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'There is no doubt that Africa has sufficient untapped agricultural potential.'

While the current shortages of ­staple food products like wheat and maize are drought-related, there is a danger that a structural shortfall in agricultural production will eventually emerge, mainly because of the ongoing attacks on farmers and the policy of pressurising 30% of commercial farmers to leave their land by 2013.

Sub-Saharan African agriculture is in a crisis. Declining yields, impoverished soils and massive soil erosion are common problems in rural areas. Peter Hittersay attended the FAO Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division's recent two-day regional conservation agriculture (CA) workshop, and reports on the urgent change in agricultural practices required and the CA solutions mooted.

It was in 2006, the driest year Australian sheep farmers have ever experienced, that the SA Dohne Merino came into its own, delivering excellent lamb crops and wool clips. Former South African Dohne Merino breed director Cameron McMaster gives a first-hand account of the phenomenal success of this South African breed in Australia.

Biofuels up the beer price
Canada moves to no-till
Threat to wild crop genes
Issue Date 8 June 2007

Addressing participants serving agriculture from 10 countries in ­southern Africa during his opening of the Food and Agriculture ­Organisation's recent conservation agriculture workshop in ­Johannesburg, George Mburathi, FAO representative in SA, said the time had come to implement a large-scale expansion of conservation agriculture in southern Africa if ­sustainable and profitable agriculture is to be achieved in the region.
Issue date 8 June 2007

Afgri has recorded excellent results in the past year, despite the fact that it was a tough year for agriculture as a whole. Headline earnings were up 65,6% on the previous year, while group earnings per share went up by 45,4%. Operating activities generated a net of R537 million. Gwenda van Zyl talks to managing director Jeff Wright (left) about their success and finds out what Afgri's plans are for the coming year.
Issue date 8 June 2007

Agriculture is becoming a bigger priority for President Thabo Mbeki. This was the general feeling of all parties who attended the Presidential Agricultural Working Group, which took place at Tuynhuys in Cape Town on 15 May.
Issue Date 1 June 2007

Kenya's coastline flooded
Cattle clashes kill 15 in Kenya
Ethiopia gets a seed bank
'Speed up African integration'
Issue Date 1 June 2007

Agricultural services business Afgri has seen a 65,5 % increase in their headline earnings for the year to February 2007.
Issue Date 1 June 2007

The recent cold snap that clutched the country in an icy grip caused mixed emotions across the agricultural sphere. While most farmers welcomed the cold air, others suffered losses and fear more hardship to come.
Issue Date 1 June 2007

SA could face a famine within a few years if our infrastructure - specifically our railway system - is not upgraded, and add to this the low cost of imports and we're staring disaster in the face, says Grain SA's Neels ­Ferreira. Susan Botes looks into the matter and finds some light at the end of a pothole-filled tunnel.
Issue date 1 June 2007