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Co-op or corporate? Choose between these agri models

Agribusiness VKB, which has been doing business in South Africa for over a century, started as a co-operative, but has since been converted into a company. Managing director Koos Janse van Rensburg writes that the debate on capital formation and value creation within agricultural businesses is as old as the industry itself, and explains the relative merits of the co-operative and corporate models.

Plum production: an overview

Most plums are consumed fresh. The remainder are processed and used as canned or dried fruit.

21st century update of Kubota ‘dream tractor’

Half a century after exhibiting its first-ever concept tractor at the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Osaka, Kubota unveiled a vastly updated version of its ‘dream tractor’ at a new product exhibition held in Kyoto City in January.

Establishing a sustainable agribusiness from the onset

The fifth episode of Tech Terrain looks at important building blocks to give farmers a head start in business and ensure sustainability.

Fraudsters scam public with fake Didiza Facebook profiles

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) has issued a statement in which it warns members of the public about a number of fake social accounts claiming to belong to agriculture minister, Thoko Didiza.

Common cabbage diseases

Cabbage is vulnerable to several diseases. All can be controlled to a greater or lesser extent, but in some cases the only solution is to plant a resistant variety.

Developmental & finance matters on the African continent

The fourth episode of Tech Terrain takes an in-depth look at changing conditions for farmers across the African continent. Here are a few highlights.

Watch out for rabies!

This deadly zoonosisis a real threat to all warm-blooded animals.

Preventing hybridisation to protect natural resources

Some farming enterprises, such as wild harvesting, require particular care to ensure long-term sustainability and protect the environment.

Tech Terrain: The adoption of technology across Africa

The third episode of Tech Terrain explores the adoption of technology by farmers of all sizes across the continent and the impact of it.

Why the world’s drylands need urgent protection

Drylands are home to two billion people, many of whom are poor and depend directly on the land’s resources for food and energy. Drylands also generate crucial environmental services and contain 35% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations explains the importance, and challenges, of conserving drylands.

Polysulphate an ideal fertiliser for potatoes and other crops

Polysulphate is a new, multi-nutrient fertiliser that has been introduced to South Africa by ICL.

The basics of foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease has drastically reduced South Africa beef exports, as importing countries buy animals and animal by-products only from FMD-free countries.

How important is a brand name in modern agriculture?

With agricultural technology evolving at a rapid pace, it can sometimes seem overwhelming for farmers. This is where Tech Terrain steps in – an exciting new online agricultural talk show focusing on the role of technology and mechanisation in the modern agricultural landscape.