How Europe’s top farming countries are faring
South Africa’s agriculture sector may often feel isolated in terms of the challenges it faces. However, a recent survey by the German Agricultural Society reveals that farmers in Germany, Poland,...
SA wine industry’s revamp
Apart from a new generation of winemakers and marketers that is making a name for itself, upcoming industry leaders are embarking on a fresh strategy to ensure the industry’s success....
Konsortium Merino prepares for the future
Breeding association Konsortium Merino recently announced a breakthrough strategy to ensure its members’ success over the next decade. This entails new forms of ownership to overcome the growing difficulties associated...
An agribusiness giant rises
Zeder Investments recently concluded the largest transaction in its existence, boosting its investments in agriculture to more than R10 billion and proving the company’s positive outlook on the industry. Jaco...
GM & the new labelling laws
South Africa’s food label laws have been modified several times in recent years. Now, further far-reaching changes to food labelling legislation could be implemented by the end of the year...
Selling all things Scottish
With a land size of just over 78 000km², Scotland is only slightly bigger than Mpumalanga. Yet its total annual food and drink exports amount to £5,3 billion (R97 billion)....
Boosting the informal sector
An informal trader is described in Western Cape government legislation as “any person who carries on a business as a street vendor or hawker, including an employee of such a...
Beefmaster: straddling the whole value chain
Five years ago, Beefmaster Feedlot near Christiana embarked on a strategy to encompass the entire value chain. Today, its operations extend from producing feed to selling its meat at retail...
Chance opportunity breeds future success
Thorn Park trading store began farming chickens 19 years ago after fortune walked through the door – literally. Now raising in excess of 10 000 chickens, the enterprise is proving...
Prepare for climate change
According to various climate change models, the average temperature in South Africa will increase by 2°C within the next 40 years and by as much as 6°C within the next...
A lucrative market option for macadamias
The market for macadamias is growing. According to Martin van der Merwe of Sabie Valley Macadamias in Hazyview, Mpumalanga, the Chinese market alone has the capacity to absorb 100 000t...
Empowerment in the Kalahari
In the semi-arid region of the Kahalari, under the desert sun, the Berekisanang farming project is bustling with activity. Jaco Visser reports on this citrus and table grape farm.
Beira corridor: The good, the bad & the promising
The Mozambique government has committed itself to unlocking the enormous agricultural potential of the Beira corridor, but progress has been slow – and costly.
Transformation will only come through facing hard facts
‘Don’t romanticise small-scale farming’ was the message at the recent Potatoes South Africa symposium held to discuss speeding up black economic empowerment through partnerships.
How emerging farmers can handle price risk
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange offers the futures contract and the put option. Either can provide small-scale maize farmers with peace of mind. The JSE’s Raphael Karuaihe explains.
Transformation: a work in progress
According to some, there is a viable alternative to Minister Gugile Nkwinti’s controversial 50:50 land reform proposal. With this option, the land holds its value and farmers can improve economies...
Improved outlook for beef production
After several years of weak profits, beef producers are more optimistic. Tracy Davids of the Bureau for Food and Agriculture Policy explains why she is bullish on beef.
Shaking things up at Mooketsi
Received wisdom says that for a fresh produce market to be successful, it must be located where the buyers are and not where the producers are. But a new market...
Breathing life back into the villages of Ncora
Hailed as a success story by the Eastern Cape premier, Noxolo Kiviet, during her 2014 State of the Province address, Ncora Dairy shows how private-community partnerships can lead to genuine...
Bucking the export trend
The Buys brothers of Vrede en Lust near Paarl entered the wine industry 18 years ago. After establishing their own wine brand, they developed one of the most successful direct...
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