Glenneis Kriel
Glenneis Kriel is a senior agricultural journalist for Farmer's Weekly. Her ventures into agricultural journalism started out by chance, more than 20 years ago, when someone suggested she freelance for the magazine, which turned out to be her dream job. Her passion is to write stories that inspire greatness and make people evaluate the way they are doing things.
Olive oil producers urged to focus on quality as global prices tumble
South African olive oil producers will increasingly have to compete on quality, freshness, and provenance as recovering global supplies drive international prices down and see the return of cheaper imported oils to local shelves.
Meyer gives farmers an election checklist ahead of municipal elections
With local government elections fast approaching, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer has urged farmers to scrutinise municipal candidates on issues that directly affect agriculture before voting.
‘We are far from a free market’ – wheat farmers
Western Cape grain farmers warn that high input costs, weak producer prices, and a distorted wheat market are threatening the future of local production, with potentially serious consequences for rural economies and food security.
R15 billion in water losses threaten agricultural production
The amount of water wasted in Gauteng each year is equivalent to the Western Cape’s entire annual water use, illustrating the enormous scale of South Africa’s municipal water losses at a time when a developing El Niño could place even greater pressure on supplies.
Drought demands a different way of making farming decisions
Farmers facing increasingly uncertain rainfall need to become more flexible in their decision-making and move away from following the same production recipe year after year.
Drought resilience starts below the soil surface
Producers looking to improve their farms’ resilience to drought and heat stress need to understand how well their soils capture and hold water, and then adapt irrigation, nutrition, and crop choices accordingly.
Technology and scale, not land alone, will shape farming’s future – Roodt
South African farmers may eventually get some relief from high fuel costs, inflation and interest rates, but surviving increasingly tight margins will require much more than favourable economic conditions.
Exhibitors upbeat despite lower Nampo Cape numbers
Nampo Cape is expected to have attracted between 38 000 and 40 000 visitors this year, down from last year’s record attendance, but organisers say exhibitors remained upbeat despite wet weather and tough economic conditions.
Drought resilience starts with the farm’s finances
Building drought resilience requires long-term business planning, realistic cash-flow projections, and proactive bank communication. Farmers must match financing to asset lifespans and structure debt properly before tough seasons hit.
‘Don’t panic, prepare’, experts tell farmers as El Niño fear spreads
A panel at Nampo Cape urged farmers to replace El Niño panic with practical preparation, highlighting financial planning, conservation agriculture, and strategic water management as key tools for resilience.
Increased Chinese demand and shrinking supply lift outlook for SA wool
A 54% rise in the South African Wool Market Indicator over the 2025/26 season, tightening global wool supplies and strong Chinese interest in wool are providing renewed optimism for South African wool producers.
Livestock farmers urged to step up fight against stock theft
Speaking at Nampo Cape, industry leaders urged livestock producers to strengthen defences against stock theft and predation.
Wool and red meat producers urged to move closer to their markets
Wool and red meat producers will increasingly need to understand what customers want and be able to prove where and how their products were produced if they want to protect and expand their markets.
Five checks that could save sheep from costly losses
A dirty tail, pale eyelid or swollen jaw may be the first warning that parasites are already eating into a flock’s health and profitability. By the time sheep lose condition or start dying, the problem may have become far more difficult and expensive to control.
Hoverflies take flight in SA as back-up crop pollinators
With honeybee pollination services under growing pressure and South African growers increasingly concerned about hive availability, commercially reared hoverflies are being tested as an additional pollination tool for high-value fruit and seed crops.
Grain SA calls for affordable crop insurance as dry weather threatens Swartland wheat
Severe rainfall shortages threatening the Swartland wheat crop have highlighted the need for government support to make crop insurance affordable for dryland producers.
Creating optimum growing conditions for strawberries
Whether strawberries are grown in a high-tech greenhouse or on raised beds in open fields, the production principles remain the same: create optimum growing conditions for the plant, and it will reward you with big, firm, flavourful fruit.
Mecia Petersen: leading before feeling completely ready
Just over two years after entering the industry, Mecia Petersen was appointed CEO of the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI). She spoke to Glenneis Kriel about taking a chance, growing into leadership, and why women should not wait until they feel completely ready to pursue an opportunity.
SA’s small strawberry industry packs high value
South Africa produces an estimated 33 000t of strawberries annually from around 740ha, with growers facing establishment costs of up to R2 million/ha and labour accounting for as much as 45% of production costs.
Finance and partnerships key to unlocking agribusiness export growth
With weak domestic spending limiting agricultural growth, South African agribusinesses will increasingly need to access export markets to expand. However, turning those opportunities into viable projects will require access to finance, risk protection, and stronger partnerships.
