Agribusiness

Interest in mushroom is on the rise, particularly among consumers wanting to cultivate their own supply. Capitalising on this market, MushRush in KwaZulu-Natal supplies mushroom spawn to clients across South Africa. Owner Sandra van Rij explained the multi-stage process of producing spawn to Lindi Botha.

Jean Minnaar, managing director at Old Mutual Wealth Private Client Securities, explains the various benefits offered by offshore investment.

Wine producers that switch to organic production risk suffering a severe financial knock. Glenneis Kriel reports on how Western Cape-based producer Bosman Adama has managed this risk successfully.

Corteva employees speak about their experiences with the company, and how they are doing their part to try to make life better for farmers.

Boets Nel, co-owner of De Krans Wines near Calitzdorp, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how his business survived the drought, coped with COVID-19 trade restrictions, and adapted to a changing market.

Natie Ferreira, director of a new cannabis research centre at the Agricultural Research Council’s Bien Donné site near Paarl, was recently issued with a permit to cultivate 8ha of hemp for the purposes of study and development. He and researcher Moses Mlangeni spoke to Marinda Louw Coetzee about the planned research at the centre, and how it will help to boost the commercial cultivation of hemp in South Africa.

Offshore investing is no longer a luxury reserved for a few. It is a realistic, easily accessible and important financial planning option for all serious investors seeking to protect and grow their wealth. Jean Minnaar, managing director of Old Mutual Wealth Private Client Securities, explains how to take maximum advantage of offshore investing.

Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region, in partnership with the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa, recently announced the winners of the Nestlé Needs YOUth Agri Competition, who all received incredible prizes.

Citrus is a major exportable commodity for Morocco, and that country’s government has aimed various initiatives at improving its production of this fruit.

After the successful approval of the merger between Senwes and the Suidwes Group in 2020, Senwes is currently in the final year of three years emanating from the merger.

Dilapidated country roads are a direct threat to South Africa’s agricultural and rural economies, yet farmers and communities have largely encountered a wall of indifference from government. In an attempt to be heard, Agri SA and its affiliates conducted a countrywide survey amongst 311 primary production units, many of which expressed frustration over the authorities’ lack of action.

Toverveld Biltong was started by Madie van Zyl some 14 years ago as a way of earning additional income. Annelie Coleman visited her on her family farm, De Dam, near Colesberg to learn more about her enterprise, and discovered why demand for Toverveld’s biltong and other meat products has grown … and grown.

Egypt has become a global powerhouse in terms of orange production and exports, and its government is aiming to improve production even further.

Despite South Africa’s economy and infrastructure being under severe stress, global agtech company Syngenta is investing in the country’s seed market. Gaël Hili, Syngenta’s regional director for Europe, Africa and Middle East Seeds, spoke to Susan Marais about the potential that South African agriculture holds.

Thabile Nkunjana, an agricultural economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), and Dr Sifiso Ntombela, chief economist at the NAMC, examine the decline in South Africa’s sugar production and the factors threatening future growth.

Derec Giles admits that he wouldn’t have been able to financially survive the ongoing drought on his farm in the Klein Karoo without his highly diversified approach to production. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about each of his enterprises.

Calling all young agripreneurs! Entries are open for the Nestlé Needs Youth Agri Competition, with top mentorship and coaching prizes up for grabs.

The Technology Innovation Agency helps bridge the gaps in the research and development of agricultural technologies in South Africa.

Aquaponics and hydroponics systems have numerous advantages over traditional soil-based production techniques. Magda du Toit spoke to two farmers who practise these intensive agriculture methods.

Heart, soul and spirit: all of these can be found in spades on Seafield Farm, a family-run sugar cane concern in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Owner Brad O’Neill spoke to Susan Marais about how innovation in the form of rum distillation is helping his business rise above the sugar cane crisis, while regenerative farming methods are keeping the farm’s already fertile, high-quality soil in peak condition.