South African News
South Africa’s Meat Industry Growth Threatened by Ongoing Disease Outbreaks
South Africa’s livestock sector has significant growth potential, but disease outbreaks threaten to undermine progress, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s Baseline 2025. Rising urbanisation and population growth are expected to boost meat consumption, with poultry leading demand, followed by pork and beef. However, export opportunities remain limited as recurring animal health crises constrain international trade, leaving production growth stagnant at just 0.3% annually over the past decade. While conditions may improve from 2027, meaningful export expansion is unlikely before then, with red meat exports projected to reach only 9% of production by 2034.
Read full story: Farmers Weekly
Date Published: August 19, 2025
South African Agriculture Shows Strong Export Growth Despite US Tariff Challenges
South Africa’s agricultural sector has defied trade headwinds with strong export growth in 2025, according to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen. Exports to the United States rose by 19% year-on-year in the first quarter to $118 million, followed by a further increase to $161 million in the second quarter, up 26% from 2024. The growth, driven by bumper harvests and efficient ports, comes despite a 30% tariff imposed by the US administration. Leading exports include citrus, grapes, apples, pears, nuts, and wine. Steenhuisen stressed the need to diversify markets and strengthen competitiveness amid shifting trade dynamics.
Read full story: Forbes Africa
Date Published: August 19, 2025
African News
Chinese-Built Solar Plant Sparks Farming Transformation in Kenya’s Arid Garissa County
Kenya’s arid Garissa region is undergoing an agricultural revival thanks to solar-powered irrigation inspired by East Africa’s largest solar plant, built by Chinese engineers in 2019. Farmers like Hassan Yussuf have turned once-barren land along the River Tana into thriving farms producing mangoes, papayas, vegetables and fodder, reducing reliance on food aid and boosting local food security. While solar energy has cut costs and improved yields, only a small fraction of farmers currently uses it. Local cooperatives and officials are now calling for Chinese investment, training, and storage solutions to scale up renewable farming and reduce postharvest losses.
Read full story: China Daily Global
Date Published: August 20, 2025
Global News
Australia’s ‘Green Drought’ Exposes Hidden Crisis for Farmers Despite Lush Paddocks
Southern Australia’s recent winter rains have given farmland a deceptively green appearance, but beneath the surface, farmers are battling a “green drought” — where soil remains barren and pastures lack the nutrition needed for livestock. Experts warn that while paddocks look lush, they are often filled with weeds and mineral imbalances that can harm sheep and cattle. Farmers like the McKenzie family in New South Wales and Mal Nicholson in Victoria have faced soaring feed costs, stock losses, and even bushfires on top of the drought. The crisis highlights the hidden toll of climate extremes and policy pressures on rural communities.
Read full story: News.com
Date Published: August 20, 2025
Trump’s Tariffs Push India’s Shrimp Farmers to the Brink as Ecuador Eyes Opportunity
India’s shrimp industry, the world’s largest supplier to the United States, is reeling from US President Trump’s 50% tariff, forcing many farmers in Andhra Pradesh to consider abandoning shrimp for alternative livelihoods such as fish farming or vegetable retailing. Exporters have slashed farm-gate prices by nearly 20%, wiping out already thin profit margins and leaving indebted farmers struggling to repay loans. With US buyers halting orders, industry leaders warn diversification to markets like China, Japan and the UK will take time. Meanwhile, Ecuador, facing a far lower 15% tariff, is poised to capture market share if India falters.
Read full story: Reuters
Date Published: August 19, 2025
Japan Extends Deadline for Sales of Government-Stockpiled Rice
Japan’s agriculture ministry has extended the deadline for selling government-stockpiled rice, originally set to conclude at the end of August, citing delays in deliveries to retailers. While no new fixed deadline has been established, businesses are being urged to ensure rice stocks are sold within a month of delivery. The ministry also extended the delivery deadline, which had been due on Wednesday, and has stopped accepting new applications for discretionary rice contracts. Of the 280,000 tons contracted, around 100,000 tons remain undelivered, highlighting logistical challenges in clearing surplus supplies.
Read full story: Nippon.com
Date Published: August 20, 2025
Croatian Farmer Turns to Tropical Fruits as Climate Change Reshapes Agriculture
In Donja Bistra, near Zagreb, farmer Ivan Sulog is capitalising on rising temperatures by cultivating more than 50 varieties of tropical and subtropical fruit, including mangoes, papayas, lucuma and Indian bananas. While climate change has brought challenges to Croatian agriculture — with apple yields predicted to fall by 27% this year due to hotter summers and prolonged droughts — Sulog has embraced the shift, proving that crops once unthinkable in continental Europe can now thrive. His 25-year experiment demonstrates both the risks and unexpected opportunities that global warming presents for Mediterranean farming.
Read full story: DW News
Date Published: August 19, 2025
