Farmers could also be struggling to develop action plans for possible scenarios in order to assist them in addressing fluctuations in market prices, weather patterns and the influence of a growing or declining economy.
Agriculture in South Africa is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Being a South African farmer is an occupation with one of the highest mortality rates in the world. South Africa’s challenging climate is also no secret, and every producer is well aware of the risks and effects of drought, floods, frost, and hail. South African farmers are part of the global food production network, and at the moment everyone is anticipating the influence that cheap food imports and the rand’s volatility will have on local prices.
Looking back at the last couple of years it is clear that almost all the abovementioned factors had an effect on South African farmers. However, these factors are not the only obstacles.
Foot-and-mouth disease
Last year will be remembered as the year with not one, but two outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in South Africa. This against the backdrop of an outbreak in 2012 that cost the country billions.
Producers had not yet been able to regain market access to all previous international red meat export destinations when the second outbreak of 2019 closed South African borders once again. The second outbreak, which occurred in November last year, came just a month or two after the borders for export began re-opening.
The second outbreak was even worse than the first, since it occurred in the so-called FMD-free zone, resulting in an almost immediate halt of livestock operations in Limpopo and surrounding provinces.
Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av FarmBiz.
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Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av FarmBiz.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Hauling In A Full Net: Reaping The Benefits Of Processed Fish
As local and global governments deal with the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, producers are now more than ever searching for new options for expanding their businesses. That said, farming and value addition to produce does not have to be limited to landlocked food sources.
Grow Produce Year-round With Tunnels And Greenhouses
Climate change is an inescapable reality and can wreak havoc in open-field production systems that rely on the right weather patterns to produce good yields. For this reason, many producers worldwide have turned to growing crops in tunnels or greenhouses. These production systems offer protection from changing weather patterns, allowing them to grow crops throughout the year.
Saving Soil: Harnessing The Microbiome
We live in unprecedented times.
Summer Grain Production: A Producer's Perspective
The 2020 planting season for producers in the summer rainfall areas is here and most of them are looking forward to the first summer rains so that they can plant their crops. FarmBiz spoke to Jaco Minnaar from the farm Uitsny near Henneman about the new season. Jaco is vice-chairperson of Agri SA and currently serves on the Senwes board.
Electronic Auctions: The New Normal?
The South African livestock industry has suffered a tremendous setback with challenges posed to physical auctions. However, the industry is nothing if not resilient. The first ban on livestock auctions was imposed during the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in 2019.
Oxygen Types That Damage Crops In Extreme Weather Conditions
Oxygen is best known as a life-giving gas without which life as we know it, would not be possible.
Asia's Maize Imports Likely To Grow
In 2019, the Asian maize market was finally on the rise to reach US$204,4 billion after two years of decline. The total consumption indicated buoyant growth from 2009 to 2019. Its value increased at an average annual rate of 5,1% over the last decade.
Cultivated grazing: Fertiliser is the key to success
Nowadays everything in agriculture has to be done on a larger scale. Cultivated grazing has also become a science, with producers forced to think bigger to get more out of their grazing – all at the most economical cost.
Industry Giants Comment On Special Adjustment Budget
Prof Johan Willemse, an independent agricultural economist, says the supplementary budget delivered by the minister of finance on 24 June was a real shocker. According to him, the government is spending an additional R145 billion on the COVID-19 issue. The real issue, however, is a record budget shortfall due to the economic meltdown, with wrong policy choices and corruption on the cards.
Rethinking The Conversion Process Of Poultry Litter To Biogas
The poultry industry is generally comprised of broiler chicken production, egg production, day-old chick suppliers and other poultry. While micro-enterprise businesses are gaining prominence as a means to address the challenges of job creation, economic growth and equity, the industry has future challenges concerning poultry litter management.
