By Invitation

KZN MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Cyril Xaba recently addressed farmers at the KZN Poultry Institute in Pietermaritzburg, sharing his strategy of forming partnerships in the sector.

Government wants to see more small-scale farmers undergoing formal education in agriculture. For this to work, a new kind of agri school is needed, says educational consultant Dr Willem Burger.

How will producers and agribusiness be affected if the agriculture sector cannot come up with a plan for land reform? In no way must food security be put at risk, says Agbiz CEO John Purchase.

Concern has often been expressed over the government’s perceived reluctance to give the National Development Plan its full commitment. Professor Mohammed Karaan, Dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences at the University of Stellenbosch, offers his views on how to make the NDP come alive.

A number of stock farmers have been using Anatolian guard dogs to deter predators rather than kill them. The results are mixed. The decision of Woolworths to sell predator-friendly lamb has raised the issue yet again. Human wildlife conflict manager Thys de Wet takes a closer look at guard dogs.

Smaller farmers struggle to sustainably produce large quantities of quality crops and get them to market. The ‘cluster farming’ concept is changing that, says Diale Mokgojwa of Standard Bank.

Government’s many land reform policies and legislation may be intimidating for South Africa’s commercial farmers, but organised agriculture is striving to ensure that these are developed and implemented fairly. Sandy la Marque, CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union, explains.

Grain farm operating expenses have increased steadily over the past decade, with the high costs of inputs, especially electricity, becoming one of the most serious challenges facing farmers. But the sector has great potential for efficiency improvements, says Andrew Etzinger, senior general manager at Eskom’s Integrated Demand Management department.

South Africa needs a new champion to nurture the bond between people and planet, and fight off corporate greed, says writer and researcher Glenn Ashton.

Africa is brimming with business opportunities, says African specialist Victor Kgomoeswana. He set out some of these, with advice on doing business on the continent, to agribusiness leaders at Standard Bank’s agribusiness lunch in Durban recently.

Glyphosate has its supporters and detractors. Dr Charlie Reinhardt examines the science behind the world’s most widely used herbicide.

The revised Expropriation Bill, like its earlier versions, allows the State to seize property without a prior court order. This is unconstitutional, says Dr Anthea Jeffery of the Institute for Race Relations.