South African News
Wastewater Recycling Initiative Targets Fertiliser Costs and Water Shortages
South Africa’s deputy minister of water and sanitation, Dr Jack Bloom, has called for a sanitation economy that converts safely treated wastewater and faecal sludge into agricultural inputs. Pilot projects indicate that recovered products can meet safety standards for use as organic fertiliser and irrigation water, potentially reducing farmers’ reliance on imported fertiliser and constrained water allocations. Bloom says expanding treatment plants through public-private partnerships could also create rural jobs and strengthen local economies. Municipal accountability remains a challenge, with proposed legislative amendments aiming to hold officials personally responsible for infrastructure failures and poor service delivery.
Read full story: Food For Mzansi
Date Published: September 16, 2026
Farmers Urged to Prioritise Profit Over Production
Farmers should focus on profitability rather than maximising yields as tightening margins, high input costs and weather risks increase financial pressure, according to FNB Agriculture head Dawie Maree. He urged producers to assess whether additional output justifies the cost, potentially accepting lower yields where this improves margins. Planting decisions should be based on individual farm economics, supported by weekly cash-flow projections that include household expenses. Agricultural investment is increasingly directed towards renewable energy, water-efficiency technology, electric vehicles, precision agriculture and shade netting. However, Maree said farmers could make greater use of sustainability-linked finance and localised weather data.
Read full story: Farmer’s Weekly
Date Published: September 15, 2026
African News
Moroccan Fruit and Vegetable Exports Record Fewer EU Pesticide Violations Than Market Share Suggests
Morocco accounted for around 8% of the EU’s fruit and vegetable imports from outside the bloc in 2025, but represented a smaller share of the 491 pesticide-residue cases reported through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. South Africa, Ecuador and Costa Rica together accounted for nearly a quarter of imports but only 0.5% of reported cases. Turkey and Egypt recorded the highest shares of violations. Around 45% of interceptions involved pesticides banned for use in European horticulture, while organic produce accounted for only three cases. EU controls increasingly rely on risk-based sampling, with mandatory checks applying to certain product-country combinations.
Read full story: Hespress English
Date Published: September 15, 2026
Global News
SFI Spending Rises To £738m As England’s Direct Farm Payments Fall
Spending on England’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) more than doubled to £738 million in 2025–26, while direct farm payments fell by around two-thirds to £265 million, according to new Defra figures. Overall Environmental Land Management (ELM) spending rose to £1.819 billion, although total farming-budget expenditure declined to £2.322 billion. By September 2026, 48,000 live SFI agreements covered 38,300 farm businesses. The figures highlight the growing importance of environmental and land-management schemes to farm incomes as the agricultural transition continues. Defra also reported lower-than-forecast spending on some ELM grants and reduced productivity and innovation expenditure.
Read full story: FarmingUK
Date Published: September 16, 2026
Australian Family Dairy Farms Turn to Robotic Milking Amid Labour Shortages
Australian family-run dairy farms are adopting automated milking systems to address labour shortages and reduce the physical demands of conventional milking. Robotic systems allow cows to enter milking units voluntarily while farmers focus more on herd management, data analysis and pasture allocation. Sensors monitor milk yield, conductivity, somatic-cell counts and rumination, helping identify potential health problems and improve feed efficiency. However, the technology requires significant upfront investment and grazing farms must adapt pasture management to support voluntary cow movement. The systems are also enabling some multi-generational farms to maintain smaller herds without relying on large workforces.
Read full story: DairyNews.today
Date Published: September 16, 2026
Thailand Plans 100,000-Head Monthly Cattle Export Trade to China
Thailand is developing a proposed sea-based live cattle export channel to China targeting 100,000 head per month, although the trade has yet to receive final approval or begin shipments. The plan would require Thailand to overcome significant cattle aggregation, quarantine and logistics challenges, given its fragmented beef sector. Thai cattle prices have already risen as availability tightens, affecting buyers in neighbouring countries including Vietnam and Malaysia. The report says a large-scale Thai export trade could reshape regional cattle flows and potentially increase competition for Australia, while Indonesia is also seeking alternative sources of breeding cattle.
Read full story: Beef Central
Date Published: September 16, 2026
El Niño Drought Leaves Central America Facing Livestock Losses and Food Shortages
A severe El Niño-driven drought is devastating farming communities across Central America’s Dry Corridor, with livestock dying, crops failing and water supplies running low. More than 10 million people live in the region, where 80% of small-scale producers are classified as poor. In Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, farmers report barren maize fields, cattle losses and sharply reduced milk production, while food prices have risen by as much as 50% in some communities. Governments have declared emergencies, but many affected households rely on NGOs for assistance. The UN World Food Programme estimates that 16 million people across Latin America could face food shortages.
Read full story: Weekly Times Now
Date Published: September 16, 2026
