Business

Eleanore Swart produces tomatoes under cover near Botrivier in the Overberg. Having recently secured a long-term contract with a major fresh produce retailer, she plans to significantly expand production.

Winemaker, Chris Mullineux, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how producers have turned the Swartland from a bulk producer into one of South Africa’s premium wine-producing regions.

Young black farmers are tech-savvy and willing to learn, but is the government taking them seriously? Gerhard Uys spoke to Dimakatso Nono Sekhoto, AFASA Youth chairperson and MD of apple and beef producer, Makolobane, about how new black farmers can get ahead and why they should take pride in being involved in agriculture.

Miniature or ‘baby’ vegetables grown on the Yukon Group’s farms around South Africa are increasingly finding their way to supermarket shelves in the UK, France, Sweden and the UAE. Sabrina Dean recently visited one of these operations near Bothaville in the Free State.

Gary Jackson of Jackson’s Real Food Market, Chris Paulsen of the Bull and Bush butchery, restaurateurs Steve Maresch and Llewy Mateza of The Local Grill, and Roelie van Reenen of Beefmaster, are determined to offer the finest traceable, aged and ethically produced beef to discerning clients. But doing so is not without challenges, writes Gerhard Uys.

South Africa’s municipal fresh produce markets connect those who grow our food with those who eat it, says Dr Justy Range, business development manager, Freshmark Systems. But there’s room for improvement!

North Africa is a market with rising incomes, a growing number of sophisticated consumers, increasingly open economies, and ever-greater Internet access. Cornelis van der Waal, chief research officer at Wesgro, spoke to Jeandré du Preez about trade opportunities in this region.

Anastasia Smith won first prize in the 2016 Western Cape Top Women in Agriculture competition’s smallholder entrepreneur category. She spoke to Glenneis Kriel about her farming journey and her attitude towards educating, supporting and empowering others.

Science is increasingly finding ways to convert what was historically considered waste from agriculture, into beneficial products from renewable resources. Prof Annegret Stark outlines the opportunity that biorefining biomass presents for South Africa’s agricultural value chain, creating what she calls a ‘circular economy’ in which waste is continuously recycled.

An active return to environmental education practices at Laurus Primary in Oudtshoorn is not only benefiting learners, but also helping boost school income. Ronelle Huysamen, principal of the school, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the turnaround.

End-of-season maintenance at packhouses and fresh produce processing facilities plays an integral role in food safety and should therefore be carried out systematically. So writes Linda Jackson, a director at Food Focus, which advises the local food industry on occupational health and safety, environmental management, and corporate social responsibility.

Sheep and antelope production combine the best of two worlds for energetic farm manager, Emilize Vögel. She spoke to Roelof Bezuidenhout about her passion for this demanding job.

Many isolated regions in South Africa struggle with unreliable Internet access. To solve the problem in his area, Barkly East livestock farmer, Chris Isted, built his own wireless network, and has gone on to establish a flourishing Internet business with over 400 clients.

Kola le Roux has loved bees ever since seeing his grandfather’s hives in the eastern Free State more than 60 years ago. Today he manages more than 2 000 hives, from the Karoo to the Transkei, that produce an assortment of honey, including an organic variety derived from the cat-thorn or drogie bush.

When a group of Letsitele citrus farmers could no longer afford packaging material, they started making it themselves. Today, their business is a major industry supplier. By Alita van der Walt.

Dean Lategan and Ashley-Ann May of Latana Cheese near Oudshoorn have been producing boutique cheeses since 2012. Now the two are planning to expand production into goats’ milk cheese, while uplifting the local community at the same time. Glenneis Kriel reports.

Newly elected president of the World Farmers’ Organisation, Dr Theo de Jager, is no novice when it comes to advocating on behalf of farmers at international level. He spoke to Alita van der Walt about the challenges that farmers face in Africa and elsewhere, and how he plans to address these.

Women who venture into farming on their own, or in partnerships with their husbands, have to remember certain basic principles to be successful.

Aquaponics, which combines aquaculture and hydroponics, is increasingly becoming popular in many countries due to its ability to boost farm output and reduce waste. Glenneis Kriel spoke to Ruann Coleman of Eden Aquaponics about his experiences with this production system.

Linda Zwane, a livestock farmer in Mpumalanga, made it his business to introduce 120 young, black women to livestock husbandry on his farm, as well as mentor those that requested his guidance. His confidence in the opportunities for black women in agriculture is now reaping extraordinary rewards.