Caxton Magazines
SA tobacco: necessary monopoly?
Like many other South African agricultural products, tobacco had to overcome huge difficulties when thrown into the free market. The tobacco industry devised a solution to ensure its survival, but under the new system, tobacco farmers seem to have lost the control they had over their product and the profits they shared from processing it. Alita van der Walt takes a closer look at this controversial industry.
‘We feel secure’
With the option of buying a controlling share in Kanhym Estates, one of South Africa's most successful agribusinesses, empowerment consortium Kgomo Kgolo seems to have done a good job in allaying any fears the estate's management might have had about AgriBEE. Today Khehla Mthembu is non-executive chairperson of Kanhym Estates and, as Susan Botes reports, the business is more bullish than ever about its prospects.
Biofuel strategy remains hush-hush
Government's biofuels task team presented its final strategy document to a ministerial committee on 13 June amid fears that proposed state support would be insufficient to lure substantial investment needed to establish the industry in SA.
‘Promote African competitiveness’ – Mbeki
'There is no doubt that Africa has sufficient untapped agricultural potential.'
Can New Hair undo CMH damage?
At the recent mohair producers' conference held in Port Elizabeth in early June, the buying houses, for once, were not the hot topic of debate. Gordon Wright was there and shares his view of events that played out at the conference.
BFAP’s five-year agricultural baseline
The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) recently announced its June 2007 to 2012 baseline for SA's agricultural sector. The baseline is not a forecast, but rather a benchmark of what could happen to commodities under a particular set of policies and demographic assumptions over a
five-year period. Wilma den Hartigh reports.
KZN dip tank project revived
MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs in KZN, Mtholephi Mthimkhulu, has committed R100 million to the rehabilitation of dilapidated livestock dip tanks and the formation of livestock associations in the province's communal areas this year.
SA is set for its best-ever olive harvest
“Olive farmers are experiencing a bumper crop this year,” said Andries Rabie, chairperson of the South African Olive Producers' Organisation.
Europeans come to see SA’s old tractors
No fewer than 29 men and 11 women from as far afield as England, Wales, New Zealand, British Columbia, and Scotland visited SA recently on a Kelsey Publishing Group Tractor & Machinery Holiday Club tour to view vintage and classic tractors and machinery.
Issue date 29 June 2007
Issue date 29 June 2007
The benefits of hunting on communal land
A study by two Swedish researchers has found that hunting tourism in Namibia benefits rural households and urban wage earners more than the owners of private game farms and that every extra Namibian dollar a visiting hunter spends translates into one extra Namibian dollar in national income.
Issue date 29 June 2007
Issue date 29 June 2007
Learners make a difference in Mooi River
The Grade 12 Geography class of Weston Agricultural College near Mooi River in the KZN Midlands won a Merit Award for Environmental Best Practice in Community-based Organisations in the Mail & Guardian's Greening the Future Awards. These boys were also runners-up at Nedbank's Green Trust Awards.
Issue date 29 June 2007
Issue date 29 June 2007
‘We made a mistake’ – Parmalat CEO
“With hindsight it is clear that the 2005 decision was an unfortunate one.” This was said by Parmalat CEO Theo Hendrickse, with regard to the dramatic decrease in the farmgate price of milk in February 2005.
‘Get into gear’ says former DG
It is time to stop regurgitating the same issues and start doing something about them.
Another disappointing G8 summit
Those in the agriculture sphere echoed local press sentiments as the recent G8 summit disappointed once again.
‘Emerging farmers need farmers’ help’
New black farmers in SA NEED THE support of organised agriculture and agricultural commodity organisations to become valued and successful contributors to the country's economy, said president of the Farmer Development Trust (FDT), Teddy Matsetela.
Constitutional court turns Popela case on its head
In a landmark victory for the Limpopo Land Claims Commission, the Constitutional Court has overturned the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling in the case between the Popela community and Goedgelegen Tropical Fruits.
ANC land policy laid bare
The ANC has distributed a series of discussion documents to its branches in the run-up to the ruling party's national policy conference in June, covering a broad range of topics from affirmative action to corruption. These will inform policy decisions taken at the ANC's 52nd National Conference in December and will offer rare insight into the party's thinking on key areas affecting agriculture. Stephan Hofstätter unpacks the implications.
E Cape farmers desperate to stop sheep massacres
Farmers in the Eastern Cape towns of Indwe and Dordrecht have sustained huge losses of their Merino sheep as they are attacked, killed and mauled by stray dogs. Tim and Sharon Salmon investigate.
Communal farmers boost local wool production
Sipiwo Makinana, national executive member of the NWGA, said that the genetic improvement of flocks within communal areas played a significant role in the dramatic increase of wool production in these areas over the past ten years or so.
Issue date 22 June 2007
Issue date 22 June 2007
‘Farmers will have to fund global wool promotion’
Andre Jooste, Senior Manager of the National Agricultural Marketing Council's Market and Economic Research Centre (MERC) delivered a report to the NWGA congress on research done into the promotion of the SA wool clip. He advised a predominant focus on international promotion, funded - at this stage - by wool growers.
Issue date 22 June 2007
Issue date 22 June 2007
