Agribusiness

Not all cuts of beef are considered equal, and where in the world you eat your steak also determines how much you pay. Namibian farming economics consultant Dr Helmke Sartorius von Bach examines the origin of modern slaughter techniques, the price of beef in Southern Africa and Europe, and the potential for beef exports to lucrative markets such as Norway.

Based in the Eastern Cape, Warrick Harvey has rapidly built an international reputation as a crafter of exceptional bows. Mike Burgess spoke to him about his life-long love of archery.

The cost of farm machinery is a major challenge for small-scale and commercial farmers. Nick Hoffman, general manager at Linebooker, and Jehiel Oliver, creator of Hello Tractor, explain how new digital platforms are being used to source equipment with ease.

Small commercial beef producers and stud breeders make up a large and valuable part of Canada’s cattle value chain. While in Alberta, Gerhard Uys, who recently visited Farm Fair International, a Canadian agricultural show, visited three farming families that run small, profitable commercial herds.

Yolandi Joubert’s oyster mushroom operation, launched just three years ago, is an important lesson in what passion and discipline can achieve in small-scale agriculture.

At the beginning of 2017, plans aimed at cashing in on the growing demand for donkey meat and hides were announced in North West. Glenneis Kriel reports on the viability of donkey production in South Africa.

Replacing a burnt-out electric motor can cost a great deal, whereas rewinding it can return it to tip-top condition at much lower cost. Rashad Williams and Fa-eez Appollis spoke to Jeandré du Preez about how their rewinding business saves farmers money and production downtime.

Not only is indigenous iMbuzi goats’ hair used to produce cashmere at the Ivili Loboya production unit near Butterwoth, but local smallholders are also empowered.

Switzerland has long been famed for what some describe as ‘stinky and holey’ cheeses. However, as Lloyd Phillips discovered, there is much more to Swiss cheeses. Some, for example, are produced and matured under highly unconventional circumstances.

*Farmer’s Weekly reported in November 2019 that Coniglio Rabbit Meat Farms was liquidated in October 2019.

If South Africa’s beef industry wants to become a serious competitor on the world stage, it must replace exports of ‘cheap meat’ with higher-value cuts, says livestock genetics consultant, Dr Michael Bradfield. He spoke to Lloyd Phillips about the way forward for the industry.

Winemaker, Chris Mullineux, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how producers have turned the Swartland from a bulk producer into one of South Africa’s premium wine-producing regions.

Miniature or ‘baby’ vegetables grown on the Yukon Group’s farms around South Africa are increasingly finding their way to supermarket shelves in the UK, France, Sweden and the UAE. Sabrina Dean recently visited one of these operations near Bothaville in the Free State.

Gary Jackson of Jackson’s Real Food Market, Chris Paulsen of the Bull and Bush butchery, restaurateurs Steve Maresch and Llewy Mateza of The Local Grill, and Roelie van Reenen of Beefmaster, are determined to offer the finest traceable, aged and ethically produced beef to discerning clients. But doing so is not without challenges, writes Gerhard Uys.

South Africa’s municipal fresh produce markets connect those who grow our food with those who eat it, says Dr Justy Range, business development manager, Freshmark Systems. But there’s room for improvement!

North Africa is a market with rising incomes, a growing number of sophisticated consumers, increasingly open economies, and ever-greater Internet access. Cornelis van der Waal, chief research officer at Wesgro, spoke to Jeandré du Preez about trade opportunities in this region.

Science is increasingly finding ways to convert what was historically considered waste from agriculture, into beneficial products from renewable resources. Prof Annegret Stark outlines the opportunity that biorefining biomass presents for South Africa’s agricultural value chain, creating what she calls a ‘circular economy’ in which waste is continuously recycled.

End-of-season maintenance at packhouses and fresh produce processing facilities plays an integral role in food safety and should therefore be carried out systematically. So writes Linda Jackson, a director at Food Focus, which advises the local food industry on occupational health and safety, environmental management, and corporate social responsibility.

Kola le Roux has loved bees ever since seeing his grandfather’s hives in the eastern Free State more than 60 years ago. Today he manages more than 2 000 hives, from the Karoo to the Transkei, that produce an assortment of honey, including an organic variety derived from the cat-thorn or drogie bush.

When a group of Letsitele citrus farmers could no longer afford packaging material, they started making it themselves. Today, their business is a major industry supplier. By Alita van der Walt.