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.
Vaccinate animals against lumpy skin disease, farmers warned
Lumpy skin disease has been reported in all provinces since the start of the year, with communal farmers in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal being most affected, according to Dr Danie Odendaal, director of the Veterinarian Network.
Wine grape harvest set to be smallest in 19 years
SA Wine Industry Information and Systems (SAWIS) recently revised the wine grape harvest estimate downward for the fourth time, making it the smallest harvest in 19 years.
Foundation demands the banning of pit bulls in South Africa
The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation recently handed a petition over to Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, demanding a ban on pit bulls as domestic pets in South Africa.
Constitutional Court hands down a major breakthrough for water rights
The court judgment states that the temporary or permanent transfer of water-use entitlements is supported by the Water Act, contrary to the view held by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Western Cape takes lead in cannabis industry development
The Western Cape recently became the first province to formally launch a Cannabis Framework and Implementation Plan (CanPlan) for the agriculture sector.
CompCom launches general inquiry into fresh produce markets
The Competition Commission (CompCom) recently launched the Fresh Produce Market Inquiry to identify features that could impede, distort or restrict competition along the fresh produce value chain.
Capetonian’s rooftop food-growing system spreads throughout SA
Fresh Life Produce has developed a vertical growing system designed to meet the specific needs of African producers. Louis- Gillis Janse van Rensburg and Akhona Gxuluwe spoke to Glenneis Kriel about this system, which has garnered international recognition and awards.
‘Collaboration is key to the world’s growing water scarcity problem’
Twenty-six percent of the world’s population still does not have access to safe drinking water, while 46% lack access to basic sanitation, according to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2023, released on Tuesday ahead of the United Nations Water Conference, which started in New York today.
Crop spraying: optimise efficiency with the latest technologies
Looking for ways to save money and improve the efficacy of spray applications on field crops? Syngenta’s Jack Pickering offers some practical advice for farmers.
Ramaphosa defends Expropriation Bill amid criticism
The Land Expropriation Bill will not be used “willy-nilly”, President Cyril Ramaphosa recently said in response to questions in the National Assembly.
Agribusiness confidence falls in Q1 of 2023
The Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index has dropped five points to 44 in the first quarter of 2023, taking it to its lowest level since the second quarter of 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions were first implemented.
Big decisions ahead for new Land Bank CEO
Themba Rikhotso has been appointed as the new CEO of Land Bank, effective from 1 April. He takes over from Khensani Mukhari, who in May last year was appointed as acting CEO, following the resignation of Ayanda Kanana, who served in the position for two years.
Another challenging pome fruit season ahead
The outlook for pome fruit this season is still uncertain, with various factors threatening the financial viability of producers, according to Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape. Pienaar was speaking during a virtual meeting on the forecast for the year ahead.
Empowerment through winemaking: Farmworkers make top-quality wines
As part of an empowerment project, farmworkers at Kleine Zalze wine estate have released the first wines produced from grapes grown in their own vineyards. They spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their achievement.
Plant health: Protect your canola from blackleg
With blackleg being amongst the worst diseases of canola, South African researchers are conducting trials to find the most resistant cultivars and most effective fungicides for local conditions. Dr Gert van Coller of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture offers advice on control of the disease.
Renewed calls to exempt chicken from VAT
FairPlay has renewed calls for government to remove South Africa’s 15% value-added tax (VAT) from chicken portions because of “rising agricultural costs, including unreliable and increasingly expensive electricity”.
Widespread flooding declared a national disaster
On 13 February, government declared a national state of disaster in response to the floods affecting Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape and North West.
The small town with big plans for hemp production
A company and a farmers’ association recently joined hands to start hemp production in Gouda in the Western Cape. They spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their plans to scale up the project to achieve commercial success.
Organised agriculture wants SONA promises backed by action
Agricultural role players are unmoved by the commitments made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 9 February.
Huge expectations from the State of the Nation Address
Solving South Africa’s energy crisis should be at the top of the agenda of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday, 9 February, according to various agricultural stakeholders.
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