AgriProbe

Agriculture is welcoming A BRAND-NEW YEAR Firstly, well wishes to all our agricultural stakeholders for your resilience, commitment and dedication over the years and in doing so, ensuring a sustained agricultural sector against all odds, i.e. climate change patterns, the Russia/Ukraine war, changing national and international political dynamics and our continued energy crisis, to name a few, which undoubtedly directly impact on the sector, yet AGRICULTURE stood firm and came forward with innovative strategies and continues to review its operational processes to mitigate such adversities in the best interest of the sector. The year 2023 will most definitely bring its own challenges to which the Department will respond in line with its provincial mandate to effectively address the agriculture sector needs, strengthen the commodity approach through its partnerships with industry…

Hardly a day has passed in 2023 without South Africans having to bear the brunt of Eskom’s load shedding of electricity supply for domestic and industry use. The current state of disruptive energy supply is a major concern to the agricultural sector. Example 1: Nooitgedacht Farmers Trust The impact of load shedding was made apparent during my recent visit to Nooitgedacht Farmers Trust, a commercial egg production enterprise in Atlantis that provides employment to 11 people. The enterprise produces 50 000 eggs daily that are sold to TopLay Egg for further distribution into the retail market. “Load shedding has created critical problems at every step of the agricultural production chain.” Unreliable electricity supply is disrupting the activation and deactivation schedules for lights, feed hoppers and water feeders. In addition, diesel…

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) wanted to open up a whole new world to the inquisitive young mind when it comes to agricultural career opportunities, and this was indeed achieved through the very popular career booklet Living Agriculture: 50 Career Opportunities that was first published in 2019. However, the world as we know it is changing at a phenomenal rate, and the agricultural landscape is no different, making it important to keep up as technology changes so that we are not left behind. We have entered the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) and what this means is a whole new way of work. Where the physical, digital and biological worlds come together, technologies are inter-connected. This brings new and exciting career opportunities for the youth to venture into. The…

Globally, World Food Day (WFD) is celebrated on 16 October to commemorate the day the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA) of the United Nations was founded back in 1945. The purpose of WFD is to raise awareness of the need for more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. According to the FOA, there has been progress made towards building a better world, but too many people have been left behind. People who are unable to benefit from human development, innovation or economic growth. Hence, this year’s theme is “Leave NO ONE Behind.” “The Department continues to put in resources and efforts, and forge strategic partnerships to collectively tackle food insecurity challenges.” World Food Day is one of the flagship events for the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) and…

Kwihlabathi liphela, Umhla wokuQatshelwa koKutya liLizwe-jikelele (WFD) ubhiyozelwa ngomhla we 16 ku Okthobha ngelokuqaphela umhla wokusekwa kom’Butho ongoKutya neZolimo (FOA) kwiZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ngomnyaka ka 1945. Injongo yale WFD kukufundisa abantu ngokubaluleka nokufuneka kweendlela ezongezelekileyo zokuvelisa ukutya ngexesha elifanelekileyo, kuqukwa wonke ubani, ukumelana neemeko ezinzima kunye nozinzo kuveliso lokutya. Ngokwalo m’butho i-FOA iyabonakala inkqubela esele yenziwe ngokumalunga nokwenziwa ngcono kwelizwe-jikelele, kodwa, baninzi abantu abasale ngasemva, abangakwaziyo ukuxhamla kuphuhliso loluntu, ukwenza izinto ngeendlela ezintsha nezinobungcono nakuhlumo lwezoqoqosho. Yilento, umxholo walo nyaka usithi “MAKUNGASALI NAMNYE.” Umhla Wokuqatshelwa koKutya liLizwe-jikelele ngomnye wemisitho engoovulindlela kwiSebe leZolimo eNtshona Koloni (WCDoA) yaye alithethi-nje ngomlomo, kodwa libonakalisa ngemisebenzi. Ekubeni kufuneka KUNGASALI NAMNYE, eli Sebe liqhubela phambili ngokuveza imithombo yoncedo, imizamo nangokwenza amacebo entsebenziwano ngelokuqubisana nemingeni engokushokoxeka kokutya okunempilo sihlangene, ingakumbi kwiindawo apho kudingeka khona, nekusekuhlaleni nakumakhaya. Ngaphambi kwalo…

The 59th Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA) conference, themed “How recent value chain disruptions shaped agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa”, took place in October 2022 in Swakopmund, Namibia. It was the first in-person conference of the Association since the 2019 Conference in Bloemfontein. Agricultural economists gathered in Namibia to reconnect, discuss and reflect on the resilience of the agricultural sector amid shocks that disrupted value chains in recent years, such as COVID-19, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. These have been on-going topics even during lockdown periods, but in-person interactions allowed for in-depth deliberations and painted a more global narrative on how these shocks have affected regional economies. One of the highlights of the conference was the Simon Brand Memorial lecture by Prof. Tom Reardon of Michigan State…