Page 6 - Agro Processing Master Plan News Today

Developing small and emerging farmers is crucial for national food security and a stronger agriculture sector.

A pledge by the government to donate R50-million to help ease Cuba’s food crisis has prompted South Africans to ask how their country is able to do this while little is done to address the root causes of hunger at home.

While there was little mention of food security in the State of the Nation Address last Thursday, many can’t help but wonder if anything is being done to address the root causes of hunger and ensure South Africa is food secure. What is the government’s priority on food security?

For most agricultural subsectors, South Africa is emerging from one of the best years. The 2020/21 season saw bumper harvests for grains, oilseeds and some fruits. These boosted export earnings and improved farm incomes, especially for grains where the large harvest coincided with higher crop prices. When it started the current season, 2021/22, promised to be exceptional. But the continuation of the heavy rains has proved to be a challenge for various regions, causing crop damage and delaying pl...

What’s in store for South Africa’s agricultural sector.

The implementation process of Mzansi's Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan is set to dominate policy discussions this year.

Theo Boshoff has officially started as the new Agbiz CEO. He is prioritising his role in developing a plan to subsidise black farmers.

The chamber’s chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo, said this week that the primarily critical issues like poor road maintenance, electricity supply and water interruptions were also vital hindrances to investment and growth in the agriculture and agribusiness sector.

South Africa's agricultural exports have grown significantly over the past two decades. Yet agricultural private-sector role players typically argue that the government has not done enough to open up new markets for ever-increasing produce. This failure has limited the country's scope to grow exports beyond existing traditional markets in the European Union (EU) and the African continent. In markets outside these regions, private-sector players argue that the growth in South Africa&#03...

Black SA citrus growers see 40% hike in production By Given Majola Share DURBAN - BLACK South African citrus growers achieved a 40 percent increase in production during the 2019/20 season. The Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA), with its Grower Development Company (GDC), said yesterday that several farms and black growers had increased output by more than 40 000 cartons, with one black grower increasing production by 99 000 cartons in one year. The CGA-GDC’s general manager, Lukhanyo Nkombis...