Eastern Cape Farmer Support Applications Close October End
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FarmersWeekly.co.za reports that emerging farmers in the Eastern Cape have until 30 October 2026 to apply for support through the provincial Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Support Programme for the 2027/28 financial year. The programme, led by MEC for Agriculture Nonceba Kontsiwe, aims to provide subsistence and smallholder farmers with support for livestock, crop, and household food production, as well as infrastructure development. Kontsiwe said the programme catered to farmers operating at different scales, from those producing food for their households to smallholders farming for profit. She explained that applicants needed to provide supporting documentation relevant to their farming operations, which could include bank statements, business plans, and proof of access to land, depending on the category of support they were applying for.
Bonsmara, Beefmaster, and Santa Gertrudis cattle claimed top honours at the Royal Carcass Competition & Auction, held at the 2026 Royal Show. Ferrero Bonsmaras, near Harrismith in the Free State, claimed both the Champion Individual and Reserve Champion Individual beef carcass titles. The stud’s champion A2 Bonsmara carcass, sold for R80/kg, the highest confirmed price among the beef carcass lots up for auction. Weston Agricultural College in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal, achieved success with its Beefmaster cattle, winning the Champion Group of Four beef carcass category. The lot achieved R71/kg on auction. Tregenna Farming, near Bergville in KZN, won two Santa Gertrudis championship titles – the Champion Super Ox at R71/kg and the Champion Biltong Cow at R63/kg.
And…The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has defended expenditure of more than R81 million on its proposed foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine manufacturing facility, saying the money was spent on vaccine development, technical planning, and regulatory requirements over a period of more than 15 years. However, construction has yet to begin. The ARC has confirmed that R453,8 million remains ring-fenced for its proposed FMD vaccine manufacturing facility, but says construction cannot begin until sufficient funding has been secured to complete the project. This follows concerns raised by the Auditor-General of South Africa during a meeting of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture on 6 October, where members heard that the ARC had received approximately R535,5 million from National Treasury for the facility, yet construction had not started.
Bonsmara, Beefmaster, and Santa Gertrudis cattle claimed top honours at the Royal Carcass Competition & Auction, held at the 2026 Royal Show. Ferrero Bonsmaras, near Harrismith in the Free State, claimed both the Champion Individual and Reserve Champion Individual beef carcass titles. The stud’s champion A2 Bonsmara carcass, sold for R80/kg, the highest confirmed price among the beef carcass lots up for auction. Weston Agricultural College in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal, achieved success with its Beefmaster cattle, winning the Champion Group of Four beef carcass category. The lot achieved R71/kg on auction. Tregenna Farming, near Bergville in KZN, won two Santa Gertrudis championship titles – the Champion Super Ox at R71/kg and the Champion Biltong Cow at R63/kg.
And…The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has defended expenditure of more than R81 million on its proposed foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine manufacturing facility, saying the money was spent on vaccine development, technical planning, and regulatory requirements over a period of more than 15 years. However, construction has yet to begin. The ARC has confirmed that R453,8 million remains ring-fenced for its proposed FMD vaccine manufacturing facility, but says construction cannot begin until sufficient funding has been secured to complete the project. This follows concerns raised by the Auditor-General of South Africa during a meeting of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture on 6 October, where members heard that the ARC had received approximately R535,5 million from National Treasury for the facility, yet construction had not started.
