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Farming Economics News

Third biennial food and drink exhibition to be held in 2018

By: Simone Liedtke 17th November 2017 Conceptualised as a “for Africa by Africa” event, exhibition company Messe München South Africa (SA) will host the third biennial food and drink technology Africa (fdt Africa) exhibition from September 4 to 6 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, next year. →

SAB entrepreneurship for employment initiative welcomed

17th November 2017 Business Unity South Africa (Busa) has welcomed South African Breweries (SAB’s) entrepreneurship campaign aimed at enabling South African entrepreneurs to create 10 000 jobs by 2021. →

SAB PROGRAMME The SAB entrepreneurial programme, which provides a package of support, was launched in September

Industry still suffers effects of drought

By: Simone Liedtke 17th November 2017 Although innovative production practices and a diversified geographic production area helped to buffer the effect of the drought on the 2017 harvest, wine industry body VinPro explains that insufficient rainfall in the winter months will undoubtedly have an effect on vine functionality and yield... →

DROUGHT EFFECTS As a result of the drought, the Western Cape has received 30% less rainfall than the amount needed at this stage

DCD success in winemaking opens new markets

17th November 2017 Having proven that its Disruptor technology is more than suitable for the winemaking and beer sectors, South African biotechnology company Green Cell Technologies (GCT), states that it has turned its attention to the lucrative fruit sugar concentrates market. →

LESS SUGAR Consumers are more informed about the effect of foodstuffs they consume and the growing demand for less sugary products

New Summerstrand-based ale house opened

By: Simone Liedtke 17th November 2017 Eastern Cape-based manufacturing micro-brewery Dockside Brewery opened its Dockside Ale House in Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, last month. →

GLOBAL STYLES Globally, there are more than thirty main styles of beer

Tank cleaning ensures quality batch, every time

By: Simone Liedtke 17th November 2017 Although tank cleaning is considered a ‘necessary evil’ for any producer in the wine, brewery and beverage industry, South Africa-based industrial nozzle, pump and filter supplier Spray Nozzle says tank cleaning is required between batches to ensure that a reliable, uncontaminated, high-quality... →

SPECIALIST PRODUCT The HydroClaw nozzle is a specialist nozzle which is best suited for the cleaning of tanks with high solids content

Value-for-money centrifugal pumps to change process

17th November 2017 The food and beverage industry is continuously looking for solutions to increase production efficiency with extremely high system pressure applications becoming more common, especially in typical reverse osmosis applications for whey, wine and beer filtration. →

UPCOMING AVAILABILITY Higher flow rates are expected to be available very soon

We should avoid radical rhetoric and policies on land – AgriSA

By: News24Wire 1st November 2017 AgriSA believes progress is being made in the land reform debate in South Africa and that the country should steer away from radical rhetoric and policies. These were the views of Dan Kriek, the president of AgriSA during the launch of its national land audit on Tuesday. →

Work drying up in Western Cape drought

By: News24Wire 26th October 2017 Red flags were raised over possible civil unrest in the Western Cape due to the predicted loss of around 50 000 jobs as the drought hammers the province's vital agricultural sector, a joint parliamentary committee sitting heard on Wednesday. "The impact on the economy is worse for the... →

Mahindra SA to start local assembly, move into tractor market

By: Irma Venter 13th October 2017 Mahindra South Africa (SA) should start local semi-knockdown assembly of its new generation Mahindra Pik Up and Bolero bakkie within the next six months, says Mahindra Automotive and Farm Equipment International Operations chief Arvind Mathew. “Local assembly is my number one priority,” he told... →

The new-generation Mahindra Pik Up

Global water insecurity calls for water infrastructure maintenance

13th October 2017 The growing funding gap to keep up with the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of ageing water infrastructure is a global concern, particularly in the current age of austerity, says global engineering firm Aurecon. The firm emphasises that new water systems need to be built to cope with... →

Photo by Bloomberg
FOOD INSECURITY Food is heavily reliant on water supply. Scarce water supply puts crops and livestock at risk

KZN local cane farmers rally together to survive

By: African News Agency 12th October 2017 South African sugar cane growers in Amatikulu, northern KwaZulu-Natal, have rallied together to raise enough capital to buy Unitrans’ assets in the two operational areas. Longstanding haulier Unitrans’ ceased cane haulage operations in their area, impacting the income of 50 commercial growers and... →

CoM shows off potential of rooftop agriculture in Johannesburg inner city

By: Ilan Solomons 11th October 2017 The Chamber of Mines (CoM) on Wednesday hosted the launch of the Urban Agriculture Initiative, which is aimed at creating a vibrant urban agricultural ecosystem by “innovatively” repurposing disused rooftops and making use of hydroponics and aquaponics to produce agricultural produce for... →

Photo by Chamber of Mines
The Chamber of Mines is participating in and has funded a pilot project to assess the feasibility of growing herbs and vegetables on the rooftops

Fresh produce market agents, association referred to Competition Tribunal for prosecution

By: Schalk Burger 11th October 2017 Fourteen fresh produce market agents and association, the Institute for Market Agents of South Africa, have been referred to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution in relation to charges of alleged price-fixing and fixing trading conditions in contravention of the Competition Act, the... →

AB InBev focusing on its public interest commitments as it celebrates one year as megabrewer

By: Schalk Burger 11th October 2017 Brewing multinational Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev has worked hard over the past year to meet its public interest commitments following the business combination with SAB in late 2016, SAB and AB InBev Africa zone president Ricardo Tadeu said in a statement on Wednesday. The public interest... →

DTI calls for resolution on outstanding Doha issues

By: Schalk Burger 10th October 2017 Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies on Tuesday called for outcomes to be developed for the outstanding issues of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). Davies was in Morocco attending the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Informal Ministerial Gathering, which was attended by Ministers from the 164... →

Low-skilled labour plan could provide solution to unemployment challenge

By: David Oliveira 8th September 2017 Industrial research and development engineering company Greville Wood Developments (GWD) is awaiting funding to recreate a 1986 manufacturing proof study and farming plan, called the Warrenton Plan, which could collectively create about 2 300 jobs in Warrenton, in the Northern Cape, then rolled... →

Clover warns of up to 67% drop in FY17 HEPS

By: Creamer Media Reporter 7th September 2017 Diary products manufacturer Clover has warned that its headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the financial year ended June 30 are likely to decrease by between 65% and 67% year-on-year as a result of the prolonged drought and rand volatility that resulted in above-inflation input costs. The... →

Poultry industry challenges, drought negatively impact on RCL Foods’ FY17 profit

By: Mia Breytenbach 30th August 2017 The widely reported challenges facing the local poultry industry and the performance of JSE-listed RCL Foods’ chicken business unit decimated the company’s profits in the financial year ended June 30, with the company reporting a 0.8% decrease in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and... →

Bloomberg

Disaster relief money starts flowing into Western Cape

By: News24Wire 29th August 2017 The Western Cape government has received the first tranche of the money it needs to cope with the devastating drought and fires in the province, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Des van Rooyen said on Tuesday. The first tranche of R34 866 263 was transferred on August 21... →

Water department proposes up to 14.6% increase in raw water tariffs for 2018/19

By: Mia Breytenbach 25th August 2017 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has proposed water tariffs for the 2018/19 financial year, with a proposed increase of up to 14.6% throughout the spectrum of raw water users. The DWS proposed the increase at its final national raw water consultation, held in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, on... →

Sustainable partnerships needed to ensure Africa’s food security

By: David Oliveira 18th August 2017 New approaches and sustainable partnerships are required to ensure food security for Africa’s rapidly urbanising population, says financial services provider Absa senior agricultural economist Wessel Lemmer. According to a January 2017 report by The Sustainable Development Goals Centre for... →

WESSEL LEMMER Achieving sustainable food security for urban and rural citizens remains an important priority for governments across Africa

Suspected avian flu outbreak in Western Cape

By: Natasha Odendaal 14th August 2017 Two ostrich farms in the Heidelberg area of the Western Cape have been placed under quarantine as authorities work to determine the possibility of an outbreak of the now widely-spread H5N8 avian influenza. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is leading the investigations to confirm if the... →

Western Cape’s agricultural growth to drive economy

By: Robyn Wilkinson 11th August 2017 Supported by the Western Cape government’s strategic initiatives to help farmers grow their crops – and their market share – the province’s official tourism, trade and investment agency Wesgro has successfully committed investments in the Western Cape agricultural sector of R1.56-billion over the... →

Photo by Bloomberg
UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT The Western Cape plays a key role in South Africa’s agricultural sector, with a unique rainfall pattern allowing for a mixture of agricultural activities

Small farms an economical option in South Africa

By: Robyn Wilkinson 11th August 2017 While many medium-sized farms have been unable to weather the challenges facing the South African agricultural industry and have consequently been absorbed by larger commercial farms, smaller farmers are proving that it is possible to generate a sustainable income from a modest operation through... →

MAXIMUM BENEFIT Hinomoto’s small-scale tractors ensure that farmland is used in the most efficient way possible, maximising yield sizes

Agricultural irrigation efficiency framework improves water use

By: Robyn Wilkinson 11th August 2017 Through intensive research, the Agricultural Research Council’s Institute for Agricultural Engineering has developed a framework to improve water efficiency in agricultural irrigation systems in South Africa, which reassesses the methods traditionally used to measure a system’s efficiency and... →

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT With effective water management and good subsurface drainage, soil health conditions can be created for irrigation farming to assist with food security in South Africa

Creative farming methods ensure sustainability

By: Robyn Wilkinson 11th August 2017 Amid extreme weather, regulatory barriers and import competition, South African farmers need to think creatively about farming practices – not only to reduce costs but also preserve an environment that is struggling under the pressures of a growing global population, says agriculture... →

PLANT PROTECTION Haygrove’s multispan polytunnel structure provides a controlled environment for the aquaponic and hydroponic systems

AgriProtein assessing two new fly-farming sites in South Africa

By: Irma Venter 11th August 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... →

Equipment drives farming sustainability

By: Robyn Wilkinson 11th August 2017 Forward-thinking livestock farmers who are willing to embrace the use of new equipment in their operations will forge a way forward amid the economic and ecological hardships facing South Africa’s agricultural industry, says Johannesburg-based industrial equipment provider Vermeer Equipment... →

BETTER FEED The Vermeer R2300 basket rake ensures a cleaner forage, increasing the production value of dairy and beef cattle

Stakeholder support integral to urban farming in S Africa

By: Robyn Wilkinson 11th August 2017 While the appetite for urban farming exists in South Africa, more needs to be done to motivate stakeholders from both the private and public sectors to play a role in creating and growing successful projects that can be translated into sustainable investments, say engineering and infrastructure... →

Photo by Bloomberg
MODERN FARMING Wheat grass and other leafy greens are being grown in vertical farming units in China created out of retrofitted shipping containers

Think-tank hands over title deeds to residents of Western Cape town

By: Ilan Solomons 11th August 2017 Think tank the Free Market Foundation’s (FMF’s) Khaya Lam land reform project last month handed over the latest batch of title deeds to residents in the town of Grabouw, in the Western Cape, thereby taking the project’s total title deed handover tally to 1 360. Khaya Lam project manager Perry... →

Khaya Lam Land Reform project manager Perry Feldman discusses the Free Market Foundation’s project.

Agriculture a significant growth area for Africa

By: Anine Kilian 31st July 2017 Agriculture is the largest economic growth sector for Africa, New Partnership for Africa's Development business foundation CEO Lynette Chen said at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialisation Week on Monday. She pointed out that less than 10% of arable land in Africa was... →

US farm equipment maker looking to Africa for future growth

By: Donna Slater 28th July 2017 US-based agricultural equipment manufacturer and supplier Agco is directing a large portion of its future growth potential into Africa, specifically South Africa, as a key market going forward. →

FUTURE FARM One of Agco’s Future Farm’s responsibilities is to teach aspiring tractor technicians how to service Agco-distributed tractors

With drought threatening food security, farmers turn to drip irrigation

By: Anine Kilian 21st July 2017 With the recent drought in Southern Africa compounding the unpredictable impact of climate change on food production, local farmers are converting to drip irrigation in an attempt to conserve water, using less to produce more, according to Crookes Brother’s Limited (CBL) MD Guy Clarke. During a... →

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

Farmers still face headwinds despite return to growth

By: David Oliveira 14th July 2017 Despite the recent positive news from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) indicating that the agriculture sector had increased 22.2% in the first quarter of 2017 and that a record maize harvest is on the horizon for this year, the recent sovereign downgrades by credit agencies and news that the... →

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

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