Microgreens: a tiny crop with big returns
As the owners of an IT business, husband-and-wife team Jan-Hendrik and Melanie du Plessis spent many hours at their desks. An energetic couple, they therefore went looking for a hobby that involved some physical exertion. “I came across a YouTube clip on microgreen farming, so decided to start experimenting,” recalls Jan-Hendrik . “After the first…
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Agri tech investment vital for industry output, export growth
According to Dr Thulasizwe Mkhabela, Group Executive, Impact and Partnerships at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), South African agriculture needs more investment and the implementation of the latest technology to boost output, not only for local consumption, but also for vitally needed exports to boost foreign exchange earnings. “This can be accomplished through an increase…
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The Future of Water Requires a Sustainable, Blue Path
Given today’s approach to water management, there is only so much growth that can be sustained. Gains in efficiency and productivity in water management and utilization can reduce these risks and enable higher levels of sustainable growth, but how much higher? How far-reaching do those gains have to be? And can we make a difference... read more >>
Ford Fund assists drought-stricken farmers in the Eastern Cape
The Ford Motor Company Fund has donated $R20,000 (almost R290,000) to Agri Eastern Cape to assist with the debilitating drought in the province. The drought, now in its sixth year, has to-date impacted over 2,000 commercial farmers in the Eastern Cape. Through the Ford Fund, which is disbursed by non-profit organisation (NPO) Global Giving, Eastern…
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Dragonfly study provides tool to determine freshwater health in Africa
This tool, called the African Dragonfly Biotic Index (ADBI), was developed by Carlien Vorster for her PhD studies. She is enrolled at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of AgriSciences in the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology. Vorster will be receiving her doctoral degree (in Conservation Ecology) this month. “The ADBI is a practical tool for the…
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Putting trade to work to balance agriculture and environmental factors
Trade is a way that countries can tap into their own local advantages and close food security gaps, says FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “Every country has a different situation and FAO has to deal with all these differences,” he said during an FAO-WHO joint high-level panel at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture exploring…
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Land Bank’s junk rating ‘disastrous’ for farmers
The downgrading of the Land Bank to junk status by international ratings agency Moody’s has been described as “disastrous” by leaders in organized agriculture. It is expected that the credit downgrade of the state-owned entity (SOE) will lead to higher interest rates for farmers with Land Bank financing, and possibly price increases for consumers. In…
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‘It takes everything away from you’ – water symposium hears how drought affects smallholder farmers
In 2016, Dr Bongani Ncube of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology took a deeper look at how smallholder farmers were able to cope and adapt during times of drought.
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Load-shedding poses threat to irrigated crops in central SA
Load-shedding poses threat to irrigated crops in central SA
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Smart Irrigation Model Predicts Rainfall To Conserve Water
Fresh water isn’t unlimited. Rainfall isn’t predictable. And plants aren’t always thirsty. Just 3% of the world’s water is drinkable, and more than 70% of that fresh water is used for agriculture. Unnecessary irrigation wastes huge amounts of water – some crops are watered twice as much as they need – and contributes to the…
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