Caxton Magazines
The giraffe now an endangered species
South Africans are used to seeing giraffe in parks and reserves, but the reality is this mega-fauna is under threat. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Zinc deficiencies hinder optimal yields
In South Africa, about 42% of agricultural land suffers zinc deficiencies, lowering crop yields, writes Lindi van Rooyen.
What to remember when choosing a cover crop
Cover crops can improve soil and crop health, says Agricol's KZN sales manager and agronomist Dustin Beckerling, who gives Lloyd Phillips some pointers on selecting appropriate cover crops.
Europe and India drive wool demand
BKB's merino wool indicator rose by 1,6% to end at R53,96/kg (clean) at the season's fifth wool sale - 4% higher than last year's sale, while the rand has appreciated by 6% against the US dollar over the same period.
Vink new president of African Association Agricultural Economists
Prof Nick Vink, well-known agricultural economist and chairperson of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Stellenbosch, was elected the first South African president of the African Association for Agricultural Economists (AAAE) during the organisation's annual general meeting (AGM).
Drought sees cane estimates sink lowest in 18 years
The severe drought in many of KZN's canegrowing areas has caused staggering losses in the sugar industry. Reduced production means that 318 000t of sugar will not be exported, robbing the industry of R1,1 billion of foreign exchange Of this, KZN growers will lose R665 million.
‘We won’t be small-scale’, say emerging farmers
Five emerging farmers received aR15,6-million farm in the Eastern Cape after completing an intensive three-year course in the farming of angora goats and sheep.
Food security a higher priority than transformation
Government's handling of land reform and agricultural transformation has caused too much uncertainty for commercial farmers, and the sector as a whole needs to be thinking about how to produce food for a growing population in a sustainable way.
Overproduction & less consumer spending hits hard
South Africa's broiler industry is hoping that things will pick up towards the December season's typical peak chicken-consumption period, following a year of low prices.
Nerpo calls for finalisation of land reform Green Paper
The finalisation of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform's Green Paper is becoming a concern since it has been postponed twice already this year, said Aggrey Mahanjana, National Emergent Red Meat Producers' Organisation (Nerpo) managing director, at the organisation's annual congress.
State lease contract not in farmer’s favour
Emerging livestock farmers want Gugile Nkwinti, minister of rural development and land reform, to review the manner in which the lease contracts for farmland have been drafted.
RPO meets Namibian counterparts to discuss meat saga
MEat industry roleplayers met to discuss an Agri Inspec report that alleges that Namibian exporters are passing off large cattle as weaners on their export documentation.
Liberalise rhino hunting, experts say
Constraints on legal rhino hunting are partly to blame for the recent explosion in poaching, claim rhino owners and conservationists.
South African delegation to China ‘an embarrassment’ – Top Researcher
The delegation of politicians and business leaders that visited China was a huge failure, according to Hannah Edinger, head of Research at Frontier Advisory, an emerging markets research company.
Turton warns of a water collapse in 2012/13
Government has a formal policy of taking water away from white farmers, argued Dr Anthony Turton, speaking at the recent AMT Agri Outlook conference after being banned from talking at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2008.
Farmers turn to courts for help
Farmers are turning to the law for protection not only in land redistribution disputes, but also for water and mineral rights challenges and disputes over excessive municipal property rates.
R12 billion for court cases
Government, specifically the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR), is spending more and more of taxpayers' money to defend their actions, as farmers are increasingly turning to the legal system to enforce their rights.
Possibility of cheap finance corporation
Agri SA and the Transvaal Agriculture Union (TAU) are among a group of stakeholders involved in discussions about the establishment of an agricultural development corporation to provide low interest rate loans from overseas donors to commercial farmers.
Maize price increases still too low
Maize producers shouldn't get too excited about the slight rise in maize prices, as it's still a "touch and go" price, said Grain SA's manager of industry services Nico Hawkins.
Remembering Beauty
The recent passing away of my farm's former general assistant Beauty Zondi brought home the realities of access to health education and services for farmworkers.
