Overberg farmers grateful for rain

Farmers have welcomed the recent rain in the Overberg district of the southern Cape. Bredasdorp received 20mm, the Strandveld between 80mm and 100mm, and Riviersonderend 25mm. Caledon recieved between 8mm and 10mm.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Scheme launched for trading ‘saved’ water

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), South African Breweries (SAB) and government's Working for Water programme have launched what is believed to be the world's first fully quantitative water neutral scheme.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Thirsty biofuel plants are a concern – Asmal

Professor Kader Asmal, the former Water Affairs and Forestry minister, predicts the introduction of biofuel production to Africa would have a decimating impact on our water resources. SA is already a water-stressed country and biofuel production has been found to use seven times more water than ordinary food production," explained Prof Asmal, adding that water is the oil of the 21st century, but unlike oil, water has no substitute.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Americans worry about food costs

Americans are the most concerned about the rising cost of food with 39% saying they are more likely to buy less expensive cuts of meat and 47% are eating out less than they did a year ago.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Weak rand may hamstring lower fertiliser prices

Fertiliser prices could drop sharply due to falling oil prices and diminishing global demand. recent MPO newsletter contained an article entitled Financial Crisis Could Slash Fertiliser Prices that projected the price of DAP to fall from A$1 000 (R7 014) to 700 (R4 910).
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Missing: international border

n the Ficksburg area of the Eastern Free State the shallow, silted Caledon River forms the international border between South Africa and Lesotho.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

KwaZulu-Natal land boss suspension rekindles hope

The recent suspension of KwaZulu- Natal Land Claims Commissioner (KZN LCC) Siduduzile Sosibo, has been met by renewed optimism that the slow pace of land reform in the province will now pick up momentum and yield workable and sustainable outcomes for all stakeholders in the challenging process.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Minister wants to fast-track land reform

The Namibian Minister of Land Affairs, Alpheus Naruseb, has called for speedier land reform. said recently that the pace at which land is acquired to resettle people is too slow and a change in law should be considered to focus on the resettlement of previously disadvantaged people.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Golf courses and game parks are unproductive

ANC secretary-general Gwede criticised the lack of progress in land redistribution at the economic summit on the weekend of 17 October attended by the ANC and its alliance partners.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Farmers concerned about ANC’s forked tongue

"Should we listen to Derek Hanekom or to Gwede Mantashe?" asked Carl Opperman, CEO of Agri Wes-Cape regarding recent conflicting statements on land reform from the ANC.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Prices will improve, says dairy man

Ettenne Terre'Blanche, managing director of the Milk Producers Organisation (MPO), believes the tight economic conditions facing dairy farmers will pass within the next two to three months.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

New agricultural derivatives trading platform

The JSE launched a new agricultural derivatives trading platform on 20 October. According to Chris Sturgess, assistant general manager for the agricultural products division of the JSE, the new technology will encompass more efficient systems and additional functionality for brokers trading in agricultural derivatives.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Producer woes to soon turn into consumer joy

Agribusiness leaders have warned against recent media reports claiming that agriculture received 2,6% less for produce in August, while consumers still forked out 19,2% more at the till.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Eskom saving targets may be outdated

While organised Agriculture is working closely with Eskom to mitigate the effects of possible power cuts for the coming summer production season, farmers are concerned that the power utility's energy saving targets for users are based on 2006 consumption figures.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

How critical is the current financial crisis for agriculture?

The current financial crisis will also impact on the South African farmer, who now faces a few difficult months.
Issue date: 24 October 2008

South Africa will weather the economic storm

Economist Mike Schussler doesn't dispute the recent financial crisis will cause short-term macroeconomic problems, but he suspects we may already be seeing the worst of it. South Africa's long-term economic prospects, he insists, are very promising.
Issue date : 24 October 2008

What every no-till farmer needs to know about nitrogen

There are farmers who've had wonderful success with no-till agriculture and others who claim it doesn't work for them or is too slow to kick in. Understanding the role that nitrogen plays in humus development is the key that unlocks the puzzle, writes vegetable farmer and Farmer's Weekly columnist Bill Kerr.
Issue date : 24 October 2008

Cucumber tunnels prove profitable

Two landscapers from Durban recently purchased a 3,2ha hydroponic tunnel farm on the KZN South Coast, with the intention to start an indigenous nursery. They soon realised that the tunnels can generate extra income and in their first season already expect to yield 25 000 cucumbers, writes Robyn Joubert.
Issue date : 24 October 2008

Sable smashing world records

Although the valuable trophy-hunting industry is placing unprecedented demand on the already scant population of sable antelope, this is also the saving grace of this species as game farmers - also specialising in the protection of the species - scramble to find the best breeding stock, hence a recent sale of a R3 million bull, writes AbrÃ© J Steyn.
Issue date: 24 October 2008

Part-time Tuli breeder makes good – again

What started off as a weekend hobby about 20 years ago has turned well-known auctioneer Stephan Welz from Dullstroom in Mpumalanga into a successful and highly-respected breeder of award-wining Tuli cattle. Sharon Götte spoke to him about his herd and in particular his Farmer's Weekly-ARC Best Elite Tuli Cow for 2008.
Issue date : 24 October 2008

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