Farmer's Weekly 17 March 2023

In late February, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma gazetted the regulations for the state of disaster related to the energy crisis. There has been plenty of debate around this declaration of a state of disaster; for many, it is reminiscent of the COVID-19-related lockdowns, which not only saw many people lose their jobs and businesses, but also saw widespread looting as parliamentary oversight was largely pushed aside. In the 27 February Government Gazette, Dlamini-Zuma set out the 'guidelines' to be followed to allegedly minimise the impact of load-shedding on businesses and citizens, to provide measures to enable for new power-generation plants or stakeholders to contribute to the grid, and to provide measures to improve Eskom's plant performance. Unfortunately, this six-page document offers little comfort. I am one of…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly. This article was first published by The Conversation. To read the original article, visit bit.ly/3ynhoFL. The announcement by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana of debt relief for the country's troubled power utility, Eskom, is a step forward. It will fix one problem: Eskom has too much debt. But the plan won't end power cuts, which have worsened in recent years. The international experience is that one way to end electricity shortages is to allow competitively priced, privately funded generation at scale. This requires a reorganisation of South Africa's electricity market along the lines announced by the Department of Public Enterprises nearly four years ago. The crux of the plan was to split Eskom into three separate units: generation,…

14 April, FN Bonsma Auditorium, Irene The Beef Cattle Farmers’ Day, hosted by the Agricultural Research Council, brings farmers expert speakers in climate-smart farming and indigenous cattle breeds to help them improve their operations. The event also focuses on the needs of small- scale beef producers, and includes a practical visual session. Email Frans Jordaan at fransj@arc.agriz.za. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 20 TO 24 MARCH Africa Regional Apimondia (bee) Symposium, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, Durban. Visit apimondiaafrica2023.org.za. 24 TO 26 MARCH Cannabis Expo, GrandWest, Cape Town. Visit thecannabisexpo.co.za. 30 TO 31 MARCH Smart Farming: Transforming Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security in Africa, Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Pretoria Menlyn. Phone Edna Lupiya on 011 862 4001. 3 TO 5 MAY Africa International Sustainable Agriculture production, Biotechnology and Engineering Conference, Cape Town Convention Centre. Email at charity@federatedmi.co.za. COURSES AND TRAINING 15 TO 17 MARCH Floral…

Kingfish Enterprises (Kingfish) is leading the charge in South African aquaculture as the largest land-based marine-fish farm in the country. Located in the East London Special Economic Zone in the Eastern Cape, the company specialises in producing high-quality yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi), dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) and Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) juveniles. Kingfish’s success with marine aquaculture can be attributed to the strong expertise of its experienced personnel who have developed and continue to manage the systems and technology required, as well as their ability to raise long-term capital, enabling the company to grow and reach full capacity in 2024. Kingfish uses recirculating aquaculture systems to control the production of its fish from broodstock to eggs and all the way to harvest size. It has the capacity to produce 300t/year, ensuring a year-round…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA ANOTHER CHALLENGING POME FRUIT SEASON AHEAD The outlook for pome fruit this season is still uncertain, with various factors threatening the financial viability of producers, according to Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape, speaking during a virtual meeting on the industry forecast for the year ahead. Read the full article at bit.ly/3ZQ3Lur, or scan here: Posted: 28 February 2023. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA We posted a link to an article titled, ‘Scepticism abounds over Zimbabwe’s compensation offer to farmers’, and some of our followers shared their opinions on the matter. Posted: 28 February 2023. READERS' COMMENTS Nkululeko Mafu: “They would be lucky to get a dime from [Zanu-PF].” Cliff Sanders: “If anyone actually does get something. They devalued everything [so much] that whatever they do pay won’t even amount to cents on the…

This article looked at the scourge of bush encroachment by black thorn trees in Molopo, North West. The black thorn (Senegalia mellifera) has spearheaded bush encroachment in the Molopo area of North West for 30 years, hitting the area’s beef farmers hard. But now, after invading over 25% of this four-million-hectare territory, the pest could be on the threshold of its Waterloo. An enterprising veld-reclamation project, launched and directed by the [then] Molopo Soil Conservation Committee, is snowballing, and farmers are regaining black-thorn-conquered land, stocking capacity increasing by up to 50% as a result. And with government recently agreeing to aid those who lack the funds to do battle, the Molopo region could, in time, be rejuvenated into the rancher’s paradise that enticed settlers into its hot, semi-arid heart 30 years ago. European settlements…