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Agriculture News

Blockchain-based e-livestock supply chain traceability system launched in Zimbabwe

By: Schalk Burger 18th June 2021 A blockchain-based livestock traceability system was launched in Africa and the Middle East on June 17 to provide end-to-end visibility of the cattle supply chain. Zimbabwe is the first African country where the system is being rolled out. →

Grain SA appoints new CEO

By: Marleny Arnoldi 18th June 2021 Industry body Grain SA has appointed Dr Pieter Taljaard its new CEO. He will succeeds Jannie de Villiers from September 1. →

Grain SA incoming CEO Dr Pieter Taljaard

Localisation of equipment promotes price stability

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th June 2021 Rand volatility has a big impact on projects that require imported biogas equipment ,however the localisation of some equipment can help the biogas industry gain some stability, says organic waste solutions company Logical Waste director Jason Gifford. It was a good time to import equipment over... →

BIO-PELLETS FUEL IN A BOILER The right equipment is a key aspect for successful projects

Industry must implement poultry sector transformation commitments, urges EBieSA

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th June 2021 The Emerging Black Importers and Exporters of South Africa (EBieSA) is calling on the domestic poultry industry to urgently implement the transformation commitments contained in the Poultry Master Plan. “To date, far fewer than 50 black contract farmers have been helped to secure access to... →

Smart irrigation tech grows presence in South African market

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th June 2021 Precision agriculture company SupPlant has raised $10-million to widen the reach of its smart irrigation technology in the South African market. The company partnered with private equity firm Boresight Capital, social impact fund Menomadin Foundation, Israel-listed Smart-Agro Fund and... →

SupPlant technology

Agri confidence reaches all time high of 75

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th June 2021 It has been quite some time since South Africa’s agricultural sector has had as good a season as the current one, Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) states in the latest Agbiz/Industrial Development Corporation Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI). The index reached a record high of 75 in the... →

John Deere showcases construction, forestry equipment for sub-Saharan Africa

By: Marleny Arnoldi 11th June 2021 Agricultural equipment giant John Deere has introduced its range of construction and forestry equipment to the sub-Saharan African market. Customers across the region can now benefit from the size and scale of the John Deere construction and forestry equipment line-up, including its motor grader... →

South African agriculture did quite well during the first quarter of this year – report

By: Rebecca Campbell 11th June 2021 The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) has reported that the country’s agricultural sector performed “relatively well” during the first quarter of this year (1Q21), in comparison to the same period last year (1Q20). According to BFAP’s calculations, the agricultural sector of the... →

Illovo, Jobs Fund project continues to reap rewards for community

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 9th June 2021 Four years in, the R127-million Small-Scale Grower Cane Development project has recorded notable successes, with over 860 sustainable jobs created and 3 000 ha of cane developed on communal land owned by small-scale growers. Moreover, the project has engendered benefits for members of the... →

South African citrus en route to Philippines after 12 years of negotiations

By: Donna Slater 8th June 2021 A delegation from the Citrus Growers’ Association of South Africa (CGA) visited the Port of Durban this week to send off the first South African shipment of citrus to the Philippines – a historic occasion that follows 12 years of negotiations between the two countries. The work plan to export... →

Steam generator reduces heat loss by 20%

By: Anna Moross 4th June 2021 Steam boiler supplier Steam Generation Africa, exclusive distributor of the CERTUSS steam generators, is testing the generators at a brewery in Ghana. →

CERTUSS STEAM GENERATOR The key objective of this project is to overcome the disadvantages of a firetube by installing a CERTUSS steam generator, which reduces heat loss by 20%

Port upgrade strengthens Horn of Africa trade

By: Halima Frost 4th June 2021 The Berbera port, operated and managed by multinational logistics company Dubai Ports (DP) World, is undergoing a multifaceted upgrade valued at $442-million. The upgrade will expand the port, as well as develop a logistical platform and a free zone to strengthen the port’s position as a key... →

SHIP SHAPE The upgrades to the Berbera port in Somaliland will allow for more containers and larger ships to dock

New tech to increase boiler inspection accuracy

By: Anna Moross 4th June 2021 Material testing and inspection services specialist DEKRA Industrial’s new non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection service – using the Fast Scanning Thickness- (FST-)Gage inspection technology – will place the company in a strong position as the leader in boiler and burner inspection in... →

FTS-GAUGE ON-SITE INSPECTION FST-Gage inspection technology is a high-priority initiative from DEKRA’s global Industrial Inspection Service division

Agriculture remains a star performer in the economy, but still needs govt support

By: Marleny Arnoldi 3rd June 2021 Agriculture’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) and employment is often underrated in South Africa, which particularly came to the fore at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, says Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP). During a Nedbank-hosted webinar on the... →

BFAP commodity markets manager Dr Tracy Davids discusses agri's performance in 2020

Report shows tax shrunk the sugar industry, says association

By: Schalk Burger 3rd June 2021 A report, commissioned by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) at the request of the Portfolio Committee of Trade and Industry, showed that, by 2019, the sugar tax had resulted in the sugar sector losing 9 154 jobs, – almost 10% of its workforce. Further, the tax resulted... →

Macadamia facility in Mpumalanga sets industry processing standard

By: Marleny Arnoldi 2nd June 2021 International food producer Marquis Macadamias, formerly known as Global Macadamia before a rebrand exercise, has built a new curing and processing facility in the Alkmaar region of Mpumalanga. It is considered one of the largest macadamia processing facilities globally and, at a local level,... →

Atlas shines light on world's vulnerable and critical rangelands

By: Donna Slater 28th May 2021 The Rangelands Atlas, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on May 27, reveals that 54% of the world’s land surface consists of vast tracts of land covered by grass, shrubs or sparse, hardy vegetation – rangelands – that supports millions of pastoralists, hunter-gatherers,... →

South African food price inflation continues upward

By: Rebecca Campbell 27th May 2021 Last month, South African food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) price inflation rose 6.3% year-on-year (April 2020-April 2021), the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) has reported in its “Food Inflation Brief – April 2020”, published this week. In month-on-month (March 2021-April... →

Transnet doubles Bethlehem grain rail haulage capacity, launches 2021 grain export season

27th May 2021 State-owned logistics company Transnet Freight Rail has increased its planned haulage of grain through the Bethlehem silo facility of VKB Agriculture by 133%, with 550 000 t of grains planned to be moved to South Africa’s ports for export. Creamer Media contributing editor Donna Slater tells us... →

Transnet doubles Bethlehem grain rail haulage capacity, launches 2021 grain export season

Late wine grape harvest serves up 1.4m tonnes

By: Marleny Arnoldi 24th May 2021 Industry organisation the South African Wine Industry Information and Systems says the 2021 wine grape crop totalled about 1.46-million tonnes, which was an 8.9% increase on the 2020 harvest. Industry body Vinpro consultation service manager Conrad Schutte adds that this year saw a much later... →

Sustainable aviation fuels could be major market for South African sugar cane sector

By: Rebecca Campbell 24th May 2021 A study has found that the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using ethanol derived from sugarcane is a viable major business opportunity for the South African sugarcane sector. The study was jointly undertaken by the South African Canegrowers Association (SA Canegrowers) and the... →

Ramaphosa hands over land, title deeds to Limpopo farmers

By: Yvonne Silaule 24th May 2021 President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Saturday, handed over R25.5-million worth of land and title deeds to members of the Tafelkop Farmers Association at Ga-Sekhukhune in the Limpopo’s Groblersdal district. The President was accompanied by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Tata International Africa to distribute John Deere products in Zambia

By: Irma Venter 21st May 2021 Tata International Africa has signed an agreement to distribute and support John Deere products in Zambia. “We are very proud to have been given this opportunity. We are also grateful to John Deere for showing confidence in us to represent the brand in another country on the continent,” Tata... →

Firms pledge R18m to help boost manufacturing in South Africa, rest of the continent

By: Irma Venter 21st May 2021 The advancement of manufacturing in South Africa and on the rest of the continent has received a boost from four South African manufacturers. JSE-listed groups Illovo Africa, Metair and The Foschini Group (TFG), as well as local vehicle manufacturer Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM), have pledged... →

Patel says vision for R200bn in additional localisation has top-level corporate backing

By: Terence Creamer 18th May 2021 Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel announced that an “accord” had been reached at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) to drive progressive localisation of up to R200-billion of additional production over a five-year period. Delivering his virtual... →

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel

Illovo subsidiary embarks on $239m sugar expansion project in Tanzania

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th May 2021 Tanzanian sugar producer Kilombero Sugar Company, in which Illovo Sugar Africa holds a 75% stake and the government a 25% interest, has approved a TSh571.6-billion, or about $238.5-million, expansion project. The expansion project, which is in alignment with Tanzania's policy to achieve... →

Transnet doubles capacity as it gears up for grain season

By: Marleny Arnoldi 17th May 2021 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has doubled the capacity available to transport grain from Bethlehem, in the Free State, by rail to the country's ports for export. The State-owned freight utility plans to move 550 000 t of export grain this season – which will be a 133% increase on the... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
VKB Agriculture loads Transnet grain wagons at its Bethlehem silo rail siding at the start of the grain export season on May 17

High feed costs, imports dent Astral’s interim performance

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th May 2021 Despite an increase in revenue for the six months ended March 31, integrated poultry producer Astral Foods’ results for the interim period mirrored the many challenges being faced by the poultry industry at large, including high feed input costs not recovered in broiler selling prices and... →

The world economy is suddenly running low on everything

By: Bloomberg 17th May 2021 A year ago, as the pandemic ravaged country after country and economies shuddered, consumers were the ones panic-buying. Today, on the rebound, it’s companies furiously stocking up. Mattress producers to car manufacturers to aluminum foil makers are buying more material than they need to survive... →

Sugar Masterplan starting to uplift industry – DTIC

By: Donna Slater 12th May 2021 The South African sugarcane industry has experienced a sharp decline in revenue and production in recent years, mainly as a result of cheap sugar imports that have flooded the local sugar market, as well as the Health Promotion Levy (HPL) or so-called sugar tax, that is threatening its future... →

Stellenbosch’s LaunchLab proves invaluable to agritech startup

By: Marleny Arnoldi 11th May 2021 What started as a homemade picking harness solution has grown into an agricultural company called Adagin Technologies that offer a full suite of high-tech solutions to help farmers monitor and optimise their operations. Adagin founder and joint MD FG Adriaanse says his first solution was borne... →

Solutions manage water scarcity challenges

By: Nadine Ramdass 7th May 2021 With the agriculture sector heavily relying on water to ensure that it can continue to function, more strategies have to be adopted and solutions applied to manage the effects of water-related challenges in the industry. “Water will need to be looked at differently, especially since agriculture... →

Chetan Mistry Water sustainability needs to be prioritised

Company ensures up-to-date machinery trends reach industry

By: Nadine Ramdass 7th May 2021 Engineering solutions provider BMG’s agricultural specialists work closely with farmers, to ensure they benefit from constantly changing trends in agricultural machinery. “Through BMG’s Boer Slim/Smart Farming initiative, which was launched about eight years ago, the company offers farming... →

FAVOURED CHAIN Aboutt 70% of baler OEMS choose the Tsubaki RS100HT Agri Baler Chain

Local mulchers have much to offer

By: Nadine Ramdass 7th May 2021 Local heavy machinery provider and manufacturer Wuhlf Equipment believes that industries should take advantage of its locally manufactured mulchers, as they can be used in various applications. Mulchers are machines used to cut, grind and clear vegetation. Clearing vegetation can result in... →

920 Mulcher Wuhlf manufactures local muchlers to suit every need

Additives increase livestock health, farm profits

By: Nadine Ramdass 7th May 2021 Manufacturing and minerals producer Pratley’s clinoptilolite-based livestock feed additives, Clinomix and Clinoxin, can increase the health of livestock, resulting in increased cost savings and profit for farmers. Clinoptilolite is a type of zeolite, which, in turn, is a crystalline aluminium... →

Pratley marketing manager Eldon Kruger discusses its new feedstock additives.

Sappi says recovery steady in second quarter as Ebitda climbs

By: Schalk Burger 6th May 2021 Pulp and paper producer Sappi says its operations are steadily recovering from the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the quarter ended March 31, its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) continued to improve to $112-million, compared with... →

Potatoes South Africa calls for more partnerships between commercial, small-scale producers

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th May 2021 Despite having proved resilience last year by producing 2.6-million tonnes, the South African potato industry is appealing to stakeholders to form more partnerships to drive growth and transformation. Potatoes South Africa (PSA) CEO Willie Jacobs highlights that the potato helped ensure food... →

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