Agriculture
Africa a hedge for citrus sales
Local citrus growers are looking at exporting more fruit to the rest of Africa in case shipments to the EU are curbed. Citrus from South Africa would be subject to more stringent checks to prevent citrus black spot spreading to fruit in the bloc, the EU’s administrative arm said last week. The Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa said it would adhere to the measures in the “short term” while seeking a “long-term” resolution. “We are busy with research studies on new markets in Angola, Ghana and Nigeria,” Justin Chadwick, the chief executive of the association, said on Monday. Local growers risked not meeting the EU’s requirements, Chadwick said. Despite growers spraying their orchards and complying with all the measures, their fruit might still have citrus black spot because the fungus took time to develop, he said. About 1 percent of South Africa’s citrus is shipped to other African countries, compared with about 40 percent of its apple crop, which was doing well in Angola, Ghana and Nigeria, he said. – Bloomberg
Automotive
Lightstone Auto and RGT merge
RGT Smart, which provides online analytical products and new vehicle sales data to the motor industry, has merged with Lightstone Auto, a provider of comprehensive data, analytics and systems tracking automotive assets. RGT Smart has separated into two, with the division responsible for research and consumer analytics renamed Lightstone Consumer and the motor division incorporated into Lightstone Auto. Mike von Hone, the managing director of Lightstone Auto, said that through the consolidation a revitalised Lightstone Auto would be in a position to deliver a comprehensive solution. “The journey ahead will provide clients with enriched and improved decision-related data,” he said. – Roy Cokayne
Agriculture
SA free of two animal diseases
South Africa had been declared free of foot-and-mouth disease and goat plague by the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department said yesterday. This followed the 82nd general session of the organisation, which ended on Friday in Paris, department spokeswoman Makenosi Maroo said. South Africa was among 48 countries, the only one in Africa, to be recognised as being free of goat plague, or peste des petits ruminants, which poses significant risks to small livestock such as sheep and goats. “The distribution of [goat plague] has expanded throughout the past 10 years and it is now present over a large part of Africa, the Middle East and Asia,” Maroo said. “Since it is a major devastating disease of small ruminants, it has been selected as one of the top priority diseases to be addressed by the [organisation].” – Sapa