Funding has been awarded to a UK research team to enable closer examination of technology that can remove and recover phosphorus from cattle slurry.

The need to expand SA’s agricultural export markets beyond their current frontier, along with concerns about logistical interruptions, were the two topical themes in various interactions I had with agribusinesses last month.

Soils can look like they are a homogeneous material. But in reality, soil contains solid particles of different sizes and different types.

Despite some initial concerns about quality due to adverse weather conditions in many production countries, grape cultivations in Spain and India seem to be relatively unaffected, whereas Italy has seen some of the feared damage.

The production of apples, pears and table grapes is forecast to continue its growth in the 2021/22 MY, based on normal weather conditions, new areas coming into production and high yielding varieties.

 Italian pasta makers are fearful of a substantial supply squeeze in the coming months after this summer's durum wheat price shock, as the market runs out of ways to offset a dire harvest in top exporter Canada.