By Invitation

Prof William Bond, chief scientist at the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), explains why earlier predictions about changes to South Africa’s biomes due to climate change turned out to be wrong.

The current drought and other difficulties are dominating conversation among South Africa’s red meat producers, but Dr Pieter Prinsloo, second vice-chairperson of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, reminds us of the opportunities.

Land reform tops the list of priorities affecting South African agriculture, given the current policy environment in which the sector operates. Dr John Purchase, CEO of the agricultural business chamber, Agbiz, examines current and planned developments in land reform.

Roelof Bezuidenhout summarises a study by American ecologist, Dr John Carter, and five other researchers, who question the holistic management grazing system’s assumptions about grasslands and how they are grazed.

Now is an excellent time for South African products to enter global markets, according to Prof Melville Saayman, director of Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society at North-West University. He explains why the branding of our agricultural products is so important.

Many countries in Southern Africa will have to import large volumes of maize to make up for the shortfall caused by the drought in the region. Manager of international trade and investment intelligence at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), Tinashe Kapuya, explores possible sources of maize imports and how South Africa will cope with these high volumes.

Schalk Pienaar, Agbiz chairperson, says that the current drought is by far the worst he has experienced in his 35-year career in agriculture. The effects will have an impact on the entire Southern African economy and consumers can expect a major spike in food prices from August.

Dr Frans Cronje of the SA Institute of Race Relations sets out the policy objectives that President Jacob Zuma should emphasise in the State of the Nation Address to rescue South Africa’s struggling economy.

Weak growth among major emerging markets will weigh on global growth in 2016, according to the World Bank’s January 2016 Global Economic Prospects. Sub-Saharan Africa could face muted growth due to low commodity prices, power capacity constraints and China’s economic slowdown.

Farmer’s Weekly business columnist Peter Hughes reflects on the state of South Africa and the world, and in doing so realises that there’s nowhere else on Earth he’d rather be.

As industrialising countries struggle to feed themselves, the world will look increasingly to Africa to be the solution. But according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the first step is for African food security efforts to become more urgent so that the continent can thrive.

Farmers today produce a staggering 50% more food than is needed to feed everyone on earth. Why then are millions of people still hungry? The reason, suggests the National Agricultural Marketing Council, lies mainly in the widespread wastage of food.