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This week’s edition of Farmer’s Weekly looks at concerns raised about exporting donkey skins to China. Ryan explains that these skins are boiled down in China to a gelatinous stage and used in traditional medicine and as an aphrodisiac.

Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, CropLife SA’s Stewardship Manager, says donkeys form an essential part of the African economy with a large proportion of people on the continent being dependent on subsistence economies. He adds that many people use donkeys as transport and draft animals.

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In South Africa, there have been reports of a rapid decline in the donkey population due to illegal slaughtering to supply the Chinese donkey skin trade.

Ryan further adds that a recent study by researchers at the University of South Africa shows that the donkey population had shrunk from 210 000 in 1996 to about 146 000 in 2019.

Another news story in this week’s edition takes a look at the planned reopening of the satellite fresh produce market in Soweto, Gauteng. They plan to reopen in November 2022. Ryan explains that this has been welcomed by the local farming and business communities.

Thokozana Twala, chairperson of the Joburg Market, told Farmer’s Weekly that the reopening of the market would be undertaken as a public-private partnership. He indicates that while a private party that would be running the market on behalf of the municipality had not been appointed, it would be someone from the area who understands the needs of Soweto’s residents.

The market is expected to reopen on the premises of the previous fresh produce market on Chris Hani Road near the taxi rank on the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto.

Furthermore, this week’s edition also takes a look at the South African egg industry. Ryan says this industry has thus far been able to meet local demand despite high input costs.

Challenges such as Avian Influenza and constant power supply interruptions have placed the industry under immense pressure.

Egg producers are particularly negatively impacted by the current prices of raw materials for feed, which is extremely high. This is further compounded by high fuel prices and the intermit supply of high price electricity.

Ryan says that these costs consume more than 70% of egg production costs. While egg prices have increased sharply over the past year, eggs remain the gold standard when it comes to protein inclusion in diets as it is more affordable than other forms of protein.

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