Agribusiness

There is still confusion in the agriculture sector about the need for water-use licences, says Desmond Visser. Now the application process has been streamlined.

Hunting rifles lovingly handcrafted by Ralph Badenhorst Bespoke Rifles can compete shot-for-shot with European tailor-made rifles. Gerhard Uys visited the team for a closer look at their unique creations.

Two sisters from the farm Kromrivier in the Cederberg are brewing up a storm with their premium-quality craft beers, and at the same time contributing to the region’s ecotourism.

Macadamia growers are in the pound seat, with prices at unprecedented highs. Nut processor, Mayo Macs, is helping farmers ensure that the good times last, says Myles Osborn, consultant to Mayo Macs.

Former minister of agriculture Dr Kraai van Niekerk’s honeybee hobby, which he started after quitting politics in 2009, has grown into a fully-fledged farming enterprise. It is now among the top 20 honeybee operations in the Western Cape.

Transferring a farming operation amicably to the next generation requires communication and planning, says agri-economist Dr Philip Theunissen.

South African brandy sales decreased from a high of 45 million litres in 1999 to 31 million litres last year. Christelle Reade-Jahn, director of the SA Brandy Foundation, spoke to Denene Erasmus about the value of brandy to the wine industry and plans to regain some of the spirit’s market share.

The local game industry was hit hard by the EU’s ban on meat exports, lifted early last year. Now, SA exporters are struggling to regain lost revenue and re-establish markets. Gerhard Uys reports.

With South Africa’s national power supply becoming increasingly unreliable, fruit farmer Kobus van der Westhuizen decided to install a hydro-electric plant on his Western Cape farm. This has greatly reduced his dependence on the grid.

South Africa’s maize crop, the smallest in eight years, will probably fuel inflation in the months to come as the price of maize increases. Jaco Visser spoke to economists as well as an agribusiness about the outlook for food prices, inflation and interest rates.

The phasing out of the EU quota system and rising global demand for milk offer export opportunities for the Netherlands. Despite differences in demographics and production circumstances, this country has valuable lessons for SA.

South Africa is seeing renewed interest in crocodile farming, with skins fetching attractive prices. There is a growing international demand for the product, and SA may be at an advantage.