Business

Botswana’s agriculture and agro-processing sector is rife with opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs, according to the speakers at the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre’s webinar on 31 March, which was hosted by Farmer’s Weekly.

When the Beukes brothers expanded their table grape farming operation from the Hex River Valley to Brandwacht near Worcester in the Western Cape, they had no idea of the challenges this would bring. Jacques Beukes shared some of the lessons they learnt with Wouter Kriel.

This St. Patrick’s Day, see where heritage meets innovation in Ireland’s Agritech industry.

Thinking of producing medical cannabis? Glenneis Kriel spoke to industry pioneers about the opportunities and pitfalls for growers of this crop.

Senwes is committed to financing black farmers to a value of at least R20 million for the 2022/23 season.

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.