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In this week’s insert of Farmer’s Weekly, which is the first issue for June 2021, the magazine brings illegal hunting with dogs into the spotlight. This came after a 58-year-old farmer in Mpumalanga was allegedly killed by persons who hunted illegally with dogs on his farm.

Erasmus reports that illegal hunting with dogs has become a serious and far-reaching problem in Mpumalanga. She reports that according to Agri Mpumalanga’s CEO, Robert Davel, this type of criminal activity was mostly organised by syndicates.

Davel warns that landowners and farmers should not attempt to approach or confront the hunters under any circumstances. This, as these hunters are usually heavily armed. He advises farmers to rather take pictures of the hunting parties, their dogs and vehicles, so that this can be used as evidence should the case go to court.

Farmers are urged to immediately report illegal hunting with dogs to the police if they suspect such activities on their farm.

Another article that the magazine looks at is how the agricultural sector is benefitting from the strong Rand – which is now trading at under R14 to the Dollar. It is expected that the Rand will remain strong against other currencies for at least the remainder of 2021.

Furthermore, in another article, Erasmus shares that the citrus industry is currently facing some issues pertaining to access to Asian markets. She says that South African producers are struggling to gain entry to China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Justin Chadwick, CEO of Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa, adds that citrus exports to Asia account for 16-20% of South Africa’s total crop and any problem in this market meant that the fruit would have to be redirected elsewhere.

With that being said, Chadwick states that with the volume of fruits, the industry needs every market that it can get and that any hick-up would ripple through the industry.

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