Food to Lesotho

Today, transport of food aid to Lesotho from South Africa begins. The small, landlocked neighbour is currently experiencing a food crisis.

This forms part of an agreement between South Africa and the United Nations World Food Program in which South Africa donated R180 million (about USD 18 million) to help alleviate the food crisis next door. Maize (corn) will be non-GM (genetically modified), and 40 percent of it will purchased from smallholder farmers here. All the other food commodities will also come from local suppliers of pulses, salt, oil and fish.

Food security is what agriculture is all about, of course. Some human beings produce surplus food so that the rest of us can get on with other jobs. The Agri Handbook covers the entire agricultural value chain in South Africa. Chapters include Biotechnology, Food security and smallholder farmer support.

Trade Competitiveness Intelligence -- Agbiz/DAFF conference

Are you aware that at the end of this century, Asia and Africa will make up 81% of the planet's population of 10.1 billion?

To look at possible scenarios like the above, the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) hosted a conference on trade competitiveness last week in Pretoria.

Aims of the conference included

• building strategies to create investment through agricultural trade development
• linking business strategies to government strategies
• marketing South Africa's trade position into a new world.

Several presentations are available at www.agbiz.co.za

Eating while the planet warms up

2013 is one of the 10 warmest years since records began, says the World Meteorological Organisation. But doesn't the planet go through natural cycles of climate change? Hasn't it done so for centuries. What is the fuss about climate change?

In the past these changes happened over hundreds of years allowing plants and animals to adapt. What we are noticing is a speeding up of change, leaving less time to adapt and placing our ecosystems in danger.

Agriculture faces the challenge of dramatically increasing production of food to feed the expected nine-billion people on this planet by 2050. Climate change is a wildcard thrown into the mix.

The Third Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change is to be held in South Africa this December. Find information at http://afcconference.agric.za.

Climate change is a chapter in The Agri Handbook for South Africa. Find role players and information there.

What is happening in the Western Cape?

In an interesting development, the province which saw farm labourer unrest earlier this year and at the end of 2012 has seen a GROWTH in employment opportunities on farms. In the other eight provinces, jobs on farms decreased.

According to Statistics South Africa, farm worker employment in the country dropped from 712 000 to 706 000 in the third quarter of 2013. In contrast, the Western Cape saw its figures go up from 117 000 to 139 000.

What is happening?

There is more to the answer, of course, but it is noteworthy how much energy goes into the issue of farm workers in this province. For starters, there is actually a farm worker portfolio in the provincial department of agriculture. The department also runs a Farmworker of the Year competition, which saw a record number of entries in 2013. The winner's prize is valued at R100 000 (around USD 10 000) which includes cash and an overseas trip.

Find the Western Cape Department of Agriculture website here.

In The Agri Handbook for South Africa, job creation is a theme is many of the chapters, as well as being a chapter all on its own in the National Issues section. Find it here.

The potentials of the biogas industry in South Africa

According to Southern African Biogas Industry Association (Sabia) chairperson Mark Tiepelt:

• The biogas industry could turn into a R10-billion industry, spurring the manufacturing sector with the development of biogas-specific products and services 
• The biogas sector can create five to ten times the number of jobs that other renewable-energy projects do.

Other benefits include:

• Waste can further be used as compost
• Electricity can be generated in rural areas not reached by Eskom, the State's power utility
• Electricity will help relieve the strain on national electricity grid
• A contribution to carbon mitigation

South Africa has about 300 biogas digesters in operation. Neighbouring Lesotho has some 600! We can do better in this country.

A biogas conference will be held in Midrand on October 30 and 31 to look at the potential of biogas in the country.

Useful contacts are Southern African Biogas Industry Association (Sabia) and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Institute of Agricultural Engineering in Silverton near Pretoria.

Biogas is covered in the Renewable energy chapter of The Agri Handbook.

Farmers in France (and elsewhere)

It is with great concern that we read the article High suicide rate highlights plight of French farmers.

Let us remember that most of us have lost touch with the vocation which allows us to be businessmen, doctors, bankers, lawyers etc. Somebody else cultivates the food that sustains you, and so you are released to pursue the career that you do. If it were not for farmers, we would have to be growing our own food. If you are like me, you get your food from the nearest supermarket -- and that supermarket sources its food from farmers.

True, farmers earn their money from growing that food, but let's take our hats off to them for a moment, and thank them for the food in our supermakets and the food in our stomachs.

Biofuels sector receives a massive boost

When people talk about biofuels they are essentially referring to ethanol or biodiesel. Ethanol is mostly derived from corn (maize) and sugar cane. Ethanol is favoured in the Americas, US and Brazil producing most of the world's ethanol). Europe and China produce biodiesel. Here the sources are usually soybeans, sunflower, canola -- and waste cooking oil!

Algae is increasingly a possibility, and this week brings news of companies seeking investment in this area. 

Biofuels can be produced from any number of plant crops. Actually, from ANY plant material. A recent technology makes biofuel by breaking down plant cell walls.

Earlier this week in South Africa, the Department of Energy announced that compulsory blending of fuel with a percentage of biofuels is to commence on the 1 October 2015. It is the step that the biofuels sector and many in agriculture have been waiting for. Without this, biofuels would always have been just a nice idea.

Find the press release here.

Biofuels is one of the chapters in The Agri Handbook.