Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rate of digital integration and sped up advances crucial to the future success of many industries, including agriculture. Lindi Botha reports on the main trends that will influence farming this year.

Prof Johnnie van den Berg, an entomologist at North-West University, is passionate about insects and their critical contribution they make to the environment by pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. He is equally committed to teaching preschool children about the importance of insects.

The HelloChoice online platform allows farmers to easily find buyers for their commodities, bringing with it improved transparency and security.

The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown measures have exposed huge deficiencies in the food supply networks of the poor and vulnerable. Meyer Conradie of Mosaic Community Developments spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how his organisation is addressing this challenge in various communities.

The global beef market is highly competitive and difficult to break into. With South Africa’s beef export industry still in its infancy, Susan Marais explores the reasons why Chinese consumers might not be the most willing buyers of our product, and looks at what the local beef industry could learn from its top competitors’ strategies.

Beekeeper Ryno Barnes recently replaced his wooden hives with hives made of polyvinyl chloride foam board, a unique lightweight, eco-friendly material. So impressed was he with the results that he launched a separate company to manufacture these hives for other beekeepers.

The future of the country’s sugar cane sector has never been more uncertain and, as a result, the livelihoods of many thousands of people hang in the balance. Could the South African Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan be the lifeline that the industry has been waiting for? Susan Marais reports.

Nico Laubscher of Alzanne Boerdery is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve business efficiencies, and this led to him exploring solar energy as a way of reducing his electricity bill and carbon footprint. Laubscher and Paul Kotze of Solar Energy Architects spoke to Wouter Kriel about the unique placement of the solar panels.

In this, part one of a two-part series, Mariana Purnell, a consultant with eGrain, a provider of electronic warehouse receipts for the grain industry, discusses the challenges that changes to grain quality control pose for the industry. In particular, she focuses on producing maize according to particular standards for niche.

According to Peter and Francy Schoeman of Langbaken Karoo Cheese, their cheese business has enabled them to survive the prolonged drought in the area. They spoke to Wouter Kriel about how they developed their sheep farm into a cheese operation.

According to Dr Alfred Tlolo Kgasi, president of the South African Veterinary Council, the transformation of the veterinary profession is a priority.

Hops are traditionally grown in the Western Cape, but on a rooftop in Johannesburg, Khaya Maloney has shown it is possible to grow hops in the city using a hydroponic system.

Most volatile family agribusiness disputes have deep-rooted causes that stem from secrecy, distrust and avoidance. By confronting these issues early on, conflict can be avoided, says Trevor Dickinson.

Reducing inputs costs and increasing yields are the foundation of a profitable enterprise. However, true sustainability comes from investing in practices that increase your farm’s ability to produce over time. Lindi Botha spoke to Leon Eksteen of Bufland Boerdery about choosing the right investments.

Is it possible to start a farming operation in South Africa in 2021 for less than R1 million? A number of experts discussed the start-up potential of layers, broilers, pigs, vegetables and lucerne with Susan Marais.

National fresh produce markets are vital to food security in South Africa, providing a robust, transparent pricing system and a crucial service to buyers and sellers across the country. While widely successful in these aspects, fundamental problems in these markets are threatening the future of the industry, and they need to be addressed.

The most successful agribusiness families understand that their enterprises are not possessions; instead, they are legacies that they are obliged to take care of for future generations, writes Trevor Dickinson.

Agriculture has been one of very few lights glowing in South Africa’s economic gloom: the sector has managed to grow where most others have declined. However, the grim reality of crumbling transport and water infrastructure is endangering its future.

Heinrich Lategan is the fifth generation to farm on Tevrede, between Worcester and Wolseley in the Western Cape. Tevrede has traditionally been a grape farm, but the family has had to embrace an ethos of diversification in order to keep the business going. The past two years have proved to them just how important value-adding can be.

Richard Mashinini runs a flourishing commercial farm in the Free State. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about his education and the people who helped him succeed, and the uncertainty of farming on rented land.