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This week’s edition takes a look at the latest sales figures that have been released by the South African Agricultural Machinery Association. According to the report, tractor sales in the country are on track to reach more than 8 500 units in 2022, amid optimism about weather prospects and higher commodity prices.

Ryan adds that figures also showed that combined harvester sales had risen to 273 units in the 11 months that ended August 2022, from 178 units in a comparable period a year earlier. It has been forecasted that 350 units will be sold in the 2022 calendar year.

The sales manager of John Deere Southern Africa, Lucas Groenwald, said that sales have been driven by farmers’ positive outlook despite high current input costs. He added that while farmers are facing serious challenges, for the majority of John Deere’s clients this was an opportunity to find new solutions.

ALSO READ: Jagersfontein residents demand answers from mine

Another news story takes a look at the fallout after the collapse of a dam at an abandoned diamond mine in Jagersfontein in the Free State last month. While the assessments are still under way, the impact is expected to be felt for years to come.

An affected farmer, Dennis Louw, says about 20% of his farm was flooded by mud and that he had lost livestock worth hundreds of thousands of rands. Louws farm, located directly adjacent to the town, bore the brunt of the mudslide that followed the collapse of the dam wall.

The veld on his farm was covered in mud of more than a meter deep in some areas.

The CEO of Free State Agriculture, Gernie Botha, says the affected farmers deserved at the very least to be restored to the financial and economic position they were in before the disaster struck.

ALSO READ: Support offered to Jagersfontein government officials

Furthermore, another story looks at the expected 1.3% increase in soybean production that was announced in the Crop Estimates Committee’s (CEC) September crop forecast. This is seen as a testament to the growing awareness of soybean’s value as a viable alternative for summer crop production, according to Ralf Küsel from SA.

The CEC set the 2022 soybean production estimate at 2.2 million tonnes, which is about 29 000 tonnes more than the previous forecast of 2.18 million tonnes.

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