Rand-Air is ‘pumping’ in the agricultural sector!
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Modernising water infrastructure: what will it take to address the water challenges in Africa?
JOHANNESBURG, SA, Water is a critical resource and has a tremendous impact on Africa’s development. Unfortunately, climate change, together with a soaring population, has led to an increase in the demand for water – a demand that in many countries, outstrips the available resources. As the availability of water declines, the facilitation of water for domestic consumption, agriculture and other uses is becoming critical, as is the modernising of water infrastructure to meet the growing demand. Bear in mind that Africa is a continent with 1.2 billion people, and a…
Read MoreIs the coronavirus outbreak a risk for South Africa’s agriculture?
There is a strong sense of unease in the world right now. The coronavirus outbreak in China is fast spreading across Asia and other regions, and the health implications present risks for global value chains. From a macroeconomic perspective, we have already seen organisations such as the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development slashing growth forecasts for the year. Some of the economic data released in China this week was quite weak. In my own world of the agricultural economy, I have started to pick up concerns from various stakeholders…
Read MoreSummer crops: SA farmers set for a good year
South African summer crop farmers are expecting a bigger harvest this year. This is despite the 2019/20 production season starting on a negative footing with delayed rainfall across the country. Summer crops include white maize, yellow maize, sunflowers and soybeans. Preliminary planting data from the National Crop Estimate Committee (CEC) shows 2019/20 summer crop area at 3.97 million hectares. Read: South Africa’s maize planting area seen up 9% on good rains South Africa’s major summer crop plantings Source: Agbiz Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agriculture Business Chamber (Agbiz), says the recent increase…
Read MoreSouth Africa launches poultry masterplan
South Africa is competitive in the global poultry industry and produces chicken at the 6th lowest price per kilo in the world. The introduction of a new poultry sector masterplan in the country, announced by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), aims to stimulate local demand, boost exports and protect the domestic chicken industry. The poultry masterplan takes into account several systemic and other problems in the industry. The main objectives of the plan centre on driving local demand and protecting the local industry, feed costs (primarily maize and…
Read MoreStandard Bank Group to Use Digital Tech to Boost Agriculture Across Africa
Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe’s parent company, Standard Bank Group, is looking to use new digital technologies to boost Agricultural yields across Africa countries. Standard Bank says with almost all available arable land in the Americas, Europe and Asia already productively farmed using the most developed agricultural techniques, Africa presents a major opportunity to meet the 70 percent increase in global food demand expected by 2050. The bank says given that Africa has 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, adoption of intelligent use of data enabled by new digital technologies…
Read MoreKenyan farmers embrace mushroom cultivation amid rising demand
INTERNATIONAL – Issuing instructions to two young men working on his mushroom project inside a garage behind his house, John Kuru, a retired Kenyan army officer fills in a chart he has been using to monitor the progress. Kuru retreated back to his ancestral village in central Kenya two years ago where most people depend on farming for a living. He is also a farmer but is practicing it differently. Unlike his neighbors’ farms that are teeming with potato crop ready for harvest, his 12-acre farm lies fallow. “You must…
Read MorePartnerships in agriculture are more important than ever
CAPE TOWN – Food security, together with adequate nutrition, is a matter of life or death at one end of the market, while good agricultural practices are necessities at the other. Whether it’s food in abundance or eco-friendly food production – partnerships in agriculture are now more important than ever. Agriculture in South Africa has yet to achieve its full potential for a variety of reasons. And this year’s Nampo Cape exhibition comes at an important moment, as the industry has grown significantly since the drought of 2015. Recognising the…
Read MoreGovernment honours women entrepreneurs in agriculture, forestry and fisheries
JOHANNESBURG – The department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries has honoured female entrepreneurs in the sector for their role in ensuring food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth. At an event held during women’s month in South Africa, the department in partnership with Total South Africa hosted the 20th annual female entrepreneur awards in Cape Town on Thursday night, where honours were given to the best female worker, subsistence producer and the top entrepreneurs in the smallholder, procession, commercial and export sectors. The department said this year’s theme…
Read MoreGauteng could be SA’s next Day Zero region, agriculture forum hears
Gauteng is the next potential Day Zero region in South Africa if it is hit by another drought, according to Mike Muller, adjunct professor at the University of the Witwatersrand School of Governance. Speaking at the Agri SA Water Symposium in Somerset West on Monday, he said a report on what to do to avoid Day Zero in Gauteng was already brought to the attention of authorities in the province a year ago. Prioritise farming “The Cape Town water crisis showed agriculture’s importance for the regional economy. Society recognised this…
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