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Abalone

West Coast abalone farm doubles in size, thanks to demand

Today, there are about a dozen abalone farms along the coastline between Port Nolloth and East London. One of the first to be established was Jacobsbaai Sea Products in the West Coast hamlet of Jacobsbaai. In the 24 years since it started farming abalone, the farm has produced an ever-greater number of these delicacies, and now exports millions annually.

Stealing wool off the sheep’s back

Last year, Coldiretti, Italy’s largest agriculture industry association, released a statement announcing that in 2017, Italian organised crime generated a turnover of €21,8 billion (about R370 billion) from agriculture.

How technology is creating better jobs in agriculture

Increased use of technology and automation in agriculture carries with it the risk that certain farm jobs will become redundant. However, according to a new report published by the World Bank, ‘The Changing Nature of Work’, the use of certain digital technologies could make a meaningful contribution to improving employment opportunities in agriculture, especially in developing economies.
harvesting maize

How to achieve optimal maize production

Maize growers often have questions on to how to maximise their crop yield and the profitability of their enterprises. Grant Pringle, a product agronomist at Pannar Seed SA, gives expert, practical answers to some of the more common queries.
farmworkers picking peaches

Unique fund aims to generate 1 700 jobs over three years

Hortfin was launched in October last year to create jobs and accelerate transformation in South Africa’s deciduous fruit, table grape and wine industries. Michael Brinkhuis, CEO of Hortfin, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the fund and the progress it has made so far.

Decoding the mysteries of depreciation

Most goods lose value over time. Boats rot, patents expire, machinery wears out, and computers become obsolete. Depreciation attempts to estimate and record this loss of value.
The fry-rearing ponds at Lake Harvest, Kariba.

A tilapia model that SA should be emulating

Land ownership of the supply chain has enabled a number of countries to produce thousands of tons of tilapia annually. There is little reason why this cannot take place in South Africa.
Massey Ferguson

Massey Ferguson introduces a full range of hay equipment

AGCO has acquired the forage division of the Lely Group, a leading manufacturer of balers and loader wagons in Europe.

Climate change: let farmers lead the way

As details about South Africa’s economic mess becomes clearer, and government fails to respond with any clear plan to navigate the country out of debt, many conversations inevitably turn to a discussion about options for leaving South Africa, or, at the very least, sending money away to a safe harbour.

Grain hedging: lessons from the farmers who get it right

Since South African agriculture converted from control boards to the free market system in the 1990s, farmers have had to learn how to contend with extreme volatility on commodity markets. According to Silotrat’s Werner Rossouw, hedging is a valuable tool that maize farmers can use to reduce the risk of fluctuating prices. However, in order to benefit from the system, they must learn the rules of the game.

Joburg chef partners with local farmers

Jack Coetzee, chef of Johannesburg-based Urbanologi restaurant and a believer in sustainable living, sources all his ingredients from within a 150km-radius of the restaurant. To achieve this, he has worked hard at building close working relationships with local farmers.
roan-antelope

SA hunting poised for growth

Arthur Rudman, veteran game rancher and member of the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa and Wildlife Ranching South Africa, speaks to Roelof Bezuidenhout about the future of the hunting industry in this country and across the continent.

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