Commodities in balance
The invisible backbone of sustainable food production Agriculture is not a single, uniform industry, but rather a complex network of commodities that mutually support one another. Every farming enterprise, whether…
Call to decentralise disease control
Foot-and-mouth disease develops into a national agricultural and consumer crisis TLU SA met shortly after Minister John Steenhuisen’s media conference of 14 January to evaluate the foot-and-mouth disease crisis and…
Transformation through technology
Mechanizing Africa’s farms won’t work unless we do it differently, writes Beth Bechdol For decades, Africa’s agricultural mechanization has been guided by a stubborn assumption: if tractors transformed farming elsewhere,…
Is SA agriculture in a graveyard spiral?
In aviation, a graveyard spiral is a dangerous dive entered into accidentally by a pilot not proficient enough in navigating an aircraft. In conditions with low visibility, the pilot relies…
How the South African government can boost its credibility in the agricultural sector
Governments can build credibility over time through consistent commitment to implementing policies efficiently and effectively. South Africa hasn’t done well on this score. As a result of the poor record of policy…
Hard lessons learned during SA’s alcohol prohibition
It has been almost 18 months since we were thrust into the initial hard lockdown. The impact of this indefinite lockdown, and the four alcohol bans that came with it,…
Here are the challenges constraining faster and more inclusive growth in South Africa’s agriculture
The current growth momentum in South Africa’s agricultural sector, which I have writtenabout several times over the past few weeks, is not just a development of the past twoseasons. If…
Ghost towns across South Africa a growing concern for the farming community
On June 9, I presented at the South African Cane Growers Association’s annual general meeting. My talk was, titled South Africa’s agriculture in the economic reconstruction and recovery narrative. I reflected…
The agricultural sector has blossomed without much support from government
BY WANDILE SIHLOBO, JOHANN KIRSTEN AND SIFISO NTOMBELA From the reconstruction and development programme of president Nelson Mandela to the accelerated and shared growth initiative of president Thabo Mbeki, the…