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Opinion

The farmer’s weekly team gives their opinions on all aspects of the farming, sparking conversation and providing insights.

South Africa needs decisive and enabling agricultural policy

According to Andrew Makenete, CEO of Manama Hole Holdings and Calico Capital, South African agriculture is currently operating in a policy vacuum. Speaking at a Friends of UKZN Agric lunch at KwaZulu-Natal’s Royal Show recently, he expanded on the problem and offered some potential solutions.

It’s time to remedy injustices to South Africa’s ‘first nations’

Their forefathers were the first to step on South African soil, and their modern-day descendants are finally being compensated for the land they were dispossessed of, says Raymond Trollip, leader of KwaZulu-Natal’s diverse Khoi and San descendants.

The voice of reason will prevail

Speaking recently at a KZN Agricultural Union Special Information Day, Grain SA chairperson Louw Steytler said that the voice of reason would prevail when it came to the country’s land reform and labour legislation.

The fight for food trade

The number of anti-dumping investigations has risen over the past year amid fierce competition for the food trade. But Alexander Amrein, senior investigator for the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac), says this is not a sign of a global move towards protectionism.

South Africa – there are some good news

While the mainstream media invariably focuses on the negative aspects of life in South Africa, longer-term trends indicate a silver lining for our beloved country, according to Steuart Pennington, creator of alternative media organisation South Africa: The Good News.

The great Droughtmaster debate

I blame the past few difficult weeks in my life on Johan van der Nest and his passion for the Droughtmaster breed... Oops! I’m not allowed to say that. Sorry, I’ll start again...

The Albrecht System: uneconomical & outdated?

Local soil scientists are refuting the relevance of this 70-year-old system when advances in soil science point to its lack of scientific value and many shortcomings in field conditions.

Land reform – a new perspective

In this brief summary of an innovative model for land reform in South Africa, farmer and former DA MP Errol Moorcroft demonstrates that, despite the inherent difficulties, the redistribution of land can be a win/win undertaking for all concerned.

Germany wants to share expertise

Germany has much to offer South Africa in sharing knowledge gained during its post-reunification period. Ilse Aigner, federal minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, explains.

Time for some ‘strategic positioning’

Oh boy, the cat was really let loose among the pigeons at this year’s Nampo Harvest Day with political commentator Max du Preez claiming that the time has come for farmers to re-evaluate deputy minister of agriculture Dr Pieter Mulder’s ‘relevance’ in commercial agriculture.

Business ethics in the agricultural sector

“The country will not be a good place for any of us, unless it’s a good place for all of us,” argues business consultant André Diederichs. He believes that considerable wage increases and other short-term solutions are ultimately unfair to all role players in the agricultural sector, and will cause harm.

Let them eat Fruit

The single-minded focus on increasing yield needs to make way for a multi-disciplinary approach which makes healthy food available to all, says Dr Stephanie Midgley, OneWorld Sustainable Investments lead researcher, and Prof Martin de Wit, De Wit Sustainable Options director.
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