South African News
Free State Agriculture Warns Government: Rural Safety Must Not Become a Political Battleground
Free State Agriculture (FSA) has urged the South African government to separate politics from rural safety following claims by US President Donald Trump alleging “genocide” in the country. FSA president Francois Wilken stressed that farmers, workers and families across all backgrounds face severe crime that threatens food security and rural livelihoods. He warned that political rhetoric, particularly around property rights and expropriation without compensation, fuels uncertainty and damages international confidence. Vice-president Friedl von Maltitz added that farmers bear heavy financial and emotional burdens amid crime and policy instability. FSA calls for firm constitutional governance, improved security, and constructive cooperation with the agricultural sector.
Read full story: Food For Mzansi
Date Published: December 4, 2025
Strict Movement Controls, Not Vaccines Alone, Key to Stopping Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Foot-and-mouth disease cannot be contained through vaccination alone, warns Dr Gideon Brückner, the state veterinarian who led South Africa’s successful 2000 outbreak response. He stresses that strict, immediate movement control of animals—supported by police, army and traffic authorities—is essential to halting the spread. Countries like Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina achieved FMD-free status only through years of rigorous movement restrictions combined with vaccination. South Africa, by contrast, failed to act decisively during the 2019 Limpopo outbreak, allowing the disease to spread to seven provinces. Brückner argues that restoring disease-free status will take several years and requires unwavering commitment to both vaccination and strict movement control.
Read full story: African Farming
Date Published: December 4, 2025
African News
MTN Ghana and Partners Launch Vegetable Centre of Excellence to Boost Youth Skills and Modern Farming
MTN Ghana, in collaboration with the University of Ghana and Defarmercist Group, has inaugurated a Vegetable Centre of Excellence at the University of Ghana School of Agriculture. The GH₵3 million, five-acre facility features greenhouses, drip irrigation, solar power, and training spaces designed to equip young farmers with practical skills and promote sustainable, technology-driven agriculture. The Centre provides hands-on experience in mechanised farming, fertigation, and business management, aiming to nurture agripreneurs and enhance food security. Officials emphasised collaboration between government, academia, and private sector partners, while also highlighting sustainability, youth employment, and the modernisation of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Read full story: News Ghana
Date published: December 4, 2025
Global News
French Insect Farming Pioneer Ÿnsect Enters Judicial Liquidation Amid Sector Challenges
French insect protein company Ÿnsect has been placed under judicial liquidation after failing to secure the necessary funding to continue operations. Once a leading industrial-scale mealworm producer for animal feed, pet food, and fertiliser, the company struggled to reach profitability despite raising over $500 million. Its Dole facility will close, while the pilot site under former CEO Antoine Hubert’s Keprea venture will focus on fertiliser production from insect waste. Ÿnsect’s difficulties reflect broader structural challenges in the insect farming sector, where high production costs and limited consumer acceptance make competing with conventional proteins difficult, prompting similar struggles among other startups.
Read full story: Agfunder News
Date published: December 3, 2025
EU Strengthens Financial Support Measures to Help Young Farmers Enter the Sector
The European Union is increasing efforts to improve financial access for young and aspiring farmers, recognising that high collateral demands, limited credit histories and unstable income often prevent new entrants from securing capital. The EU Strategy for Generational Renewal highlights finance as a key barrier and promotes tools such as public guarantee schemes, low-interest agricultural loan funds, blended public–private instruments and green loans. A forthcoming Young Farmers’ Starter Pack will combine financial aid with training and advisory support. Further measures include expanded guarantee schemes, post-2027 CAP loan programmes, and cooperation with the European Investment Bank to provide tailored rural finance. The goal is to give new farmers clearer, more affordable pathways to establishing viable businesses.
Read full story: Fresh Plaza
Date published: December 3, 2025
Russian Wheat Export Prices Fall to Three-Month Low as Southern Hemisphere Supply Surges
Russian wheat export prices have dropped to their lowest level since mid-September, pressured by intense competition from Australia and Argentina. SovEcon reports that FOB prices for 12.5% protein wheat fell by $4 to $228–$230 per tonne, as abundant Southern Hemisphere supplies drive global prices down. Argentina is forecast to harvest a record 25.5 million tonnes in 2025/26, while Australia expects its third-largest crop at 35.6 million tonnes. Buyers such as Egypt may delay purchases until these crops reach the market. Although slow farmer sales and relatively low global stocks offer some support, SovEcon notes that the full impact of the Southern Hemisphere harvest may not yet be reflected in prices.
Read full story: Trading View
Date published: December 4, 2025
Japan’s Farms Still Depend on Foreign Labour, Including Some Without Legal Status
Japan’s agricultural sector continues to rely heavily on foreign workers, including some without legal status, due to persistent labour shortages. Despite government programmes such as the Technical Intern Training Program (1993) and the Specified Skilled Worker system (2019), many farmers still turn to undocumented labour because it is cheaper and easier to secure. Officials note that if sufficient Japanese workers were available, such practices would not occur. Although visa overstays have fallen sharply from nearly 300,000 in 1993 to around 70,000 today, undocumented work remains an issue. By late 2024, agriculture employed roughly 29,000 specified skilled workers and 31,000 technical interns, with numbers continuing to rise.
Read full story: Mainichi Japan
Date published: December 4, 2025
