Research done by the KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture Union (Kwanalu) found that the province’s rural employment and economy are being threatened by the demands of the new national minimum wage. The 9,6% increase in the national minimum wage that recently took effect does not consider the “considerable pressure” it places on the South African agricultural sector in […]
As a third-generation farmer, Hlobisile Yende follows in the footsteps of her father and grandfather. Since starting farming full-time three years ago without formal experience, Hlobisile has learnt a lot through her father’s teachings, participation in agricultural groups, and online research. Peter Mashala visited her on her family farm in Heidelberg. The Covid-19 pandemic in […]
Crime syndicates have such a strong hold on the countryside in North West that many farmers forego a 5% discount on early delivery of inputs rather than risk having them stolen from their sheds. This is the second time in four months that he has been hit by input thieves. So says a farmer from […]
There is no excuse for either the government or private citizens who own rural land to neglect their responsibilities for the prevention and management of wildfires and the devastation they cause. The devastation, death and trauma resulting from a 25 000-hectare wildfire that tore through part of North West at the end of July may […]
The regenerative agriculture conference in Reitz discussed this agricultural practice in-depth. One of the pioneers of regenerative agriculture in the eastern Free State, Danie Slabbert, shared some of the Riemland study group’s findings over the past 13 years. Regenerative agriculture aims to be more profitable per hectare rather than chasing yields. Slabbert said the transition […]
With careful planning, cotton can provide a healthy cash injection for farmers in the drier summer rainfall regions of North West and the Northern Cape. Northern Cape and North West farmers who plant cotton within a crop rotation programme can be successful. This is according to Jozeph du Plessis, a member of Grain SA’s executive […]
In 2019, the Citrus Growers Association launched a R307-million programme to support black growers in partnership with the Jobs Fund, the Land Bank, the Department of Agriculture, AgriSETA, the Lima Rural Development Foundation and FNB. Over the past three years, just over R161.3 million of this funding has been approved and R78.9 million has been […]
Dukathole, a hydroponic farm that grows vegetables in KwaZulu-Natal, was founded by Nkanyiso Ngubane and Ntokozo Biyela to bring hope and nourishment to neighbouring communities. Since its establishment in 2014, the initiative has supported the local economy and improved food security. The hydroponic project in Albert Falls, KwaZulu-Natal, grows a variety of vegetables – mainly […]
The world’s first citrus facility that simultaneously serves as a warehouse, cold storage and container depot was recently officially opened in the Eastern Cape. “This type of development is essential if the industry wants to achieve Vision 260 (the sustainable export of 260 million cartons by 2032),” said Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ […]
Retail chains that engage in backward integration, such as Pick n Pay, which is acquiring Tomis Group with its Western Cape feedlot and abattoir, are a novelty in South Africa and can be advantageous for the red meat industry and the market in general. Laurie Terblanche, CEO of Tomis, believes such backward integration ventures can […]
