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Agriculture News

Hempcrete advantageous for construction

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 31st July 2020 Hempcrete provides several advantages when used for the construction of a building, says Cape Town-based architecture firm Wolf and Wolf Architecture founder and principal Wolf Wolf. Hempcrete is a fully biodegradable material that comprises hemp hurds – the woody core removed during processing... →

Without infrastructure and manufacturing, AfCFTA will fall short – senior African policymaker

By: Terence Creamer 28th July 2020 An Ethiopian senior minister and special adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has cautioned that, without major infrastructure investment and the development of manufacturing capacity, African countries will not be in a position to take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade... →

Dr Arkebe Oqubay speaking during virtual TIPS 2020 Fourm meeting

South African wine industry questions alcohol ban

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 23rd July 2020 Stellenbosch Wine Routes and about 300 wineries in South Africa, together with Visit Stellenbosch, are supporting an official legal application requesting evidence from the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to explain the reintroduction of a blanket ban on the domestic... →

Agri SA calls for contributions to R1bn food drive

By: Marleny Arnoldi 23rd July 2020 Industry association Agri SA has called on government and the private sector to contribute to a R1-billion food drive initiative. The association says that, with winter putting strain on food systems and with Covid-19 and general economic conditions leaving many households food insecure, a... →

TPT facilitates export of higher-than-expected volumes of citrus

By: Donna Slater 22nd July 2020 State-owned port operator Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) is tracking ahead of a planned 13% increase in citrus export volumes across four of its 19 terminals this year. In the face of Covid-19, actual citrus volumes are 29.4% higher across all terminals combined when compared with 2019 volumes. →

A forklift manoeuvres a reefer unit

Agri SA bemoans agriculture programme budget cuts

By: Marleny Arnoldi 22nd July 2020 Industry body Agri SA says the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development’s salary bill should be cut by a higher amount rather than the cuts announced in funding for programmes for food security, land reform, production aid, infrastructure and rural development. “Scaling down... →

IFC exceed 2019 fiscal commitments with $4.6bn invested

By: Donna Slater 22nd July 2020 IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, committed $5.6-billion to private sector development in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa in fiscal year 2020, supporting businesses across the two regions to launch, grow, provide jobs and fight the impacts of the global Covid-19 pandemic. IFC is a... →

Reduced agricultural budget compounds food insecurity in SA

By: African News Agency 22nd July 2020 The South African Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development received its budget allocation for the 2020/2021 financial year. This follows the national budget vote in February by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the received amount of... →

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza

Study calls for extension of moratorium on transport height restrictions

By: Irma Venter 21st July 2020 Many South African industries, especially the fruit industry, could suffer major financial losses if they are not allowed to transport their goods in high-cube containers beyond June, next year, indicates a new Master’s degree study. This is when government’s seven-year moratorium (running from... →

Tiffany Adams

Invicta sells agricultural equipment businesses

By: Marleny Arnoldi 20th July 2020 Investment holding and management company Invicta Holdings will sell four businesses owned by its subsidiary Humulani Marketing to CNH Industrial. The businesses being sold are Northmec, NHSA, CSE and Landboupart. →

Drones used to combat spread of water-sapping alien trees in semi-arid Karoo

By: Donna Slater 17th July 2020 Drones are being used by the agricultural community in the Western Cape, and more specifically the semi-arid Karoo region, where water resources are under strain, to fight invasive and water-hungry alien plant species. Southern Cape Landowners Initiative’s (SCLI’s) Cobus Meiring explains that,... →

Kammanassie farmer Morné Jonker with the drone sprayer used to fight alien vegetation

Drones Council launched to expedite advancement of regulatory environment

By: Donna Slater 15th July 2020 The Drone Council South Africa (DCSA) was launched on July 15 with its first webinar to update global stakeholders in the private and public sectors on progress being made in the drones industry, both internationally and in South Africa. The DCSA was formed in part to address South Africa’s... →

Rising imports could jeopardise local agricultural economy, says Agri SA

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 13th July 2020 Industry organisation Agri SA has called on government to be vigilant around produce trade. Globally, the decline in demand for agricultural produce has resulted in stock surpluses and over-capacitated storage facilities, it says. →

Poultry industry requires threefold structural reforms

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 10th July 2020 The poultry industry in the country requires three structural changes to grow and contribute further to the country’s economy and overcome internal challenges, as well as the external challenge of cheap imports. This was indicated by National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) chief economic... →

Chicken producer lends support to food drive in Pretoria

By: Simone Liedtke 7th July 2020 A collaboration between the chicken industry and nonprofit organisations (NGOs) WeCan and Atterbury Trust has delivered hope to 222 vulnerable families in Pretoria in the form of food parcels. According to principal Erich Cloete, several of the families whose children attend Westerlig Primary... →

Tech solution enhances water security in S Africa

By: Halima Frost 3rd July 2020 The self-automated scour gate is a technology which has been developed and refined by local water engineering contractors Amanziflow Projects to promote water security. Amanziflow Projects MD Peter Townshend says many projects have been conducted by the company in the Southern African Development... →

WATER GATE The scour gate developed by Amanziflow allows for the effective flushing of sediment from a dam increasing its storage capacity

Transnet undertakes upgrades at various terminals

By: Marleny Arnoldi 2nd July 2020 Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has prepared for a 13% increase in citrus volumes this year, with new equipment being set up to boost operations at the Port Elizabeth, Durban and Ngqura container terminals. This follows the Citrus Growers Association’s forecast that new orchards coming into... →

Nampo Harvest Day show goes virtual

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 30th June 2020 Agricultural industry body Grain SA has had to make changes to its plans for this year's Nampo Harvest Day, which has been bringing the agriculture sector together for almost six decades. The 2020 Nampo Harvest Day show, which will be the fifty-fourth edition of this agricultural trade show, will... →

Labat Africa reports investor interest as South Africa publishes medical cannabis notice

By: Schalk Burger 29th June 2020 JSE-listed medical cannabis investment holding company Labat Africa on June 29 said South Africa’s changing cannabis regulation was helping it to attract investor interest. "In another clear indication that the South African government views the emerging cannabis sector as a priority, Notice R586... →

Local company involved in Malawi railway link

26th June 2020 This year, environmental consulting engineers JG Afrika completed hydrological, topographical, sedimentation and climate studies to assist the Malawian government in rebuilding railway infrastructure. This was done in an area of the country that is prone to devastating floods. →

FLOOD TOIL TEARS AND SWEAT Floods caused significant erosion and wash away damage on several sections of the railway line that are in close proximity to the river

Land Bank to get additional R3bn in extra budget, nothing for other SOEs

By: African News Agency 24th June 2020 South Africa's National Treasury on Wednesday said it would allocate an additional R3-billion to the recapitalise the Land Bank, but said no other in-year spending adjustments were proposed for state-owned companies in budget adjustments related to the Covid-19 crisis. In a supplementary budget... →

Zoetis believes precision animal farming innovation can help advance sector

By: Marleny Arnoldi 24th June 2020 As agriculture will play a critical role in the economic recovery of South Africa in the wake of Covid-19, animal health company Zoetis intends to introduce various innovations to help local farmers increase their productivity. Zoetis South Africa business unit director Dr Ralf Patzelt explains... →

Infrastructure key to agriculture's future

By: Marleny Arnoldi 23rd June 2020 For agriculture to become a greater contributor to the economy and to better ensure food security, industry experts agree that the country needs investment into infrastructure and this, in turn, needs a targeted approach. Speaking during a session at the inaugural Sustainable Infrastructure... →

Huletts Sugar joins Proudly South African

By: Simone Liedtke 22nd June 2020 Sugar manufacturer Tongaat Hulett Sugar is the latest large corporation to join Proudly South African (SA) and become part of the “buy local” movement. For over 128 years, Huletts has been a local company and is a key player in the sugar industry that has created 65 000 direct jobs and about 350... →

Benefits of investment in biofuels twofold

By: Halima Frost 19th June 2020 The South African biogas sector can attract up to R250-billion in local and international investment and contribute to a 15% reduction in the total greenhouse-gas emissions generated by the country, says Southern African Biogas Industry Association (Sabia) general secretary Alberto Borello. “The... →

Tongaat Hulett to sell eSwatini sugarcane estate

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th June 2020 JSE-listed Tongaat Hulett will sell its Tambankulu Estates asset in eSwatini to that country's Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) for R375-million. Tongaat Hulett CEO Gavin Hudson says the sale of Tambankulu is fully aligned with the company’s turnaround plan and will allow the group to further... →

Agribusiness confidence falls to the lowest level since the 2008/9 financial crisis

By: Simone Liedtke 15th June 2020 The Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz)/Industrial Development Corporation Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) has fallen from the 50-point mark in the first quarter of the year to 39 index points in the second quarter. This marks the lowest level since the third quarter of... →

Danakali bullish about sulphate of potash demand growth beyond Covid-19

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th June 2020 ASX- and LSE-listed Danakali is cautiously optimistic about the food markets globally, despite uncertainty owing to Covid-19, and thanks to the sector’s resilience to the crisis. CEO Niels Wage tells Mining Weekly that global food production prospects are positive, stocks are high,... →

Danakali CEO Niels Wage discusses sulphate of potash market prospects and the Colluli project

John Deere launches digital show in lieu of conferences

By: Marleny Arnoldi 12th June 2020 Agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere sub-Saharan Africa has launched an online programme called Tech Terrain, which will bring industry experts together to share their insights on a weekly basis. This comes in light of many major agricultural shows having been postponed or cancelled... →

Tribunal approves GEPF's acquisition of minor stake in Alzu Agri

By: Marleny Arnoldi 12th June 2020 The Competition Tribunal has unconditionally approved the transaction whereby the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) will acquire a minority shareholding in Alzu Agri. Represented by the Public Investment Corporation, the GEPF administers pensions and other benefits on behalf of... →

Circular economy offers many benefits

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 12th June 2020 The move towards a circular economy model away from the traditional linear approach can assist companies in reducing carbon emissions and other environmental impacts associated with their operations, says sustainability consulting firm The Green House director Brett Cohen. “A circular economy... →

BRETT COHEN A circular economy will, amongst other benefits, reduce the amount of raw material used and incorporate more recycled and reused products

Solidarity opposes retrenchments at Agricultural Research Council

By: Marleny Arnoldi 9th June 2020 Trade union Solidarity is in talks with the Agricultural Research Council (Arc) about the best possible solution around the council’s impending retrenchments, which the union believes could pose a direct threat to South Africa’s food security. This follows after the union received a letter from... →

AfDB launches programmes to bolster Africa's food security

By: Donna Slater 9th June 2020 The African Development Bank (AfDB) has unveiled a strategic roadmap of projects and programmes to assist African countries in tackling the nutrition and food security aspects of the Covid-19 crisis. The Feed Africa Response to Covid-19 (Farec) paves the way for a comprehensive intervention to... →

Uralkali commits support for African farmer aid initiative

By: Marleny Arnoldi 8th June 2020 Russian potash mining company Uralkali has joined the Action Africa: Thriving Farms, Thriving Future initiative that is funded by Norwegian fertiliser producer Yara. The initiative is backed by the United Nations World Food Programme and is supported by a number of African industry associations... →

Agri SA welcomes gov’s extended drought relief

By: Marleny Arnoldi 5th June 2020 Industry association Agri South Africa (Agri SA) has welcomed an announcement by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma that the drought relief available for farmers will be extended for a further month. The industry made this request to the Minister... →

Sappi aligns to World Environment Day 2020 #ForNature theme

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th June 2020 Pulp and paper company Sappi says the lockdowns implemented across the world to help curb the spread of Covid-19 have brought to light the need to make 'Time for Nature’, which is also the theme for this year’s World Environment Day, on June 5. ‘Time for Nature’ focuses on the role nature plays... →

Oceana records solid interim results

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 4th June 2020 Fishing company Oceana Group delivered a resilient operating performance for the six months ended March 31. Group revenue was up 2% to R3.63-billion, primarily owing to a 3% increase in revenue by its African operations, an increase in cold storage occupancy levels and the favourable impact of... →

Imraan Soomra

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