of 1984 by the Department of Agriculture. Olivier told Farmer's Weekly that the marshals would be under close scrutiny. “We have made it clear that the type of person who takes on…

The Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA) has launched an eight-month Learnership Development Programme aimed at driving sustainable hemp cultivation in the province. Speaking to Farmer's Weekly, Simpiwe Somdyala, CEO of ECRDA, said the initiative, developed in collaboration with Anothile Projects, the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (ECDoA) and the Eastern Cape Hemp Producers’ Association, seeks to equip farmers who have hemp-production permits with the necessary expertise to thrive in the industry. “Anothile Projects secured programme funding from AgriSETA. The induction for hemp producers took place on 28 March, with the programme officially set to commence in May,” he said. According to Somdyala, the programme is expected to contribute significantly to the development of hemp producers by offering insights into differentiated commercial value chains. “We aim to educate farmers on…

Organic production has the potential to fix skewed food systems, alleviate poverty and solve diet-related diseases. This was according to Matthew Purkis, head of operations at the South African Organic Sector Organisation, who spoke during a conference at the Organic & Natural Products Expo Africa held in Cape Town in late March. Purkis estimated that there were roughly two million emerging farmers in South Africa and 33 million farmers in Africa, and each of them would be able to employ six to eight workers per hectare if they were able to produce food organically and access the organic market. He acknowledged, however, that establishing access to markets would probably be the most difficult part in developing these farmers’ potential, because of the stigma that organic food was only for an…

South Africa's high unemployment rate and poor fiscal management make it vulnerable to armed conflict. Research recently published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlighted the crucial role of macroeconomic policies in preventing armed conflict. The study identified three key areas where macroeconomic policy can reduce the risk of conflict. This included stronger fiscal management, where governments invested in public services and economic development, resilient labour markets, since employment opportunities reduce the likelihood of people resorting to violence, and international financial support. Data from the National Economic Development and Labour Council showed that South Africa's unemployment rate stood at 31,9% at the end of last year. In the fourth quarter of 2024, South Africa's official unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level since the third quarter of 2023. This decline…

The dive into potato and onion input markets serves as a basis for what we can anticipate for input costs in the 2025 season. The focus is on three key inputs, namely fertiliser, electricity, and fuel. Traditionally, the use of fertilisers in vegetable production supports positive yield rates, but we have seen increasing importance and reliance on energy availability over the past five years as electricity supply shortages often plagued South Africa. FERTILISER PRICES Fertiliser prices started surging notably during most of 2022, on the back of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and sanctions declared on Russian fertiliser exports. This translated into a notable increase in production costs during the 2023 production season. The dotted section of Graph 1 illustrates the peak period for fertiliser prices. ENERGY COSTS Energy costs have increasingly…

What Nelson Mandela Taught Me by Zelda la Grange (Tafelberg, R350) Freedom Day on Sunday 27 April commemorates South Africa's first democratic election, of course. Yet it was also a time that opened a new awareness of personal as well as political and institutional freedoms. Many had to put aside assumptions about individuals and groups, grappling instead with understandings based on respect. Here Zelda la Grange, former personal assistant to the man who guided South Africa to freedom, Nelson Mandela, bares her soul, unthinkingly unleashing a social-media storm she swiftly regretted. It leads her to reflect, “Who am I without Madiba?” She selects and deconstructs anecdotes to encapsulate “timeless lessons on leadership and life”. She often returns to her admiration for Mandela's resilience and sense of hope in prison. Thoughtful…