farmers Archives - Voice of the Cape

Western Cape farmers urged to remain alert following foot-and-mouth disease outbreak

By Rachel Mohamed The Western Cape Agriculture Department is advising livestock farmers to stay vigilant and exercise caution in light of recent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks reported in Newcastle and Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, which have also spread to Mpumalanga and Gauteng through auctions. Mary James, the department’s spokesperson, emphasized the importance of purchasing animals only from trusted sources and, where feasible, avoiding livestock from areas affected by the outbreaks. Symptoms of […]

6 June 2025

Local

“White farmers, market agents still operate along racial lines”

The Competition Commission has heard that white farmers and market agents still operate along racial lines in the fresh produce market industry. Market agents making submissions at the commission’s Fresh Produce Market Inquiry in Pretoria say there has been little to no transformation in the industry. They say black farmers and market agents are precluded from benefitting from the multi-billion national fresh produce market. The Competition Commission’s Fresh Produce Market […]

21 October 2023

International News

Two farmers back in court after assault on girl, 9

The two farmers accused of tying a 9-year-old girl to a tree and then shooting at her are back in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Monday. Johannes Potgieter, 33, and Hendrick Dumas, 48, are charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and the unlawful pointing of a firearm. At their previous court appearance in June, the court heard that the girl was still too […]

16 July 2018

Local

‘Humanitarian’ visas to ‘civilised’ australia for white farmers: 89 applications received

Australia's Department of Home Affairs has received 89 applications for humanitarian visas from South Africa, involving 213 people, Australia's The Age publication reported. This was revealed in the Australian Senate. In March, it was reported that Australia was considering fast-tracking visas for white South African farmers because of the "horrific circumstances" they allegedly suffered, owing to farm attacks. Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton reportedly said white South African farmers deserved […]

25 June 2018

Local

Farmers grateful for heavy rains, but Western Cape govt warns that drought persists

Cape Town's supply dams swelled to 39.1% on Tuesday as run-off from recent rains continued to feed into reservoirs – but the council has warned that the drought-stricken city is nowhere near out of the woods yet. And while some farmers in the Western Cape's wheat-growing areas are rejoicing at planting crops in moist soil for the first time in three years, others in parts of the Overberg, the southern […]

20 June 2018

Local

Cape farmers lose 25% of orchards, vineyards as result of drought: expert

Drought-stricken farmers in the Western Cape have had to abandon at least a quarter of their high-value vineyards and deciduous fruit orchards because of a lack of water for irrigation. This has had a knock-on effect on rural employment, with the loss of about 30 000 seasonal farm worker jobs during the harvest season, UCT Professor Mark New has said. New, the director of UCT’s African Climate and Development Initiative, […]

22 March 2018

News

GOTG makes headway in the search for water in Beaufort West

With the impact of the drought felt across South Africa, one local aid organisation has made headway in the search for alternative water resources. The Gift of the Givers Foundation (GOTG) recently joined efforts to alleviate the impact of the drought in Beaufort West. The town, which is commonly referred to as the Capital of the Karoo, was recently announced as having reached Day Zero, where all surface water had […]

14 November 2017

Local

Old SA flag at #BlackMonday protests racist, says ANC

The African National Congress (ANC) has condemned the protests against farm killings. This after some pictures of the apartheid-era flag were displayed by protesters. It created an uproar on social media The governing party says the display of the old flag stokes racial hatred. It adds the calls for the protection of white farmers shows a sense of entitlement. The ANC says strategies are in place to deal with increases […]

31 October 2017

Local

Thousands stage Black Monday protest

Civil rights group, AfriForum, says the killing of farmers has a serious chain reaction. It says it will launch Project Nahema, a 10 point plan for safeguarding farms and rural areas soon. AfriForum briefed the media during a meeting with religious leaders and Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato. The organisation has joined mass gathering of farmers and civil society on the N1 near Stellenbosch on Monday morning to […]

30 October 2017

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