Refunds for mutant calves refused
New Zealand’s farmer-owned AI company, Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), is refusing to give refunds, or pay compensation, after semen it sold produced mutant calves.
No demand for land reform?
A lot has been said about black South Africans not being interested in farming and the sector not being ‘sexy’ enough to attract more farmers. Now two researchers have taken it further and say land reform has no support and should be done away with. Lindi van Rooyen reports.
ANC policy swings undermine credibility
Contradictory policies and radical statements make it difficult to decide on the direction in which the ANC is leading the country and what it means for land reform. Is this a sign of an incoherent government or one with a carefully constructed game plan? Lindi van Rooyen reports.
Agriculture still a good investment
Speaking at the recent Free State Agriculture Congress in Bloemfontein, Agri SA president Johannes Möller said farmers should invest in agriculture.
Free trade in Africa bad news for local farmers
Free trade in Africa could be a reality by 2017, signalling harder times for farmers in South Africa, while those abroad benefit.
135 000 ha lost to Free State veld fires.
Nearly 135 000 ha have been destroyed in veld fires in the Free State.
COSATU and Agri SA find common ground
Concern over the vast tracts of unproductive land in South Africa has united Agri SA and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
Mining a threat to food security
Current mining and new prospects for mining could soon have a devastating effect on agricultural production as well as long-term food security implications for the country.
Farming income outlook
Real gross farming income is expected to increase strongly over the next two years, but the outlook for the rest of the coming decade
is not so rosy. Denene Erasmus reports.
‘Meatless Monday’ gaffe slammed
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) was forced into a humiliating back-down after publicly endorsing the ‘Meatless Monday’ concept.
Quantify effect of labour amendments on jobs – Agri SA
Agri SA has requested that parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Labour carry out a regulatory impact assessment to determine the unintended consequences of amendments to labour legislation on job creation.
Hostile policies eroding agriculture
Those worried about South Africa’s eroding competiveness have cause for concern as agricultural imports are growing faster than exports.
Reactions mixed on commodity release for so-called “Agent Orange Maize”
Responses have been mixed to the news that the South African government has given commodity clearance allowing the import of maize grain from a newly developed herbicide-tolerant genetically modified maize variety.
Mulder spends R500 000 on flights, Agri SA spends R700 000
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Pieter Mulder has become the subject of much criticism after a parliamentary question revealed he spent nearly R500 000 on domestic and international flights,...
Consumers to pay more while farmers get less
Consumers can expect to pay between 12% and 15% more for their food in the coming months, but this does not translate to more money for the farmer.
Private companies better farmers than individuals
Farms run by private companies are more profitable than any other type of ownership.
Livestock industry declining as chicken takes over
Theft has kept livestock numbers from climbing and the industry has been shrinking steadily over the past ten years.
No facts to back genocide link
There is currently no evidence to support TAU SA’s contention that white communities and farmers in SA are being subjected to genocide.
SA forestry plantations threatened by yet another pest
South Africa’s R40 billion a year commercial forestry value chain is likely to be hit by a recently discovered pest.
