Weeklikse Afrikaanse Landbou Nuusoorsig - Die Afrikaanse/Engelse Nuus is die afgelope paar dae op AGRI NEWS NET geplaas, saam met nog ander artikels. 

Weekly summary of some News in the  Agri and Farming media.   GET YOUR MARKETING on this Page - 

In 2023, South Africans smoked 37 billion cigarettes, but the South African Revenue Service (SARS) only collected tax on 13 billion, leading to billions in lost revenue. This was revealed by the SA Tobacco Transformation Alliance (SATTA), which estimates the lost revenue to be at least R24 billion, as excise tax is around R1 per cigarette. SATTA spokesperson Francois Van der Merwe said that the illicit cigarette market has taken over the industry. The illicit market now represents between 65% to 70% of the total market – the highest in the world. Van der Merwe explained that this is a casualty of the Zuma era, where former SARS commissioner Tom Moyane destroyed the revenue service. This shot illicit cigarette trade up to 40% of the market.  “This is the best business case that the National Treasury can make. If they invest R50 million or R100 million, there’s R20 billion in one year as a return on investment,” he said. “At the moment, excise tax is more than R1 per cigarette. So, in the last year alone, SARS lost R24 billion. SARS is doing what they can, and we commend them, and we support them, but much more needs to be done.”

This month, we will have farmers in the Western Cape likely begin to prepare the soil for the 2024/25 winter crop production season by the end of April into May. Other major winter crop-producing provinces, such as Free State, Limpopo and the Northern Cape, will likely start around the end of May. The production of winter crops outside the Western Cape has sizable irrigation support. These regions should benefit from the relatively higher dam levels from the early summer rainfall. In major winter grains such as wheat, nearly half of the production in South Africa is produced under irrigation. The irrigation share in overall wheat production is essential in an environment where drier weather conditions and heat waves are causing significant damage to summer grains and oilseed regions. The weather outlook remains uncertain for rainfed regions, which could negatively affect the planting in the 2024/24 season.

Die uitvoer van rooivleis en wol uit Suid-Afrika is op die herstelpad nadat dit die afgelope twee jaar verskeie uitdagings ervaar het, veral wat betref bek-en-klouseer en duurder veevoer. In die vyf jaar van 2017 tot 2021 het uitvoer gemiddeld 49% vars en 51% bevrore beesvleis behels. Die uitvoermarkte was ook divers. Koeweit, Jordanië, die Verenigde Arabiese Emirate (VAE), Mosambiek, Lesotho, Katar, Zimbabwe, Mauritius en Nederland was van die grootste en mees konsekwente markte vir vars beesvleis. Soortgelyke markte en nuwes was boaan die lys vir bevrore beesvleis. Dit sluit in Lesotho, Mosambiek, China, die VAE, Jordanië, Egipte, Nederland, Katar, Hongkong en Koeweit. Terwyl sommige streeksmarkte tydelik hul grense vir die invoer van beesvleis uit Suid-Afrika gesluit het, het ander gelukkig oopgebly. Gevolglik het die uitvoer nie in 2022 en 2023 heeltemal in duie gestort toe dieresiektes ’n groot uitdaging was nie.

Cobus Kok, Managing Director of MSM, who recently launched the digital platform for the macadamia sector, emphasizes the necessity of embracing change and technology. “We’re thrilled to announce the opening of the MSM platform for business, and we’ve already seen significant interest from both buyers and sellers. The role of early adopters in embracing new technology cannot be overstated, and we’re eagerly anticipating the future of macadamia trading, along with other agricultural products, on our platform.”

Outstanding articles of the week. Summary of some news Headlines in the Farming and Agriculture media.

Responding to the report, Dr Louise de Waal, Director at Blood Lions said: “It was of vital importance for the MTT report to make it clear that voluntary exit should only be considered as the first step of a wider process and affirms the ultimate need for a mandatory end to the lion farming industry in South Africa. READ MORE 

In the case of the beef industry, in 2022, the exports fell below the prior five-year average, totalling 26 881 tonnes, down 16% year-on-year, according to data from Trade Map. The exports recovered slightly in 2023, up 3% year-on-year to 27 675 tonnes. READ MORE 

Ghana and Ivory Coast still dominate global cocoa production, but it has not made their economies rich. Prior to a recent surge in cocoa prices, for decades the raw commodity was exported for dismally low prices. READ MORE 

POWERED BY CRA GROUP leaders in Farming and Agriculture news.

FARMINGPORTAL/AGRICULTUREPORTAL/AGRI NEWS NET /LANDBOU  NUUSNET

Twitter