This is according to MEC Thembeni Nxangisa, who delivered the department's budget vote at the Fourth Raadsaal. The MEC's announcement comes after heavy rainfall flooded farms around Bultfontein, Hoopstad, Parys, Vredefort, Viljoenskroon, Heilbron, and Bothaville, among other towns. The MEC further added that excessive rain also resulted in delayed crop planting in the Free State while also causing waterlogged farmlands. Furthermore, Nxangisa announced that the department has been responsive in the prevention of the spread of an outbreak of pathogenic Avian Influenza in the province.

Mozambique has banned imports of beef, goat meat, mutton and pork from three South African provinces due to the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease. The SABC reports that the ban affects imports from the North West, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, where incidences of the disease have been reported. Mozambique has also banned the import of animal feed from these three provinces. However, the ban does not affect pasteurised dairy products, heat-processed meat, or pharmaceuticals.

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The macadamia industry is experiencing the first year in a decade that prices paid to farmers for macadamia nuts have not increased. Janine Ryan, editor of Farmer's Weekly, explains that the average amount paid decreased to R226/kg, down from R240/kg. While prices for other tree nuts such as almonds have hit a decade-low, macadamia prices have seen the smallest downturn.

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