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Focusing on economic growth, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry facilitates networking and co-operation between the public and private sectors, including those in agriculture. CEO John Lawson spoke to Marinda Louw Coetzee about how the chamber assists in shaping agriculture in the Western Cape.

Uranium mining in the Karoo poses serious threats to the environment and farming community, according to Dr Stefan Cramer, advisor to the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute. Dangers include radioactive pollution and high water consumption, he told Annelie Coleman.

While canning fruit producers were struggling to stay afloat a few years ago, prospects are again looking promising. Wiehahn Victor, CEO of the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the opportunities facing the industry.

Derek Mathews is the longest-serving founding member of the Grain SA executive. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about the transition from a controlled grain production system to a free market system.

Agriculture in Africa will never succeed unless governments, private businesses and farming communities learn to trust each other and work together. Klaus Eckstein, CEO of Bayer Southern Africa, spoke to Gerhard Uys about his vision for the continent.

South Africa’s fruit and vegetable industry must rethink its local and international marketing strategies. This is according to Lindie Stroebel, general manager of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) for Southern Africa. She shared her ideas on how to rejuvenate the sector with Wilma den Hartigh.

In ‘Erosion, the cancer of agriculture’ (FW, 22 Oct 2010), Lehman Lindeque, then president of the International Erosion Control Association SA, stated that the lack of soil conservation threatened SA’s limited resources.

Chicken welfare in South Africa is a hotly debated issue amongst consumers, animal rights organisations and farmers. Dr Charlotte Nkuna, a South African Poultry Association senior executive, spoke to Wilma den Hartigh about chicken welfare requirements and the cost implications of compliance.

There is no doubt that Zululand’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a crown jewel in South Africa’s heritage. Managing the diverse aspects of this World Heritage Site is no easy task, however. iSimangaliso’s CEO, Andrew Zaloumis, gives Lloyd Phillips an overview of what it involves.

Roelof Bezuidenhout interviews Arthur Rudman, WRSA’s rancher of the year and MD of Blaauwkrantz Farming Enterprises in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape.

Sandveld potato producers’ earnings remain under pressure, despite potato prices reaching record highs this year. Jan van Zyl, chairperson of the Sandveld Potato Producers’ Association, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the region’s future in potato production.

Through a number of value-adding enterprises, Free State agribusiness VKB has created a viable downstream market for the commodities in its production area. Annelie Coleman asked Sas Kasselman, VKB Managing director of industries, to explain the thinking and the systems behind his company’s value-adding drive.

What are the implications of the new AgriBee codes for farmers, small agri-businesses and large enterprises? Consultant Melcus Nel talks to Gerhard Uys about the way forward.

Ownership of land in South Africa is a highly politicised and emotive issue. However, were land reform better administered, it could serve as a possible solution to rural poverty in the country. Agricultural Writers SA agriculturalist of the year for 2015, Prof Ben Cousins from the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies at the University of Western Cape, shares his thoughts on land reform and redistribution with Jeandré du Preez.

South Africa is a top producer of livestock genetics and has the technological edge needed to supply high-quality semen to local and international markets. Dr Fanie Steyn, MD of Ramsem, which has partnered with Taurus-Evolution to set up a new bull station in Bloemfontein, talks to Annelie Coleman.

The drastic increase in the cost of agricultural inputs, among others, has resulted in an increased demand for alternative production finance, according to Prof Sanlie Middelberg, associate professor at North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus’s School of Accounting Sciences. Annelie Coleman asked her about the provision of production finance in the sector.

Chief Land Claims Commissioner Nomfundo Ntloko-Gobodo recently shared the commission’s successes with Luyolo Mkentane. She detailed how the commission intended achieving its aims and engaging with organised agriculture to ensure that restituted land was used for the benefit of all.

A study by Dr Lourens Swanepoel, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Venda, focuses on carnivore conservation and management. Its author spoke to Gerhard Uys about his extensive research on leopards.

Manfred Venter, agricultural economist at Syngenta, shares some insights with Luyolo Mkentane on the current drought situation and suggestions on how to mitigate losses.

Little progress has been made to improve knowledge about the brown locust, a super-herbivore along with which the Karoo evolved, says Dr Joh R Henschel, Arid Lands Node, South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), and Centre for Environmental Management, the University of the Free State. By Roelof Bezuidenhout.