Sindira Chetty
Digital editor for South Africa's oldest and most read farming magazine.
Omri van Zyl elected head auditor of WFO
Omri van Zyl, Agri SA’s executive director, was elected president of the World Farmers' Organisation’s (WFO) audit board in Rome, Italy, at a WFO meeting earlier this week.
Wine harvest healthy, but rain desperately needed
The drought still dominates wine production in South Africa and may yet have a significant impact on the 2017 vintage.
Twinning in cattle: super-fertile cows
In this third part of our series on twinning in cattle, Chris Nel highlights some remarkable stud beef cows that have produced multiple twins, and explains why dairy and small-framed cattle are normally unsuitable for twin births. He first reported on this complex topic in January 2000.
SA to face tough competition in accessing UK markets
South Africa needs to manage agricultural produce trade agreements with the UK carefully after Brexit, as the country is but one of many competing for UK markets, says agri-economist Dr Johan Willemse.
Botswana suspected of fresh produce protectionism
Members of South Africa’s fresh produce production and marketing industry have expressed suspicion that Botswana is unfairly protecting its fresh produce farmers in contravention of the arrangements of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) free trade area.
How biorefineries can add value to forestry waste
With South African forestry currently recovering an average of only 47% of its potential timber yield for economic benefit, the industry is ripe for the widespread adoption of value-adding biorefinery technology. Dr Bruce Sithole, director of the Forest and Forest Products Research Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, explains how.
Foul play suspected in SA citrus mislabelling saga
There are strong suspicions that the recent mislabelling of citrus being sold in Spain as having originated from South Africa, was a malicious action designed to fuel the current dispute between the two countries’ citrus sectors, according to the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA).
Fall armyworm warning for SA
Grain SA called on grain farmers to be on the alert for possible outbreaks of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), with possible incidence of this pest already reported in different areas of Limpopo, North West and the Free State.
Avian flu halts Ugandan poultry exports
The outbreak of the virulent H5 strain of avian flu in Uganda, has led to Kenya and Rwanda banning the importation of all poultry and poultry products from that country, Willy Bett, Kenya's agriculture cabinet secretary said at a news conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
Confusing credits and creditors
Accountants don’t need ‘agricultural literacy’ to be successful, but no farmer ever made
it without being financially literate.
Mastercard Launches Mobile Marketplace for East Africa
Mastercard recently launched its 2KUZE project, a digital platform that connects smallholder farmers, agents, buyers and banks in East Africa. This was according to a Mastercard press release.
9 lessons we can learn from the drought
According to Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA, South Africans have learned a number of valuable lessons from the drought, with the single most important lesson being that the country’s farmers have the ability to overcome challenges.
A children’s ministry village
Themba and his wife own a 15ha piece of land on which they live and farm near Stutterheim. They have been using the farm as a Bible training centre for children and their parents during school holidays, while other church groups also use the facilities.
Farmers help Eskom nab copper thieves
Copper thieves were recently arrested in the Western Cape after a local farm watch group alerted Eskom’s security risk division.
Dealing with equine sarcoids
A sarcoid can occur on any horse (or indeed, any equid) and can be troublesome if it grows in vulnerable areas prone to chafing or similar irritation. Kim Dyson explains.
Adapting to change within the markets
Had I written this 15 or more years ago, I would have bemoaned the attitude of market agents and said that the sooner they adapted to transformation, the better, otherwise change would be forced on them.
Vets’ training remains key priority for OIE
Safeguarding the training of vets remains a top priority for the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and the organisation is committed to developing appropriate guidelines for their education.
Sugar cane: prevent soil compaction and improve yield
Since the introduction of industrial agricultural practices in South African sugar cane production, soil compaction has led to a steady decrease in average yield and profitability. Dr Rianto van Antwerpen, a senior scientist at the SA Sugarcane Research Institute, advises farmers on how to care for their soil to avoid this problem.
Zimbabwe’s dam levels on the rise
Widespread rainfall in Zimbabwe has increased the national dam level average, which had dropped to as low as 42% in 2016.
EU pledges R507 million for agriculture in Liberia
The European Union (EU) has announced funding of €35 million (about R507 million) for agricultural development in Liberia, as well as support for the country’s General Auditing Commission (GAC).
- ADVERTISEMENT -
MUST READS
- ADVERTISEMENT -
- ADVERTISEMENT -
