http://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Follow @EngNewsZA

Advertise on this page? Click Here to Learn More

Agroprocessing News

Icasa boss sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud, money laundering

By: News24Wire 15th February 2019 Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) chairperson Rubben Mohlaloga has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud and money laundering. Mohlalonga was sentenced - alongside former acting head of the Land Bank Philemon Mohlahlane and attorney Dinga Rammy Nkwashu - on... →

Tongaat appoints CFO

By: Creamer Media Reporter 11th February 2019 JSE-listed agroprocessing company Tongaat Hulett has appointed Rob Aitken CFO, effective March 1. He has been serving as the company's acting CFO since August 2018, when former CFO Murray Munro took a medical leave of absence. →

Precision farming enables cost savings in a tight economy

31st January 2019 Agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere has evolved from supplying ploughs more than two centuries ago, to farmers being able to control their whole fleet through an app. Marleny Arnoldi tells us more about precision farming. →

Precision farming enables cost savings in a tight economy

ARC to launch new range of cultivated indigenous citrus, deciduous fruits in Germany

31st January 2019 The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) will, next week, launch its new range of cultivated indigenous citrus and deciduous fruits during the twenty-seventh Fruit Logistica International Trade Fair, in Berlin, Germany. The ARC will be among 25 businesses and research institutions that will... →

Good rains lift SA crop production estimates – agricultural economist

By: African News Agency 30th January 2019 After a slow start to the 2018/19 summer crop season with severe dryness during December particularly in parts of the North West and Free State provinces, conditions rebounded early in January 2019 as good rains provided the much-needed moisture for planting, a senior agricultural economist said... →

Agricultural sector plan prioritises job creation, agroprocessing

By: Marleny Arnoldi 29th January 2019 Agbiz CEO Dr John Purchase on Tuesday shared the agricultural sector’s five-year business plan at the Business Unity South Africa Business Economic Indaba, held in Midrand. The plan for this sector prioritised the recovery of jobs lost as a result of the drought in the country and to continue... →

Agbiz CEO Dr John Purchase discusses the agricultural sector's five-year business plan. Video and editing: Nicholas Boyd.

South Africa farmers seek R3bn in drought aid

By: Reuters 25th January 2019 South Africa's agricultural industry body AgriSA will approach banks, agribusiness and government to raise R3-billion to help farmers hit by severe drought, its executive director said on Friday. Farmers have faced dry conditions over most of the nation for the last year, even as they are still... →

Company focused on agriculture

By: Cameron Mackay 25th January 2019 The agricultural sector is set to become a significant focal point for leading bearings and power transmission product distributor Bearings International (BI) in 2019, as it expands its portfolio of agricultural application products in the first quarter of this year. “There are a few product... →

AGRI-SMART SOLUTION The joint venture will bring the most essential spare products closer to farmers, in order to satisfy their maintenance needs for bearings and agricultural products

Namibia, South Africa sign fisheries MoU

By: African News Agency 24th January 2019 Namibia and South Africa have signed a fisheries Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), outlining how they will work together in various matters within the fisheries space as the two countries share a common border. The MOU was signed by Minister Senzeni Zokwana, and his Namibian counterpart,... →

AGCO to take farm mechanisation into rural African communities

By: African News Agency 21st January 2019 Global agriculture company AGCO has launched an initiative to take farm mechanization deep into rural communities in Africa to facilitate food security and unlock the potential of small-scale farming. AGCO, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, unveiled the Farm in a... →

Climate change threatens to make your morning brew more expensive

By: Bloomberg 17th January 2019 Coffee farmer Masumi Kondo wrapped himself in a cosy blanket on cool nights in the 1970s when he began growing the crop in the Franca region of Brazil’s Sao Paulo state. Now, thanks to persistently warmer weather, he needs an air conditioner. It’s not just the sleeping habits of farmers... →

Don’t hurt farmers with higher electricity tariffs, says Agri Western Cape

By: Kim Cloete 15th January 2019 Sharp electricity tariff hikes would have a major detrimental effect on the agricultural sector, Agri Western Cape has said during public hearings into electricity tariffs. In its submission to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), Agri SA said high increases in electricity costs... →

Hudson appointed Tongaat Hulett CEO

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th January 2019 Tongaat Hulett has appointed Gavin Hudson CEO and executive director, effective February 1. Hudson was previously Beer Group president and CEO of Anadolu Efes, a company listed on the Turkish stock exchange. →

Agri-hub seen as key post-mining-economy jobs driver in west Gauteng

By: Terence Creamer 14th January 2019 An ambitious plan to develop Gauteng’s West Rand into an agri-industrial hub, primarily producing high-value crops for domestic and export markets, is starting to take shape and is expected to be officially launched during the first quarter of 2019. The initiative has been branded ‘Bokamoso Ba... →

Photo by Sibanye-Stillwater
The programme is part of bigger plan to build a sustainable post-mining economy in the West Rand

Nkomazi special economic zone to boost industrialisation in Mpumalanga

By: African News Agency 8th January 2019 South Africa's 10th special economic zone (SEZ), recently designated at Nkomazi in Mpumalanga, is expected to boost the industrial development of the province, the department of trade and industry (dti) said on Tuesday. The Nkomazi Special Economic Zone will be developed as an agro-processing... →

South Africa finds foot-and-mouth disease in cattle in Limpopo

By: Bloomberg 8th January 2019 South Africa’s Department of Agriculture has quarantined an area in Vhembe in Limpopo province following positive laboratory results for foot-and-mouth disease in cattle in the district. Samples were collected during a disease investigation after reports of cattle with lameness were received, the... →

Tongaat to make CEO announcement next month

By: Creamer Media Reporter 14th December 2018 JSE-listed agriculture and agroprocessing group Tongaat Hulett is finalising the appointment of a permanent CEO and said on Friday that it would make an announcement before the end of January. Sydney Mtsambiwa is currently interim CEO, following retirement of long-serving CEO Peter Staude on... →

Dry conditions threaten 2019 maize crop – Grain SA

By: Reuters 12th December 2018 Dry conditions in the main part of South Africa's maize belt have delayed crop plantings, threatening yields for the staple food and sending prices sharply higher, the farmers lobby group Grain South Africa said on Tuesday. With the optimum planting window fast closing in the western part of the... →

KZN’s 'agricultural master plan' is key to transformation, says MEC

By: African News Agency 11th December 2018 KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for agriculture and rural development, Themba Mthembu, on Tuesday reiterated that an “agricultural master plan” being developed would drive transformation and act as a foundation for development. Mthembu made the remarks at an Agribusiness breakfast dialogue hosted by the... →

Rooibos tea enjoys a rosy outlook from international markets

By: African News Agency 10th December 2018 Rooibos, which is exclusively farmed in the Cederberg and Sandveld areas of the Western Cape, is fast becoming one of the most attractive agricultural products to invest in, the South African Rooibos Council (SARC) said on Monday. The SARC said that South Africa holds a competitive advantage in a... →

Measures in place to boost the Western Cape economy

By: Thabi Madiba 7th December 2018 The Western Cape economy remains relatively stable despite challenges affecting consumer spending, says Western Cape Economic Opportunities Minister Beverley Schäfer. “The province has recorded good gains in employment, and continues to record the lowest expanded unemployment rate in the country.” →

Beverley Schäfer Growth in the Western Cape economy slowed down over the past years because of the drought that impacted on some of the province’s key sectors such as agriculture and tourism

Progress made with establishing Nkomazi SEZ

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th December 2018 Cabinet earlier this week ratified a decision by Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies to designate the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and to grant an SEZ licence to the Mpumalanga provincial government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The Nkomazi SEZ will be positioned... →

Agbiz, IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index falls to lowest level in nearly a decade

By: Simone Liedtke 4th December 2018 While some subindices showed an increase from the third quarter, the Agbiz and Industrial Development Corporation’s Agribusiness Confidence Index weakened to 42 in the last quarter of the year, reflecting despondency in the sector. Subsequent to a decline from 54 to 48 points in the third quarter... →

The final frontier: who owns the oceans and their hidden treasures?

By: Reuters 4th December 2018 Ransom-hungry pirates, polar explorers, offshore oil giants - the race for the riches of the world's final frontier is on. From Thailand to Alaska, the battle to tap ever-dwindling resources from minerals to fish is spurring new conflicts over who has the right to the treasures of the deep seas. →

Cape Town households shoulder a bigger share of water restrictions so economy and business can recover

By: News24Wire 30th November 2018 Cape Town households will shoulder a bigger share of the new water restrictions to make more water available for the region’s economic drivers of agriculture, industry and tourism. This reflects a major shift in the way the region’s water is allocated, with agriculture getting a bigger share than... →

World’s largest feedlot leads South African beef export push

By: Bloomberg 28th November 2018 The world’s largest cattle feedlot is expanding South African beef exports beyond the Middle East to take advantage of surging demand in China and other Asian markets. Karan Beef's feedlot south of Johannesburg is emblematic of a push by South African agriculture to boost exports of more niche... →

Astral commits to R1.1bn in expansion projects

By: Simone Liedtke 19th November 2018 On the back of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent investment drive and stimulus plan, integrated poultry producer Astral Foods has committed R1.1-billion to expansion projects over the next three years. This is the JSE-listed company’s first major expansion in its poultry division in a decade and... →

Sugar maker Tongaat flags H1 loss

By: Reuters 9th November 2018 Tongaat Hulett said on Friday it expects to fall to a half-year loss as market conditions in its South African and Mozambique sugar operations weigh on revenue and operating profit. The firm said it expects a headline loss per share, which strips out certain once off items and is the main profit... →

Skyscraper farms are about to go global

By: Bloomberg 31st October 2018 High-rise indoor farms for vegetables are spreading across the world. In a suburb of Kyoto in Japan, surrounded by technology companies and startups, Spread is preparing to open the world’s largest automated leaf-vegetable factory. It’s the company’s second vertical farm and could mark a turning... →

Govt commits support for clothing, textiles sector and emerging farmers

By: Marleny Arnoldi 24th October 2018 The National Treasury has, over the medium term, placed incentives for agriculture, land reform, manufacturing and research and development among its priorities for expenditure reprioritisation. The Clothing and Textile Competitiveness Programme has helped sector exports grow from R7.1-billion in... →

Tongaat warns of significant decreases in interim profit, earnings

By: Simone Liedtke 5th October 2018 JSE-listed agriculture and agroprocessing group Tongaat Hulett on Friday warned that its operating profit for the six months ended September 30, is expected to be at least 40% below the R1.4-billion earned in the prior comparable period. The company attributed the decrease to land conversion and... →

Davies to follow up on Saudi Arabia’s $10bn investment pledge

By: Simone Liedtke 1st October 2018 Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies will, this week, co-chair the eighth session of the South Africa-Saudi Arabia Joint Economic Commission (JEC), in Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously following up on Saudi Arabia’s $10-billion investment pledge to South Africa. This session of the JEC will... →

Angola, IFC court South African investors

By: Nadine James 21st September 2018 World Bank Group executive director for Angola, Nigeria and South Africa Bongiwe Kunene says a roundtable event taking place on September 24, will enable South African businesses and investors to explore the growth opportunities in Angola created as a result of the 2017 election of that country’s... →

African Rainbow Capital to acquire 25% of Moloto Capital Investments

By: Marleny Arnoldi 20th September 2018 Investment holding company African Rainbow Capital (ARC) Investments has subscribed for a 25%interest in black-owned and women-controlled investment company Moloto Capital Investments, which is focused on driving empowerment in the industrial and manufacturing sectors in the country. The... →

Quantum Foods sees 219% jump in earnings for year ending September

By: African News Agency 12th September 2018 Diversified feeds and poultry business Quantum Foods said on Wednesday it expected headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the twelve months ending September 30 to be at least 219% or 107.5c higher than reported in the same period last year. "This implies that for the twelve months ending 30... →

Tongaat Hulett appoints interim CEO

By: Simone Liedtke 7th September 2018 Sydney Mtsambiwa has been appointed as the interim CEO of JSE-listed agriculture and agroprocessing group Tongaat Hulett, with effect from November 1, following the retirement of long-serving CEO Peter Staude. Mtsambiwa will serve as the interim CEO until the board has finalised the appointment... →

South African farmers play chicken with Trump tariffs

By: Reuters 29th August 2018 Herman Pretorius is just the kind of white South African farmer US President Donald Trump expressed concern for when he barged into the country's delicate land reform debate by ordering an investigation into the "large-scale killing of farmers". But for the greying, bespectacled 58-year-old,... →

Company Post

Reliability. Durability. Prosper-Ability. Isosyn Technology

more

Latest News

African market is opening up to corporate PPAs – Baker McKenzie

Nevada like Witwatersrand of 1970s – Bristow

Gordhan’s IPP renegotiation proposal triggers ‘breach of contract’ warnings

Barloworld shareholders approve BEE share scheme Khula Sizwe

Pioneer Foods four months revenue up 7.8%, buoyed by UK price inflation in UK

Grand Parade to close Dunkin', Baskin Robbins in South Africa

Mondi expects earnings for 2018 to rise 25% to 29%

Daimler Trucks upbeat on 2019 prospects, new Arocs expands range