WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- : South Africa’s Foot-and-Mouth Disease Fight: Progress Made, but Farmers Still Carry Vaccine Costs      AGRI NEWS NET- WEEKEND NEWS RUSH Summary of the Week News 9th August 2026      Grain-consuming giant China still driving the market      Red meat is not a health risk. New study slams years of shoddy research      What happens to elephants that stray from Kruger Park? South African policy needs a rewrite      Forget gold. Fresh fruit is the new industry.      Don’t Tell Farmers How To Farm – Ask Them Instead      How South Africa's diesel price hike will affect food and transport costs      Is hemp a thirsty crop? New research measures just how much water cannabis farming can use      Visualizing Global Attitudes Towards AI     
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  • VIEWPOINT -The Role of Commercial Farming in South Africa Regarding Food Security and Climate Change

    Commercial farming plays a vital role in South Africa’s economy and food security.

  • WEEKEND- VIEWPOINT -South African Farmers Must Unite to Protect Their Industry and Food Security

    South African farmers, the backbone of the nation’s food security, face growing challenges that demand unity and proactive resistance against external interference in their industry.

  • The Future of Agrichemical Companies in South Africa Amid Growing Concerns Over Pesticide Side Effects

    South Africa, the largest user of pesticides in sub-Saharan Africa, stands at a crossroads as agrichemical companies face mounting scrutiny over the environmental, health, and economic impacts of their products.

  • Viewpoint - General

    SouthAfrica’sagriculturalsectorisaparadox—atapestryofresilienceandvulnerability,opportunityandneglect.Asanationwithfertilesoils,diverseclimates,andalegacyoffeedingbothitselfandtheworld,itholdsimmensepotentialtoleadinsustainable,inclusivefarming.Yet,asanobserverofitstrajectoryin2025,Iseealandscapewhereambitionisoftenoutpacedbyinertia,andwherethepromiseoftransformationrisksbeingovershadowedbysystemicchallenges.Here’smytakeonwhereSouthAfricanagriculturestands—andwhereitcouldgo.
    TheStrengthWeOverlook
    Let’sstartwiththegood.SouthAfrica’sfarmersarenothingshortofremarkable.Fromthesun-drenchedvineyardsoftheWesternCapetothemaizefieldsoftheFreeState,they’veturnedacountrywithonly13%arablelandintoanetfoodexporter.In2023,agriculturalexportshitR200billion,withcitrus,grapes,andnutsleadingthecharge.Commercialfarmers—some35,000strong—drivethissuccess,leveragingexpertiseandinfrastructuretocompetegloballydespiteminimalsubsidies,ararityamongagriculturalpowerhouses.
    Buttherealuntappedgemisthe2millionsmall-scalefarmers.Oftensidelinedassubsistenceplayers,theysustainruralcommunitiesandholdthekeytobroaderfoodsecurity.TheAgricultureandAgro-ProcessingMasterPlan(AAMP)rightlyseestheirinclusionasagame-changer,envisioningthemasvitallinksinagro-processingvaluechains.ImagineaSouthAfricawheresmallholdersthrivealongsidecommercialgiants,producingvalue-addedgoodslikerooibosteaextractsororganicbeefforexport.It’snotapipedream—it’sapossibilitywe’refrustratinglyslowtoseize.
    TheShadowsWeCan’tIgnore
    Yet,forallitspotential,SouthAfricanagricultureisasectorunderstrain.Landreform,amoralandpracticalnecessity,remainsaquagmire.Decadesafterapartheid,redistributioncrawlsalong,leavingemergingfarmerswithouttitlesorsupporttocultivateeffectively.TheAAMP’sR1.5trillionpricetagfortransformationdwarfsgovernmentcoffers,especiallyasfiscalprioritiestilttowardEskom’swoesandtheJustEnergyTransitionInvestmentPlan(JET-IP).WiththeUSpotentiallypullingitsJET-IPfundingunderTrump’sfossil-fuel-firstagenda,climate-smartagriculture—crucialforadaptingtoworseningdroughts—maystallfurther.
    Thenthere’stheenergycrisis.Loadsheddingisn’tjustaninconvenience;it’sachokeholdonirrigation,coldstorage,andprocessing.Farmers,bothbigandsmall,areforcedtosinkcapitalintosolarpanelsorgenerators—coststhaterodemarginsinanalreadytoughmarket.Addrisingfertilizerprices,drivenbyglobalsupplyshocks,andyou’vegotarecipeforstagnation.TheAAMP’sAgri-Parksandinfrastructurepromisessoundinspiring,butwhere’stheexecution?Toooften,plansgatherdustwhilefarmersfendforthemselves.
    APathForward:PragmatismMeetsVision
    I’mnotpessimistic—justimpatient.SouthAfricacan’taffordtosquanderitsagriculturaledge.TheAAMP’smulti-stakeholderapproachisastart,unitingAgriSA,smallholderadvocates,andgovernmentinarareshowofsolidarity.Butitneedsteeth:acleartimeline,privatesectorincentives,andawillingnesstoprioritize.Whynotfast-tracklandtenureforsmallfarmersandpairitwithmicro-loanstailoredtotheirneeds?WhynotleanharderintoAgriTech—drones,AI,digitalmarketplaces—toleapfroginefficiencies?
    TheG20presidencyin2025isagoldenopportunity.SouthAfricacouldshowcaseamodelwhere“sustainability”isn’tjustabuzzwordbutasystemthatliftsemergingfarmerswhilekeepingexportsrobust.TaptheJET-IP’s$13.9billion(orwhat’sleftofit)forsolar-poweredirrigation.Courtprivatecapitalwithtaxbreaksforagro-processinghubs.Andforgoodness’sake,fixtheports—exportdelaysareasilentkiller.
    TheBottomLine
    SouthAfricanagricultureisasleepinggiant,butit’srestless.It’sasectorthatcouldemploy

  • WEEKEND VIEWPOINT -Respect, Civilization, and the Need for True Dialogue in South Africa.

    Civilization and respect for others are what South Africa urgently needs.

  • WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- When leaders attack followers for choosing not to follow them - South Africa

    In an environment where everybody is always in agreement, somebody is not thinking.

  • WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- Consumer Demand for Organic and Natural Foods Continues to Grow

    Consumer demand fororganic, natural, and non-GMO foods continues to strengthen, with younger generations driving much of the market growth.

  • WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- We reached this settlement because we spoke with each other, not about each other.

    Over the past month in our weekly viewpoint, we have repeatedly called for greater unity among all farming organisations, companies, and individual farmers.

  • WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- Eskom's Rising Electricity Prices Are Driving South Africans Towards Solar Power

    For many years, South Africans have faced annual electricity price increases from Eskom while also enduring load shedding, power station failures and uncertainty over the country's electricity supply.

  • WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- : Who Really Profits from Your Grocery Bill?

    South Africans, like consumers around the world, are paying very high prices for food, vegetables, fruit, and everyday groceries.

  • WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- : Why Giving Women in Agriculture a Platform to Voice Their Opinions Matters in South Africa

    Women form a vital backbone of South Africa’s agricultural sector.

  • WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- : South Africa’s Foot-and-Mouth Disease Fight: Progress Made, but Farmers Still Carry Vaccine Costs

    South Africa’s long-running foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis appears to be moving toward better control, yet farmers continue to bear the financial burden of vaccines.
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