South African News
SA farmers urged to improve cattle genetics to reduce meat costs
South African beef producers are urged to rethink their herd genetics to cut meat production costs, says consultant Issie Liebenberg at the ‘Winds of Change’ Information Day in Bloemfontein. Comparing local costs—R55.50/kg—to Brazil’s R29.47/kg and Australia’s R22.47/kg, he highlighted how subsidies and veld farming drive efficiency abroad. South Africa’s reliance on feedlot systems and stagnating herd size since the 1970s further compound high prices. Liebenberg recommends adopting breeds like Boran, which deliver improved fertility, lower labour costs, reduced veterinary expenses and better per-hectare profits. He insists farmers should focus on genetics rather than environment to enhance profitability.
Read full story: Farmers Weekly
Date Published: June 20, 2025
NSPCA brings criminal charges against Daybreak Farms directors over animal cruelty
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has laid criminal charges against the board of Daybreak Farms under the Animal Protection Act. This move follows the appalling discovery of mass starvation and cannibalism among hundreds of thousands of birds after the farm failed to purchase feed or pay staff since March, prompting NSPCA inspectors to intervene. The charges, which could result in jail sentences of up to a year for those found guilty, mark the NSPCA's strongest action yet. This scandal has sparked national outrage, with calls for accountability directed at the Public Investment Corporation as well.
Read full story: Daily Maverick
Date Published: June 22, 2025
African News
Tanzania secures local and global partnerships to modernise agriculture sector
Tanzania has formed significant local and international partnerships, securing around US $400 million from the World Bank and African Development Bank to fund irrigation and agribusiness initiatives. Additional funding—such as US $60 million from IFAD and support from JICA—is being negotiated. Agreements with Norway, the USDA, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AGRA, and McKinsey aim to enhance research, boost horticulture, youth and women’s involvement, and develop an Agriculture Transformation Master Plan. These initiatives support the establishment of the Agriculture Transformation Office and align with the country’s 2050 development strategy. Officials say regional cooperation is vital to leveraging collective strengths and mobilising long-term resources.
Read full story: The Citizen
Date Published: June 23, 2025
Global News
Denmark’s Green Agriculture Push Faces Resistance in Divided EU
As Denmark assumes the EU Council presidency, it aims to champion climate-focused agricultural reform, drawing on its pioneering domestic carbon tax on farming emissions. The Danish model—built on social consensus through the Green Tripartite Agreement—emphasises cooperation and reinvestment in the farming sector. Yet, the EU’s current political climate favours deregulation and competitiveness, not carbon cuts. Farmer protests, rightward political shifts, and internal resistance—especially from nations like Ireland and Germany—limit Denmark’s influence. While Denmark’s presidency is unlikely to revolutionise EU farm policy, it may preserve momentum for green reforms and push for more long-term sustainability discussions.
Read full story: Politico Europe
Date Published: June 23, 2025
Bangladeshi Migrants Power Qatar’s Agricultural Transformation
Bangladeshi migrants have played a pivotal role in Qatar’s drive towards food self‑sufficiency, emerging as both farm labourers and entrepreneurs. Since the 2017 Gulf embargo, Qatar’s National Food Security Strategy aimed for 70 % vegetable, and full milk and poultry self‑sufficiency by 2023. That target was largely met—with Bangladeshi‑run farms producing a variety of vegetables, herbs, ornamental flowers and even branching into livestock, honey and fish farming. Migrants are mastering advanced techniques such as hydroponics and aquaponics, gaining expertise that will benefit both Qatar and, on return, Bangladesh. The article calls for formal agreements to ensure fair wages and better conditions for workers.
Read full story: Asia News Network
Date Published: June 23, 2025
Brazilian soy farms exploit loophole to expand into the Amazon
Brazilian soy growers are increasingly clearing secondary forests in the Amazon to plant soy, undermining the 2006 Amazon Soy Moratorium, which prohibits buying soy from forests felled after 2008. Although the pact successfully halted deforestation of primary rainforest, satellite imagery reveals that 16 % of soy plantations now occupy land cleared post-2008 by exploiting a loophole in the definition of forest. This expansion, primarily driven by exports to China via ports like Santarém, worsens environmental damage and raises health concerns from pesticide use. Environmentalists warn that closing the loophole is essential to align soy production with global climate goals.
Read full story: Big News Network
Date Published: June 23, 2025
Baralaba paramedic awarded top honour after daring grain‑silo rescue
Paramedic Vaughan Mason received the Ambulance Service Medal—the highest honour for ambulance personnel—for his heroic rescue of farmer John Lawson from a collapsing grain silo near Baralaba, Queensland. In February 2023, Mason was the sole paramedic on site, scooping grain by hand and using a makeshift breathing tube to keep Lawson alive until extraction was possible. The pair recently reunited at the accident site, recalling the intense pressure and relief as Lawson was extricated. Mason is also celebrated locally for his extensive community work, including CPR training and welfare checks on elderly residents.
Read full story: ABC News
Date Published: June 21, 2025
