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Farming Economics News

Urban agriculture pilot project hints at potential

16th March 2017 The vegetable garden on the roof of the Kotze street shelter, in Braamfontein, is part of a pilot project series of urban gardens to improve food security for the more vulnerable people in the city. Schalk Burger has the story. →

Global agriculture innovators vie for top honours at Future Agro Challenge awards

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 13th March 2017 Two South African innovators in the agriculture industry, Reel Gardening and Meat Naturally, will on Wednesday battle it out against 48 other agripreneurs for the title of Agripreneur of the Year. As part of agriculture innovation hub Future Agro Challenge’s (FAC’s) Global Championships, held in... →

FAC co-founder Carla Tanas speaks about the background of the awards. Video and editing: Nicholas Boyd 13/03/17

Tongaat’s sugar, maize output to rise on improved rainfall

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 10th March 2017 Tongaat Hulett’s sugar production is expected to increase significantly over the next two years, as the company recovers from the adverse conditions, including drought, in the past two years. Based on good rainfall, the agriculture and agroprocessing business’s South African division is expected... →

Government won’t allow poultry industry to be ‘decimated’ - Davies

By: Terence Creamer 2nd March 2017 Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies is adamant that government will not stand by while its poultry industry is “decimated”, but acknowledges that there are also issues of industry competitiveness that should be addressed. Speaking this week during the Economic Sectors, Employment and... →

Poultry workers and management during a recent march to the EU Delegation in Pretoria, to protest the dumping of bone-in chicken

Chicken imports contribute to 21.9% decrease in RCL Foods’ interim Ebitda

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 24th February 2017 The widely reported issues facing the domestic poultry industry have significantly decimated JSE-listed RCL Foods’ profits, with the company reporting a 21.9% decrease in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) to R900.4-million for the six months ended December... →

Diverse technologies combine to offer ‘smart’ ways of improving farm yields

By: Donna Slater 24th February 2017 Consulting firm Frost & Sullivan’s science team finds that factors such as information and communications technology (ICT), chemicals, hydroponics and aquaculture inputs are augmenting profits for farmers. →

Association highlights the negative impact of poultry imports on the feed industry

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 23rd February 2017 Poultry meat imported into South Africa during 2016 displaced around 1.5-million tonnes of broiler feed, worth an estimated R8.2-billion or the equivalent of 15 medium-sized feed mills, which could have been locally manufactured, Animal Feed Manufacturers Association of South Africa (AFMA) said... →

DAFF nears end of drought relief funding programme

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 20th February 2017 The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) on Monday said delivery and distribution of feed, which forms part of its R212-million drought relief programme, is almost complete in the provinces, excluding Gauteng, that were declared as drought disaster regions. The department last... →

Fly farm venture AgriProtein signs deal for 25 fly farms a year

By: Irma Venter 10th February 2017 Austria-based engineering group Christof Industries has partnered with waste-to-nutrient company AgriProtein to build up to 25 fly farms a year. AgriProtein rears fly larvae (on an industrial scale) on organic waste and harvests the larvae to make natural, high-protein animal feed products. →

AgriProtein's fly farm in Cape Town

Minimum wage results in certainty for agriculture sector – AgriSA

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 10th February 2017 South Africa’s agriculture sector will, as from March this year, start paying its labourers R15.39 an hour, as per the long-anticipated new national minimum wage that was announced by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa this week. “This brings certainty for agriculture regarding the remuneration... →

EU rebuffs South African claim of chicken imports being cause of industry distress

By: Terence Creamer 31st January 2017 The European Union (EU) is strongly contesting arguments that its chicken exports to South Africa are the main cause of the current distress in the industry, asserting that “structural” problems in the South African industry are the main reason for its lack of competitiveness. Ambassador Marcus... →

Photo by Duane Daws
EU Ambassador Marcus Cornaro

Poultry task team makes progress in finding solutions to sector challenges

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 27th January 2017 A poultry sector task team established by the South African government to deal with the challenges facing the domestic poultry industry has made “significant progress” across various work streams, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Friday. Domestic poultry producers continue to... →

Excessive imports of grain hurting local farmers – Grain SA

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 27th January 2017 Grain farmers association Grain SA has called for greater transparency in the reporting of import and export contracts, as local producers' competitiveness was being hampered by unchecked imports. “Currently there is no mechanism to report import and export contracts. This is totally one-sided... →

New sewer pipeline to relieve pressure on existing works

By: Simone Liedtke 27th January 2017 Dube TradePort will construct the 6-km-long Hlawe river sewer pipeline, which will link the Dube TradePort precinct to the existing Tongaat Wastewater Treatment Works, service the northern part of the TradePort precinct and relieve pressure on the wastewater works. →

DUBE TRADEPORT The Dube AgriZone is intended to act as a catalyst for high-value agribusiness in Kwa-Zulu Natal

Wine industry under pressure amid subdued economy

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 20th January 2017 While the local wine market has grown more than 14%, or by 50-million litres, over the past two years, to more than 400-million litres at the end of December, continued pressure on the local economy could hamper the industry’s future growth. The wine industry is currently in a slump, with only... →

Scientists use high-tech methods to deliver accurate agricultural information

By: Schalk Burger 20th January 2017 Scientists at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) are using high-technology methods to provide accurate information and research for the agricultural sector, such as the use of genomics to significantly and rapidly improve breeding of animals and plants, and using high precision mapping to... →

STANDARDISED PRECIPITATION INDEX 2010 – 2014 The gradual shift in dry areas can be observed on the 36-month time scale from June 2010 to June 2014

Consumers will find relief in maize, chicken prices; red meat prices to rise

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th January 2017 Maize production in the current season, which ends in April, is estimated to reach more than 12-million tonnes, up from the 7.5-million tonnes in the previous season, which could bring some relief to consumers. “The good rainfalls South Africa has experienced since October last year has restored... →

SA fly-farm venture secures funding for global expansion

By: Irma Venter 12th January 2017 Cape Town-based waste-to-protein producer AgriProtein says it has secured $17.5-million of further capital from its key strategic partners to fund the company’s expansion into Europe, North America and Asia. The new investment values the fly-farming venture at more than $117-million. The new... →

The Black Soldier fly

Eskom business competition boosts local agriculture business

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th December 2016 A Makhado-based agriculture outfit, the Vhumatshelo Crop Farming Cooperative, has received a R450 000 grant, from the Limpopo Department of Social Development (DSD), to further grow their operations, The cooperative was recognised after performing well in their category in the yearly Eskom... →

Fawu promises protests against poultry imports in 2017

By: African News Agency 17th December 2016 The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) on Friday promised to continue mass protests against poultry imports in 2017, dismissing a recent import tariff hike as being too little, too late. Fawu national secretary Katisha Masemola said in a statement released on Friday that it welcomed a recently... →

Southern Africa faces worst drought in decades

By: African News Agency 8th December 2016 Nearly 14-million people in southern Africa are in need of emergency humanitarian assistance as the region faces the worst El Nino induced drought in decades. United Nations (UN humanitarian agencies and partners launched a revised action plan to outlining their response to the needs of an... →

RCL Foods, union protest against rising chicken imports

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 7th December 2016 RCL Foods on Wednesday joined the Food and Allied Workers Union in a march in Pietermartizburg to protest against the ongoing threats to job security as a result of what it says is the increased dumping of imported chicken on the South African market. Some 350 protesters marched from the Mayors... →

Project Solaris starts first local seed selection

1st December 2016 South African seed selection for research and development company Sunchem’s solaris crop – a nicotine-free tobacco variety that yields significant amounts of sustainable oil for biojet fuel feedstock – has started taking place locally for the first time since the launch of Project Solaris in 2014. →

Project Solaris starts first local seed selection

Agribusiness to face several challenges in the new year – Agbiz

By: Anine Kilian 25th November 2016 The South African agribusiness environment will be faced with various challenges in 2017, especially in terms of engaging with key land reform legislation, according to Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) CEO Dr John Purchase, who delivered an agricultural industry forecast for 2017 on Friday.... →

Signs of hope in South Africa’s struggling agriculture sector

By: Anine Kilian 25th November 2016 The agriculture sector contributes about 1.6% to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), below the 2.2% contribution that is needed for the sector to remain sustainable, Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) CEO Dr John Purchase said on Friday. Addressing delegates at a conference focused on... →

AGbiz CEO John Purchase talks to Engineering New Online about land reform and the redistribution of land. Camerawork and Editing: Nicholas Boyd.

Inside the South Africa leg of Unilever’s globally recognised push for sustainability

By: Donna Slater 25th November 2016 For the third consecutive year, consumer goods manufacturer Unilever has been rated as the Number 1 Top Employer in the manufacturing sector as well as the Number 1 Top Employer in the fast moving consumer goods sector in Africa by the Top Employers Institute. →

Investing in climate resilience will be key to improving prospects for drought-prone farming sector

By: Mia Breytenbach 28th October 2016 With several weather institutions expressing cautious optimism that South Africa could receive normal, or even above-normal, rainfall towards mid-summer – that is between December and January – there is a degree of optimism that the embattled local agriculture sector could rebound in 2017. In... →

‘Devastating’ black frost hits Cape vineyards

By: African News Agency 20th October 2016 Farmers in the Breedekloof Wine Valley in South Africa were still assessing the damage on Thursday following a night of widespread black frost, described as “the most devastating frost the valley has seen in 21 years”, a week before. Black frost occurs when the temperature falls below zero but... →

Farm safety under the spotlight at AgriSA Congress

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 13th October 2016 To further bolster agricultural industry association Agri SA’s efforts to protect farmers and prevent farm attacks, financial services group Santam has donated R250 000 to Agri SA’s Securitas Trust Fund. The fund supports farming communities financially to combat crime, while raising awareness in... →

Land reform ignites debate at Agri SA congress

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 13th October 2016 If government wants to successfully proceed with its land reform programme, while enjoying the support of the wider agricultural community, a number of steps need to be taken, Agri SA's agricultural development policy committee chairperson Ernest Pringle put forth at the 2016 Agri SA Congress on... →

Govt needs to take agriculture seriously, urges Agri SA’s Moller

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 13th October 2016 Agriculture and food security need to become priorities on government’s agenda, as it has a significant impact on the economy, says Agri SA president Johannes Moller. “We view food security as one of the State’s primary responsibilities, and we would expect policy and economic application to be... →

Rooibos, Honeybush among South Africa’s most widely commercially cultivated plant products

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 4th October 2016 Rooibos and Honeybush, which are both endemic to South Africa, are among the most widely commercially cultivated botanical species originating in the country, with more than 300 trademarks and 20 patents to their names, which is why they have been singled out as local treasures, according to... →

Monsanto opens revamped plant breeding centre

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 30th September 2016 Sustainable agriculture company Monsanto on Friday opened its R15-million renovated breeding centre, in Petit, near Benoni. The breeding centre is located on a 300 ha maize farm and hosts new offices, which are more than double the size of the original office, and an audiovisual boardroom that... →

Monsanto South Africa breeding leader Kiru Pillay speaks about the new centre

Futuregrowth lifts Land Bank lending freeze

By: Terence Creamer 26th September 2016 The Land Bank announced on Monday that Futuregrowth Asset Management had, with immediate effect, lifted a lending suspension controversially imposed on the bank, as well as five other State-owned companies (SoCs), on August 31. Besides the Land Bank, Futuregrowth also froze any new lending to the... →

Land Bank CEO TP Nchocho

Sugar tax to leave secondary industries desolate – association

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 20th September 2016 The South African Sugar Association (Sasa) has called on the National Treasury to reconsider its intention to introduce a tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) by April next year, saying that, not only will it have an adverse effect on the beverages industry, but also widespread ramifications... →

Agribusiness confidence index experiences uptick in Q3

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th September 2016 After remaining below 50 index points for five consecutive quarters, the Agbiz/Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Agribusiness Confidence Index recovered significantly by 13 index points to 60 in the third quarter of this year. This is the highest reading since the third quarter of 2014. An... →

Commercial bamboo production may have biofuel potential

By: Donna Slater 16th September 2016 According to Africa-focused bamboo technology company Afribam, growing bamboo commercially could create biofuel possibilities for commercial power generation and serve to sequestrate a percentage of carbon emitted by the same power generation facilities. →

Bamboo specialist Adrian Sutton tells Engineering News about the opportunities of commercially growing bamboo. Camerawork and Editing: Nicholas Boyd.

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