Denene Erasmus
Denene hails from a sugar cane farm in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal, but after school she relocated to the Cape Winelands to study, for many years, at the University of Stellenbosch. She worked as a journalist for Farmer’s Weekly since 2009 and in 2015 moved to Johannesburg as Deputy editor for the magazine. In 2016 she was appointed editor, and at the end of 2021, she stepped down from her position to pursue her journalism career.
‘Agriculture department to focus on reform, market access’
The newly formed Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development under the leadership of Minister Thoko Didiza, is still in the process of assessing the various programmes and competencies that have to be incorporated into the new department.
How to turn Africa’s food fortunes around
Should African countries fail to increase food production and processing to become at least partly self-sufficient, it will be one of the greatest missed opportunities of the century.
Parliament must right land expropriation detour – Motlanthe
According to former president Kgalema Motlanthe, South Africa would not be able to build a thriving economy if private property rights became eroded.
Cannabis industry is in need of legislation
Almost two years have passed since Farmer’s Weekly first published an article exploring the potential to establish a legal farming industry in South Africa for the production of medicinal cannabis.
SA’s sugar industry is in a meltdown
It would not be fair to say that the dramatic unravelling of Tongaat Hulett these past weeks was caused solely by the larger crisis facing South Africa’s sugar industry.
Our sorry, calloused souls
Any person who has endured tragedy will know that bewildering feeling that settles in soon after the traumatic event when you realise that for other people, and the world around you, life simply moves on, and this only amplifies the tragedy for those who are touched by it.
A better agri trade deal for Africa
The Agribusiness Africa Conference will be hosted by Farmer’s Weekly for the third time this year in Johannesburg on 10 July.
Combine agri and land departments, says Purchase
To improve service delivery and overall performance by the departments of Agriculture and Rural Development and Land Reform, President Cyril Ramaphosa should consider merging these two departments, says Dr John Purchase, the CEO of the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz).
Who should you vote for in the general election on 8 May?
From halting agricultural imports to bringing agriculture back to schools and the gathering of a great many minds for a land CODESA, these proposals are all contained in the many promises made by political parties as to how they will ensure that agriculture thrives and land is shared fairly should they be voted into power.
A sustainable approach to feeding the world by 2050
There is a large shortfall between the amount of food being produced in the world today and the quantity needed to feed an expected 10 billion people by 2050. A World Resources Institute report suggests it is possible to produce enough food sustainably to cater for the rapid increase in demand, but achieving this will require major changes to the way we grow and consume food.
The difference half a degree of global warming can make
The ‘Global Warming of 1.5˚C’ report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights several climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1,5˚C, compared with 2˚C or more. For example, at 1,5˚C warming, the Arctic Ocean is likely to be free of sea ice in summer just once a century on average, whereas at 2°C global warming, the likelihood rises to once a decade.
Losing the food security fight
Despite significant improvements in agricultural production over the last two decades, food insecurity has been on the rise for the past three years.
New farmers require “compassionate” financing – Mlengana
The financial sector has been asked to endeavour to develop a more "compassionate" approach for the financing of new farmers.
Agri training falling further behind
A widely held sentiment among farmers and agribusiness leaders is that South African agricultural colleges can no longer be trusted to produce appropriately trained, technically skilled professionals.
New fruit-sorting technology helps curb food waste
In 2018, Compac Sorting Equipment, part of TOMRA Food, launched its Field Research Unit, which can be deployed on lands to research the fresh produce industry’s most challenging issues. James Flocchini, Compac’s regional director for South Africa and Asia, spoke to Denene Erasmus about how the Field Research Unit will be used to develop solutions for the citrus industry specifically and how the technology can ultimately help limit food waste.
Who will pay to save the planet?
According to the Estimates of National Expenditure, which was tabled along with the budget in Parliament when Finance Minister Tito Mboweni delivered his budget speech recently, the money allocated to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) for its climate change and biodiversity and conservation programmes does not inspire much confidence that South Africa will be able to adequately protect itself from the looming global crisis of total environmental breakdown.
The sugar crisis is your problem
The South African sugar industry is facing a crisis, and the South African Cane Growers’ Association warns that this R14 billion/ year industry is in danger of “imminent collapse, putting 350 000 jobs at risk”.
No pay rise for MPs as govt seeks to close budget deficit
South Africa is not immune to events in the global economy and the expected slowdown in world economic growth will constrain the country’s export growth forecast, leading to a weaker economic outlook.
Treasury cuts land reform budget
The allocation from National Treasury to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) will decrease from just under R11 billion in 2019/2020 to R10,67 billion in the 2020/21 fiscal year, before increasing again to R11,35 million in 2021/2022, according to the Estimates of National Expenditure that was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday along with the 2019 budget by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.
More money for black farmer development in Mboweni’s budget
The national budget for the 2019/2020 fiscal year, which was tabled by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in Parliament on Wednesday, represented, according to the minister, a financial and spending plan for South Africa that was “in the interest of our people and our country, and not in the narrow objectives of any political party”.
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