Diversification: spreading the risk on a Tanzanian farm
Having too few production divisions can cause financial stress if markets fail. A Tanzanian operation has minimised the risk by launching a variety of enterprises in a relatively short time. Lloyd Phillips reports.
Swazi pots of gold
Eswatini Kitchen Honey is re-invigorating Swaziland’s honey industry
through the promotion of bee-keeping as an income stream for poor communities. Robyn Joubert reports.
Local food markets: are they the answer?
Go big or get out is the current trend as farmers chase economies of scale. But any system which relies on shedding jobs and increasing monopolisation in order to reduce the price of a shelf item is fundamentally unsustainable, warns Luke Metelerkamp.
Rewarding productivity lifts performance
Training and performance monitoring are key to encouraging productivity in the workforce. Labour consultant Walter Blore shifts the paradigm and puts farming businesses on track. Robyn Joubert reports.
Hands-on grass farming
It’s a hard day’s work for the team as livestock farmer Gary Mitchell runs his commercial Drakensbergers and stud Dorpers in the KZN Midlands with minimal labour.
Alternative energy: Throwing caution to the wind?
Clean renewable energy or an imperfect solution? Are wind turbines the magic bullet for energy problems? Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Herding tractors: managing a large machinery fleet
Agricultural machinery and implements are vital to any commercial farming operation. It’s equally important that this equipment is well managed and maintained. Lloyd Phillips reports.
Game or the stock exchange?
Johan Rabie compares the investment performance of high value game species – with specific reference to buffalo and sable antelope – with investing on the JSE and other prominent stock exchanges.
In the family business
Two generations of Kotzés farm more than a dozen different lines on their historic Sandveld farm between Velddrif and Hopefield. For them, the pros far outweigh the cons of farming with the family. Keri Harvey reports.
Young Free State farmer works towards partnerships
Laurens Schlebusch believes business associations between commercial farmers and farm workers will become increasingly important in the future. He talks to Annelie Coleman about grooming selected members of his staff for partnership positions.
Maize outlook 2012/2013
World maize consumption is expected to increase by 31,9 million tons this season. Loffie Brandt of Absa AgriBusiness reports on these and other trends both locally and globally.
The Kruger boosts its firepower
A new, environmentally sensitive fire management system is being introduced in the KNP. Peter Mashala spoke to Nick Zambatis, manager of biodiversity, and Danie Pienaar, head of scientific services, about the changes.
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