Opinion

Natural gas exploration, changing voting patterns and new technologies are some of the issues that need to be closely monitored by the agricultural sector.

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.

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.

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 be a short-term challenge.

The film The Martian, based on the novel by Andy Weir, has captivated audiences across the world since its premiere in 2015.

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 food crops to farms and diets.

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.

To achieve success in Africa as a primary producer or agribusiness, you must make yourself indispensable to the local community, according to Dr Jack Armour, Free State Agriculture operations manager.

According to Absa’s senior agricultural economists Wessel Lemmer and Ernst Janovsky, who recently addressed the Absa Agribusiness round table in Centurion, technology will play an increasing role in food production as the world races to feed its growing population.

Daniel Njiwa, the Zambian representative for FoodTrade East and Southern Africa (FoodTrade ESA), writes that soya beans are one of the world’s most important and tradeable oilseeds. According to him, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has much to gain from the development of stronger relationships among regional soya bean value chain members.

I have previously written about the serious threat posed to the future of agriculture because young people are no longer interested in following a career in farming.

Potchefstroom company Haevic, has recently developed a drone that can be used to dart game.