South African News
Merlog Foods Urges BMA to Embrace Online Verification to Prevent Poultry Import Delays
Merlog Foods is calling on South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) to replace paper-based veterinary health certificates with Brazil’s secure online verification system, warning that current delays of seven to ten days are harming food security and driving up protein prices. Although both the BMA and the Department of Agriculture have access to the portal, shipments remain stuck at ports until physical documents arrive. Merlog warns this bottleneck impacts affordable products like polony and Vienna sausages, potentially costing 100 million meals per week. The company also urges a regionalisation protocol with Brazil to avoid future blanket bans on imports.
Read full story:African Farming
Date Published: August 8, 2025
Western Cape on Alert as Bird Flu Resurfaces Across South Africa
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has issued an urgent warning following the return of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in North West, Mpumalanga, and now the Western Cape. The province’s first recent outbreak, detected in July on a duck farm near Paarl, has led to the culling of ducks and chickens. Mass wild bird deaths — the first since 2022 — have been reported among Great White Pelicans and Hartlaub’s Gulls. While the public health risk remains low, poultry producers are urged to tighten biosecurity measures, and the public is asked to report unusual wild bird deaths promptly.
Read full story:Agri News
Date Published: August 5, 2025
African News
UK-Ethiopia Partnership Showcases Sustainable Farming Innovations
The UK and Ethiopia are working together to transform food systems through innovation, investment, and environmental stewardship. With Africa’s population set to reach 2.2 billion by 2050, Ethiopia is boosting agricultural productivity and resilience through initiatives such as Green Agro Solutions’ digital platform for 300,000 farmers, organic fertiliser production at Melkam dairy, and teff-based products from Lovegrass. Supported by UK programmes like CASA and the Darwin Initiative, these projects improve yields, incomes, and climate resilience while protecting ecosystems. The collaboration, highlighted at the UN Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa, demonstrates scalable, community-led solutions to global food security challenges.
Read full story: Ethiopian Herald
Date Published: August 7, 2025
Global News
France’s Constitutional Court Blocks Return of Banned Pesticide
France’s top court has struck down a clause in the “Duplomb Law” that would have reinstated acetamiprid, a pesticide banned since 2018 for harming bees and pollinators. The Constitutional Court ruled the measure violated the country’s constitutional duty to protect the environment and future generations. Backed by the government and major farming unions, the bill passed in July but faced strong opposition from scientists, green groups, and a student-led petition signed by over two million people. While other parts of the farming law remain, environmental advocates see the decision as a major victory for public health and biodiversity.
Read full story: Euronews
Date Published: August 7, 2025
Record Heat and Drought Threaten Japan’s Rice Harvest
Japan’s rice production faces renewed risk as record-breaking heat and the driest July in nearly 80 years hit key farming regions like Tohoku and Hokuriku. Experts warn yields and distribution will likely fall, potentially driving prices—already 50% higher than last year—even higher. The country is still recovering from a 2023 harvest slump that caused shortages and forced schools to cut rice from lunch menus. While expanded planting may offset some losses, forecasts remain uncertain. The government has urged farmers to boost cultivation, expanded production into cooler areas like Hokkaido, and deployed emergency measures to protect the nation’s staple crop.
Read full story: Japan Times
Date Published: August 8, 2025
China Moves to Cut Pig Breeding Herds Amid Pork Oversupply
China is calling on major pig farmers to reduce breeding herds by around 2%, or one million sows, to address oversupply and stabilise pork prices, which have fallen nearly 20% in the past year. The state-backed husbandry association has scheduled a meeting next week to agree on herd cuts, limit slaughter weights, and curb secondary fattening. Although the current sow population of 40.43 million is within regulatory limits, weak consumer demand due to economic slowdown has weighed on prices. The move underscores Beijing’s broader push for production discipline across key industries to counter deflationary pressures.
Read full story: National Hog Farmers
Date Published: August 7, 2025
Australia Develops mRNA Vaccine to Combat Foot-and-Mouth Disease Threat
Australia has developed a locally produced mRNA vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), offering the potential for rapid, targeted responses to outbreaks of the highly contagious livestock virus. FMD, which severely impacts cattle health, milk yields, and fertility, poses a major risk to Australia’s multi-billion-dollar export trade, with the last domestic case recorded in 1872. While the vaccine could be swiftly adapted to match viral strains and manufactured at scale, pre-emptive vaccination is unlikely due to trade implications and the need to maintain disease-free status. Authorities emphasise that biosecurity, livestock tracking, and early detection remain the primary defences against FMD.
Read full story:New Zealand Herald
Date Published: August 8, 2025
