9 lessons we can learn from the drought
According to Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA, South Africans have learned a number of valuable lessons from the drought, with the single most important lesson being that the country’s...
Global challenges facing farmers
During the first week of January, the University of Oxford in the UK hosted the annual Oxford Farming Conference. Reading through some of the presentations given at the event, I...
Animal health: what German vets can teach us
Globally, consumers of animal products are increasingly demanding that livestock farmers implement ethical and humane practices. This can be challenging for farmers, but is possible to achieve. Dr Siegfried Moder,...
Why SA’s goat farmers must get down to business
Stakeholders in South Africa’s goat value-chain are determined to grow their sector into a profitable and sustainable industry to benefit farmers and the economy. Johan Steyn, owner of Patriot Boer...
How important is the informal sector in urban food security?
The informal sector is crucial in giving people access to food. Yet it is often underestimated and, as a result, disregarded, say researchers Caroline Skinner and Gareth Haysom.
Agriculture’s New Year’s resolutions
New Year’s resolutions may seem passé, but they can be a great way of at least attempting to implement what is known as the Urgent-Important Matrix in your life.
Preserving seeds for the future
The Global Seed Vault, the brainchild of scientist and conservationist Cary Fowler, was built nearly 150m into the side of a mountain in Svalbard, Norway, in 2008.
The big problem with SA’s small farms
To bridge the wealth gap in South Africa, it makes more sense to consolidate small plots into economically viable units than trying to raise the production levels of subsistence farming....
Good riddance to 2016
Finally, we have come to the end of a year that has tested farmers in this country like no other year before, and I am reminded of the poet, Robert...
Agriculture must act now to curb climate change
Agriculture must contribute more to combating climate change while bracing to overcome its impacts, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) report ‘The State of Food and...
Is farming in SA worth the risk?
I recently asked Agbiz CEO, Dr John Purchase, whether or not, all things considered, he would, in good conscience, advise someone with no current investment in agriculture to go ahead...
Scientific management – key to successful game farming
Game breeding has become a highly specialised industry that requires the same level of scientific management as livestock production to ensure long-term genetic gain and avoid inbreeding. SA Stud Book...
Increased minimum wage not the answer
South Africans are nervously awaiting the announcement by ratings agencies on whether the country has retained its sovereign credit rating, or if it has been downgraded to junk status.
Where is farming headed?
Natural gas exploration, changing voting patterns and new technologies are some of the issues that need to be closely monitored by the agricultural sector.
Namibia’s livestock sector: the obstacles & way forward
Outgoing president of Namibia’s Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO), Mecki Schneider, looks back on the highs and lows of 2016, and calls for ‘smarter’ farming and rangeland rehabilitation.
Eskom has become too big to save
John Kane-Berman, former CEO of the Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) and currently a policy fellow at the institute, shares his views on unbundling and privatising Eskom.
Making do with less water: the new reality of farming
As the impact of an extended period of drought across Southern Africa continues, the concern is setting in among commercial and small-scale farmers that a water-constrained environment may no longer...
“Houston, we have a harvest!”
The film The Martian, based on the novel by Andy Weir, has captivated audiences across the world since its premiere in 2015.
Africa’s urgent need for greater crop diversification
Maria Andrade, one of the winners of the World Food Prize 2016, explains why crop diversification is essential for agriculture in Africa, and highlights the benefits of introducing new staple...
Needed: an overhaul of the lamb & mutton supply chain
According to Alex Cilliers, executive manager at GWK Meat, the decrease in consumer demand for lamb and mutton can no longer be blamed on the drought or consumer taste.
