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Agroprocessing News

Tongaat Hulett launches R550m sugar refinery project in Mozambique

By: Anine Kilian 24th July 2017 Sugar producer Tongaat Hulett on Monday launched a R550-million 90 000 t/y refinery to process brown sugar into white sugar at its Mozambique-based Xinavane sugar mill. The refinery will produce its first product in September 2018. →

Macadamia producer to invest millions in new processing facility

By: Anine Kilian 24th July 2017 Macadamia nut processing company Green Farms Nut Company (GFNC) has started construction to expand its macadamia nut processing facility, in White River, Mpumalanga, with Phase 1 set for completion in 2018. According to the Southern African Macadamia Growers Association (Samac), new macadamia... →

SA committed to increasing trade with Zambia, says DTI minister

By: African News Agency 21st July 2017 South Africa was committed to increasing trade and addressing the trade imbalance with Zambia. This was according to South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, ahead of a two-day Outward Trade and Investment Mission to Lusaka, Zambia, from 24-25 July. →

Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies

Lessons learned underpin multicontinent sugar strategy

By: Robyn Wilkinson 21st July 2017 Specialised polymer manufacturer Vesconite Bearings believes that the experience it has gained from KwaZulu-Natal sugar mills will prove instrumental in ensuring the success of its multi-continent sugar strategy and grow the company’s revenue from new markets. →

EDDIE SWANEPOEL The knowledge gained from hard-wearing African sugar applications has been essential in converting other relatively new markets to using Vesconite Bearings’ products

Nakambala sugar mill expansion project completed

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 21st July 2017 During the third quarter of 2017, project management and equipment design company Bosch Projects completed the implementation of the Nakambala Product Alignment and Refinery project in Mazabuka, Zambia. Bosch Projects sugar sector director Steven Rosettenstein, who was the project manager for the... →

NAKAMBALA SUGAR MILL Illovo Sugar appointed Bosch Projects as engineering, procurement and construction management consultants for the mill’s expansion

Sugar industry to make the most of yield recovery

By: Robyn Wilkinson 21st July 2017 As KwaZulu-Natal’s sugar cane growers start to recover from the effects of the drought, the South African Canegrowers’ Association (SA Canegrowers) is urging the industry to remain resilient and look for opportunities to diversify their operations. →

BOUNCING BACK The SA Canegrowers board of directors is optimistic about the 2017/18 season, with improved rainfall set to improve production levels

Bird Flu confirmed on new locations in Gauteng and Mpumalanga

By: African News Agency 12th July 2017 The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N8 virus – commonly known as bird flu – has been confirmed on two new locations on farms in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries said on Tuesday. “The new locations involved commercial layer chickens on farms... →

SAB invests R2.8bn in expanding Gauteng breweries

By: Anine Kilian 11th July 2017 Multinational beverage and brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB-InBev) subsidiary South African Breweries (SAB) will invest R2.8-billion into brewery expansions, including two new packaging lines for returnable glass bottles, at its Alrode and Rosslyn breweries, in Gauteng. During a media... →

AB-InBev Africa president Ricardo Tadeu

Control system minimises dust escape during grab discharge

By: Simone Liedtke 7th July 2017 Materials handling equipment supplier BLT South Africa’s Samson travelling Eco-Hoppers have an effective dust control system that minimises the escape of dust during the grab discharge cycle. →

DUST CONTROL The grab discharge cycle includes transferring materials down the line using handling systems

Commission approves Dow, DuPont merger with conditions

By: Anine Kilian 5th July 2017 The Competition Commission has recommended to the Competition Tribunal that the proposed large merger between DuPont and Dow Chemical Company be approved with conditions. Both Dow and DuPont are companies incorporated in accordance with the company laws of the US. Dow is the ultimate parent... →

South Africa faces land reform dilemma, partnership is key

By: Natasha Odendaal 5th July 2017 South Africa is facing a land reform dilemma, with the redistribution of land having progressed well below expectations and with much of the land already transferred falling into an economic abyss. Of the estimated 5.9-million hectares of functional farms that had been transferred, up to 90% have... →

Learning from, replicating land reform successes a better option than land grabs – Hanekom

By: Natasha Odendaal 5th July 2017 Expropriation of land without compensation will result in serious damage to the economy and is fundamentally unjust, Member of Parliament and former Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom reiterated on Wednesday. Speaking at the Agribusiness Africa conference, in Kempton Park, he said that while the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Derek Hanekom

Research is crucial for agricultural growth – ARC

By: Natasha Odendaal 4th July 2017 The expansion of public–private partnerships to develop innovation and research networks that are critical to the sustainable growth of the agricultural sector, should be considered more deeply. With Africa’s population explosion, and the ever-pressing need to accelerate food production, more... →

Fly-farm venture mulls two more SA sites, appoints heavy hitters as it expands

By: Irma Venter 4th July 2017 Waste-to-nutrient group AgriProtein will expand its presence in South Africa with two new fly-farming sites, while also growing its research and development function in the country, says CEO Jason Drew. AgriProtein started operations in Cape Town in 2015, launching the world’s first... →

Research, technology key to surviving next drought – DuPont

By: Natasha Odendaal 4th July 2017 Research and technology will be key to surviving the next drought, with investments equal, at minimum, to the cost of drought required to mitigate the impact of the changing environment. Droughts cost some $6-billion to $8-billion globally every year, with 80% of the drought-related losses in... →

Agriculture sector needs to take a more futuristic approach for survival in a digital world

By: Natasha Odendaal 4th July 2017 Technology has the potential to change the future landscape of the agriculture sector if used effectively and if participants are willing to “think bigger”, FutureWorld futurist and entrepreneur Craig Wing said on Tuesday. With ever-changing technologies in the fourth industrial revolution, it is... →

FutureWorld futurist Craig Wing discusses how technology can benefit the agriculture sector. Video and editing: Nicholas Boyd.

Forestry sector joins forces to mitigate impact of wildfires on plantations

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 4th July 2017 Following the recent wildfires that swept across the Southern and Eastern Cape areas, industry bodies Forestry South Africa (FSA), Sawmilling South Africa (SSA) and the South African Forestry Contractors Association will mobilise additional contractor capacity to ensure that the interests of... →

South African culls 260 000 birds so far to contain bird flu outbreak – Zokwana

By: Reuters 29th June 2017 South Africa has culled 260 000 birds so far to contain an H5N8 bird flu outbreak, Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana told a news briefing on Thursday. South Africa has confirmed outbreaks of avian flu, which is often transmitted by wild birds, on at least two farms. Zimbabwe, Namibia and... →

DTI to implement policy interventions to curb poultry industry losses

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 28th June 2017 Rather than make findings on the current state of the poultry industry and the ongoing challenges it faces owing to the dumping of imported chicken products, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with the government-led Poultry Task Team, which was established in January, would... →

Govt launches R1bn agroprocessing investment support programme

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 28th June 2017 Government’s R1-billion agroprocessing support scheme (APSS), aimed at supporting brown- and greenfield investments in the local industry, was launched by Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies at the Africa Big 7 Food Forum and Saitex, in Midrand, on Wednesday. The APSS further seeks to... →

Deep-sea trawling association appoints more representative executive committee

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 22nd June 2017 The South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (Sadstia) on Thursday said the existing members of its executive committee (Exco) have stood down, with four new executives, who are more representative of the ownership of the deep-sea trawling industry, having been elected to take their... →

Rooibos Limited faces abuse of dominance charge

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th June 2017 South Africa’s largest rooibos producer Rooibos Limited has been referred to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution, for allegedly abusing its dominance and engaging in uncompetitive behaviour. Historically, rooibos tea processors obtained their supply from farmers through one-year supply... →

Company aims for positive impact on environment

By: Simone Liedtke 16th June 2017 Environmental management company I-CAT Environmental Solutions aims to deliver a product and service offering that impacts the environment favourably when compared with traditionally used products. →

Municipality reduces GHG by using buses

By: Simone Liedtke 16th June 2017 The City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality aims to achieve 25% less greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, an operational cost efficiency with gas at R7/l for bus equivalents, and over three phases create more supply chain opportunities using its ‘green’ Metrobus fleet. →

AfDB approves $100m facility for ETG

By: Anine Kilian 15th June 2017 The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $100-million facility to finance agricultural supply chain Export Trading Group’s (ETG’s) soft commodity value chain operations in sub-Saharan Africa. This soft commodity finance facility (SCFF) is one of the core trade finance instruments used... →

Competition Commission sets it sights on alleged collusive behaviour in beef industry

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 14th June 2017 The Completion Commission on Wednesday morning raided 13 premises belonging to seven meat suppliers in three provinces as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged fixing of prices and trading conditions. The search and seizure operations were conducted at Karan Beef, Sparta Foods,... →

Department of Public Works to hand over land to black farmers

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 12th June 2017 Public Works Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko has handed over letters of intent to grant property rights to 30 emerging black farmers in Tafelkop, in Limpopo, with four pieces of land, amounting to 220 ha, having been subdivided into farming plots. The beneficiaries of the land will use the properties... →

Tongaat sugar output in recovery after two-year drought

By: Natasha Odendaal 30th May 2017 After two consecutive years of having been impacted by a severe drought, Tongaat Hulett’s sugar production levels across its regions are starting to recover, with the company now edging closer to its full two-million-ton-a-year capacity. Total sugar production is expected to recover over two... →

Industry teams up to craft road map for ‘a million new manufacturing jobs’

By: Terence Creamer 29th May 2017 Manufacturing associations across a range of subsectors, including plastics and packaging, chemicals, agroprocessing and steel have endorsed a Manufacturing Circle-led initiative, designed to find ways of creating an additional one-million manufacturing jobs in South Africa. Manufacturing Circle... →

Manufacturing Circle chairperson André de Ruyter explains the ‘Map-to-a-Million’ initiative. Camera Work & Editing: Nicholas Boyd.

Drought already cost Western Cape grape farmers R500m – MEC

By: News24Wire 25th May 2017 Western Cape Agriculture MEC Alan Winde has said the ongoing drought in the province will cost grape producers an estimated R500-million. "We’ve seen a decline in the volume of wine grapes harvested, in part due to a lack of irrigation water," Winde said in a statement. →

DTI refuses to release list of black industrialist scheme beneficiaries for fear they will be ‘harassed’

By: Terence Creamer 23rd May 2017 Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies showcased four recipients of government’s flagship Black Industrialist programme (BIP) during his Budget Vote on Tuesday, but astonishingly refused to release the names of all 46 recipients of the non-refundable government grants and concessional loans.... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies

Tongaat Hulett expects 40% increase in FY profit as prices climb

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th May 2017 Local sugar producer Tongaat Hulett expects its operating profit for the year ended March 31 to rise by 40% to R2.3-billion, owing to improved market prices, more effective import protection dynamics in the countries where it operates and higher prices realised for exports. The various sugar... →

South Africa’s Agoa eligibility likely to come under pressure before 2025, trade expert warns

By: Terence Creamer 17th May 2017 A leading trade expert is urging those South African businesses currently benefiting from preferential market access to the US under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to begin to “wean” themselves off such benefits, owing to the increased risk of those preferences being revoked ahead... →

Tutwa Consulting Group MD Peter Draper

Davies promises support for downstream firms as he confirms steel safeguard duty

By: Terence Creamer 8th May 2017 Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies confirmed on Monday that he had signed off on a hot-rolled coil (HRC) safeguard duty, but refused to be drawn on the duty level proposed until the Word Trade Organisation (WTO) had been notified. Speaking in Johannesburg at the release of the ninth... →

Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies on the link between the Industrial Policy Action Plan and Radical Economic Transformation. Camera Work & Editing: Nicholas Boyd. Recorded: 8.5.2017

Agriculture sector needs to be globally competitive to survive

By: African News Agency 5th May 2017 Job losses were inevitable if the agricultural sector was not globally competitive and not supported by government, the World Economic Forum on Africa heard yesterday. Speaking on the sidelines of the WEF event in Durban, Mauricio Adade, board chairperson of Africa Improved Foods, said: “It’s... →

Saudi Arabia to host the Middle East’s first fly farm

By: Irma Venter 5th May 2017 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to host the Middle East’s first fly farm, following the completion of a licensing deal between Saudi technology hub Sajt and waste-to-nutrient group AgriProtein. The agreement signals the start of a new industry for the region, namely the commercial-scale... →

EU concerns about local poultry 'false aspersions' – Sapa

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 4th May 2017 The South African Poultry Association (Sapa) on Thursday dismissed the European Union’s (EU’s) concerns that South Africa was not monitoring the use of prohibited medicines and growth hormones in poultry and other animal species. While briefing the Portfolio committee on Trade and Industry at... →

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