‘Agriculture must forge ties with government’

The CEO of the Agricultural Business Chamber Tobias Doyer said the agriculture industry needs to develop partnerships with private organisations and government to ensure the development of technology to increase farm productivity and reduce costs.
Issue date:23 March 2007

Could maize prices hit import parity?

The hot, dry weather affecting most of SA's major maize-producing areas is expected to decimate yields this season and, together with an increased demand for ethanol production in the US which has increased global prices, has raised fears that prices could start pushing import parity.
Issue date:23 March 2007

Safex’s wheat pricing a concern

Grain chairperson Neels Ferreira said it's disturbing that Safex wheat prices trade at up to R200/t below import parity prices for Argentinian wheat and up to R350/t below import parity for US hard red wheat, despite the huge disparity between locally produced wheat and demand.
Issue date:23 March 2007

Will DME consider Treasury’s report?

Criticism of the Department of Minerals and Energy's (DME's) Draft Biofuels Industrial Strategy grows, the potential advantages of some of the recommendations made in Treasury's recently released windfall tax report on developing a biofuel sector in SA have largely gone unnoticed.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Drought slows agri-machinery sales

The prolonged hot and dry weather has seen a slow-down in retail sales of agricultural equipment, according to Dr Jim Rankin, secretary of the SA Agricultural Machinery Association (Saama).
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Katopé restructures for greater efficiency

Fruit export company KatopÉ RSA has announced a series of structural changes to its business to strengthen its position in the fruit export market.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Softening rand boosts wool prices

Further rand weakness and an increase in Australian prices supported the local wool market, with the Cape Wools indicator gaining 3,6% to close at R39,98/kg clean.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

It’s looking like a good year for SA wine

While it's still too early to get excited, indications are that this year might be better than 2006 for the wine industry
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Appeal on ‘expanded’ claims allowed

The Land Claims Court has granted the Mpumalanga Land Claims Commission leave to appeal its judgment that officials have no right to expand a land claim to include properties not listed in an original claim form.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

M’langa supports rural safety

The Mpumalanga departments of Safety and Security, and Agriculture and Land Administration have established a rural safety framework.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Angora losses blamed on inbreeding

The national Angora flock, already down to about 900 000 animals, has taken another knock with the loss of an estimated 20 000 goats during a wet and windy cold snap that hit the Eastern Cape earlier this month.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Perspective- 23 March 2007

Billboard saves Schweizer-Reneke
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Man arrested for Ken Eva’s murder

Zululand police have arrested and charged 24-year-old Siphamandla Thabani Shange for the murder of New Venture Farm manager Kenneth Eva. A source close to the investigation said further arrests in the case are imminent.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

No money missing, says Ethanol Africa

Biofuel company Ethanol Africa and its 50% shareholder Sterling Waterford Holdings have distanced themselves from allegations by maize farmers that their financial investments into the company have gone missing.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

Maize meal and bread prices set to rise further

Grain prices have been ticking steadily upwards over the past year, but the recent searing heat and lack of rain is likely to lead to even higher prices, and push up the price of maize meal and bread - staple foods for many poor South Africans.
Issue Date: 23 March 2007

The heart of an eagle

With a thunderstorm brewing in the background the tawny eagle Veruschka flies through the Kalahari sky. After the intense heat of the day a soothing breeze...

Korean yang-nyeom chicken

Kids! Donï¿½t try this at home! Paging through glossy cook books, double-page spreads in larney magazines and watching slick food shows on television, you would never guess that the gourmands who cooked the stuff ever made mistakes. Just to set the record straight, the tale that follows is one of total, self-annihilating failure.
Issue Date 16 March 2007

Pulling up lame?

Lameness is probably the most common cause of concern amongst horse owners. There are many and varied reasons for a horse pulling up lame.
Issue Date 16 March 2007

Don’t let thrips creep up on you

In South Africa, this is a relatively new pest in cabbage. The western flower thrip is the problem and apparently was accidentally introduced from the US in chrysanthemum cuttings. It has subsequently become a huge pest of many crops and is also responsible for tomato spotted wilt virus becoming a major disease in crops where it was almost unknown.
Issue Date 16 March 2007

How to buy from an auction

Unless you are a beneficiary in a top pigeon fancier's will, the only way you will lay your hands on a prime stock pigeon is to buy it at the dispersal auction.
Issue Date 16 March 2007

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