‘Grain still viable for Transnet’
“We’re not planning on leaving the grain industry,” said Sandile Simelane, communications officer at Transnet Freight Rail, in response to concerns that Transnet is neglecting agriculture and focusing on “other...
SAB slow with new price mechanism
Southern Cape barley producers are still waiting on South African Breweries Ltd (SAB) to announce a new mechanism for malting-barley price determination. Producers actively negotiated the implementation of a new...
Farmers want a new wheat grading system.
Farmers again voiced their discontent with the wheat grading system at the recent Grain SA regional meeting, held at Elsenburg research centre in the Western Cape.Issue date: 22 February 2008
What will it take to rescue the wheat industry?
SA has become increasingly dependent on wheat imports over the past five years, but the current international wheat shortage is sending import prices soaring – and the bread price through...
Hard work & savvy always pay off
Hard work, humbleness and a keen sense of responsibility come to mind when one thinks of Shilling Shai, a black farmer in the Tzaneen district. He took lessons learned from...
Load-shedding costs farmer 60% of his crop
Ten years ago Hennie Fouché bought the farm Rietvallei outside Mookgopong in the Limpopo province. Besides being fenced off, the 215ha farm was undeveloped. Fouché now produces about 200t of...
Mixed feelings on state of the nation
President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation Address on 8 February did not leave issues affecting agriculture “in the cold”, says Agri SA executive director Hans van der Merwe. Among...
It’s hotter than you think
Climate change and reduced water availability have food security implications for the nation and managerial implications for all farmers, concludes Pprof James Blignaut of the Department of Economics at Pretoria...
Weak rand pushes up wool price
The Rand’s sharp fall played a major role in pushing the Merino indicator to a fresh seasonal high of R66,35/kg (clean), up 3,1% on the week and 18,6% on the...
Good prices beckon tobacco producers
Farmers can look forward to firmer tobacco prices over the next year, said Francois van der Merwe, CEO of the Tobacco Institute of South Africa (Tisa), which facilitates cooperation between...
No water crisis – DWAF
The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry has strongly refuted recent statements suggesting a developing water crisis. In reaction to media reports predicting that SA is facing a water crisis...
Plastic food for soil
Problems associated with disposing plastic film used in agriculture, and plastics used by society in general, seemed to have no solution – until now. Issue date: 15 February 2008
