The beginning of the end of ‘Big Food’
These past two years have been some of the toughest ever for SA agribusinesses hit by supply constraints due to drought. These businesses have also been affected by cheap imports,...
Swiss farming: not as easy as it looks
On first impressions, it is difficult not to be envious of the Swiss and begrudge them their seemingly easy lives. It is one of the most peaceful and prosperous countries...
Co-ops the answer for smallholders?
One of the greatest frustrations farmers face in modern agricultural value chains is that they are, to a large extent, relegated to being price-takers.
The importance of data in agriculture
In May this year, The Economist ran a cover story that said that the world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data.
Agriculture’s labour time bomb
Labour relations in the farming sector made headlines again these past few weeks after news broke of an unscrupulous labour broker operating from a farm in Wesselsbron in the Free...
How many harvests are left in your soil?
Not to take anything away from the remarkable way in which large-scale commercial agriculture has managed to improve production efficiencies (for the past two decades, yield growth has far outstripped...
South Africa is slipping…
You would probably not be able to guess this if you met me today, but when I was at school and during my years at university, I spent as much...
How to make use of long-term outlooks
These past weeks have seen the release of two of the most prominent decision-making tools for the farming sector: the local and global 10-year outlooks for the agricultural sector, published...
The three things black farmers need
There is something about the utter absurdity of watching President Jacob Zuma stand in front of an audience of honest, hard-working South Africans, saying things like, “Funds that are allocated...
Eighty-seven litres of water or less per day
On a recent visit to Cape Town, I experienced what Capetonians have been coming to grips with over the past few months: learning how to drastically curb daily water usage.
Let farmers handle transformation
In an article in this week's issue (28 July 2017) of Farmer's Weekly, former finance minister and current ANC MP, Pravin Gordhan, urges farmers to “make the first move” and...
Digital disruption of the agri value chain
Since October 2016, half the world’s population has been connected to the Internet. However, at only 30%, the number of connected people in Africa is still lower than the world...
Population increase but not enough food
The farming sector generally views population growth as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
A message for the drought fund thieves
A survey by Agri SA and its provincial affiliates has started to lift the lid on the extent of corruption that occurred during the allocation and spending of money intended...
Agriculture does interest the youth
During May, I visited both the NAMPO Harvest Day agricultural show in Bothaville and the Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg, and one thing that was abundantly clear to me at both...
Are South Africans full of themselves?
South Africa has long traded on its self-proclaimed status of being the gateway for foreign investment into Africa.
Land reform: a clear purpose, but no plan
The most frustrating aspect of the current status of the land reform process is the total lack of any clear plan or vision for the road ahead.
Coffee with Mantashe
I was recently paid a visit by an Eastern Cape farmer who is an ardent reader of the Farmer’s Weekly. You might know him better as the secretary-general of the...
The safety of our farming communities
Every time I hear the news of another farm attack, I immediately stop and phone my parents to reassure myself that they are safe.
