What is the most important ingredient of economic success? You can make an argument that it is the rate of technological progress.

Notable success has been achieved in providing all South Africans with access to water and sanitation since the advent of the democratic dispensation in 1994. However, water availability remains a concern.

The interest rate policy of the Reserve Bank and all other central banks in the world is the greatest single delusion in the total economic science because nothing else can be further from the truth as the claims that monetary policy can control the inflation rate, can protect the exchange rate and can promote economic growth," says Fanie Brink, an independent agricultural economist.

After a successful pilot and implementation by Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the roll out of a new e-Certification IT platform to the fruit industry in 2019, will save the industry at least R250 million over the next five years.

The hunting of wild animals is an emotive issue, drawing fire from anti-hunting organisations, environmentalists as well as many ordinary citizens.

Yellow and white maize prices and soybean prices have increased significantly in the past two months. This is in line with industry expectations, the Rand drooped tremendously in the past 2 months which supporting maize exports, hence supporting prices.

At least one million bees are suspected to have died of poisoning in a wine-producing area of South Africa.

As the end of November approaches, there are not many choices for buyers looking for lychees in the US. That will change shortly as the southern hemisphere season begins. One US importer of specialty fruits is about to begin their third South African lychee season.

Despite one of the best seasons on record in terms of mitigating the risk of Citrus Black Spot (CBS) symptoms on fruit arriving at EU borders, the EU seems determined to meet South Africa’s best efforts with unflinching bureaucratic coldness.

Since 2015, South Africa knew it would have to work faster to develop its sustainable agriculture sector. South Africa was one of many countries to sign.

The world’s largest cattle feedlot is expanding South African beef exports beyond the Middle East to take advantage of surging demand in China and other Asian markets.

The government has lost out on more than R1bn in VAT from drought-stricken farmers who were forced to cut production after their irrigation water from the Cape supply dams was radically reduced a year ago.

The national Crop Estimate Committee kept its estimate for South Africa’s wheat crop unchanged from last month at 1.86 million tonnes.

Of the 64 countries globally which have embarked on land reform, 17 had restitution programmes in place and only 11 have claimed to be successful, says Dr Theo de Jager, president of the World Farmers Association.

Thundershowers over the central parts on Friday may become severe with strong winds and a possibility of hail. Strong southeasterlies are expected over the southwestern coastal areas.

The continual prosperity of the macadamia industry has led to a rapid increase in orchards with the industry adding around 2 000 additional hectares each year.

As an organisation established in 1949 by concerned hunters to safeguard RSA’s wildlife legacy after massive declines in wildlife, SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SA Hunters) is concerned and shocked about the apparent irresponsible hunting incidents covered in the media in recent weeks.

At this year’s annual Subtrop marketing symposium for the subtropical fruit industry, speakers made reference to the consistent growth in global demand for, in particular, avocados, but cautioned that continuous promotion and consumer education campaigns were an essential part of maintaining this growth.

A recently published research paper by agricultural economists Jan Greyling and Philip Pardey in the Agrekon Journal brings home some key points about South Africa’s maize production in terms of commercial and smallholder share contribution. This is timely given the current debates about transformation in South Africa’s agricultural sector, with questions about the progress of smallholder black farmers arising.

A new study from Stanford University suggests that the kind of hot, dry conditions that can shrink crop yields, destabilize food prices and lay the groundwork for devastating wildfires are increasingly striking multiple regions simultaneously as a result of a warming climate.