Western Cape announces search the top agri professionals

The Western Cape, one of South Africa's nine provinces, this week officially launched the search for the 2015 Farmworker of the Year. The event is co-sponsored by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and Shoprite.
 

Winners will be chosen in 11 categories, including best irrigation specialist, agri-processing specialist and technical operator. Over 6000 agriculture employees have entered the competition since 2002. Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said the competition was aimed at honouring excellence in the sector.

“Like we celebrate the heroes of our sportsfields, we need to celebrate the heroes of our economy. Our agri-professionals play a vital role in ensuring that the produce delivered to our shelves, and to outlets across the world, is of a very high standard. They are helping us to grow this sector , and together, we are building a sustainable economic future.”

Jerome Thompson, the 2014 winner, said he has had a busy schedule since he scooped a top prize last year. Thompson beat out stiff competition from more than 1 000 entrants in 15 regions.
Part of his win included a cash prize and an overseas trip. Thompson, a manager at a farm in Kanonkop, will be travelling to France to meet with agri-businesses in the next few months.

“Since I won the competition, residents in my area recognise me and people turn to me for advice. My goal is to start my own business. I also want to make a real difference in my area and would like to start a centre for development,” said Thompson.

This year regional competitions will be held in the following areas:

• Berg River
• Breede Valley
• Horsemanship
• Durbanville
• Elgin, Grabouw, Vyeboom, Villiersdorp
• Franschhoek
• Hexvallei
• Klein Karoo
• Koup (Central Karoo)
• Langeberg
• Olifants River
• Overberg
• Piket-Bo-Berg
• Stellenbosch
• Swartland
• Witzenberg

The first regional winner will be announced at a ceremony in Witzenberg in July. The provincial competition, where the overall winner will be announced, takes place in November.

Labour and agriculture is one of the opening chapters in The Agri Handbook. Find it here.

Rhodes and skelms in Africa

Note for our international readers: "skelm" is a South African word meaning "scoundrel" or "worthless fellow".  

Were you aware that the month of May is "Africa Month"?

Government has been encouraging South Africans to participate in the celebration, which will culminate in Africa Day on 24 May at the Mamelodi Campus of the University of Pretoria. President Jacob Zuma will lead the celebrations under the theme: “We are Africa – Opening the doors of learning and culture from Cape to Cairo”.

A previous figurehead who used the phrase "Cape to Cairo", of course, was Cecil Rhodes who dreamt of a British empire spanning the length of Africa. Lately one would be hard pressed to find a proponent of the erstwhile colonialist and skelm, whose statue at the University of Cape Town was pooed on and became the subject of national invective before being bundled out of sight.

It is easy, with hindsight, to see what was inappropriate and politically incorrect. At the time, Rhodes was feted and had all sorts of honours bestowed on him. Streets and buildings, universities -- even a country (Rhodesia) were named after him. He was regarded as self-made man, hero and so on (unless you were indigenous, black or boer, and had had your land pinched). It makes one wonder what figures of today, currently praised, will be vilified tomorrow. What figures, put down today, will have their star rise -- perhaps after they have gone?

Empires rise and fall, and have done so for as long we have records, and probably before that too. They bring with them legislative frameworks and economic systems. They build roads and other infrastructure and leave us speaking the same language, sometimes literally. They bring a sense of purpose and unity, including for those who oppose the empire. And then the empire is replaced, sometimes by another one. Sometimes its passing is also the passing of the common denominator that held its opponents together and that those who were united now fall out amongst themselves. It can be that what follows the empire is nothing to really write home about, and those left behind mill around, dimly aware that something significant has passed. But we digress.

“The unity of the continent is driven through the African Union’s programmes to attain its vision as articulated in the Agenda 2063.  The continent guided by its citizens will strive for an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa,"says the press release. "The Africa month theme 'We are Africa' is a declaration and celebratory statement of pride, which fosters inclusivity from all role-players and stakeholders".

We need campaigns and programmes like this. We need to know that there is more in common than what separates us. When this is accepted, we can move on to earning a living and putting food on our plates, something we have made a grim enough task for half the people in this country and some 795 million people globally.

Find the chapters on Africa and Food security in The Agri Handbook.

What value do you place on agricultural land?

What do you like about farm life? Most people would mention the sense of space and sky that stand in contrast to the urban living conditions.

The Afrikaans agricultural weekly magazine Landbouweekblad reported last week that the world's largest cattle farm is on the market. Situated in Southern Australia, Anna Creek Station is 23 000 km² (12 427 mi²), the size of South African province KwaZulu-Natal. For anyone who enjoys that feeling of space that farming gives, this one definitely takes the cake!

It made us wonder about the general size and price of agricultural land on the globe, and we found that The Irish Farmers Journal had just done some homework in this regard. Drawing on information from the World Bank, it compared land in countries mostly from the developed world, with two agricultural heavy weights thrown in. The comparisons make for interesting reading.

Look at the names of these countries for a moment: USA, Brazil, Argentina, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Where do you suppose agricultural land would be the most expensive? The cheapest?

Where would you expect more of the country's land to be given over to agriculture?

Land price ranked reads: UK [€10,840 per acre], Ireland [€9,890 per acre], New Zealand [€9,410 per acre], France [€5,790 per acre], Argentina [€4,000 per acre], USA [€2,600 per acre], Australia [€1,020 per acre], Brazil [€778 per acre].

An acre is just over 0.4 of a hectare. You will have an idea of the average price in your own country (if it isn't listed here), and be able to work out where you would fit on the list.

Land given over to agriculture: UK (71%), Ireland (66%), Australia and France (53%), USA (51%), New Zealand (50%), Argentina (49%), Brazil (33%).

There is a correlation between price and the size of the country. The money you pay for land also depends on its fertility ... and profitability. In the USA, the price of agricultural land varies for the following activities: wine region, €14,900/acre; corn, €8,288/acre; dairy, €4,845/acre; wheat belt, €4,526/acre; cotton, €2,969/acre; sugarcane, €2,370/acre; pastureland, €2,245/acre.

Find a sample of South African prices here. The question of agricultural land value in South Africa is a loaded one. Commercial agriculture has pointed out repeatedly that enough land passes through the market every year for government to have met its land reform target long ago. The problem is: if word got out that government was about to buy land on this scale, the price of agricultural land would go through the roof! And so our land reform progresses slowly, chugging along ...

Let's just hope this was not too high a price!  

Future farmers: a coming of age

Last Monday, Judy Stuart dropped by to collect some Agri Handbooks for her Future Farmers Foundation. It is interesting that one of the most successful initiatives in agriculture comes from a person who was denied the opportunity to study agriculture as a career (women weren't accepted at agricultural colleges back then). Judy was accompanied by Noku Mweli, who is being groomed to take over.

The project looks to qualify farm managers capable of running commercial operations (and hopefully own their own farm one day). Some of the candidates have no qualifications at all and are armed solely by a passion to farm.

There is no need to recruit as Future Farmers receives many calls from young people looking for help. Candidates are placed on commercial farms, where work expected of them includes menial tasks like cleaning calf pens and washing dairies. Theory courses (part time study) are sourced, and after two years in which time the candidates have proved themselves, opportunities for overseas internships are sought. All the costs are provisionally paid for, and once they are earning candidates pay back this sum (the money is then used to fund the next batch of candidates).

You can imagine the skills these candidates have at the end of this time, not least the technical know-how and communicative skills! Not surprisingly, almost all find management positions on their return. Many continue to study part-time courses, usually business or financial ones.

For farm owners, at the very least, having a youngster on the farm means an extra pair of hands to help. Indeed, included in some of the Future Farmers stories are incidents where farmers take a much needed holiday because the interns are proving themselves to be so capable! But it goes further. Giving a young person (who has been screened) the opportunity to learn the ropes on your farm is also an investment in the future -- theirs and the country's.

Today is 27 April, a public holiday in South Africa remembering the first day, 21 years ago, that all citizens in this country took part in democratic elections for the first time. Like any coming-of-age, there are numerous possibilities and potentials, but none go anywhere good if we have not attended to something as basic as our food security.

If you are able to offer an internship on your farm and would like to know more, visit the website or drop an email to redcow [at] telkomsa.net.

Agriculture stakeholder engagement meeting to address attacks on foreign nationals

Press release by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF), 22 April 2015

Business Sector stakeholders and Organised Labour had a constructive meeting with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, General Bheki Cele, to discuss and share ideas to address the recent attacks on foreign nationals in various parts of the country. The meeting also aimed to find ways to prevent the violent attacks from spreading into the farming communities where foreign nationals are also employed.

Present at the meeting were representatives of the following sector stakeholders:

• African Farmers' Association of South Africa (AFASA)
• The Building and Allied Workers Union of South Africa (BAWUSA)
• Agri South Africa (AgriSA)
• National Emergent Red Meat Producers' Organisation (NERPO)
• National African Farmers' Union (NAFU)
• TAU SA
• South African Sugar Association (SASA)
• Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA)
• Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz)

The meeting highlighted the root causes of the attacks some of which are not based on facts such as the perception that Immigrants take jobs and do not contribute to the economy of the country.

Phile van Zyl of the ZZ2 farms disputed the perception that farmers employ foreign nationals for cheap labour. He said that the farm employs a diverse group of workers and promote the attitude of consideration of all groups of people.

General Bheki Cele condemned the attacks on foreign nationals saying, “It’s embarrassing; it’s dehumanising; it’s humiliating; it doesn’t matter how much pain we feel as South Africans but we can’t act this way on the human race. We can’t do what our people did to the foreign nationals in Durban".

The resolutions are as follows:

1. The organisation  of  a  summit which  will  gather  other  government  departments and stakeholders to  further  discuss  issues related  to  labour,  working  condition,  the employment of foreign nationals and other issues in the farming sector. 
2. The leadership of the country need to promote diversity and show the people of South Africa that we cannot tolerate other groups on conditions. 
3. DAFF  must  deliver  on  the Agricultural Policy  Action  Plan (APAP) and  the  National Development Plan (NDP) to fast track job creation and help prevent bad perceptions on foreign nationals. 
4. Rural Development Programmes must be revitalised.

The department will embark on a series of Public Participation or Imbizo following a directive from the Presidency for all government departments to address xenophobic attacks in their sectors.

Poultry in the mountains

We are in the process of finalising all chapters for the next edition of The Agri Handbook, and have been checking details in the poultry chapter this morning. We'd like to share information on a poultry enterprise that impresses us.

Mikon Farms is based in Mpumalanga, an area which lies to the east of the country (thus a name which means "where the sun rises").

• The broiler houses have open sides, which allows the chickens to "breath the cleanest, freshest mountain air". 
• They have constant daylight from the sun (no artificial lighting) which ensures that "they rest well and grow the way nature intended". 
• The drinking water in the broiler houses is pure spring water, "caught at the source".
• The feeds are 100% hormone free.
• The abattoir is on the same property as the broiler houses, and so "transfers between are short, humane and stress-free".
• The abattoir is not fully automated and a lot of the processing is done by hand, so "there is attention to detail which machinery [doesn't] achieve". 
• As a result of the operations, there are jobs for 150 staff.

Amidst all the arguments about why intensive meat operations are necessary, an enterprise like this is as fresh as the Mpumalanga air. It sounds like the sort of operation from which a "conscious" meat eater would source poultry, doesn't it?

Delivering a sustainable approach to wine farming

By: Daneel Rossouw, Divisional Head: Agriculture Nedbank Limited

The opportunity

Wine farming remains a lucrative business in South Africa, with an abundance of grape production catering for both the local and global markets.  Sustainable business practices are increasingly vital to the continued profitability of the modern wine farming practice, faced with a warming climate and pressure on soil quality and water among other challenges.

Combined with the impact of labour unrest and wild fires over recent years impacting the harvesting of grapes, it is concerning that total export volumes for the South African wine industry fell 18% year-on-year in 2014, according to statistics released by VinPro, the service organisation representing 3 600 South African wine producer and cellar members, at the 2015 Nedbank VinPro Information Day.

In contrast, local sales remained buoyant, however, achieving growth of 5%. The importance of the wine industry to the South African economy cannot be underestimated.

According to the published figures available from A profile of the South African wine market value chain 2013, published by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Western Cape wine industry alone provided employment to almost 256 908 people in 2012, and contributed R14, 214 billion to the region’s economy between 2008 and 2012 – equivalent to approximately 7.3% of the total Gross Domestic Product of the province.

Sustainable agriculture

It is therefore essential that wine farmers are advised how to maintain profitability. One area that can have a positive effect is the use of new technologies, to better deploy new scientific farming practices, such as analysis of soil profiles, checking pH levels, map moisture levels and limiting wastage by identifying sub-optimal soils. By adopting a strategic and scientific approach, it may be possible to mitigate against potential problems in the future.

Environmental and social consciousness needs to form a part of every decision that is made. This includes establishing relationships with responsible stakeholders who are committed to socio-economic and environmental  development. Nedbank's specialist agricultural unit has ploughed R8,3 million into WWF-SA’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme since 2012, to help market and pilot sustainable agricultural practices on SA farms.

This has helped the bank to better understand and deliver on the social and environmental risks and opportunities facing the sector, leading to tailored and appropriate funding solutions for primary production (horticulture, livestock and field crop) and secondary enterprises (agribusinesses and agri-processing).

It also inspired the launch of Nedbank@Work, a service tailored for farm employees, which offers secure self-service banking, financial education and staff wellness days, and is linked to Nedbank’s Greenbacks rewards programme. 

Insurance is the final non-negotiable component of truly sustainable farming, particularly given the unpredictable and fast-changing weather patterns that now exist across the country as a result of climate change.

Innovative thinking and investment is crucial to sustain farming in present day conditions in order to consistently grow the best quality crops with the highest possible yields, all in the most sustainable manner.

Wine is one of the 180 chapters of The Agri Handbook.