A new mite has recently been collected from honeycombs in Robertson, Western Cape. Mike Allsopp of the Agricultural Research Council confirmed that the mites only occurred in stored honeycombs in one location. This mite was initially mistaken for the common stored product mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, but it was later found that this is a new species of the family Glycyphagidae of the Areoglyphus genus.
Allsopp said it is a serious pest that rapidly converts the combs to an orange powder. D awid Smit, the beekeeper in whose honeycombs the pest was identified, said he was totally baffled when he saw the mites. He didn’t use any pesticides to control them, but swept them out and burnt them.
The population started to drop as the pollen declined. Smit said he didn’t suffer any financial losses due to the mites and the bees were still able to use the honeycombs after the infestation. – Glenneis Erasmus Beekeepers encountering these mites have been asked to contact Mike Allsopp at [email protected] for further investigation.
New grain arbitration service
The SA Grain Arbitration Services ASSOCIATION (SAGAS) was recently established as a more cost-effective and user-friendly dispute resolution service for roleplayers in the grain and oilseed industry. ispute resolution is seen as an essential element of the free market for agricultural commodities in SA, and should be open to all contracting parties in the grain and oilseed industries, a SAGAS statement read.
Industry associations like the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association, Grain Systems Incorporated, SA and the Cereals and Oilseeds Traders Association accepted the proposal for the establishment of a grain arbitration service. It was also endorsed by the Maize Forum and the Wheat Forum. All the founding associations have representatives serving on the governing committee. Currently there are seven accredited arbitrators under the SAGAS rules, which are administrated by Lx Agricultural Services. – Drieka Burger
