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Zakhe Agricultural College, situated on Baynesfield Estate in KwaZulu-Natal, celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. Principal and executive officer, Richard Dladla, gives an overview of this private college.

Corniel Louwies (29) is Agri Gauteng’s 2013 Young Farmer of the Year. He has been producing maize on 100ha of leased land in the Randfontein district while working as a farm foreman. He has an overriding passion for farming, but in an interview with Annelie Coleman said he has had to fight an uphill battle to stay in the industry.

Free State Agriculture recently completed a provincial land audit in conjunction with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. FSA president Dan Kriek told Annelie Coleman that the missing link in the land reform debate has always been a comprehensive, scientific and credible land audit.

The Slow Food Movement encourages consumers to take greater responsibility for the food they eat by getting to know the producer and his production processes, instead of relying on labels and misleading advertisements. Lindi van Rooyen spoke to Mike Crewe-Brown, Slow Food Magalies Valley convivium leader, about what the movement entails.

The competition commission recently ordered Massmart to increase its supplier development fund, which was set up to assist its SA smallholder farmer suppliers. Group supplier development executive Mncane Mthunzi spoke to Peter Mashala.

The way farmers present themselves to government will determine their future, political analyst at the University of Johannesburg, Dr Piet Croucamp, told delegates at the Free State RPO congress. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about the strained relationship between the state and farmers.

The SA Stud Book was recently awarded the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) Certificate of Quality in Denmark. The certificate was awarded for all aspects of animal recording and genetic evaluation for all species and production systems applied for. Annelie Coleman spoke to manager Charl Hunlun about the significance of the accreditation.

The private Bothaville Agricultural College, an initiative of the Bothaville Maize Capital Chamber of Commerce, is the first of its kind in South Africa. Full-time classes at the college are due to start in 2015. Annelie Coleman asked college principal Marius Heyns about the new venture.

Packaging choices could spell success or failure in the agriculture sector, especially for exports. This is according to Ralph von Veh, MD of the corrugated division of leading paper and packaging company Mpact. Robyn Joubert reports.

After spending more than two years in retirement, Motsepe Matlala, the former president of the National African Farmers’ Union of South Africa (Nafu), has been asked to come back and rebuild the collapsed organisation. He shares Nafu’s new plans with Peter Mashala.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) recently brought its New Generation Plantations project to SA, where it is engaging with timber stakeholders and government to implement the concept. Rod Taylor, director of forests for WWF International, explained the project to Robyn Joubert.

KZN commercial sugarcane grower Roy Sharma was recently appointed president of the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers (WABCG) at its 11th conference in India. He spoke to Robyn Joubert about the industry.