There's no need for South Africa to approach the IMF

"South Africa has not requested an IMF-supported programme. We do not see a balance of payments need ... so as far as we are concerned there's no need for South Africa to approach the IMF," the lender's senior resident representative in South Africa, Montfort Mlachila, told a conference in Johannesburg on Thursday. Please click the linked Reuters article to peruse.

BFAP baseline cautiously optimistic about SA's agricultural sector

Key stakeholders from government, business and the media met in Pretoria on Wednesday for the launch of the 019/20 Baseline Agricultural Outlook by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP). The baseline highlights the critical performance of the agricultural sector to date and includes predictions as to what can be expected from major commodities in the near future. Whilst Dr Tracy Davids took the audience through a detailed account of the key factors that will affect agricultural commodities in the near term, Prof. Ferdi Meyer gave an overarching view of the sector's challenges and opportunities. Agbiz head of Intelligence Theo Boshoff reports on the launch in the linked article. The baseline report can be accessed on BFAP's website.

Food insecurity in Zimbabwe

Droughts or floods always have a devastating impact on agriculture. But the second-round effects on livelihoods are manageable in countries that are economically stable, depending of course on the magnitude of the impact. However, for countries, with economic instability and low capability of mitigation, there are usually disaster months after the extreme weather events. The latter is precisely what we are witnessing in Zimbabwe at the moment. Agbiz chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo, explores this subject more here.

Telling simple stories about complicated agricultural markets

Agricultural markets are complicated, and any attempt to tell a simple story requires difficult choices about what to leave out, writes Pat Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri and a professor of agricultural and applied economics, in an article for the Columbia Daily Tribune. He cites  the current trade dispute with China, and specifically the tariff China imposed on US soybeans, as an example. " One way to tell the story is to focus narrowly on a few dramatic results. The tariff reduces US soybean exports by more than 50%. Soybean prices are $0,78 per bushel lower than they would be without the tariff. Net farm income is reduced by about $4 billion per year.  Those are important findings, but they just tell part of the story." 

Tribunal greenlights merger of SA's biggest ostrich firms, but Ts and Cs apply

The Competition Tribunal has approved the merger between South Africa's two largest ostrich firms, despite the Competition Commission previously rejecting the merger as it would result in a "near monopoly" in the market for ostrich meat and feathers.  But now the merger between Klein Karoo International and Mosstrich has been approved - but not without several conditions. Please click the News 24 article for the full story.

AFMA Forum 2020 to be hosted in March next year

The Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA) announced the hosting of the AFMA Forum 2020.  This 10th AFMA Forum, promises to attract not only local delegates, but delegates from across the globe.  The AFMA Forum, a triennial event, to be hosted from 3 to 5 March 2020 at the Sun City Convention Centre, creates a platform where the latest international developments in the animal feed industry are to be showcased and industry role players and professionals can network. Leaders in the industry will share their vision on the opportunities, challenges and solutions that will drive change in the South African feed and food value chain of tomorrow. Please click here for more information.

Forum to promote agribusiness and eco-tourism between South Africa and Angola

The Angola Private Investment Agency and Promotion of Exports (AIPEX) and the CACIAAS Angola South Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry will co-host a premier bilateral summit, the Agribusiness and Eco-tourism Forum - Angola-South Africa, on 26 and 27 September 2019 in Cape Town in order to promote trade and investment in southern Africa.  The event will not only promote and facilitate foreign private investment for agribusiness and eco-tourism projects as well as future business relationships between Angola and South Africa, but it may inadvertently become a gateway event for access to other markets in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) .  To view the press release please follow this link and click AIPEX-CACAIAAS Event for the programme. Delegate rates to attend the event is R3 000 (excl. VAT).

Minister Didiza to particpate in land reform debate

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza, will be leading a land reform debate in Mpumalanga on Friday, 16 August 2019 Minister Didiza has been on record encouraging all South African to be openly discuss the land question. She believes that government can benefit a lot from constructive ideas on the land question. She is also of the view that institutions of higher learning have an important role to play in shaping the discussions around the land question. More information

News from SAPPO

SAPPO Weekly Update is the weekly electronic newsletter of the South African Pork Producers' Organisation. Please click here for the latest edition.

Why join Agbiz?

• Agbiz is the only organisation that serves the broader and common over-arching business interests of agribusinesses in South Africa.
• Agbiz addresses the legislative and policy environment on the many fronts that it impacts on the agribusiness environment.
• Agbiz facilitates considerable top-level networking opportunities so that South African agribusinesses can play an active and creative role within the local and international organised business environment.
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