South African News
Pula Nala Wins Top Honour at Eastern Cape Women Entrepreneur Awards
Pula Nala, a women- and youth-led agricultural enterprise based in Alfred Nzo, has been awarded top honours at the Eastern Cape Women Entrepreneur Awards. Founded in 2020, the company has grown from 50 to 250 hectares of cultivated land and created over 500 jobs. Led by CEO Kabelo Puling, Pula Nala specialises in maize and soya exports, while also producing vegetables, eggs, and pork for local and retail markets. The awards, established to celebrate women’s contributions to agriculture, recognised the enterprise for its innovation, job creation, and impact on food production in the region.
Read full story: Food For Mzansi
Date Published: August 3, 2025
South African Farmers Embrace Cover Crops to Tackle Climate and Soil Challenges
South Africa’s agriculture sector is increasingly adopting cover crops as part of regenerative farming practices to address climate variability, resource scarcity, and soil degradation. These non-harvested crops are used between cash crop cycles or in permanent systems like vineyards to protect and enrich the soil. Local institutions such as Grain SA are promoting their role in building resilience, reducing input costs, and enhancing profitability. South African commercial farmers are integrating multi-species cover crop mixes to improve biodiversity, reduce chemical dependency, and manage drought risks — all essential for long-term sustainability in a changing climate.
Read full story: Farmer’s Weekly
Date Published: August 6, 2025
African News
Ethiopia’s Agro-Industrial Parks Drive Agribusiness Growth and Rural Transformation
Ethiopia is advancing rural development and agribusiness industrialisation through four Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks (IAIPs), supported by UNIDO. These parks combine infrastructure, processing facilities, and rural transformation centres to enhance value addition in agriculture. So far, three IAIPs are operational, attracting 114 investors and generating over USD 48.1 million in exports. More than 2,000 factory jobs have been created, and tens of thousands of smallholder farmers have been linked to formal markets. South Africa and other African nations stand to benefit from such models, as they promote inclusive growth, employment, and agricultural value chain development across the continent.
Read full story: African Farming
Date Published: August 4, 2025
Global News
Việt Nam’s Coffee Sector Faces EU Export Hurdles Under New Deforestation Law
Việt Nam’s coffee industry, heavily reliant on the European Union – which buys 40% of its exports – is under pressure to comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) coming into force in late 2025. The law demands that imported coffee be deforestation-free, legally sourced, and traceable to specific plots. Most smallholder farmers, often lacking land certificates or traceability systems, risk exclusion from the EU market. Though Việt Nam has been deemed a 'low-risk' country, experts stress the need for improved traceability tools, legal verification mechanisms, and stronger business-farmer partnerships to maintain access and competitiveness.
Read full story: Vietnam News
Date Published: August 6, 2025
AI Project to Validate Regenerative Farming in UK Potato Production
A groundbreaking EU-funded project will use artificial intelligence to scientifically validate regenerative farming practices in potato production, with initial commercial trials set to take place in the UK. Led by agri-tech firm Cropin and supported by a €700,000 (£605,000) grant from EIT Food, the project aims to assess whether practices like reducing fertiliser and using cover crops can boost yield and dry matter content while cutting water usage. Using satellite imagery, field sensors, and predictive analytics, the project addresses the need for measurable data to scale regenerative agriculture effectively across Europe.
Read full story: Fruit Net
Date Published: August 5, 2025
Brazil Celebrates 50 Years as World's Leading Chicken Exporter
Brazil has marked 50 years since its first international chicken meat export, a shipment to Kuwait on August 1, 1975, which launched the country’s rise to become the world’s top poultry exporter. Over the decades, Brazil has exported nearly 100 million tonnes of chicken to over 150 countries, with halal-certified products playing a key role in securing strong ties with Gulf and Islamic markets. In 2024 alone, exports exceeded 4.9 million tonnes, generating nearly US$10 billion. Industry leaders attribute the country's success to rigorous food safety, certification standards, and strategic trade partnerships.
Read full story: The Poultry Site
Date Published: August 6, 2025
Pyka Lands Order for 60 Autonomous Crop Spraying Aircraft from Brazil’s Synerjet
US-based aviation firm Pyka has secured a firm order from Brazilian distributor Synerjet for 60 of its autonomous electric Pelican 2 aircraft, marking a key milestone in its global expansion. The deal, finalised at Pyka’s California headquarters, establishes Synerjet as the company’s first authorised distributor in Brazil. Deliveries are set to begin in August 2025. Designed for high-precision crop spraying, the Pelican 2 is the world’s largest autonomous agricultural aircraft. With proven use across the Americas, this partnership aims to boost sustainable, pilot-free aerial application technology in Brazil’s expansive farming sector.
Read full story: Agro Pages
Date Published: August 1, 2025
