Organic backyard growers go big
Agricultural co-operative Buffalo City Organic Producers (BCOP) has gone from producing organic vegetables in back gardens to harvesting 10t tomatoes per month hydroponically. This has won them a provincial award....
New egg packhouse secures top-end market position
Balgowan poultry farmer Rodney Smith picked an unconventional approach when it came to upgrading his egg packhouse to meet stringent food safety standards.
Success with on-farm pork processing business
South African farmers have long been encouraged to add value to their products for improved profit and control. One farmer that has taken this to heart is bringing home the...
Dutch fruit importers require transparency
The list of audits to which SA producers are expected to adhere continues to grow – a situation given impetus by the farm worker unrest in the Western Cape in...
Transformation hard at work at winery
Robertson Winery runs one of a few successful transformation projects in the industry. Cellar master Bowen Botha and shareholder Martha Fielies share their story with Denene Erasmus.
Russia-SA trade: will our farmers benefit?
Russia joined the World Trade Organisation in August 2012. As the largest country on the planet, it holds significant trading potential for South Africa, and the National Department of Agriculture,...
Cassava processing: game-changing technology
Dutch processing technology is being used to solve the problem of transporting perishable cassava roots over long distances in Africa.
Cracking the liquid egg market
Eikenhof Poultry Farms, part of the Free Range Chicken Company, is amongst South Africa’s oldest producers of free-range eggs. The company has taken the lead in offering free-range liquid egg...
Bosparadys – A family success story
Business expansion and community development are guiding principles in the Khourie family business. Bosparadys is a thriving dairy concern set to expand despite the tough economic environment dairy farmers operate...
A woman in the wine industry
In August 2009, Elsa Carstens became the first woman in South Africa to head up two producer wine cellars. Due to financial pressure, these cellars had already opted to amalgamate...
Bucking the bulk wine trend
Bulk wine exports have become the backbone of South Africa’s international wine trade. But to increase profitability and ensure financial sustainability, Riebeek Cellars is instead investing in a rebranding exercise...
Collective farming at its best
Despite having limited farmland, Chris Venter is a top pepper supplier to a Gauteng supermarket chain. By contracting six other farmers to share the production, he has spread his risk...
