Caxton CTP pledges to reduce electricity
Caxton CTP Publishers and Printers has joined Eskom’s energy efficiency campaign, 49M, in an effort to reduce energy consumption.
Blocking off the ‘Thieves’ Highway’
Effective stock theft solutions are almost always the product of trial and error, plus dollops of community diplomacy.
Sappi agreement before Christmas
Employees of local pulp and paper giant, Sappi, face losing their jobs over the next few months. Trade union, Solidarity, said that it would do all in its power to minimise retrenchments and create closure for those being retrenched by finalising the process before Christmas.
Renewable energy rises to the challenge
Eskom’s request for an annual 16% price increase for the next five years has put pressure on business. Forward-thinking operations are successfully switching to alternative power sources. Robyn Joubert reports.
Damaged roads hamper farming in Ndlambe district
The Ndlambe district, which stretches from Alexandria to the Fish River in the Eastern Cape, received between 330mm and 590mm of rainfall during two weeks in mid-October, with some farmers recording as much as 290mm in one night.
Slight relief for petrol users, but diesel up
The price of petrol will decrease by 10c/l on Tuesday night 6 November.
Mediation agreement in hate speech case welcomed
The agricultural union, TAU SA expressed its satisfaction with the settlement agreement reached between the ANC, ex ANC youth leader Julius Malema, AfriForum and itself, over the struggle song containing the words "shoot the Boer".
‘Farm diesel auditors don’t work on commission’ – SARS
The South African Revenue Service has refuted allegations that its farm diesel use auditors work on a commission. This allegation has been doing the...
Prime minus 5% loans for all farmers unlikely
Agricultural economists around the country remain baffled following minister of agriculture Tina Joemat-Pettersson’s announcement at Agri SA’s congress in Johannesburg in October that Land Bank will be offering loans of prime minus 5% to all farmers.
Plans to grow Western Cape agriculture by 10% in 10 years
The Western Cape government has introduced an ambitious plan for agriculture in the province, proposing that provincial authorities support a 10% growth in the agriculture sector for the next 10 years.
Storm season’ hits farmers hard
Intense rainfall and hailstorms struck Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal on the weekend of 19 to 21 October, causing fatalities, infrastructure damage and in some cases, crop losses.
Late rains damage Cape barley crop
Late seasonal rains that fell towards the end of October in many parts of the Western Cape, a winter rainfall area, have caused widespread damage to barley and grain, with the southern parts of the province being the hardest hit.
Land reform proposals: fair compensation will prevail
The latest proposals for land reform have been met with surprise and panic by organised agriculture. But political analysts and the land reform department have stated that no farmer will be forced to sell land for below market value. Lindi van Rooyen reports.
Floods cause deaths, severe damage in Eastern Cape
The recent stormy weather in parts of the Eastern Cape claimed the lives of at least 11 people, resulted in over 2 000 others having to be moved from their flooded homes in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, and caused damage worth millions of rand.
OIE hears red meat industry concerns during SA visit
Various South Africa livestock industries reportedly welcomed the opportunity to highlight their concerns regarding the state of State veterinary services to delegates from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
A case of price fixing against diesel suppliers
The Competition Commission on 24 October 2012 referred a case of price fixing and market division regarding the supply of diesel to the Competition Tribunal.
Agri SA’s response to the latest land reform proposals
Agri SA is of the opinion that it was not fair and equitable to encumber fellow land owners in a district with the financial burden of land reform undertaken in the public interest.
TAU SA rejects Zuma’s land reform proposal
President Jacob Zuma’s proposed land reform plan came under fire from TAU SA. In a statement in response to the proposed plan, TAU SA said Zuma's proposals are not feasible and may even be counter-productive in terms of food security.
Plans to make insurance accessible to small holder farmers
Making crop and livestock insurance accessible to small holder farmers could improve this sectors sustainability.
No one size fits all for emerging farmers
Better strategies and effective production models are needed to sustainably bring new entrants into agriculture.
