AGRICULTURE NEWS ON FASTMOVING

There has been significant increase in per-hectare yield of rice farms in the Atwima-Mponua District following the introduction of improved technologies. - See more at: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2013/11/25/rice-production-goes-up-in-atwima-mponua/#sthash.vcQUOSi0.dpuf read more

Government has with immediate effect banned the trading and marketing of pigs and its products to help in the fight against African swine fever. read more

Johannesburg - Shares of South Africa's RCL Foods fell 1.6 percent on Friday, a day after the company said it would issue $394 million in stock to acquire two sugar businesses from its top shareholder Remgro Ltd. read more

Johannesburg - South African soybean futures declined the most in almost seven weeks. The oilseed for delivery in December, the most active contract, fell 1.8 percent, the biggest decline since October 1, to 6,250 rand ($619) a metric ton by the noon close on the South African Futures Exchange in Johannesburg.  read more

Johannesburg - The EU is preparing a ban on South African citrus imports that could take orange juice off Europe’s breakfast tables next summer and sour efforts in Brussels to broaden trade with Africa’s biggest economy. read more

Brewing giant Namibia Breweries Ltd (NBL) says local production of malted barley and other related crops will result in a financial boost to the agricultural sector as farmers are expected to generate around N$200 million in revenue annually. read more

Shares of Illovo Sugar fall more than 2 percent after the South African company says tough market conditions are likely to negatively impact its full-year earnings. read more

East African Breweries has increased the amount of money it pays farmers for 90kg bag of barley by 17 per cent, from Sh2800 in 2012 to Sh3285.  read more

Johannesburg - Corn futures in South Africa rose to the highest levels in more than four months by the midday close in Johannesburg.  read more

NWK Agri-services, formerly Dunavant Zambia, has diversified its commodity buying opportunities from cotton to soya beans and maize. read more

Washington - Citrus production in Florida, the world's second largest orange juice supplier after Brazil, is being threatened by a bacteria from Asia that has scientists racing for a remedy. read more

Ghana has been ranked as the fourth country in Africa with the highest public debt in relation the total value of the economy.  read more

Cape Town - Climate change poses a major threat to South Africa's maize production and food security, says the Agricultural Research Council. read more

Commodity prices at retail level are, on the average, trading at more than 16 per cent of wholesale prices, the Esoko-GNA Commodity Index (EGCI) has revealed. read more

Johannesburg - The North West province on Wednesday declared there was a drought across its whole territory, an important maize growing region. read more

The latest second quarter GDP report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency shows that the economy recorded a slow growth of 2,3% in the second quarter of this year compared to an increase of 12,3% in the same period last year.  read more

Massmart’s Direct Farm Programme, Ezemvelo, launched in August 2012, under the auspices of the group’s Supplier Development Fund, continues to extend its reach and is now operating in four provinces in South Africa, namely Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.  read more

Bloemfontein - The expansion of South Africa’s middle class bodes well for milk producers, SA Milk Producers' Organisation CEO Bertus de Jongh said on Tuesday. read more

A Tanzanian firm has indicated its intention to set up a cotton ginnery in Zambia to provide a ready market for small-scale cotton growers in the country. read more

Frankfurt - Germany, Europe's second-biggest grain producer after France, reported a 3.0% increase in its harvest this year, despite the bad weather and flooding, data showed on Thursday. read more

Zambia will this year face a rice deficit of 15,000 tonnes against the national requirements of more than 62,000 tonnes due to poor yields, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) report has revealed.  read more

Paris - Barring bad weather in the next two months, France's champagne production is forecast to jump by 56% this year, a bright spot in an otherwise rough period for wine growers. read more

Pretoria - Agriculture employs 5.2% of the workforce but only accounts for 2.5% of annual gross domestic product, statistician general Pali Lehohla said on Monday. read more

VENTURES AFRICA – Sugar prices continue to slide in Tongaat Hulett’s (Tongaat) regional markets, CEO Peter Staude, admitted on Wednesday, adding the global prices have been their lowest in several years. read more

Cape Town - The global wine industry is worth $230bn a year and the potential yields for the South African industry have never been as great, nor the pitfalls as plenty, according to Linda Buckley, director of executive education at UCT’s Graduate School of Business (GSB). read more

Mbombela - An international company is all set to harvest green tea leaves in Barberton to extract powerful anti-oxidants that help treat diseases such as cancer, malaria and heart disease.  read more

The Kenya Sugar Board has developed a five-year strategic plan that advices the industry to rethink its direction as it approaches the liberalisation of the sugar trade regime expected next year.  read more

Zambeef Products has made a landmark decision to deal exclusively in Zambian beef products, and will no longer sell any imported beef. read more

The Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives, Eng Christopher Chiza, told ‘Daily News’ that the government would assist coffee farmers by providing them with coffee seedlings at subsidised prices. “In principle we have agreed that we should provide them with input subsidies.  read more

The retail price of mealie-meal has been increased by about K5 after millers hiked the cost of the staple food by K2 on account of the removal of fuel and maize subsidies.  read more

Johannesburg - South African white corn futures rose the most in more than three weeks on speculation of tight local supplies. read more

Windhoek - There is a likelihood that the retail prices for maize meal and mahangu flour could increase, because of low grain stock levels as a result of poor harvests this year. read more

The wholesale and retail sector is showing great promise as a key economic driver after recording good performance last year, the 2013 Economic Survey shows. - See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-121948/retail-sector-seen-key-economic-driver#sthash.nKR7ThJZ.dpuf read more

Eastern Province has recorded the highest production in maize, groundnuts and sunflower in the 2012/13 farming season. read more

Cape Town – A high degree of interest in the medical and health benefits of coconut oil has led to a joint venture worth $4m (about R37m) between Agri-Vie and Vida Oils International. read more

Ghana is projected to increase its local processing of cocoa to 40% in the coming years, according to the 2013 Economic Report on Africa (ERA) released on March 25, 2013. read more

The Copperbelt has on an annual basis been experiencing shortages of liquor, especially during festive periods and various events. read more

Johannesburg - Economic growth in the first quarter of 2013 remained subdued due to contraction in the manufacturing sector, the SA Reserve Bank (Sarb) said on Wednesday.  read more

Johannesburg - The number of people employed in the formal non-agricultural sector of the South African economy rose by about 7 000‚ or 0.1%‚ in the first quarter of 2013‚ the March Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) survey released by Statistics SA on Tuesday shows. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa has entered into a bilateral agreement with Argentina on co-operation in the agricultural sector, it was announced on Tuesday.  read more

Johannesburg - South African corn declined for a second day after a report from the US Department of Agriculture showed more production than anticipated.  read more

Cape Town - A total of 54 000 new jobs were created in the agriculture sector in the first three months of the year, Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said on Wednesday. read more

Johannesburg - Africa’s economic growth is expected to accelerate this year and next, led by oil and mining projects in West Africa and a resurgence in foreign direct investment, according to the African Development Bank.  read more

Johannesburg - Tongaat Hulett [JSE:TON] reported a 15% rise in full-year earnings on Friday as sugar production rose and said it expected further growth in the year ahead.  read more

Nairobi - Kenya's economy is expected to expand by about 6% in 2013, up from a growth rate of 4.6% last year, driven by a pick-up in sectors like agriculture, the planning minister said on Thursday. read more

Johannesburg - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma will discuss ways to boost trade between Africa's two biggest economies during talks in Cape Town next week. read more

An Indian business delegation was in Botswana last week to seek investment opportunities and strengthen ties with local stakeholders.  read more

JSE-LISTED sugar giant Tongaat Hulett has signed a landmark agreement with the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) to develop the sugar sector on tribal land in KwaZulu-Natal. read more

Johannesburg - South African corn futures rose the most in more than two months after US prices gained as a government report showed cold and wet weather slowed planting.  read more

Johannesburg - South Africa's headline producer inflation was at 5.7% year-on-year in March compared with 5.4% in February, Statistics South Africa said on Thursday. read more

London - South African corn futures declined the most in more than a week as prices for the grain decreased in the US, the world’s largest producer, on concern demand from China will weaken. read more

Ougadougou - Burkina Faso set a minimum farmgate price for cotton growers of 235 CFA francs per kilogram for the 2013/14 growing season, down from 245 francs the previous year, the Interprofessional Cotton Association of Burkina (AICB) said on Thursday. read more

SABMiller planned to boost beer volume sales in Africa by between 7 percent and 9 percent a year by slashing prices, using more local grains and cheaper packaging, and negotiating better tax terms with governments, the company said yesterday. read more

Nsoko Msele sugar mill project to rejuvenate Swaziland’s vital export crop A fourth sugar mill announced for Swaziland, the Nsoko Msele integrated sugar milling project, would significantly increase production of refined sugar, the country’s main source of export revenue, the project’s shareholders said this week. read more

Zimbabwe's TM Supermarkets, in which Pick n Pay is a partner, has invested a further $25m into the retail chain, with the money aimed at transforming its retail outlets through refurbishment of the group’s 50 stores across the country. read more

SABMiller’s local unit Accra Brewery Limited (ABL) will start to brew cassava beer in Ghana under the brand name “Eagle”, the company announced on March 14, 2013. read more

Dube TradePort is set to be the main KwaZulu-Natal beneficiary of new multibillion-rand Chinese and Indian deals to come out of the Brics summit hosted in Durban last week.  read more

Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT), a local civil society organisation says domestication of the draft COMESA Seed Trade Harmonisation regulations will hinder small-scale farmers from participating in the seed business. read more

Johannesburg - South African corn futures weakened for a second day to the lowest level in more than a month, tracking US prices that fell following reports of bigger-than-expected stockpiles. read more

Johannesburg - South African corn futures fell the most in almost two weeks after the weather service forecast rains over the country’s main growing regions.  read more

South Africa is anticipating a grape crop of more than 1.3-million tons for 2013 – a record in the wine industry’s history – which could, depending on market demand, potentially aid wine exports. The country’s wine exports reached a record of 417-million litres in 2012, up 17% from 2011. read more

Johannesburg - South African corn futures dropped most in more than a week as the rand appreciated against the dollar, lowering the cost of imported grains relative to local produce. read more

Bogota - Striking Colombian coffee growers who have blocked roads for 11 days ended their protest Friday after winning a government subsidy to offset lower prices for their product on international markets. read more

Johannesburg - The Producer Price Index (PPI) for final manufactured goods increased annually by 5.8% in January 2013, Statistics SA said on Tuesday.  read more

Johannesburg - The 81c/litre petrol price hike, announced by the energy department on Friday, is bad news for the agriculture sector and could affect food security in the country, the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU SA) said. read more

The Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF), which represents the entire red meat industry chain, from primary producer through the abattoir to the meat trader and eventually the consumer, has noted with extreme concern the condemning statements made on the research findings by Prof Louw Hoffman and his colleagues on the inclusion of various unlabeled ingredients used in meat products sampled from retail butcher stores and butcheries. read more

Johannesburg - The new minimum wage for farmworkers has to be implemented from Friday, the labour department said. read more

Johannesburg – The South African Breweries (SAB) has announced a R700m investment in a state-of-the-art new maltings plant in Alrode‚ Gauteng‚ as part of its continued efforts to support the local economy and drive job creation. read more

Johannesburg - A total of 1 502 jobs have been created in the North West agricultural sector, the provincial government said on Monday. read more

Johannesburg - South African corn futures rose for a fifth day because of a lack of rain in the country’s main growing regions. read more

More than 10 trucks carrying Zambian sugar destined for exports to Kenyan customers are marooned at the Tanzania-Kenya border after being denied entry by the Kenyan authorities. read more

WINDHOEK – The Shadikongoro Irrigation Project is ready to put its first batch of sunflower oil on the shelves of stores, following months of hawking the much sought-after product at street markets in Rundu. read more

Cape Town - South African meat consumers have nothing to fear from a horsemeat scandal currently rocking Europe.  read more

Paarl - Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said he is ready to raise tariffs on cheap chicken imports, but needs local industry to act first. read more

Johannesburg - There won’t be food price fireworks this year, but the cost of locally produced fresh produce like fruit and vegetables could potentially soar because of increased labour wages, proposed electricity hikes and surging fuel prices.  read more

Johannesburg - Unemployment within the agricultural sector is expected to worsen even further, a survey by the SA Institute of Race Relations revealed on Thursday. read more

Cape Town - South Africa's labour force decreased by 235 000 people between the third and fourth quarters of 2012, the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) revealed on Tuesday. read more

Johannesburg - Shares of Rainbow Chicken [JSE:RBW] fell more than 6% after the company said it would pay $14.25m in cash for Zambian Zambeef's 49% stake in Zam Chick. read more

Tongaat Hulett’s Zimbabwean units were in talks with the government in Harare about selling majority stakes to black investors, Wilson Gwatiringa, the head of Zimbabwe’s National Indigenisation and Empowerment Board, said yesterday.  read more

Johannesburg - US agricultural firm Cargill said on Friday it had paid $20m to increase its stake in its South Africa animal nutrition business.  read more

Bloemfontein - The agriculture sector can create the most jobs for South Africa, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Tuesday.  read more

Johannesburg‚ Dec 6 (I-Net Bridge) - Rainbow Chicken (RBW) is to raise R3.9 billion of new equity by way of a renounceable rights offer‚ it said on Thursday.  read more

Johannesburg - Claims that Astral Foods is not prepared to negotiate with striking poultry workers in County Fair's farming division are unfounded, the company said on Wednesday.  read more

Bujumbura - Burundi's coffee revenues fell 29% in October from the month before, tracking lower international prices, the country's industry regulator said on Tuesday. read more

Cape Town - Farmers whose workers are on an illegal strike across the Western Cape should be allowed to decide on the most appropriate action against them, Agri SA said on Friday. read more

Windhoek – American-based Walmart has dispatched a team from its British subsidiary, ASDA Walmart, to look at the quality of Namibia’s agricultural products. read more

Harare - Tongaat sugar projects have remained a boon for Zimbabwean local farmers, despite the threat of indigenisation by the empowerment ministry.  read more

Tongaat Hulett’s first-half profit rose as production increased and costs declined, the company said yesterday. Net income increased 30 percent to R655 million in the six months to September from a year earlier. read more

South African maize prices closed mixed‚ while wheat settled the Monday session lower due to weaker Chicago Board of Trade (CBoT) figures. read more

Johannesburg - Unemployment rose slightly during the third quarter of the year, Statistics SA (Stats SA) reported on Thursday.  read more

Pretoria - A report issued by the SA Reserve Bank on Tuesday sees economic growth slowing. read more

Pretoria - Government is pursuing a strategy of linking small producers with major retailers such as Wallmart, Pick n Pay and Spar to sell their produce directly to them, says Minister of Agriculture Tina Joemat-Pettersson. read more

A global race for grain trading power is putting more of the world's vital cereals in the hands of fewer companies, with a string of recent acquisitions raising fears that consumers will pay even more for their food, while farmers are squeezed. read more

By sourcing raw materials directly from farmers in Africa, beer producer SABMiller is cutting costs while also winning the support of local communities. read more

Confined Field Trial (CFT) of three genetically modified crops may start next year, according to Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Ibrahim Kwasi Atokple. read more

Johannesburg - Small farmers need upliftment to become commercially more viable, Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said on Monday. 

In a move to assure Montana malt barley growers that their crop is valued, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, pledged a long-term partnership Friday. read more

SABMiller planned to take its African beer brand, Chibuku, to 10 countries across the continent, as part of its strategy to produce more affordable beer for lower-income consumers while taking market share from the “informal” alcohol sector, the brewer said last week.  read more

South African maize and wheat prices closed the session strongly higher on Monday due to higher Chicago Board of Trade figures and a weaker rand read more

The Indian government’s decision Friday to let big department stores like Wal-Mart Stores into the country could dramatically impact everything from the country’s food chain to its roads.  read more