Farming Basics

Mediation is a low-cost, high-value method of solving disputes and has been underutilised in SA, with complainants favouring expensive litigation instead. Advocate Alan Nelson SC spoke to Denene Erasmus about the important role that mediation can play in resolving disputes in the farming sector.

South Africa’s agriculture sector may often feel isolated in terms of the challenges it faces. However, a recent survey by the German Agricultural Society reveals that farmers in Germany, Poland, France and the UK have similar problems – and anxieties.

Land reform in South Africa should follow free market principles that keep the integrity of the land market intact, says Dr John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz, the agricultural business chamber. Land, he stresses, is the foundation of commercial funding and this relationship could be utilised to ensure that land reform beneficiaries continue to produce food.

Apart from a new generation of winemakers and marketers that is making a name for itself, upcoming industry leaders are embarking on a fresh strategy to ensure the industry’s success. Jacques Claassen reports on these latest developments.

The goal of the Africa Farm Management Association (AFMA) is to bring experts in agriculture from across Africa together to share knowledge that can help solve African problems, says AFMA president, Prof Phillip Nyangweso, of Kenya’s Moi University.

Dr Theo de Jager, well known for his work in land reform and rural transformation, was voted out as deputy president of AgriSA and replaced by Dan Kriek (president of Free State Agriculture) at the association’s annual congress recently. De Jager remains chairperson of AgriSA’s General Affairs Chamber and head of the Transformation Committee.

Seed company Monsanto recently appointed Gyanendra Shukla as head of its African division. It has also set up headquarters in Kenya close to its intended future customers: East African smallholders.

Breeding association Konsortium Merino recently announced a breakthrough strategy to ensure its members’ success over the next decade. This entails new forms of ownership to overcome the growing difficulties associated with smaller farms and the lack of economy of scale.

Accusations are rife that mainstream veld research has failed SA’s extensive livestock farmers. A group of well-known pasture scientists, including Dr Amie Aucamp, have publicly responded. Roelof Bezuidenhout asked him about the background to the veld management debate.

Zeder Investments recently concluded the largest transaction in its existence, boosting its investments in agriculture to more than R10 billion and proving the company’s positive outlook on the industry. Jaco Visser interviewed CEO Norman Celliers.

Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing’s supply of apples and pears is growing – and so are its marketing ambitions. The company plans to increase market share in Africa, the Middle East and the Far East, says Roelf Pienaar, Tru-Cape’s managing director.

South Africa’s food label laws have been modified several times in recent years. Now, further far-reaching changes to food labelling legislation could be implemented by the end of the year if proposals gazetted by the Department of Health (DoH) on 29 May are passed.

With a land size of just over 78 000km², Scotland is only slightly bigger than Mpumalanga. Yet its total annual food and drink exports amount to £5,3 billion (R97 billion). Anneli Groenewald explains how branding boosted the industry, and how farmers continually seek new opportunities.

An informal trader is described in Western Cape government legislation as “any person who carries on a business as a street vendor or hawker, including an employee of such a person, and includes any person who trades in a public place”.

Five years ago, Beefmaster Feedlot near Christiana embarked on a strategy to encompass the entire value chain. Today, its operations extend from producing feed to selling its meat at retail outlets.

Wildlife Ranching SA recently introduced its land reform transformation model during an indaba on the Bona Bona Game Farm near Klerksdorp. WRSA consultant Jacobus du Toit explained it to Annelie Coleman.

Land reform models that rely on group or communal farming rarely work, according to Prof Hans Binswanger, extraordinary professor of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Pretoria. He says SA must embrace plans that support development.

Dr Johann Strauss, secretary for Conservation Agriculture Western Cape and scientist at the provincial department of agriculture, and Richard Findlay, committee member and co-ordinator of the No-Till Club in KwaZulu-Natal, share their expertise about no-till practices in South Africa.

Namibia has a serious bush encroachment problem, says Dagmar Honsbein, general manager of Agra Limited’s ProVision. Annelie Coleman spoke to her about causes and solutions.

Co-operatives in developing countries often aspire to growth, but struggle to access the necessary capital, says Cees van Rij, team manager at Dutch agribusiness consultancy, Agriterra. He explained to Anneli Groenewald how this non-profit organisation assists co-operatives in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America to become ‘bankable’.