Crops

Phangisile continues her investigation of the forestry sector and finds a co-op that has empowered emerging black farmers since the 1970s.

Dr Reuel Khoza is a black farmer and chairperson of Aka Capital and the Nedbank Group. His family trust owns a 200ha export avocado and macadamia farm near Hazyview and is a 50% partner in the export packhouse HL Hall & Sons.

Africa is the only continent which doesn't grow enough food to feed itself. But a revolution is underway that can change that, and it's affecting everyone from smallholer farmers to governments and corporations. So says Kofi Anan, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, former secretary general of the UN from 1977 to 2006 and chairperson of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in AFrica, which is working to improve the continent's agriculture.

Despite what many people, particularly politicians, in the cities say, white farmers show time and time again they're willing to help their emerging black counterparts, writes New on the Land editor Peter Mashala.

Where there's common vision and shared labour between members of a family business, there's no greater meeting of minds and no greater family union.

The first step is proving you're a genuine game farmer - and allowing the occasional hunter onto your land doesn't count.

Money is usually the main source of conflict in a business, and shares are all about money, so understanding how they work will save you a lot of hassle, writes Susan Pletts.

Cooperatives are popular with government and group projects. We look at the requirements for registration and why you need professional help.

Distributors and their dealers demonstrated machines from the ever-increasing range of conservation agriculture implements at the KZN No-Till Club's 2010 annual conference near Bergville. Peter Hittersay reports on some new products.

The new Consumer Protection Act has shifted the onus from the buyer to the seller in the world of commerce. Farmers should read the Act to protect themselves, and see how they will be protected by it in turn.

Owners want good financial returns and dividends. Managers want good salaries and the freedom to manage and grow the business. Families want peace, harmony and love. It could be a recipe for disaster.

Beware, foolish or "lazy" business decisions can part you from your assets! And running a business in your own name can be especially dangerous.

South Africa urgently needs a strong body to represent emerging farmers, and agricultural leadership should always be a case of "for farmers, by farmers", writes New on the Land editor Peter Mashala.
Isue date: 12 November 2010

An unusual sight at recent agricultural events in the UK was a John Deere 6630 tractor decked out in police livery, complete with the obligatory blue light.

In the "us vs them" game no one wins, and the divide between the government and commercial farmers has largely been created by "stone-throwing politicians", says Agri Eastern Cape president Ernest Pringle.

Knowing how to prepare your loan application shows that you understand business and will increase your chances of getting approval from a bank, writes Susan Pletts.

Phangisile writes an open letter to professional farmers-in-waiting, particularly students who will graduate soon.

African countries need to implement home-grown policies to accelerate food production that are better suited to their state of economic growth and development, says Akin Adesina, former president of the African Association of Agricultural Economists. He highlights the main challenges of accelerated agricultural growth on the continent and gives some policy suggestions to overcome these obstacles.

Instead of the option to buy at the end of the lease period, the land affairs department simply extends it, which means land reform farmers can't own their own land, writes New on the Land editor Peter Mashala.

Unless the private sector gets involved in education, we'll never make it as a winning nation. But farmers, having special relationships with their employees, have a unique opportunity and role to play here.