Aquaculture legislation quagmire
The development of the aquaculture industry in South Africa is hampered by obstructive bureaucracy, warns ichthyologist and hatchery owner Nicholas James.
Measure & record to secure the future
Emerging beef cattle farmers in sub-Saharan Africa struggle with low fertility and high mortality in their herds. Yet the situation could be improved if farmers were taught the importance of...
Keeping us in the dark
As a visitor to South Africa, as far as I am concerned, the last paragraph of ‘Rolling blackouts stall SA economy’ (The Mercury’s Business Report, 7 March) summed up the...
Government the cause of unemployment
In a recent interview on a finance show, an economist mentioned that employment in the agriculture industry had fallen from 2,1 million before enactment of the minimum wage to 770...
Protecting the interests of a few
I refer to “New bill needs to better define value” in Farmers Weekly of 14 March. Those who are calling the Property Valuation Bill a “quick fix” are still hellbent...
Land reform – another perspective
When Danie du Plessis’s article says food security must be a priority, it sounds like a desperate attempt to bring up anything that may protect the rights of land owners.
Welcome to winter
O glorious day! Winter has finally come. This is my favourite time of the year. I adore a cold winter.
Where is South Africa heading?
Our country is facing a bleak future ahead, unless economic stability and growth are achieved and maintained. Poverty and unemployment are some of the factors contributing to this, according to...
Zokwana and Cele – the mind boggles!
You don’t need the Rosetta Stone to decode the message behind President Zuma’s appointment of NUM stalwart Senzeni Zokwana as the new minister of agriculture.
GM crops: the truth will free us from hunger
When it comes to genetically modified crops, ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s downright dangerous, making the public prey to scaremongers and hampering food security, warns Dr Charlie Reinhardt.
Escaped game is not yours to shoot
The booming game industry has had an unintentional spin-off – animals escaping onto neighbouring, unfenced properties. Whom do these animals belong to now? The answer is not as simple as...
Making SA’s groundwater last
Maintaining and managing SA’s scarce water resources have become highly contentious issues, especially in rural areas, says Gert Nel, partner and principal geohydrologist in SRK Consulting, East London.
The looming dangers of land reform promises
Impending land reform legislation threatens food security and the rural economy. Dr Frans Cronje, CEO of the SA Institute of Race Relations, believes it is crucial to fight now for...
The trigger vs shutter debate
Taking pictures might sound more civilised to some people, but hunting remains the driving force behind wildlife and habitat protection under most conditions, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
Creating false hopes
Can you imagine burning your grain lands and killing your livestock and then buying your food at vastly inflated prices from your neighbour?
Farmers – No more wishful thinking!
South Africa should engage urgently in a national debate on food production, and farmers should take heed of global food requirements in order to embrace production opportunities, says Prof Louise...
SA’s bright young farmers
Boeta, how I wish you could have attended this year’s Free State Young Farmer conference with me.
Going against the grain
In a country of naysayers and prophets of doom, Grain SA members are positive about the future and dedicated to transformation, says Grain SA CEO Jannie de Villiers.
Get your own house in order, South Africa!
Government’s new regulations for the importation of cattle, sheep and goats are misguided and unrealistic, says Mecki Schneider, chairperson of the Namibian Livestock Producers’ Organisation.
SA beef cattle ranchers up there with the world’s best
Jong, Ouboet, I’m telling you South Africa’s commercial cattle farmers really are world-class.
