Agriculture
Black farmers in South Africa need support: how it could be done
Most countries have some sort of programme to help early career farmers to get established and South Africa sticks out like a sore thumb in not having one.
Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza said the country has been currently battling at least 56 foot-and-mouth outbreaks.
The department said that it had received numerous reports of vouchers being exchanged for cash, which defeated the initial purpose for these coupons.
Afreda Mars farms with sheep and grain.
The new initiative reproduces the core weaknesses of post-apartheid state land and agricultural policy. These have done little to improve the livelihoods of the poor.
The agricultural industry association has recently teamed up with the South African Police Service to ensure a more effective implementation of the Revised Rural Safety Strategy.
Following the coronavirus lockdown in South Africa, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza announced plans to assist the agriculture industry to ensure continued food production.
Agri Western Cape's Jannie Strydom said horticultural industries were generally energy-intensive, especially with regards to cold chains, for which a stable electricity supply was critical.
The deputy president addressed the Mpumalanga Show at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, where the annual event showcased agriculture, forestry, wildlife, tourism, and related sectors.
Farmers in Côte d'Ivoire are increasingly keeping an eye on their remote lands through the use of drones.
Biodiversity enables agriculture systems to be more resilient to shocks such as disease and pest outbreaks, as well as coping with climate change.
Agricultural production is chronically poor in the North, which has periodically been hit by famine, with hundreds of thousands dying - some estimates say millions - in the mid-1990s.
South Africa's smallholder farmers face major obstacles but being in groups can help them.
David Fig says South Africa urgently needs to rethink its existing agricultural model.
There is very little clarity as to who owns what land in South Africa. A lack of reliable data and statistics doesn't help.
The National Forum says political negligence has fuelled undue bureaucracy, mismanagement and corruption, which have severely hampered meaningful land reform.
Jean-Jacques Cornish unpacks the threat of the fall armyworm invasion to Southern Africa.
Leaders are gathering over the fall armyworm and other pests to assess the damage and discuss emergency plans.
Factfile on the African armyworm, which is spreading in Africa and destroying many cereal crops.