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Farming Economics News

IoT could help increase agri productivity by 70%, says Deloitte report

By: Creamer Media Reporter 3rd May 2016 By 2050, agricultural productivity in Africa has the potential to increase by 70%, through technological innovation leveraged by the Internet of Things (IoT). This would meet the continent’s growing food demand which, based on population growth, is set to grow by 70%, according to a Deloitte US... →

Distell 2016 harvest ‘surprisingly good’ despite drought

By: Creamer Media Reporter 20th April 2016 South African winegrowers need to prepare for the greater likelihood of climatic extremes and become more adaptable to drought conditions, stated multinational brewing and beverage company Distell grape and wine supply GM Erhard Wolf this month. He was commenting on the 2016 wine grape harvest,... →

Proposal to boost precision farming in South Africa

By: Kim Cloete 14th April 2016 A satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that could help generate more crops and boost sales in South Africa’s agricultural sector has been proposed by the UK Space Agency-funded SBAS-Africa programme. The SBAS-Africa programme, aimed at demonstrating the potential benefits of SBAS... →

Sea Harvest looks to acquire 59.6% of Perth’s Mareterram

By: Samantha Herbst 8th April 2016 Sea Harvest Holdings, a subsidiary of the JSE-listed Brimstone Investment Corporation, has entered into a bid implementation agreement with Perth-based agribusiness Mareterram, which could increase Sea Harvest’s already majority share in Mareterram to about 59.6%. Sea Harvest’s offer, announced... →

Zambia Agri Minister emphasises need to diversify beyond copper

By: Tracy Hancock 8th April 2016 Copper, a significant economic driver in Zambia, had taken the country so far but would not be able to take it any further, said Zambian Deputy Agriculture and Livestock Minister Maxas Ng’onga on Thursday at the opening of the AGCO Future Farm training centre, in Lusaka, Zambia. As Africa’s... →

Photo by Tracy Hancock
Zambia Deputy Agriculture and Livestock Minister Maxas Ng'onga

Afgri eyes agricultural development for food security

By: Natasha Odendaal 7th April 2016 Having looked to quietly expand since delisting from the Johannesburg bourse two years ago, agricultural services and food processing company Afgri will turn its focus to supporting development and transformation in the agricultural sector in South Africa and beyond. The group, aiming to drive... →

Oliphant warns agri employers against noncompliance with new minimum wage

By: Samantha Herbst 4th April 2016 Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant has cautioned against the “disingenuous practice” of farm and forest employers who are not complying with the recently upwardly adjusted minimum wages. Many employers were reportedly paying workers far less than the current stipulated minimum wages, which they... →

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant

Zuma commits to provide extra drought support

By: African News Agency 4th April 2016 President Jacob Zuma has committed all spheres of government to provide extra support to drought-hit areas, the presidency said on Sunday. Zuma was responding to a series of concerns raised by members of the community in the uThungulu district municipality and surrounding areas during an imbizo... →

SA drawing on 150 experts as rigorous Karoo shale-gas enviro assessment advances

By: Dylan Slater 1st April 2016 The development of shale gas projects in South Africa was halted with the 2011 issuing of a moratorium on the issuing of shale gas exploration licences within the central Karoo, which has subsequently been lifted. →

Land Bank offers drought-affected farmers relief measures

By: Mia Breytenbach 30th March 2016 State-owned specialist land and agricultural financial services provider Land Bank has called on farmers in drought-declared provinces to apply for concessional loans, raised by the bank from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), to help ease the effects of the drought and return to... →

Expected decline in sugar cane crop

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The drought in the eastern part of South Africa will lead to a projected decline in sugar production of 500 000 t, says South African Sugar Association (Sasa) executive director Trix Trikam. “The strategic crop, which is grown in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, yields an average of 2.3-million tons... →

RAIN NEEDED Since November 2014 to date, producers have noted an average decrease of about 60% of the required rainfall

Drives provide maximum capacity for mills

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The South Africa branch of German engineering company SEW Eurodrive is focused on producing energy efficient drives that can maximise the load and capacity of mills and refiners in the sugar industry. “A key point in the sugar industry is its need for motors and gearing solutions to provide... →

TAILORED DRIVES SEW Eurodrive has reaffirmed its focus to tailoring its motor and gearing options for sugar producers

Sugar mill focuses on skills development

25th March 2016 South African sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s new technical academy located at the Eston sugar mill, in KwaZulu-Natal, will soon see large portions of the company’s agricultural, factory and management personnel attend a combination of intense in-classroom and on-the-job training to deliver... →

Photo by Bloomberg
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT The academy also presents the opportunity to extend the company’s agricultural programmes

Drought, low oil price weighing down ethanol industry

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The ethanol industry in South Africa remains lacklustre, owing to various issues, including low Brent crude oil prices, the persisting drought in the sugar cane-producing regions and the lack of policy implementation, says Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa chairperson Peter... →

Photo by Bloomberg
DETREMENTAL DROUGHT The end of the current drought will ensure crop production is restored fully

Sugar mill to bolster operations with broad upgrades

25th March 2016 Durban-based sugar producer Umfolozi Sugar Mill have set its sights on producing a higher grade of sugar by introducing a new distributed control system (DCS) as well as upgrading several of its systems for the 2016/17 season. The company has invested in the multimillion-rand system from... →

Photo by Duane Daws
MORE SUGAR IN THE BAG Combined results of upgrade projects at Umfolozi Sugar Mill is expected to increase the overall recovery to an additional 600 t of sugar in the bag

5.7% decline in half-year revenue for sugar producer

25th March 2016 Agriculture, agroprocessing and sugar producer Tongaat Hulett has noted a 5.7% decline in half-year revenue, generating an operating profit for the 2015/16 sugar season. The sugar season, which runs from April 1 to March 31 yearly has been beleaguered by drought during the current season which... →

Photo by Bloomberg
STRUGGLING MARKET Tongaat Hulett’s various sugar operations’ revenue totalled R5-billion up until September

Bittersweet report leads to prompt response from sugar company

25th March 2016 A report regarding sustainability issues in sugar cane production by the independent, not-for-profit research and network organisation Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) has rapped the Malawian division of South African sugar producer Illovo over the knuckles over issues... →

Electrolysers efficient energy alternative in sugar industry

25th March 2016 With electrolyser proving to be an efficient source of energy in the sugar industry, Tshwane-based specialised engineering company RTS Africa Engineering believes that the use of hydrogen in electrolysers is potentially the energy carrier of the future. Electrolysis is the process of splitting... →

HYDROGEN NEL A electrolysers offer complete reliability and flexibility for the end-user, and are a highly cost effective solution to hydrogen generation

Southern Africa to face severe food crisis, high staple food prices by September

By: African News Agency 24th March 2016 The Famine Early Warning System Network (Fewsnet) has warned of severe food insecurity across the Southern Africa region in 2016-2017 after two years of consecutive drought which have limited crop production. In a new special report entitled “Illustrating the extent and severity of the 2015-2016... →

Land reform, agriculture developments on track – Zokwana

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 4th March 2016 Implementation of government’s agriculture and agroprocessing value-chain policy revitalisation programme has started, with 27 proposals received from commercial farmers for land reform allocation, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana said in a Parliamentary reply. In a... →

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