FarmBiz - June 2020

In this issue

Commercial cannabis production in South Africa
Agritourism and its role in the local economy
How coronavirus impacted agriculture worldwide
Soil sampling; SA’s pork industry; Conservation farming; Table grape production

The role of agritourism in the agricultural economy

I am writing this article amid the Covid-19 lockdown.

4 mins

How Coronavirus Impacted Agriculture Worldwide

Just as the South African agricultural sector started to win the fight against the 2019 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the coronavirus jumped in to change society in ways we could not imagine.

7 mins

The good and the bad of debt

I think part of my dislike in debt stems from the house I grew up in. I believe for many other Afrikaans families it was much the same. We were warned against debt from a very young age. If you cannot afford something, you have to save until you can buy it. You simply do not borrow money to buy it. In fact, you do not borrow anything – you save until you can purchase it on your own.

5 mins

Setting The Standards In Table Grape Production

Known for its high standards throughout the production chain, the Modderdrift table grape farming enterprise has set the benchmark for the table grape industry, giving it a competitive advantage when it comes to export markets.

8 mins

South Africa's Dynamic Pork Industry Stays On Course In Testing Times

Many South Africans simply love a bit of bacon. Good news amid all the COVID-19 doom and gloom, is that the country’s pork industry continues to operate as usual, building up supplies with no issues expected in terms of shortages in the foreseeable future.

7 mins

Legalising South Africa's commercial cannabis production

Bound for many decades by international treaties that established prohibition across the world, the cannabis industry is coming into its own.

9 mins

The bottom line of healthy soil: Sustaining a habitable life on Earth

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, people will no longer take the air they breathe for granted. Moreover, mankind still does not seem to fully grasp that the soil we walk and live on, also counts as an essential natural resource of life.

5 mins

The importance of soil sampling

During a visit to the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Vegetable and Ornamental Plants campus at Roodeplaat, Farmbiz caught up with Michael Kidson, a soil scientist at the Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ISCW).

4 mins

A Chain Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Link

My knowledge of farming stems from a long generational line. Our farm has been in the family for 114 years. My father and I farm with cattle and sheep 15km east of the small town of Reitz in the NorthEastern Free State. After more than a century of farming, our family still carries the consequences of both the good and bad management decisions taken by my grandfather and great-grandfather decades before.

5 mins

Conservation Agriculture Reduces Erosion And Improves Production

Soil erosion is a natural process, but the rate of soil erosion presently taking place – mainly due to anthropogenic influence – is not sustainable. When travelling through South Africa, we see soil eroded by water as acceptable and natural.

4 mins

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FarmBiz Magazine Description:

FarmBiz is a unique monthly publication serving the agribusiness industry. This one-of-a-kind publication addresses issues that are pertinent to better production, higher profitability, policy issues, trade and much more. Its readership spans the entire agribusiness sector – from top commercial farmers and the agribusinesses who serve them, to government institutions, opinion leaders and agribusiness consultants.