The season is just kicking off in the warmer areas of Limpopo Province like Mooketsi and Levubu with Fuerte and Maluma, and the very first export consignments have left to reach the market in week 12. Early South African exports are primarily Fuerte. The South African harvest will get underway in all earnest by the beginning of March.

ZZ2 harvests some of the first Maluma avocados, a South African Hass-type cultivar, of the season. This allows them to provide the European market with a Hass-type avocado at a time when there is a huge window for Hass in Europe and prices are excellent. Apart from the early Mooketsi area, the company also grows avocados around Tzaneen, Politsi and Houtboschdorp (Magoebaskloof) and have about doubled their avocado acreage over the past five years to reach 1,000ha of avocados in a Hass: greenskin ratio of 60:40. Last year sizing was a challenge, due to the drought, but ZZ2 is currently peaking at sizes 12 to 16, says Clive Garrett, ZZ2 marketing manager.

South African greenskinned avocados are primarily destined for Russia, Eastern and Southern European countries, but there, too, demand for Hass is growing.

Allesbeste Boerdery, the owners and developers of the Maluma avocado, are hosting their annual Maluma Day next week and international interest in the cultivar has never been as strong, as evidenced by the sizeable foreign contingent confirmed for this year’s event. In their area of Tzaneen, avocado harvesting could start towards the end of the week.

The South African avocado industry is waiting for bilateral negotiations on pears to conclude, for work to start on access for South African avocados to China. At present the bulk of South African avocados still go to the EU, a market which is growing at a brisk clip, not least because of the work done by the World Avocado Organisation in which South Africa and Peru are driving forces.

Source: Fresh Plaza

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‘n Bekende boer, weldoener en gemeenskapsleier, Dirk Steenkamp is vroeg Sondagoggend op sy plaas in die Vredefort-omgewing vermoor. “Moorde en ander geweldsmisdade waaronder die landbougemeenskap voortdurend gebuk gaan spreek van ‘n gemeenskap waarin daar ernstige tekortkominge met die uitleef van waardes en die respek vir lewe is”, sê Dan Kriek, president van Agri SA.

Steenkamp was in die gemeenskap bekend as ‘n weldoener wat nooit gehuiwer het om behoeftige mense te help nie. Die Steenkamp moord het weereens die fokus geplaas op die sinneloosheid en lafhartigheid van die daad, asook die kwesbaarheid van boere en plaaswerkers wat in die buitelug hulle werk moet doen in belang van die land. Die moord het onmeetbare hartseer en woede vir sy familie, plaaswerkers en die gemeenskap tot gevolg. Kriek het namens Agri SA sy meegevoel met die Steenkamp-familie uitgespreek en ‘n beroep op die polisie gedoen om die aanvallers so spoedig moontlik aan te keer.

“Die onverantwoordelike en roekelose uitsprake oor die grondkwessie wat op ‘n gereelde basis in die media gerapporteer word, lei tot die polarisasie van mense en gemeenskappe, asook die aanhitsing van geweld teenoor ‘n sekere groep van die samelewing. Die tipe uitsprake hoort nie tuis in ‘n samelewing waarin onderlinge respek en verdraagsaamheid noodsaaklik is vir nasiebou en stabiliteit nie”, sê Kriek.

Kriek sê verder dat, “ongekwalifiseerde uitsprake oor grond katastrofies vir landbou-ontwikkeling en verdere belegging in die landbou is, veral omdat dit op ongegronde en verkeerde aannames gebaseer word. Hierdie uitsprake kan deur sekere individue vertolk word as ‘n regverdiging om lede van die boerderygemeenskap aan te val en te vermoor”.

“Ons glo dat daar nog genoegsame verbintenisse tot die handhawing van die beginsels van die Grondwet in die regering is om toe te sien dat landbou steeds sy regmatige plek in die ekonomie sal behou, werk te skep en toe te sien dat die landbou steeds voldoen aan die beginsel van voedselsekerheid”, sê Kriek.

Kriek het ‘n beroep gedoen op landbougemeenskappe om hulle plaaslike veiligheidstrukture te ondersteun en in gemeenskapsverband met die polisie saam te werk om hulle eie paraatheid op te skerp. Geen beskermingsmaatreëls is egter ‘n waarborg dat ‘n plaasaanval nie sal plaasvind nie, maar dit kan die aanval vertraag en inwoners ‘n kans gee om noodmaatreëls in werking te stel.

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Having reflected on the possible unintended consequences of expropriation without compensation, it is worth re-looking at some of the existing proposals that were never fully tested, as a means to facilitate land redistribution.

These include the resolutions from the NAREG process, the High-Level panel report, Operation Phakisa, as well a variety of private sector and academic proposals, among others.

The current land policy proposal ascended from the frustration of perceived slow progress, albeit having shown in this piece that there has been progress if one views this process in terms of hectares moved from white farmers to black farmers (not the productivity of the land).

With that said, the ongoing land reform discussions provide a window of opportunity to share ideas on how we imagine the land reform process going forward. In other words, after having highlighted the unintended consequences of expropriation, one can also use this opportunity to share views on the best practice to acquire agricultural land for redistribution.

In June 2017, we argued that land reform processes should be more aligned with the ideas raised in chapter six of the National Development Plan as we believe it has more practical steps of effective land reform productively.

The National Development Plan suggested that the identification of transferable farms and beneficiaries should take place at a district level, facilitated by district land-reform committees that were established in 2015. Under the auspices of district committees, a tripartite joint venture approach on land reform will be established.

Farms for sale could be identified by the committee and a leading successful farmer can be appointed as mentor or co-investor to acquire new land with a qualified beneficiary. The beneficiary should be selected only by the land-reform committee to ensure a good working relationship.

In acquiring the farm, the state can contribute 30% of land value in grant money to the beneficiary. Another 30% can be a loan from the state-owned agricultural bank in the name of the beneficiary and farmer and the remaining 40% would be a cash contribution by other farmers in that particular district.

The contributing farmers would then be exempted from future land-reform claims and the farm could be operated via the farmers’ existing operation to ensure success.

A subsidised interest rate would need to be provided by the state-owned agricultural bank for the loan and backed by a state guarantee in the spirit of risk sharing.

If farmers in districts work together and get at least 30% of land in each district transferred to black farmers and thereafter utilised productively, then land expropriation without compensation would not be needed. Agribusinesses and commodity organisations would also have to provide post-transfer support and mentorship to new beneficiaries.

This can be done only if there is a fair and transparent beneficiary selection; grants and loans are disbursed fast; title deeds are transferred and registered speedily; the government shares in the risk of redistributing land and developing new farming operations, and there is policy stability.

One of the most enduring and fundamental factors in the land-reform debate is the trust deficit between the government and private sector. Trust needs to be built in order to ensure the success and sustainability of the land programme and the agricultural sector. DM

Wandile Sihlobo (@WandileSihlobo) and Tinashe Kapuya (@TinasheKapuya) are agricultural economists. Theo Boshoff is a land policy analyst.

Source: Daily Maverick

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Encouraging as many young farmers from KZN to enter, CEO Sandy La Marque said: “This competition highlights the great skills and entrepreneurial spirit required to be a successful farmer. We know we are blessed with a very high calibre of farmer in our province, but this competition is more than just how much a farmer is able to produce or how pretty their farm looks. It’s about sound business acumen and strong agricultural practices among a whole range of other criteria.”

The annual contest will see the most promising young farmers from all nine provinces compete for the coveted title, currently held by Northern Cape farmer Jaco Strauss, and drive away in a brand new Toyota Hilux Single Cab vehicle.

Young farmers, under the age of 40, whether they are owners or partners in a farm, male or female and full members of their provinces’ agricultural unions are eligible for entry.

The judging and evaluation of the farmers and their agricultural practices, takes place at provincial level with the applicants being evaluated on all aspects of their business, including their overall vision for the future of their farm/business.

The main feature on which the entrants are judged is their management/business philosophy as well as the technical competence with which this philosophy is applied. Judges, who visit the farmers on their farms during the selection process, consider all facets of the farmers’ business from financing, budgets, investment policy, to the technical aspects of livestock breeding systems, disease control, pasture systems and plans, to the fertilization, weed control and cultivation practices of crops and orchards. Labour philosophy and housing, attitude, and reaction towards land reform and black economic empowerment, as well as personnel practices, involvement in organized agriculture and the community, and even layout and appearance of the farm and farmyard are all areas in which the potential future Young Farmer of the Year is judged.

“We encourage all of our young farmers to enter this year; they are the future of this country’s food security and should be honoured. This competition highlights the great skill and entrepreneurial spirit required to be a successful farmer and we have no doubt that in KZN, we have hundreds of potential candidates,” said La Marque.

Entries for the KZN Young Farmer of the Year competition close on 31 July 2018. For more information and to enter now, visit www.kwanalu.co.za or call 033 342 9393. –Press release

Source: AgriOrbit

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Agri SA het sy toegewyde Water Sentrum vandag geloods wat gaan fokus op die prioriteit om regverdige toegang tot water vir Suid Afrikaans boere te verseker. Hierdie inisiatief is in reaksie op die verskeidenheid uitdagings wat landbou-watergebruikers in die gesig staar, wat uiterste droogte, klimaatsverandering en water-infrastruktuur wat nie behoorlik in stand gehou is nie, insluit. Die situasie is soveel meer dringend gegewe verskeie beleidsvoorstelle wat gelyktydig die koste van water kan verhoog terwyl die beskikbaarheid verlaag word.

Die Agri SA Water Sentrum sal ondermeer op water-beleid en wetgewende voorstelle soos die Nasionale Water en Sanitasie Meesterplan en die Nasionale Water Hulpbron Strategie fokus. Die huidige wysigings aan die Nasionale Waterwet sal byvoorbeeld die koste van water vir landbougebruikers bepaal, wat wys hoekom dit nodig is om met die regering en ander belanghebbendes van die begin af te skakel om  na ‘n regverdige resultaat te werk. Die Agri SA Water Sentrum sal ook insette tot die Water Navorsingskommissie (WRC) op navorsingprioriteite lewer en sal as forum optree vir top waterkundiges om hul insigte in a betekenisvolle manier te deel.

Die Agri SA Water Sentrum sal gelei word deur Janse Rabie, ‘n omgewingsprokureur en Hoof van Agri SA se Natuurlike Hulpbronne Sentrum van Uitnemendheid en Gregory Smith, a water-wetenskaplike. “Die Agri SA Water Sentrum gaan ‘n eenstop-sentrum vir Agri SA lede wees, waar hulle tydige informasie en advies op alles water-verwant kan kry,” het Janse Rabie gesê. “Gegewe die kompleksiteit van water-regte en die snelveranderende beleidsomgewing, glo ons dat ‘n toegewyde Water Sentrum die beste manier is om landbou-watergebruikers op hede te bly op alle regsontwikkelinge wat ‘n impak kan hê op die manier wat hulle boer en besigheid doen.”

“Agri SA is op die voorpunt van wetgewende en beleidsontwikkeling rakende die water-sektor in Suid Afrika. Agri SA poog om die regering en sleutelspelers in hierdie fundamentele area in samewerking en goeie navorsing-insigte te ondersteun,” het Dan Kriek, President van Agri SA gesê. 

Agri SA nooi sy lede en ander belangstellende groepe om kontak met die Agri SA Water Sentrum te maak om uit te vind hoe hulle betrokke kan raak.

Navrae

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“Ek het Schalk binne Vrystaat Landbou leer ken. Hy was ten spyte van baie ander verantwoordelikhede vir meer as vier jaar betrokke by Vrystaat Landbou se uitvoerende bestuur. Ek het Schalk ook op die dagbestuur van Vrystaat Landbou gekoöpteer en sy bydra was deurgaans van onskatbare waarde. Ek sal hom onthou as ‘n ware heer en gentleman en ook ‘n indrukwekkende orator. Hy het uitsonderlike finesse gehad om enige saak met kalmte te hanteer en sodanig konsensus gevind,” het Dan Kriek, President van Agri SA gesê. “Hy was ‘n man van ware integriteit en ek sal hom baie mis. Suid-Afrika se landbouprodusente is Schalk Pienaar baie dank en erkenning verskuldig”.

Agri SA se bestuur en personeel wens Schalk se familie sterkte toe in hierdie moeilike tyd.

Navrae

Thea Liebenberg (Media Skakelbeampte)

082 388 0008

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Read full report by Wandile Sihlobo below:

Agbiz Morning Market Viewpoint on Agri-Commodities 09 May 2018

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Click HERE for the full report. 

Sourced: Agbiz, Agribusiness Research

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