South African News
Cattle champions, drone tech and outdoor culture converge at Nampo Alfa 2025
Day two of Nampo Alfa 2025 at Nampo Park, Bothaville, drew farmers, students and outdoor enthusiasts to a packed programme of livestock championships, farm-skills contests and ag-tech showcases. The only SA agricultural expo to host three national titles under one roof, it staged the Old Mutual National Interbreed Beef Cattle Championships, the National Lamb Champs and the Laeveld Agrochem Farm Skills National Championships. South Africans’ outdoor lifestyle was reflected in extensive camping, hunting and firearms exhibits. AgTech@NWK highlighted rapid adoption of spraying drones, with the DJI Agras T100 capable of treating 25ha per hour. Youth talent also shone, with Danique du Plooy taking the Junior Beef Cattle title.
Read full story: Farmer’s Weekly
Date published: October 24, 2025
Why South African consumers must care about the FMD crisis – not only farmers
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is crippling the livestock sector, but its consequences reach all South Africans. When herds are culled to stop spread, national meat and dairy supply shrinks, driving up prices and risking empty shelves or low-quality imports. The crisis also threatens jobs across the food chain, from farm workers to butchers and transporters. Because FMD spreads easily — even on shoes or vehicles — the public can help by avoiding farm visits, not moving unregulated meat, and practising basic biosecurity. Staying informed, buying responsibly, and not pressuring farmers to hide disease are essential to protect food security and public trust.
Read full story: African Farming
Date published: October 24, 2025
African News
Morocco hits new seasonal record for pumpkin exports to France
Morocco is on track for a record pumpkin season in France for the third year running, shipping almost 1,700 t worth US$1.75 million to the market between November 2024 and August 2025, EastFruit reports. Volumes are up 32% year-on-year and nearly double 2022/23 levels, consolidating France as Morocco’s top destination with more than a third of its pumpkin exports. Shipments peak in May–June when Iberian supply dips; May 2025 alone saw about 700 t sent to France. France’s total pumpkin imports have rebounded to 14,900 t, with Spain and Portugal still dominant suppliers, while Morocco now holds roughly a 10% share.
Read full story: Fresh Plaza
Date published: October 23, 2025
Global News
FAO honours Lanzarote’s “volcanic miracle” as a global agricultural heritage site
Lanzarote’s black-ash moonscape hides one of Europe’s most resilient farming systems. After 18th-century eruptions smothered fields and drought became permanent, farmers developed ash-mulch (enarenado) and sand-mulch (jable) methods that trap moisture, enrich soil and allow grapes, legumes, sweet potatoes and fruit to grow with minimal irrigation. In La Geria, vines are sunk into craters and shielded by stone zocos, yielding distinctive volcanic wines. In May 2025 the FAO named Lanzarote a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), recognising its biodiversity gains, climate-resilient know-how and contribution to food and livelihood security in one of Europe’s driest regions.
Read full story: Farming.co.uk
Date published: October 24, 2025
Climate change is grinding down India’s women rice farmers — and locking in “survival” emissions
Women do most of the heavy labour in South Asia’s rice fields, and climate change is amplifying both physical strain and economic risk. In Kerala and Karnataka, studies show women farmers face greater exposure to heat, floods, lightning and water-borne disease, while earning less and owning little land, leaving them with almost no adaptive agency. Paddy yields drop 10–15% per +1 °C, yet rice remains vital to food security and rural livelihoods and accounts for nearly half of cropland GHG emissions — emissions many scholars call “survival” emissions. Experts argue adaptation hinges on women’s access to credit, machinery, training and climate-smart practices.
Read full story: Mongabay
Date published: October 24, 2025
Russian demand lifts Indian banana exporters, but weather and weak support cloud outlook
Indian banana growers in Maharashtra’s Solapur district are benefiting from firm export demand and a new foothold in Russia, now taking its first containers alongside traditional buyers in Iran, Iraq and the Gulf. Farm-gate prices of USD 0.20–0.27/kg are attractive, but excess rain has fuelled black-spot and rust diseases, while post-Diwali cold snaps cause “chilling injury”, depressing ripening and prices. Farmers resort to night-time heating and irrigation tweaks with mixed results. Despite India being the world’s top producer, growers say institutional backing lags that for grapes and pomegranates and call for a national banana research centre plus stronger support on disease, climate resilience and post-harvest systems.
Read full story: FreshPlaza
Date published: October 23, 2025
RADA warns farmers to brace for disease surge after Tropical Storm Melissa
Following Tropical Storm Melissa, Jamaica’s Rural Agricultural Development Authority is urging farmers to act quickly against post-storm crop diseases. Heavy rain creates ideal conditions for leaf spots, mildews and anthracnose, and farmers are advised to rotate to systemic fungicides for better internal protection. RADA also stresses safe storage: fertilisers, pesticides and seeds should be lifted off the ground on pallets or shelves, sheds reinforced against leaks, and chemicals kept sealed in original labelled containers - stored away from food, feed and livestock. These steps, the agency says, are no longer precautionary but must be implemented immediately.
Read full story: Jamaica Information Service
Date published: October 23, 2025
