Agribusiness

Few consumers properly understand how food production works or have any emotional connection with farmers and farming. This is according to Lauren Murphy, who, through her Internet-based farm produce marketing company, is helping to narrow this gap while supplying tasty, nutritious food to her many loyal clients in KwaZulu-Natal.

Although honeybush has long been used in parts of South Africa to brew a caffeine-free tea, it has remained a small-scale activity. However, the industry has potential to grow and thus create jobs for poor communities in the Western and Eastern Cape. Annabel Horn and Albert Ackhurst of the Western Cape’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning explain.

Indigenous African ingredients and food traditions are underrepresented on the local and international markets. Black Umbrellas Global Entrepreneur Week 2018 overall winner Sipamandla Manqele founded her unique agribusiness to help bridge this gap.

The future of wine is evolving and the industry has to adapt in order to survive and flourish. This is according to Robert Joseph, an internationally respected wine expert and winemaker.

A five-year, multi-pronged programme that brings together government, academia and the private sector’s financial expertise has been launched in the Free State.

Strategies to synchronise produce availability with times of general undersupply can prove highly lucrative, as KwaZulu-Natal fresh produce farmer Andile Ngcobo tells Lloyd Phillips.

The Safari boot takes you effortlessly from the farm to your desk, and on to the urban jungle. It’s a shoe that’s hard-working, classic and contemporary, and easily affordable.

Huguenot Farms in the Sundays River Valley is implementing a long-term, mixed farming strategy that will see its ‘beautiful soils’ produce to their full potential. Sabrina Dean visited the farm, where the Marais family has established a profitable combined dairy-citrus operation.

A fruit-manufacturing business at Piket-Bo-Berg in the Western Cape has created a market for rejected produce by turning it into jam, chutney and similar products. Jeandré van der Walt spoke to general manager Liebré Jacobs about her company’s achievements.

At Corteva Agriscience, the new Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, female employees enjoy precisely the same job opportunities as men.

Boplaas Family Vineyards shows that farm size does not really matter if you want to makeit in the wine industry. Owner Carel Nel spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he and his team in this relatively small operation have weathered market fluctuations by experimenting with Portuguese grape varieties and introducing new products.

Agri Western Cape’s Young Farmer of the year for 2018, Johann de Wet of De Wetshof Wine Estate, tells Glenneis Kriel how he and his brother, Peter, are keeping their family’s wine-making legacy alive.

Fresh produce branding is gaining momentum as farmers seek to ensure a market for their fruit in an industry where supply is dramatically increasing. The success of the ClemenGold mandarin brand has spearheaded the marketing of specific premium citrus varieties.

Gideon Milling, a stone ground milling company in the Western Cape, was launched in 2013 by a group of entrepreneurs to improve farmers’ profitability and food security. Aubrey Terblanche and Jurianne Schreuder spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the company’s vision and success.

While food and agricultural stocks are often overlooked as investments, many companies offering these products represent excellent value for money. Glenneis Kriel asked a number of investment officers about the opportunities available, and what advice they had for would-be investors.

The multi-stakeholder Bokamoso Barona Initiative is aimed at promoting sustainable economic activity through the development of a large-scale agri-industrial and bio-energy hub, in areas on the greater West Rand District, where local economies are currently predominantly dependent on mining.

After playing a significant role in corporate South Africa, Dr Reuel Khoza, former chairperson of Nedbank and Eskom, decided to turn his focus back to his roots in the farming sector. He spoke to Lindi Botha about practical transformation and taking hands with commercial farmers.

After venturing into the organic fresh market, the owners of Sandveld Organics on the West Coast created a niche for themselves in the organic seed market. Susi Engelbrecht spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their journey.

Craft gin has quickly become one of the most popular drinks in South Africa, and producers are struggling to keep up with local demand. Keri Harvey spoke to craft gin pioneer, Roger Jorgensen, about the gin revolution.

It is pointless running any business if there is no commitment to achieving profits in a sustainable manner. Dr Michael Bradfield, CEO of both AgriBSA and Wagyu South Africa, highlighted the main profit drivers for livestock farmers to Lloyd Phillips.