West Coast media trip: part 1

In the week when farmer association KwaNalu reported that there were thousands of oil and gas exploration applications to prospect on KwaZulu-Natal farmland (FW 23 Sept 2016), a group of journalists and team assembled by the WWF Nedbank Green Trust were looking at how the possibility of a tungsten mine spurred a group of farmers to have their area classified as a Protected Environment.

 

Most people enjoy a break from the routine, especially if it involves travel. When the invitation came from the WWF Nedbank Green Trust to accompany a contingent of journalists and others to the West Coast, I put my hand up and the morning of the 21^st September found me in one of two silver Hyundai buses pointing north from Cape Town.

 The reader will appreciate that names like Moorreesburg, Piketburg and the Sandveld in the Western Cape have long been linked to agriculture, and during our years of compiling the agricultural publication those names have become very familiar: a group of farmers started the co-operative called Moorreesburg Koring Boere (Moorreesburg Wheat Farmers), now part of a larger agribusiness; the Sandveld is renowned for its potatoes and the conservation efforts that go with protecting its ecosystem; agricultural training providers Praktika are based in Piketberg ...

The notice of proposed mining activity in Moutonshoek, just north of Piketberg, was enough to get landowners of the area together. The alarm bells were heard in wider conservation circles and led to the involvement of Birdlife South Africa and the Wildlife andEnvironment Society of South Africa (WESSA), backed by the WWF Nedbank Green Trust.

Moutonshoek is the catchment area supplying the Krom Antonies River, which widens through wetlands, leading to the estuary at Elandsbaai on the West Coast. The wetlands are a Ramsar proclaimed site, and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) too, with significant populations of threatened and migratory bird species included amongst the 200 plus bird species it hosts. Also to be counted in the biodiversity of the area are the IUCN Red-listed Verlorenvlei Redfin fish (Pseudobarbus verloreni), the Endangered Diascia caitliniae, and the Critically Endangered Redlinghuys Pincushion (Leucospermum arenarium), and looking on from the mountains, the Cape Leopard. Add to this biodiversity the population of Elandsbaai, very dependent on the single aquifer under Moutonshoek and the reader will appreciate what brought farmers, conservationists and others together.

If land is as vital as the Mountonshoek-Verlorenvlei area, then there is a need to gear up from a simple conservancy to something with a bit more clout. (To see what the four Biodiversity Stewardship options are, refer to heading 5 of the "Biodiversity and ecosystems services" chapter of the Agri Handbook or click here).

After consultations, the farmers in Moutonshoek decided to go for Protected Environment status and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cape Nature, the provincial nature agency, to declare the intention to pursue the Biodiversity Stewardship model for the area.

At the turnoff to Moutonshoek we piled out of the buses to read the notices and to get the feel of the place. 

Announcement: 16th Annual South African Agricultural Outlook Conference

Are you ready for a thought provoking experience? The annual AMT Agri-Outlook Conference is not to be missed and remains one of the highlights on the South African agricultural calendar.

The CSIR International Convention Centre. Photo used courtesy of www.csiricc.co.za.

The 16th AMT Agri-Outlook Conference will be held on 28 September 2016 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria. 

The theme of this year's conference is: Politics, conflicts, global warming, the world economy and the future of agriculture in South Africa. Producers, producer organizations, banks, universities, government officials, agri businesses and the media will attend. This is an excellent annual networking opportunity for all role-players involved in agriculture.

Some of the renowned speakers will be Mr. Mike Schussler, who will give an economic outlook for 2017, and Mr. Johan van den Berg who will discuss the climate outlook for 2016 and 2017. Mr. Van den Berg will give his opinion regarding rain expectations for the coming summer. Another world class speaker, Mr. Theo Venter, will present a political outlook for 2017 which will be interesting following the outcomes of the local municipal elections in August 2016. Mr. Chris Hart will share his insights in terms of the impact of policy on the economic and agricultural economic environment while Mrs. Chantell Ilbury will elaborate on the flags which indicate an increase in global conflict and what this means for Agribusiness in South Africa.

During the panel discussion the opportunity will arise for interaction between the audience and experts in their field. This year the panel of experts, which includes Prof Nick King, Dr Andries Jordaan and Mr. Christo van der Rheede, will focus on issues regarding risk mitigation within the context of climate change, water and food security as well as drought mitigation strategies and drought relieve in South Africa.

The Global and South African Outlook for the supply and demand of grains, oilseeds and livestock will be addressed by Mr. Ernst Janovsky with final perspectives on the day's deliberation that will be dealt with by Dr Herman van Schalkwyk.

The day's programme will be concluded with a gala dinner with guest artists (It Takes Four) and a lucky prize draw. This conference will provide you the opportunity to listen, experience and interact with the experts and leaders in the agricultural business environment. If you are interested in attending this conference, or want to sponsor, exhibit or advertise in the conference programme booklet, contact Mrs. Dalene Coetzer at 076 188 6533 or e-mail liaison [at] amtrends.co.za.

Find more information here.