Web agri feb 2018 by AGRISA - Issuu
agri Vol 47 • No 1
FEB • Maart/march ‘18
FOKUS • FOCUS • Voer en voeraanvullings/ Feed and feed additives • Water en besproeiing/ Water and irrigation
47 Mag die hoop nie beskaam nie
k het al meer as eenkeer op dié bladsy gesê dat hoop ‘n besondere moedinprater is. As jy dié vriend verloor het, dan bly daar baie min oor. Natuurlik moet ‘n mens nie naïef wees en glo dat daar altyd ‘n potjie goud aan die einde van die reënboog is nie. Natuurlik is daar nie. Suid-Afrika het ‘n nuwe president en dit is interessant om die bespiegelings in die media dop te hou oor wat vir Suid-Afrika voorlê. Natuurlik is nie almal opgewonde oor die nuwe president nie. Daar is dié wat jubel, maar daar is ook die wantroueges. Maar die onderrok wat oral uithang, is een van hoop. Dat die skip nou eenmaal gedraai het en dat daar ‘n blinker toekoms vir alle Suid-Afrikaners voorlê, veral ook vir die land se boere. Bly altyd hoop. En ja, dit gaan weer reën in die dorre Oos-, Noord- en Wes-Kaap. En oor grond is die koeël lank nie deur die kerk nie, al lyk dit so. Derick van der Walt
Inhoud Contents 3 Redaksioneel 5 Boekresensies/Book Reviews 6	Standpunt/Viewpoint 9 Stille waters 11 Brokkies/Snippets Nuus/News Boere se hulp gevra met misdaadopname 13	Algemene Sakekamer vergader 17	Regering ondermyn grondhervorming, nié Grondwet nié! 19	Expropriation without compensation: The road ahead 20 Staatsgrond-oudit: Meer vrae as antwoorde 21	Emphasis on growth, investment, jobs hits the right notes, but ... 22	Agri SA on the 2018 budget speech of the minister of finance 22 Agri SA and CCMA signs MoU 22	Pietman now member of RPO executive council 23	Motion on land: Political populism trumps national interest 23 Grond – dis nie sommer net vir vat nie… 25 SA se uitkomste moeilik om te voorspel
Groot skenking vir droogtefonds Western Cape Drought – When panic begins to sets in, cool heads are needed Droogte in die Wes-, Oos- en NoordKaap word verklaar as ‘n nasionale ramp Hartbeesfontein se boere pak veiligheid South Africa - Economic Outlook 2018
FOKUS/FOCUS 25 Voer en voeraanvullings/ Feed and feed additives
Water en besproeiing/Water and irrigation
GEREELD/REGULAR 34 Fauna 45 Water 57 Wyn/Wine 61 Uit ‘n ander hoek Voorblad geborg deur/ Cover sponsored by Nedbank Financial Planning Bladsye/Pages 8 & 9
FOKUS • FOCUS • Agri SA Kongres 2017/Agri SA Congress 2017 • Feed and feed additives, seed
Jou opinie maak saak... Vertel ons waarvan jy hou en wat jy sou verander in Agri. Your opinion is important... Let us know what you like and what you would like to change in Agri. Stuur jou kommentaar en besonderhede aan / Send your comments and details to: derick@greenpepper.biz/or Privaatsak/Private Bag X180, Centurion 0046 agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Together we support a sustainable agricultural economy While you grow the crops that provide our food and raw materials, you also help to grow our economy, providing employment and ensuring that our country thrives. PANNAR is proud to support you in this noble endeavour.
Our Sustainable Farming Formula DII ERS DIV ER E PRO RODU RO DUC D U TSS
A RONO AG AGR ONO ONO NOMY MY M Y SE SER E VIC VIIC CESS
RISSK R MANAGE MAN AGE G M MEN ME E T
SUC UCCES ESS S S AN ND D PR PRO ROSPE SP P RIT IT Y
agri Agri (waarby ingelyf Die Boer/The Farmer), word vyf keer per jaar versprei aan lede van Agri SA en ander intekenare. Agri (under which Die Boer/The Farmer is incorporated) is distributed five times a year to Agri SA members and subscribers. Redaksionele komitee/ Editorial committee Omri van Zyl, Christo van der Rheede, Annelize Crosby, Derick van der Walt, Kobus Visser, Jahni de Villiers, Annemi Mennen, Yolisa Mfaise, Hamlet Hlomendlini, Requier Wait & Janse Rabie Personeel/Staff Uitvoerende redakteur/Executive editor: Derick van der Walt 082 770 5111 derick@greenpepper.biz Advertensiebestuurder/ Advertising manager Mabel Schmahl 082 563 4427 or (012) 997 3407/12 mabel@mesconsultants.co.za Kantooradministrateur en intekenare/ Office administrator and subscribers Thea Liebenberg Medewerkers/Contributors Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Cassie du Plessis, Dr Gerhard Backeberg & Lehman Lindeque Uitleg/Layout Fréda van Wyk Adres/Address Agri, Privaatsak/Private Bag X180, Centurion, 0046 Blok/Block A, Inkwazi Gebou/Building, Embankmentstraat/Street, Zwartkop, Uitbreiding/Extension 7 Tel: (012) 643 3400 Faks/Fax: (012) 663 3178 E-pos/Email: derick@greenpepper.biz Reproduksie en drukwerk/ Reproduction and printing Business Print Centre: (012) 843 7600 Agri SA aanvaar geen verantwoordelikheid vir aansprake wat in advertensies ge­maak word nie en die menings en aan­bevelings van individue of enige ander liggaam of organisasie wat in artikels in Agri verskyn nie. Kopiereg word voorbehou en inhoud mag slegs met die toestemming van die direkteur: Korporatiewe Skakeling gereproduseer word./ Agri SA accepts no responsibility for claims made in advertisements or for opinions and recommendations expressed by individuals or any other body or organisation in articles published in Agri. Copyright is reserved and the content may only be reproduced with the consent of the Director: Corporate Services.
Boekresensies Book Reviews ‘n Boek verniet Agri gee ‘n eksemplaar weg van elk van die boeke wat op bladsy 5 en 7 bespreek word. Stuur ‘n e-pos met jou naam, posadres en telefoonnommer na agricompetitions@gmail.com. Sê ook watter boek jy wil hê (slegs een boek per e-pos, asseblief). Animal diseases and man: Zoonoses Dr Jan H du Preez and Dr Gert P du Preez (Private) Education, training and information are the key to ensure that pet and animal owners as well as people who have contact with animals are safe and healthy. There is no reason to fear animals or avoid them to protect oneself from zoonoses, and this book, the result of collaboration between experts in human and veterinary medicine, presents the message very clearly; continue to enjoy the close relationships you have with companion and other animals, the pleasure of watching and where possible interacting with wildlife, fishing, working with animals and eating whatever your favourite food may be, drinking milk, as long as you are aware of any possible risks and take the appropriate hygienic precautions in terms of their health and to avoid infection. A zoonoses is any disease or infection naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans and vice-versa. Humans are often an incidental host that acquires disease through close contact with an infected animal that may or may not be symptomatic. Enquiries: www.zoonoses.co.za People’s Plants – A guide to useful plants of southern Africa Expanded and revised 2nd edition 2018 Ben-Erik van Wyk and Nigel Gericke (Briza Publications) People’s Plants is a scientific review of all of the most important useful plants of southern Africa. It remains the first and only fully illustrated ethnobotanical reference source for southern Africa. In this expanded and updated second edition, traditional and contemporary uses of more than 700 plants are described and illustrated in 20 chapters, each dealing with a specific category of plant use: • Foods and drinks: (1) Cereals, (2) Seeds and nuts, (3) Fruits and berries, (4) Vegetables, (5) Roots, bulbs and tubers, and (6) Beverages. • Health and beauty: (7) General medicines, (8) Tonic plants, (9) Mind and mood plants, (10) Women’s health, (11) Wounds, burns and skin conditions, (12) Dental care, (13) Perfumes and repellents, and (14) Soap plants and cosmetics. • Skills and crafts: (15) Hunting and fishing, (16) Dyes and tans, (17) Utility timbers, (18) Firemaking and firewood, (19) Basketry, weaving and ropes, (20) Thatching, mats and brooms. Enquiries: Tel: (012) 329 3896, fax: (012) 329-4525, e-mail: books@briza.co.za website: www.briza.co.za
Pharos Afrikaansgids Nicolaas Faasen (Pharos) Die Pharos Afrikaansgids bied eenvoudige riglyne vir spelling en skryfwyses volgens die 2017-uitgawe van die Afrikaanse woordelys en spelreëls en is KABV-geskik. Dit dek die belangrike taalsake wat oor leerders se pad kom en is ‘n praktiese, alledaagse gids vir voorgraadse studente en ander taalgebruikers. Deel A bevat naslaanlyste van woorde wat dikwels spelling­probleme oplewer, meervoude en verkleining, intensiewe vorme, vergelykings en idiome. Deel B is ’n naslaangedeelte wat belangrike en algemene taalreëls aan die hand van eenvoudige definisies en enkele voorbeelde verduidelik. Deel C bevat nuttige inligting oor byvoorbeeld sinsoorte, woordorde in sinne en die konstruksie van paragrawe. Daar is ook ’n kort oorsig oor tekstipes. Navrae: nb@nb.co.za Eisteddfod-pret Jonelle du Toit (komp.), Gloudine Kellerman (komp.), Maja Sereda (illus.) (Human & Rousseau) Menige ouer, onderwyser en afrigter het al die wens uitgespreek dat minder tyd aan die soek van geskikte materiaal vir Eisteddfods bestee hoef te word. Eisteddfod-pret is gebore uit hierdie noodkreet van ouers, onderwysers en kinders wat jaarliks in desperaatheid die internet en biblioteke fynkam vir vars, nuwe materiaal, want dis nie sommer enigiets wat geskik is nie. Die inhoud van hierdie bundel is oorspronklike, ongepubliseerde werke van die Fynbosskrywers, werke wat die potensiaal het om A++ by ’n Eisteddfod te verwerf. Dit bestaan uit 108 gedigte, 24 monoloë en 20 samesprake wat geskik is vir gebruik in die laerskool. ‘n Inleiding deur Louise Lachenicht verseker ook dat die deelnemer se potensiaal ten volle ontwikkel word met riglyne vir afrigters, onderwysers en ouers. Navrae: nb@nb.co.za
Boekwenners, vorige uitgawe: Hans steek die Rubicon oor, Werner Smit, Thabazimbi; Shisanyama, Christo Human, Nelspruit; Blinktand van Bosveldparadys, Marisa Hattingh, Laingsburg; Spertyd, Berdine Nel, Brits. agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Land: our future is at stake As Caesar said when he crossed the Rubicon – “Alea iacta est” (The die has been cast).
he populists have struck first with the EFF and factions in the ANC approving the motion of expropriation without compensation recently in parliament. So, I guess whether you agree with what’s happened or not – we have a fight on our hands. As in many fights your strategy will determine the outcome and I wanted to share our strategy with you. First off, we will not win this battle on eco­no­mic principles alone, there are too much emotion and polarisation already – we will have to influence the perception of the public to create empathy for the plight of our farmers. Educational campaigns will be a key driver here. The best plans in the world often fail because of a lack of funding. We have asked every farmer in South Africa to contribute to our Property Protection Fund (PPF) that we have launched last year at our congress. We will also be approaching business and the banks to contribute to this important effort to protect the property rights of all South Africans.
“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it”. Dr Adrian Rogers, 1931 Fund (IMF) as well as several of the biggest economies in the world to share our story. We will start communicating key messages on food security, the tax implications of these decisions, the humane aspects and the development stories to all South Africans. We will run normative, emotive and other creative campaigns that will be focused on changing the emotive.
Step 3: Get legal and economic advice We need to appoint the best constitutional law experts to assist us in building a legal strategy, assist us with advice, and build our case. We have learned much from the minerals case – Annelize Crosby and her team will work hand-in-glove with counsel and other experts to put a strategy on the table. We also need to understand trade law implications, model the economic consequences of expropriation without compensation, the terms of trade with the likes of the World Bank and whether expropriation without compensation would compromise these.
Step 1: Appoint the right advisors We will need experts that have dealt with this type of challenge before, strategically, economically and sociologically. We need to tap into the fiber of the politics within the ANC and EFF to understand the factions and the energy dynamics to modulate our strategy based on this intelligence. Step 2: Appoint a public relations company Our lobbying strategy will include South African politicians and captains of industry – we will also reach out to the World Bank and International Monetary
Step 4: Contact sessions with important stakeholders We will need to directly lobby politicians, traditional leaders, and other important influencers in South Africa and abroad. Most
importantly we need to talk to our members and keep them abreast of developments – calm the tensions and provide leadership.
Step 5: Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) A lot of effort will go into the individuals of the CRC, explaining many of the legal, economic and other implications of expropriation without compensation. We are working on an alternative plan to reach the same goals without changing the constitution to expropriate land without compensation. The reality is that the land problem will not go away, we will have to solve this challenge for once and for all. General tactical considerations We need to consider some of the principles in our strategy execution. •	Stop pulling in the opposite direction. It will always increase even greater counterproductive resistance in the other direction. In the end it is the result that counts. •	Rebrand agriculture and become a future-facing agriculture-for-all by launching meaningful community programmes at all levels of agri-governance. •	Adopt and execute a fully integrated social media strategy to engage continuously >>> page 7
V enno t e in lan d elike beveili g in g | P ar t ners in rural safe t y Use agricultural fleet code F14911 when purchasing a Nissan vehicle for Nissan SA to contribute to farm safety | Gebruik landbouvlootkode F14911 wanneer ‘n Nissan voertuig aangekoop word vir Nissan SA om ‘n bydrae te maak tot plaasveiligheid
agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Grond: ons toekoms is op die spel Soos Caesar gesê het toe hy die Rubicon oorsteek het – “Alea iacta est” (Die besluit is onherroeplik).
ie populiste het die eerste hou ingekry toe die EFF en faksies binne die ANC verlede week in die Parlement ten gunste van die mosie vir onteiening sonder vergoeding gestem het. Dus, of u nou saam­ stem met wat aan die gebeur is of nie – ons het ‘n stryd op hande. Soos die geval is met baie gevegte, bepaal jou strategie die uitkoms en wil ek graag ons strategie met u deel. Eerstens, ons sal nie hierdie stryd wen bloot op grond van ekonomiese beginsels nie – daar is reeds te veel emosie en polarisasie. Ons sal die persepsie van die publiek moet beïnvloed om empatie by hulle te kweek oor die lot van ons boere. Opvoedkundige veldtogte sal hier ‘n belangrike drywer wees. Ons sal ook ten duurste die beste kundiges in Suid-Afrika moet raadpleeg – ‘n kapitaal­uitleg om ons vertoë te rig is dus krities. Die beste planne in die wêreld misluk dikwels weens ‘n gebrek aan befondsing. Ons het elke boer in Suid-Afrika gevra om by te dra tot ons Eiendom­bekermingsfonds (PPF) wat verlede jaar tydens ons kongres van stapel gestuur is. Ons sal ook die besigheidsektor en die banke nader om by te dra tot hierdie belangrike poging om die eiendomsreg van alle Suid-Afrikaners te beskerm.
<<< page 6 and across all media with all South African consumers. •	Measure the return on effort monthly in terms of consumer sentiment towards agriculture. •	Continuously provide feedback to the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa and build coalitions of support. In summary – Agri SA will do everything in its power to keep our farmers on their land and to be productive. We must be smart and strategic – as mentioned earlier, further polarisation will lead to conflict and more radical justifications for this policy.
Stap 1: Stel die regte adviseurs aan Ons het kundiges nodig wat voorheen met hierdie soort uitdaging gehandel het – strategies, ekonomies en sosiologies. Ons sal ‘n begrip moet kry van die kernpolitieke oorwegings binne die ANC en EFF om die faksies en energiedinamika te verstaan om ons strategie aan te pas op grond van hierdie inligting. Stap 2: Stel ‘n openbare betrekkingemaatskappy aan Ons beïnvloedingstrategie sal Suid-Afrikaanse politici en prominente nyweraars moet insluit en ons sal uitreik na die Wêreldbank en Internasionale Monetêre Fonds asook verskeie van die grootste ekonomieë in die wêreld om ons storie te deel. Ons sal begin om sleutelboodskappe oor voedselsekerheid, die belastingimplikasies van sodanige besluite, die menslikheidsaspekte en ontwikkelingstories aan alle Suid-Afrikaners te kommunikeer. Ons sal normatiewe, emosionele en ander kreatiewe veldtogte loods wat sal fokus op die verandering van gevoelens. Stap 3: Kry regs- en ekonomiese advies Ons moet die beste grondwetlike regs­ kundiges aanstel om ons te adviseer en te help om ‘n regstrategie in plek te kry ten einde ons saak te bou. Ons het baie geleer uit die minerale-saak – Annelize Crosby en haar span sal nou saamwerk met regslui en ander kundiges om ‘n strategie op die tafel te sit. Ons sal ook ‘n begrip moet kry van die handelsreg-implikasies, die ekonomiese gevolge van onteiening sonder vergoeding in samewerking met instellings soos die Wêreldbank moet modelleer om vas te stel of dit hierdie aspekte nadelig kan beïnvloed. Stap 4: Kontaksessies met belangrike belanghebbendes Ons moet poog om politici, tradisionele leiers en ander belangrike rolspelers in
Suid-Afrika en oorsee direk te beïnvloed. Selfs belangriker – ons moet met ons lede praat en hulle ingelig hou oor verwikkelinge ten einde spanning te verlig en leiding te bied.
Stap 5: Konstitusionele Hersieningskomitee (CRC) ‘n Sterk poging sal aangewend word om met CRC-individue te skakel en om die menigte regs-, ekonomiese en ander implikasies van onteiening sonder vergoeding te verduidelik. Ons werk aan ‘n alternatiewe plan om dieselfde doelwitte te bereik sonder om die grondwet te verander en grond te onteien sonder vergoeding. Die relaititeit is dat die grondprobleem nie sal verdwyn nie. Ons sal hierdie uitdaging vir eens en altyd moet aanspreek. Algemene taktiese oorwegings Ons sal sekere beginsels in die uitvoering van ons strategie moet oorweeg: •	Hou op om in die teenoorgestelde rigting te beur. Dit sal altyd lei tot selfs hewiger teenproduktiewe weerstand. Dit is, per slot van rekening, die resultaat wat saak maak. •	Herbemark landbou en word ‘n toekomsgerigte sektor vir almal deur sinvolle gemeenskapsprogramme op alle vlakke van agri-bestuur te loods. •	Aanvaar en implementeer ‘n volledig geïntegreerde sosiale mediastrategie om deurgaans en oor alle media heen met alle Suid-Afrikaanse verbruikers te kommunikeer. •	Doen maandeliks ‘n waardebepaling van alle pogings in terme van verbruiker­ sentiment teenoor die landbou. •	Verskaf deurlopend terugvoering aan President Cyril Ramaphosa se kantoor en bou ondersteuningskoalisies. Om op te som – Agri SA sal alles in sy vermoë doen om ons boere op hul plase en in produksie te hou. Ons moet slim en strategies te werk gaan. Soos reeds genoem – verdere polarisasie sal lei tot konflik en meer radikale regverdiging van hierdie beleid.
Stille waters Die nuwe dag Kom, Jerusalem, laat skyn jou lig! Vir jou het die lig gekom, die magtige teenwoordigheid van die Here het vir jou lig gebring (v. 1).
ir die vernielde stad het daar eensklaps uitkoms gekom, ’n belofte wat hom ’n nuwe asem gee. Kyk dan net, Jerusalem! Maak oop jou oë, en sien hoe jou kinders na jou toe kom, hoe jou rykdom vermeerder. Hoe die vergane glans uiteindelik na jou toe terugkeer. En laat daar geen twyfel wees oor wie jou eertydse skade
en skande omgekeer en jou weer ’n baken van hoop gemaak het nie: Dit is die Here en sy magtige teenwoordig­ heid. Dit is Hy wat die son weer laat opkom en ’n nuwe dag oor jou uitgeroep het. Laat die nuwe hoop in Jerusalem dan dié boodskap bring, sodat God se kinders dit nooit sal vergeet nie: Daar is geen duisternis wat Hom kan oorweldig nie. Sy stem het die laaste sê. Donkernag sal altyd voor dagbreek swig. En laat niemand verras wees oor die nuwe lig se aantrekkingskrag nie. Skyn dan ook oor hulle wat jou opsoek, die vriend en die vreemdeling, wanneer jou lewe ’n stralende getuienis van God se magtige teenwoordigheid word. Laat deel hulle
in die warmte wat so mildelik jou deel geword het. Verheug jou in hierdie voorreg, want waar Hy geëer word omdat Hy lig bring, en waar dié lig na ’n medemens se skemerte herlei word, daar is Hy tuis. Lei ook my, vriendelike Lig, deur hierdie duisternis. Skyn ook oor my, o magtige Teenwoordigheid, dat ander ’n plek kan sien én vind by my.
Landbou skitter by uitstaltoekennings ‘n Wen vir landbou. Só beskryf die niewinsbejaglandbougenootskap Agri-Expo sy uitsonderlike prestasie by vanjaar se ROAR-uitstalbedryftoekennings. Die gewilde Suid-Afrikaanse Kaasfees, sowel as AgriExpo Livestock, is beide met gesogte toekennings, onderskeidelik as Beste Verbruikersuitstalling en Beste Handel-en-Verbruikersuitstalling (albei vir uitstallings groter as 12 000 m2 ), vereer. Die toekenningsaand is in Februarie 2018 deur die Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) in samewerking met EXSA (Exhibition Association of Southern Africa) aangebied. Agri-Expo Johan Ehlers (hoof- uitvoerende beampte), Ann Dalton bied die SA Kaasfees die afgelope 16 jaar en Agri-Expo (geleentheidsbestuurder) en Hugo Lochner (president), almal van Livestock die afgelope vier jaar aan. Volgens Johan Ehlers, Agri-Expo, by die ROAR-toekennings. hoof- uitvoerende beampte van Agri-Expo, is hierdie erkenning deur kenners in die uitstalbedryf nie net ‘n pluimpie vir Agri-Expo wat gehalte-geleenthede vir die verbruiker aanbied nie, maar ook bevestiging van die landbousektor en agri-prosesseringsbedryf se kwaliteitprodukte. Die 2018 SA Kaasfees vind plaas van Vrydag 27 April tot Sondag 29 April, en die 2018 Agri-Expo Livestock van Donderdag 11 Oktober tot Saterdag 13 Oktober, te Sandringham, Stellenbosch. Besonderhede is beskikbaar by www.cheesefestival.co.za en www.livestock.org.za.
Huge donation towards Agri SA’s legal fund
New SA table grape launched The South African breeding programme for table grapes received a welcome boost with a new red seedless variety revealed at Berlin’s Fruit Logistica 2018 trade show on 7 February 2018. Meet Joybells, one of the most promising table grape varieties to emerge from South Africa, experts say. Joybells was developed from an open-pollinated variety, bred by renowned SA breeder Phyllis Burger of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, based in Stellenbosch. As the name suggests, Joybells was inspired by the unique bell-shaped appearance of the fruit, as well as the remarkable taste and texture. Excellent reviews have been received from prominent global retailers, who already sold commercial shipments of Joybells as a premium variety over the past two South African table grape seasons.
SA faces a number of huge challenges this year, the main one being the threat of expropriation without compensation. The organisation is therefore extremely thankful for the Bedford Farmers’ Association for contributing R100 000 towards Agri SA’s legal fund, said Annelize Crosby, head: land affairs of Agri SA. She called on other farmers associations to follow Bedford’s “wonderful example”. Chairman of the Bedford Farmers’ Association, Chris Brockwell, said that the Bedford Chris Brockwell Farmers’ Association is aware of the need for organised agriculture to deal with the threats made by government with regard to the property rights of farmers, as well as the challenges to the environment posed by an unregulated mining sector. “We know that this needs to be done at national level, with a high degree of expertise, and therefore at considerable expense. This donation has been made to help ensure the success of these efforts.”
RMIF concerned about listeriosis The Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF) is exceedingly concerned that lives have been lost due to listeriosis. In a letter to the SABC, the RMIF expressed its dissatisfaction with the fact that all references made in their news broadcasts are to the Sovereign Foods Pretoria poultry abattoir, which has been closed due to non-compliance to health standards, while SABC channels persist in showing images of cattle and packaged beef products which to date have never been implicated. The RMIF requested that the SABC immediately desist from showing these images, which misrepresentation will confuse consumers as to the safety of meat products, which have never been in question and can lead to financial losses to the meat industry. The forum considers this is a very serious matter indeed and unless immediately rectified, the legal route will be followed, the RMIF said. agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Boere se hulp gevra met misdaadopname Agri SA het die Buro vir Marknavorsing (BMR) aan die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (Unisa) opdrag gegee om gedurende die eerste kwartaal van 2018 ‘n nasionale misdaadopname in die Suid-Afrikaanse landbousektor te onderneem.
ie navorsing spruit voort uit Agri SA se verbintenis tot ‘n veilige landbou-omgewing en dit is nodig om die koste van misdaad vir die landbou te bepaal. Vir hierdie doel is opgedateerde misdaadstatistieke noodsaaklik om die akkuraatheid van bestaande data te bevestig om toekomstige tendense te moniteer en misdaadvoorkomingsinisiatiewe te ontwerp en te evalueer in samewerking met die regering en lede van Agri SA. Teen hierdie agtergrond doen Agri SA ‘n beroep op alle boere in Suid-Afrika, soos deur hul provinsiale organisasies geïdentifiseer, om aktief deel te neem aan die 2018- Nasionale Landbousektormisdaadbasisopname. Om deelname te verseker, sal geïdenti­­ fiseerde boere in al nege provinsies ‘n e-pos-
te voorsien van inligting en te bepaal wat die koste daarvan vir die landbou is. Die betroubaarheid van die eindresultaat sal grootliks verseker word deur die wye samewerking van boere oor Suid-Afrika heen. Die geïdentifiseerde boere word dus aangemoedig om gebruik te maak van hierdie inklusiewe geleentheid en om hande te vat met Agri SA om misdaad in die Suid-Afrikaanse landbousektor te bekamp. Deelnemers se ondersteuning sal waardeer word. Vir enige navrae in verband met die opname, kontak prof Deon Tustin (tel no 012 429 3156 of tustidh@unisa.ac.za), prof Carel van Aardt (tel no 012 429 2940 of Vaardcj@unisa.ac.za), prof Paul Kibuuka (tel no 012 429 8234 ofkibuup@unisa.ac.za) of Kobus Visser, Agri SA (tel no 012 643 3400 of kobus@agrisa.co.za).
uitnodiging van Agri SA se provinsiale organisasies ontvang. Geïdentifiseer­de deel­ nemers sal via ‘n webskakel verwys word na die opname wat binne ‘n week ná ontvangs daarvan ingedien moet word. Die BMR Research Ethics Review Committee het die opname uitgeklaar en ‘n waarborg gegee dat die inligting wat deur deelnemers voorsien word as streng vertroulik gehanteer sal word. Nadat die opname afgehandel is, sal die BMR ‘n onafhanklike verslag vir Agri SA saamstel oor (i) boere en slagoffers se persepsies oor misdaad en (ii) die koste wat verband hou met misdaadvoorvalle soos ervaar in die landbousektor. Die inligting wat só versamel word, sal noodsaaklik wees om die bewustheid van misdaad te verbeter en ‘n begrip te kry van die ware omvang en koste van misdaad. Die inligting sal ook help om die regering
Algemene Sakekamer vergader Agri SA se Algemene Sakekamer het in Februarie in Pretoria vergader. Dié foto’s is by die geleentheid geneem. (Kyk ook artikel op bladsy 25). Die bestuur van die Algemene Sakekamer: Doug Stern (addisionele lid), Cornie Swart (voorsitter) en Henk van Wyk (ondervoorsitter)
Piet Engelbrecht (Agri Limpopo), Cobus van Zyl (Agri Noordwes) en Tommy Ferreira (Mpumalanga Landbou)
Robert Davel (Mpumalanga Landbou) en Leon Borcherds (Agri Limpopo)
Naude Pienaar (Agri Noordwes), prof André Duvenhage (gasspreker, Noordwes Universiteit), Carl Opperman en Hugo de Waal (beide van Agri Wes-Kaap)
Oubaas Malan en Moorrees du Toit (Mpumalanga Landbou)
Thinus van Zijl, Marietjie Jacobs en Willie van Aswegen (almal van Agri Gauteng) agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Superior chickens in every way In today’s broiler industry, Cobb is synonymous with quality and performance. Roughly half of the world’s broilers are Cobb broilers, making it one of the largest chicken breeding companies globally. It is also the oldest – dating back to humble beginnings in 1916 on a small farm outside Boston, Massachusetts. Today the Cobb brand is owned by Tyson Foods, one of the largest food producers in the world.
lobally, Cobb has developed an outstanding reputation for the health of its stock, its strong focus on bio-security, its commitment to ongoing research and development, and its ongoing technical support and guidance to farmers. All these factors combine to ensure the high performance and superiority of the Cobb breed. In South Africa, it is no different. South Africa’s relationship with Cobb began in 1997 when Rainbow Farms imported their first grandparent stock and entered an alliance with Cobb. Breeding stock volumes soon reached sufficient numbers to start distributing further in South Africa, leading to the establishment of Cobb South Africa in 2000. As the sole supplier of the Cobb brand in South Africa, Cobb South Africa also distributes parent stock in countries like Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana and Malawi – making it a true regional powerhouse of quality genetic material. Cobb South Africa is renowned for supplying high quality and large volume broiler breeder chicks that are free of major diseases, with unparalleled technical service by well trained and experienced staff. The company has played a critical role in the expansion of the local poultry industry to where it is today, and continues to play a role in taking the industry forward. Protecting its stock and the industry against Avian Influenza is a key focus area, both now and in future. For sustained supply, Cobb has distribution points across the world. Cobb South Africa operates from two large, modern grandparent units: one at Carolina in the Mpumalanga Province, and one at Mpongo Park near East London. These two production units are strategically positioned for supply and biological risk management in the event of a major disease outbreak. Our aim and passion is to provide healthy and affordable protein to as many people as possible. In order to do so, we follow intensive and balanced selection programmes, making use of the latest technologies to make quick progress. During the last six months we have seen
This is how day old breeding stock were delivered almost hundred years ago. The broiler industry has made huge improvements over the years. Not only has delivery methods changed, feed efficiencies and other traits have been improved tremendously in the modern broiler.
tremendous improvement in our broiler results due to genetic improvement made in the breeding programme. The broiler birds are now more efficient in converting feed to meat than ever before.
Cobb South Africa is proud to be part of RCL Foods, one of the largest food producing companies in Africa. Together, our passion is to bring More Food to More People, More Often!
The Cobb parent and broiler have the following advantages for chicken producers: •	Easy management •	High hatchability and low-cost chick production •	Low mortality •	High levels of feed efficiencies •	Excellent growth rate •	Uniformity on the line •	Superior fertility and hatchability •	Increased chick production •	Consistency and predictability of results •	Lowest cost of producing meat •	Technical support For enquiries, please contact Theo Bezuidenhout (technical and sales manager) on 083 257 3025 or email theo.bezuidenhout@rclfoods.com. You can also visit our website at www.cobbsa.co.za agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
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Regering ondermyn grondhervorming, nié Grondwet nie Christo van der Rheede, adjunk-direkteur, Agri SA
Wat grondhervorming betref, is daar vele planne. Al hierdie planne kan herlei word na artikel 25 van die Grondwet. Dit fokus op restitusie, herverdeling van grond en grondbesithervorming. En terwyl miljarde op vele planne sedert 1996 bestee is en ‘n aansienlike hoeveelheid grond oorgedra is, is daar geen twyfel nie dat grondhervorming in vele opsigte misluk het.
andbouproduksie het tot stilstand gekom. ‘n Groot klomp plase lê onbenut. Ekonomiese verval en werkloosheid is aan die orde van die dag. Korrupsie vier hoogty weens staatsamptenare en politici wat die stelsel tot voordeel van hulself en hul families manipuleer. Konflik, wanorde en verval heers op meer as 1 000 eiendomme wat deur gemeenskaplike eiendomsverenigings beheer word. Die ironie is dat die regering en die regerende party deeglik ingelig is oor al dié uitdagings, maar voort wil gaan om grond sonder vergoeding te onteien. Verder is dit goed en wel om te sê dat dit nie ekonomiese ontwikkeling en voedselsekerheid moet ondermyn nie. Tog laat dit meer vrae as antwoorde in ‘n sektor wat tans ‘n kritieke rol speel om 56,5 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners daagliks te voed. Na my mening kom dit enersyds neer op ‘n gebrekkige begrip van artikel 25 van die Grondwet en andersyds op ‘n gebrek aan kundigheid en politieke wil om uitvoering te gee aan die vele planne wat reeds bestaan. Wat dít betref het ons by Agri SA eerstehandse ervaring. Ons word dikwels genooi om deel te vorm van regeringstaakspanne wat gemoeid
is met grondhervorming. Die onlangse Agri-Phakisa-proses wat met groot fanfare deur president Zuma in 2016 van stapel gestuur is, is bewys hiervan. Met behulp van ‘n groot aantal rolspelers en kundiges is gedetailleerde projekplanne en begrotings in 2016 ontwikkel, maar nog geen uitvoering is daaraan deur die regering tot op hede gegee nie. Wat baie ook nie besef nie, is dat ‘n plan ontwikkel moet word om ‘n kongresresolusie in die praktyk uit te voer. Die regering se baanrekord in dié verband spreek egter boekdele. Intussen word verwagtinge geskep wat, indien dit nie materialiseer nie, grootskaalse chaos, konflik, onberekenbare ekonomiese skade, verarming en ongekende lyding tot gevolg kan hê. Suid-Afrika hoef nie dié weg in te slaan nie! Artikel 25 van die Grondwet, die eiendomsklousule, bied ’n ordelike grondslag vir die staat om grond- en ander verbandhoudende hervorming teweeg te bring. Daarmee saam beskerm dit bestaande eiendomsreg teen onregmatige en ongrondwetlike aksies deur die staat en die burgery. Dit is daarom onduidelik wat die ANC beplan om te wysig.
Verder beklemtoon dit dat onteiening in openbare belang ook van toepassing is op grondhervorming én hervormings om billike toegang tot al die natuurlike hulpbronne van Suid-Afrika te bewerkstellig. Die staat mag ook nie aan bande gelê word om wetgewende en ander maatreëls te tref om grond, water en verwante hervormings teweeg te bring nie. Niemand se eiendom, óf dit nou ‘n plaas óf huis is, mag egter arbitrêr ontneem of net afgevat word nie. Grondwetlike prosesse moet vir die doel van onteiening gevolg word. Die grootste struikelblok is dus nie die Grondwet nie. Dit is eerder die onvermoë van amptenary en die ministerie verantwoordelik vir grondhervorming om uitvoering aan bestaande planne te gee en dit na behore deur te voer. Wat nodig is, veel eerder as Grondwet­ wysigings, is visionêre, pragmatiese en verantwoordbare politieke leierskap en daarmee saam teikengedrewe kundigheid om grondhervorming vir behuising en landbouproduksie suksesvol teweeg te bring. Dis die grondslag waarop suksesvolle grondhervorming moet geskied. Nié politieke retoriek, wraaksug en daarmee saam ‘n ontkenning van die vergrype van die verlede nie. agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Voorbeeld van ‘n winterlek vir beeste en skape
Meng jou eie lekke en spaar Die belang van winterlekke in die instandhouding van diere se liggaamsmassa en kondisie moet nie onderskat word nie. Maak gebruik van jou eie plaasgeproduseerde produkte saam met Yara Animal Nutrition SA se produkte en beproefde resepte en bespaar hierdie winter op lekkoste. Kalori 3000 - Reg. Nr. V2809, Voergraad Ureum - Reg. Nr. V15681, Voergraad Swael - Reg. Nr. V16738, Kimtrafos 12 Grandé - Reg. Nr. V18670, PhosSure 12 - Reg. Nr. V12858. Alle produkte geregistreer onder Wet 36 van 1947.
Tel: +27 31 910 5100 Web: www.yara.com/animal-nutrition E-pos: animal.nutrition.sa@yara.com
Mieliemeel/Hominy Chop Oliekoek Voergraad Ureum Kimtrafos 12 Grandé/PhosSure 12 Kalori 3000 Voergraad Swael Sout Totaal
250 150 150 50 7 350 957
250 150 100 100 50 5 350 1005
475 95.6 3.8 MJ/kg 41 21 8 350 - 500 Nie gesik vir skape
367 77.5 5.25 MJ/kg 27 14 5 450 - 650 80 - 120
Ruproteïen % Vanaf NPN ME Kalsium Fosfaat Swael Inname Beeste (g/bees/dag) Inname Skape (g/skaap/dag)
* Voergraad Ureum kan lei tot ureum vergiftiging indien dit onoordeelkundig gebruik word. Lees aanwysings op sak noukeurig.
Expropriation without compensation: The road ahead Ernest Pringle*
In 2018, South Africa is poised at the edge of an abyss because of the suicidal idea of changing the property clause of the constitution (Section 25) to allow for expropriation of land without compensation. This policy decision, taken by the ANC Congress during December 2017, was clearly not given proper thought – probably because the delegates were too distracted by the power struggle that had taken place during the previous days within the party.
here is still a lengthy process to be followed between a policy decision and a law: a constitutional amendment will have to be drawn up, commented on, taken from a White Paper to a Draft Bill, placed before the National Council of Provinces, then Parliament, where it must be passed with a two thirds majority, and finally signed into law by the president. This is likely to take upwards of two years to complete, during which time everyone will become very familiar with its contents and ramifications. Should it reach this point, the ramifications are likely to be enormous. The commercial farming sector is heavily indebted to the banking sector, which stands to lose the security on their loans. So even during the period when the proposed law is under deliberation, the banks are likely to react by calling in long-term loans and by cutting production loans drastically. Once it becomes law, the banks are unlikely to accept land as security at all. This in turn will have a drastic effect on agricultural production, with a domino effect on employment in agriculture, and food security for our cities. It should not be forgotten that agriculture is the largest employer of unskilled labour in South Africa, and accounts for 25% of GDP, if all the linkages are taken into account. This would quickly impact on the non-agricultural sector, and be followed by other unforeseen consequences: uundermining property rights through these measures would shake
investor confidence to its core, and this would not be confined to the agricultural sector. South Africa would be plunged into deep depression. Furthermore, because the Constitutional amendment violates not only Article 17 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also all the rules acceptable to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, overseas investment in our economy would simply evaporate. Junk status would quickly become a reality. In turn, this would impact on our democracy, with massive unemployment and escalating inflation. Because the commercial agricultural sector accounts for a sizable proportion of South Africa’s exports, a shortage of foreign exchange and a collapse of the exchange rate would coincide with a time when large quantities of food would need to be imported. Ironically, the logical next victim of this process would be the ANC government itself, which would then only be able to retain power by brute force and chicanery. Does this all sound unrealistic? Clearly it is not, because this is precisely what happened to our northern neighbour, Zimbabwe. Once the Mugabe government encouraged land seizures, the economy unravelled. Thereafter, ZANU-PF could only retain power through brute force and dishonesty, having lost its democratic mandate way back in 2001. Today, that country does not even have its own currency anymore, and it will take many decades of intelligent and benign rule to restore
confidence in its economy or its democracy. Not in our lifetime, as a well-known politician once said. Perhaps the most tragic part of all this is the fact that, by undermining property rights, the ANC government will have done away with any chance of establishing an emergent black commercial farming sector, or even successful black smallholder farmers in South Africa. All our farmers would automatically be reduced to subsistence farming levels, which in turn would mean very little surplus production to feed our cities – may God help them. The supreme irony of all this is that it has been brought about through the inability of the present government to implement a workable land reform programme. From the start, this was not adequately budgeted for, and badly mismanaged – at the same time as government was stridently and repeatedly calling for its acceleration. The commercial farming sector, whose role in this whole process was always kept to a minimum, was repeatedly blamed for its slow progress. There is something Machiavellian about this. If the ANC decision is executed, it may well take us over the edge of the abyss; one can only hope that good people, both inside and outside government, will stand up and stop them. What is encouraging, is the preconditions provided for in the ANC resolution, that a decision to go ahead with expropriation without compensation, may not endanger food security or harm the economy. We trust that sanity will prevail.
*Ernest Pringle is the chair of Agri SA’s centre of excellence on land
Staatsgrond-oudit: Meer vrae as antwoorde Annelize Crosby, Agri SA, hoof: Grondsake, Hamlet Hlomendlini, Agri SA, senior ekonoom, en Yolisa Mfaise, Agri SA, regsadviseur
Sedert ongeveer 2005 dring alle belanghebbendes in die grondhervormingsfeer aan op ‘n oudit van alle grond in Suid-Afrika. Een van die besluite wat tydens ‘n vyfdag-grondberaad in 2005 geneem is, was dat sodanige oudit onderneem moet word. Sedertdien was daar verskeie pogings om die oudit te laat doen.
n een stadium was hierdie inisiatief gehuisves binne die sogenaamde CEOforum en die doel was om die oudit as ‘n publieke-private vennootskap te onderneem, wat grootliks sou bydra tot die geloofwaardigheid daarvan. Dié inisiatief het ongelukkig nooit die lig gesien nie. Daar was ook ander inisiatiewe soos dié van die SA Land Observatory, wat sekere loodsprojekte onderneem het, en die ADS/ Landbouweekblad/Agri SA-oudit, waarvan die resultate in November 2017 vrygestel is. Ons het nou uiteindelik ‘n amptelike “uitgelekte” regeringsgrondoudit wat nie baie sin maak nie en wat ons laat met meer vrae as antwoorde. Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat die verslag nie spesifiek handel oor landbougrond nie, maar eerder fokus op die ontleding van die land se totale grondoppervlakte. Dit is die rede waarom die verslag nie met dié van ADS/Landbouweekblad/ Agri SA vergelyk kan word nie. Volgens hierdie verslag is daar egter ‘n afsonderlike, omvattende landbougrondouditverslag wat tans vir publikasie voorberei word. Dit is egter onduidelik wanneer dit vrygestel sal word.
Teenstrydighede en onduidelikhede in die regering se verslag Terwyl die verslag meld dat 7% van die grondoppervlakte uit ongeregistreerde staatsgrond bestaan – al dié grond kom blykbaar in die Oos-Kaap en Limpopo voor – word daar beweer dat 97% van die res sogenaamde “plaasgrond” in boere se
besit is. Dit is eenvoudig nie só nie. ‘n Aansienlike gedeelte van hierdie grond is in die hande van die staat (eerste-, tweede- en derdevlakregering) óf in die hande van korporasies in staatsbesit, onder meer Safcol en Eskom, óf in die hande van mynboukorporasies soos Anglo American. Dit is geensins duidelik hoe die oppervlakte van staatsbeheerde natuurreservate en nasionale parke in ag geneem is nie. Daar word beweer dat individue 39% van die grond besit, gevolg deur trusts (31%), maatskappye (25%) en gemeenskapsgebaseerde organisasies (CBO’s), 4%. Die verslag beweer verder dat dieselfde individue meeste van hierdie trusts, maatskappye en CBO’s besit. Dit is ‘n verstommende stelling om te maak aangesien die verslag afskop met ‘n erkenning dat hierdie organisasies nie op ‘n rassegrondslag geklassifiseer kan word nie. Wat van grondbesit in die voormalige tuislande? Selfs al sou 7% van bogenoemde ongeregistreerde grond hiervan afgetrek word, is daar nog steeds 9% wat nie verklaar kan word nie. Sodanige grond móét dus in staatsbesit wees. Dit is hoogs onwaarskynlik dat dit in privaathande is. Trusts, wat onlogieserwys alles as “privaat” geklassifiseer word, kan dit verklaar, maar dit is slegs ‘n klein addisionele persentasie. Dit is ook onduidelik wat bedoel word met “agricultural holdings”. Die verslag verwys na 527 422 “eienaars”. Presies wie is
hierdie eienaars? Is die titelaktes in hul name geregistreer? In baie opsigte maak die syfers net eenvoudig nie sin nie.
Aanbevelings Dit blyk dat die aanbevelings nie voortspruit uit die verslag nie. Die aanbevelings sluit in die daarstelling van ‘n grondadministrasiekommissie, wetgewing oor nasionale grondregte, ‘n grondhervormingsfonds, grondbelasting en die vestiging van grond in die mense van Suid-Afrika as gemeenskaplike eiendom van almal. Dit is verreikende aanbevelings wat potensieel rampspoedige implikasies vir die landbousektor inhou, veral die voorstelle vir nuwe wetgewing oor nasionale grondregte. Die verslag beoog blykbaar die nasionalisering van grond. Die pad vorentoe? Daar moet so spoedig moontlik konsensus bereik word oor ‘n algemeen aanvaarde stel syfers wat geloofwaardig en aanvaarbaar vir alle betrokke belanghebbendes is. Die regering behoort ‘n deursigtige konsultatiewe proses te volg met die finalisering van hierdie verslag, met inagneming van alle beskikbare data, soos die ADS/Landbouweekblad/Agri SA-verslag en die werk wat gedoen is deur SA Land Observatory. Deeglike konsultasie moet geskied oor die aanbevelings en, indien daar hiermee voortgegaan word, moet dit onderwerp word aan behoorlike sosioekonomiese impak-evaluering deur ‘n geloofwaardige, onafhanklike span.
Emphasis on growth, investment and jobs hits the right notes, but ... The State of the Nation Address by president Cyril Ramaphosa was a frank admission of the challenges negatively impacting on the morale of South Africans and the drivers, which are critical to take our nation forward.
gri SA therefore wholeheartedly supports the economic solutions outlined in the State of the Nation Address to turn the country around and to create a future of hope, social cohesion and prosperity for all,” Dan Kriek, president of Agri SA, said in a media statement. “Significant emphasis was placed on the need to create jobs, advancing transformation and establishing an ethical, caring and service orientated state fraternity at municipal, provincial and national level. Agri SA also welcomes the announcement to clamp down on corruption in state departments as well as the private sector. “We enthusiastically applaud the practical steps outlined to ensure policy certainty, reduce government departments, grow the local economy, attract investments, boost the manufacturing sector and grow the small business environment,” Kriek added. Kriek also said that the establishment of local economic zones, the review of SARS and state-owned enterprises, the appointment of the right people, as well as implementing a wide range of social and economic interventions in the small business sector, agriculture, mining, tourism and other sectors, are also welcomed. “Agri SA pledges its co-operation to ensure the achievement of all the outcomes related to these plans. Prioritising the economy and the role of entrepreneurs was also a key feature of the address. Agri SA therefore calls on the president to seize the opportunity and
exploit the goodwill on offer from local and international investors. The emphasis on promoting partnerships between business, labour, government and the public is to be welcomed as well as the plans outlined to develop our young people. “However, such a bold vision cannot be tarnished by excluding anyone or a particular community. The plans announced by the president should be inclusive of all the people of South Africa – regardless of race, colour, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age or physical constraints. “The National Constitution demands of all of us to build a united and non-racial society and to nurture the talent and honour the contribution of all our people. South Africa remains a highly divided nation and it is through honouring the dignity of every South African, inclusivity and mutual respect that this divide can be bridged,” Kriek said. He pointed out tha Agri SA is, however, highly concerned with the contradictory statements related to acknowledging agriculture as the biggest contributor the past quarters in terms of economic growth and job creation, while in the same breath calling for the expropriation of land without compensation. “Not only does it subvert the letter and spirit of Section 25 of our National Constitution, but it also entrenches the perception that the governing party has no regard for the founding principles of our newly founded democracy. “The question also remains: From whom will land be expropriated and to whom
Dan Kriek, president of Agri SA
Omri van Zyl, executive director of Agri SA
will it be given? Such populist statements will do more harm than good and contradicts the underlying theme of the State of the Nation Address to grow the sector through investment to unleash its fullest potential. “Agri SA therefore appeals to the president to rather desist from such populist rhetoric and to engage with the commercial agricultural industry to find amicable solutions to the land question,” Kriek said. Omri van Zyl, Agri SA’s executive director, said that the organisation is developing its own land transformation plan that will be commercially driven and will aim to increase national production significantly without having to change the constitution. “Undermining the notion of private ownership and still expecting the private sector to enthusiastically embrace partnerships between themselves and the state will not happen,” Van Zyl added. “It is through winwin partnerships and policy certainty that the vision of a safe, productive and content South African society can be realised.”
Tobacco farming under threat from illicit trade Tobacco farming in South Africa is being threatened by the proliferation of illicit trade in tobacco products, having lost 2 million tonnes in production since 2012, while input costs have been rising. Speaking at a farmers’ day in Limpopo, Rudolf Otterman, chairman of Limpopo Tobacco Processors (LTP), said total tobacco production in 2012 stood at 13,5 million tonnes, while just 11,3 million tonnes was produced in 2016. “We’ve emerged from the devastating drought of 2015 and yields are improving, but we face an even greater threat in the form of the illicit trade, which robs the legal industry of income and puts all the jobs and livelihoods in the tobacco value chain at risk.” British American Tobacco South Africa estimates that 47% of the tobacco market is controlled by illicit players, making it one of the largest in the world and costing the fiscus up to R9 billion a year in uncollected taxes as production volumes are concealed from the authorities and escape taxation. This makes these illegal products far cheaper than legal cigarettes, which pay a minimum tax of R16,30 per packet of 20 that the illicit products don’t pay – meaning legal producers not only lose out to unlicensed competitors, but have to compete for market share with these unfairly priced products. agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Agri sa on the 2018 budget speech The 2018 national budget was tabled under very difficult economic circumstances. The minister of finance acknowledged that difficulty, but necessary trade-offs had to be made to formulate a budget that moderates spending and raises revenues while aiming to minimise the potential negative effect on growth, says Dan Kriek, president of Agri SA.
he 2017 GDP growth projection has been revised upward to 1 per cent, from the 0,7 per cent expected at the time of MTBPS last year. Economic growth is forecasted to be 1,5 per cent in 2018, rising to 2,1 per cent in 2020. However, government still faces a revenue gap of R48,2 billion in the current year. The consolidated deficit is projected to narrow from 4,3 per cent of GDP in 2017/18 to 3,5 per cent in 2020/21. “From an agricultural perspective, Agri SA is particularly pleased that the minister took time to acknowledge agriculture’s contribution to the country’s economic growth,” Kriek says. Unfortunately, once again agriculture received relatively little further attention in this budget as it did in the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) of October last year. This is despite the claims made by the minister that government remains committed to the goals set in the Constitution and the National Development Plan (NDP). “Given that the NDP overwhelmingly
recognises the agricultural sector as a sector of growth and its potential to create job opportunities for rural communities, broader consideration for the sector in the budget would have been welcomed. “Agri SA welcomes the strengthening of global market access for South African agricultural products, which will see an additional allocation of R40 million over the MTEF (medium-term expenditure framework) to upgrade infrastructure and equipment for analytical services laboratories. However, the effective and efficient use of these funds will be crucial to maximise its value to the sector. In addition, the increase in fuel levies will have a negative impact on farmers’ cash flow. However, the option of the diesel rebate should help farmers to mitigate the impact on their business,” says Kriek. He also said that Agri SA welcomes the budget’s proposal for provisional funding to help mitigate the negative impact of drought conditions. The option of temporarily increasing the intake in the Working for Water programme is being considered as a means of mitigating drought-related
Agri SA and CCMA sign MoU Agri SA and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) signed a memo of understanding (MoU) in February. Cameron Morajane, director of the CCMA, said that it is important for the CCMA to built partnerships. “We want to know what is happening in your industry and we want to understand your specific circumstances. We want our commissioners to specialise and we want them to become experts in specific fields.” Omri van Zyl, executive director of Agri SA, explained that there are vast differences in the circumstances of farmers farming with different commodities. “We share the CCMA’s vision that disputes must be decreased,” Van Zyl said. On the photo is Cameron Morajane (left) and Omri van Zyl.
job losses in agriculture. However, there is not any broader consideration aimed at supporting agriculture. We hoped that the budget would have provided broader support specifically for agriculture. “Given the fact that the sector is presently facing serious cost pressures because of the prevailing drought especially in the Western Cape, our view is that the increased excise duties on alcohol might have an adverse impact on the wine industry and could possible lead to job losses. Some relief in this regard would have been acutely welcomed,” according to Kriek. “We hope the positive commitments mentioned in the budget will be effectively implemented towards limiting the budget deficit and supporting economic growth.”
Pietman now member of RPO executive council Agri SA’s Pietman Roos is now a member of the executive council of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO). According to the RPO, Roos made a valuable contribution to the organisation’s strategic workshop earlier this year.
Motion on land: Political populism trumps national interest
problems bedevilling land reform. Agri SA will participate in the consulta­ tions, which will now follow, and will utilise the best expertise available to impact the processes optimally. The organisation will also get legal and other advice regarding the process that is now unfolding. Agri SA will rely heavily on the findings of the ADS/Landbouweekblad/Agri SA land audit that shows, among other things, that twice as much land has been redistributed through the market, compared to land redistributed by government. Agri SA has some serious misgivings about the government land audit that was released recently, which is confusing and presents a skewed picture of land ownership. Agri SA is in favour of a fact-based approach to land reform based on partnerships. The organisation is working on a strategy in this regard together with other stakeholders in the sector. Dan Kriek, Agri SA’s president, warned that all property owners’ rights are at stake and that amending the property clause represents a step backwards into a past where the protection of property rights was not applied across the board. The right to property is a fundamental right that provides protection to black and white, rich and poor against unjust state interference. The denial of this protection is out of step with international practice and is not in the national interest, Kriek said.
Agri SA fully understands the need for land reform and the frustration with the apparent slow progress and is committed to orderly and sustainable land reform. However, politics and emotion dominated the debate on land in the National Assembly end of February.
he EFF proposed a motion, which can pave the way for the scrapping or amendment of the property clause in the Constitution. The ANC supported the motion with a number of amendments. The motion was also supported by some of the smaller political parties. The amendments proposed by the ANC include that the matter should be dealt with by the constitutional review committee and was intended to bring the motion in line with the ANC congress resolution, which requires that such a step should increase agricultural production and improve food security. Rational arguments regarding the possible implications that such a step may hold for the agricultural sector and the broader economy, were absent from the debate. The fact is that financial institutions are substantially invested in the sector and that expropriation without compensation will also impact negatively on the banking sector.
Such a step will probably lead to a situation where financial institutions will no longer make production loans available to farmers. Without these loans farmers cannot purchase seed, fertiliser, feed or implements and will be unable to produce. This may lead to food shortages, price increases, food related riots and social instability. The ANC and EFF clearly did not take heed of the facts regarding the failure of land reform seriously. It appears that the governing party has ignored the findings of the High-Level Panel on Key Legislation, which was appointed by parliament. This panel found, after a thorough investigation, that the property clause and the requirement that compensation be paid upon expropria­ tion, were not impediments to land reform. Instead, an insufficient budget, lack of political will, poor implementation and corruption were identified as impediments. It is apparently easier to amend the Constitution than to address the real
Grond – dis nie sommer net vir vat nie… Adjunk-minister Mcebisi Skwatsha het na bewering onlangs tydens ‘n vergadering van die Portefeuljekomitee op Landelike Ontwikkeling en Grondhervorming gesê dat die ANC in Maart ‘n konferensie oor onteiening sonder vergoeding sal hou en dat onteiening sonder vergoeding daarna deur alle relevante staatsdepartemente geïmplementeer sal word. Hy is aangehaal om te sê dat die ANC sal bepaal wie se grond hulle sal vat en hoe hulle dit sal doen. Dit is egter nie sommer net vir vat nie, het Ernest Pringle, voorsitter van Agri SA se sentrum van uitnemendheid oor grond, gesê. Dit is ook nie ‘n besluit wat die ANC op hulle eie kan neem en dan eenvoudig begin uitvoer nie.
een onteiening sonder vergoeding kan plaasvind tensy die Grondwet gewysig word nie, het Pringle gesê. En dit sal ‘n tydrowende proses wees waaroor daar omvattend gekonsulteer sal moet word en die nodige meerderheid van stemme in die parlement ten gunste daarvan uitgebring moet word. private eiendomsreg is ‘n internasionaal erkende beginsel wat beskerm word deur die meeste internasionale menseregte-handveste, byvoorbeeld artikel 17 van die Verenigde Nasies se Universele Verklaring van Menseregte. Die dreigemente van onteiening sonder vergoeding bots ook lynreg met beleid van belangrike instansies
soos die Wêreldbank en die Internasionale Monetêre Fonds. Die ekonomiese gevolge van grond “vat” sal katastrofies wees, soos verskeie ekonome reeds uitgewys het. Die arm mense sal die swaarste deur die gevolge van so ‘n onverantwoordelike stap getref word, het Pringle bygevoeg. “Hierdie tipe uitlatings deur politici speel in die hand van opportuniste wat dit graag as verskoning wil gebruik om grond te beset. Dit is uiters gevaarlik.” Pringle het ook daarop gewys dat geweldige verwagtinge geskep word rondom die kwessie van onteiening sonder vergoeding, wat ook polities kan boemerang. “Het enigiemand al gedink wat
gaan gebeur nadat grond gevat is? Aan wie gaan dit gegee word, wie gaan toegang geweier word en waar gaan die kapasiteit skielik vandaan kom om die mense wat die grond kry te ondersteun om dit produktief te gebruik?” het hy gevra. Agri SA doen ‘n beroep op mnr Ramaphosa om die organisasie en die publiek so gou moontlik in sy vertroue te neem oor presies wat beoog word. Agri SA het nog geen uitnodiging ontvang om ‘n konferensie in Maart hieroor by te woon nie. Agri SA is ‘n belangrike rolspeler in hierdie debat en sal graag met die ANC-leierskap hieroor debat wil voer, het Pringle gesê.
FOKUS • FOCUS Voer en voeraanvullings/Feed and feed additives
Suid-Afrika se uitkomste moeilik om te voorspel Suid-Afrika se regimeverandering is waarskynlik beperk, maar die uitkomste is moeilik om te voorspel, het professor André Duvenhage, politieke ontleder van die Noordwes-Universiteit, by die jongste vergadering van Agri SA se Algemene Sakekamer gesê.
ns kan ‘n verskuiwing in mag verwag en daar gaan waardeveranderings binne regeringsgeledere wees. Bestaande waardes gaan opnuut bekyk word en kan herdefinieer word. Daar gaan nuwe norme en spelreëls wees en konsensus gaan ‘n groot rol speel,” aldus Duvenhage. Hy het ook gesê dat die disintegrasie en verval van bestaande institusionele raamwerke dalk Suid-Afrikaners se voorland kan wees en konflik, geweld en onstabiliteit kan ‘n werklikheid word namate een orde vir ‘n ander plek maak. Dit hou belangrike gevolge vir die staat, korporatiewe strukture en die groter samelewing in. “Onder die nuwe ANC-president sal die ANC waarskynlik ‘n nuwe identiteit
aanneem. Dit kan die suksesvolle oorgang insluit van ‘n politieke party binne ‘n grondwetlike bedeling wat links van die sentrum geplaas is. Die toekomstige politieke landskap sal plek maak vir koalisiepolitiek met strategiese vennote.” Volgens Duvenhage is die Zuma-era gekenmerk aan ‘n onvermoë om SuidAfrika se uitdagings aan te spreek. Dit het gelei tot die disintegrasie van die party, met verreikende politieke en staatkundige gevolge. ‘n Belangrike uitkoms van die ANCkonferensie in Desember is die besluit oor grondonteiening sonder vergoeding, maar daar is nog nie konsensus hieroor in die ANC nie. “Die nuwe ANC-leierskap bring hoop vir matigheid en ‘n omgewing vir ekonomiese investering wat reeds ervaar word met
die rand se verstewiging. Optrede teen staatskaping wat in die afgelope tyd rigbaar geword het, asook die radikale grondhervormingsmodel in Zimbabwe wat misluk het, kan ‘n positiewe uitwerking op grondbeleid in Suid-Afrika hê.” Hy het die volgende areas waarop Agri SA behoort te fokus, uitgelig: •	‘n Veiligheidsprojek moet as prioriteit van stapel gestuur word of bestaande projekte behoort dramaties uitgebou te word; •	Agri SA moet die politieke omgewing deurlopend beoordeel om konstruktiewe en/of obstruktiewe kwessies betyds te identifiseer en te verdiskonteer; •	‘n Strategiese kommunikasieplan moet toegepas word, en •	Leierskap wat doen en die verbeelding aangryp is noodsaaklik.
Groot skenking vir droogtefonds Agri SA sê dankie aan Talisman Hire vir hul skenking aan Agri SA se Droogteramphulpfonds.
ankie ook aan Colin du Plessis, uitvoerende direkteur van Talisman Hire, wat die dryfkrag agter die skenking was. Die R166 000 wat ingesamel is, sal beslis verligting bring aan menige boere en plaaswerkers in gebiede wat erge droogte ervaar.
Vir meer inligting oor Agri SA se fonds en hoe om te skenk, klik gerus die volgende skakels: http://droogterampfonds.co.za/ of http://droughtaidfund.co.za/
Op die foto is Colin du Plessis, uitoerende direkteur van Talisman Hire (links), en Christo van der Rheede, adjunk-direkteur van Agri SA.
Bewaar die energie in jou kuilvoer natuurlik. BIOMIN® BioStabil is ’n reeks kuilvoer-inokulante wat fermentasie in ’n breë kuilvoerspektrum (gras, lusern, graan-heelplante, klawer, mielieheelplante, ens.) verbeter en versnel deur pH-waardes gedurende die inkuilproses vinniger te verlaag. Sodoende word kuilvoerstabiliteit tydens voer-onttrekking uit die kuilvoerbunker verbeter, selfs nadat die bunker oopgemaak is. Die resultaat is ’n hoër droëmateriaal-, energie- en voedingstofbehoud – ’n waarborg vir laer insetkoste plus hoër produksie en wins. Kry meer besonderhede by www.biomin.net/kragvoer of skakel ons by 018 468 1455.
MAAK KRAGVOER VAN JOU KUILVOER
Maak seker jy voer topgehalte-kuilvoer dr Vesna Jenkins, produkbestuurder, Biomin Oostenryk
Inkuiling is ’n sleutelproses in die bewaring van voer en gewasse en maak voorsiening vir kostedoeltreffende dierevoeding. ‘n Korrekte kuilvoerproses is noodsaaklik vir maksimum voedingswaarde en speel ook ‘n sleutelrol in goeie diereproduksie en -gesondheid.
ewaring” is hier die sleutel­ woord. ’n Suboptimale inkuilingsproses beïnvloed alte dikwels die voedingswaarde van kuilvoer weens die verlies van waardevolle energie en proteïen. Opgeleide Biomin-personeel kan jou egter help met jou kuilvoerbesluite en om jou einddoel van topgehalte-kuilvoer te bereik. ’n Belangrike deel van hierdie proses is om te verseker dat die regte bakterieë die fermentasieproses aanhelp. ’n Hoëgehaltekuilvoerinokulant, met die regte mengsel van homo- en heterofermentatiewe bakterieë, help om te verseker dat kuilvoergehalte nie aan die toeval oorgelaat word nie.
Aërobiese stabiliteit Homofermentatiewe bakterieë (melksuur­ produseerders) moet ’n geselekteer­de stam wees ten einde te verseker dat die daling in pH so vinnig as moontlik plaasvind om die vestiging van ongewenste bakterieë te voorkom. Heterofermentatiewe bakterieë moet weer ’n balans van melksuur en asynsuur produseer om te help om die lae pH te handhaaf, asook om teen die groei van ongewenste giste en muf te beskerm en goeie aërobiese stabiliteit te verseker.
Die regte bakterieë help om fermentasie in die regte rigting te stuur en dit voorkom dat ander mikrobes die ingekuilde voer van waardevolle proteïen- en energiebronne beroof. Maar nogtans kan selfs die beste groepering van bakterieë nie die basiese grondbeginsels van ‘n korrekte kuilvoermaakproses vervang nie. Biomin bied ’n volledige kuilvoerbestuurs­ program wat al die aspekte van kuilvoer­ bestuur dek. Om probleem met aërobiese stabiliteit te help diagnoseer, gebruik Biomin infrarooi- termiese kameras om die hele kuilvoeroppervlak visueel te ondersoek, terwyl termometerstawe ingespan word om die kuilvoer ten minste 20 cm diep in die kuilvoergesig te penetreer en te ondersoek (Borreanni, 2010).
Deeglike monsterneming ‘n Professionele kuilvoerboor help met goeie en verteenwoordigende monsterneming wanneer analises gedoen moet word. Die laboratoriumresultate kan met Biomin se tegniese ondersteuning verwerk word. Die kuilvoer se pH kan natuurlik op die plek getoets word. Die belangrikste en mees wenslike produk van fermentasie is melksuur. Dit is so te sê reukloos. Ander reuke kan aanduiders van probleme in die fermentasieproses wees. Vir hierdie rede het die tegniese span voorbeelde van die natuurlike chemikalieë wat baie van die
reuke veroorsaak. Dit help om dominante reuke tydig te identifiseer. Bottersuur veroorsaak ’n skerp reuk wat smaaklikheid kan verminder en ’n aanduider van Clostridia-bakterieë is. Laasgenoemde kan voerproteïen verswak en negatief op dieregesondheid inwerk. Aan die ander kant kan ’n oorproduksie van asynsuur (’n asynreuk) of die reuk van alkohol (die gevolg van gisgroei) op ’n vermorsing van energievlakke in die kuilvoer dui. ’n Intense ammoniak-reuk dui op proteïen wat afgebreek word en wat ook die kuilvoer se gehalte in gedrang bring.
Die volvoerrantsoen Dit is belangrik om gereedskap beskik­ baar te hê om kuilvoer se gehalte by die bunker te toets. Net so is dit belangrik om te verstaan dat kuilvoer ’n belangrike en integrale deel van die volvoerrantsoen is. Biomin se tegniese personeel is toegerus om volvoerpartikelgrootte met die Penn State Separator-sifkas te toets, asook om die gehalte en vertering van mis met ’n verteringsanaliseerder-sifstelsel na te gaan. Vir meer inligting, skakel Biomin by 018 468 1455/6 of besoek die webtuiste www.biomin.co.za. Verwysings beskikbaar op aanvraag.
Volg dié voeraanvullingstrategie vir suksesvolle beesproduksie Francois van de Vyver, nasionale tegniese bestuurder: Herkouers, Nutrifeeds
Weiding in die somerreënvalgebiede toon die hoogste voedingswaarde in die vroeë somermaande – wanneer die primêre voedingsbeperking hoofsaaklik fosfor en gebiedspesifieke spoormineraaltekorte is.
anneer die reënseisoen egter ophou en die jaar na die kouer wintermaande aanbeweeg, verander die voedingswaarde asook die beskikbaarheid en verteerbaarheid van die weiding dramaties. Met meerjarige grasspesies, wat tipies in die suurder gedeeltes aangetref word, is hierdie daling in voedingswaarde dramaties en ’n uitdaging vir die boer. Die strategie tot aanvulling behoort gevolglik gefokus te wees op die beperkende voedingstowwe ten einde die verteerbaarheid en dus die inname van die beskikbare materiaal te stimuleer, gedagtig aan die bewaring van die veld. Die doelwit tydens die herfs, vroeë- en midwintermaande behoort komplementêre aanvulling te wees, waar die beperkende voedingstowwe aangevul word ten einde die verteerbaarheid en inname van die weiding te bevorder. Hierdie doelwit word bereik deur die voorsiening van ’n winterlek wat hoog is in nieproteïen-stikstof (NPN) – soos ureum – ten einde aan die rumen- mikro-organismes se stikstofbehoefte te voldoen. Sodoende word mikrobiese aktiwiteit gestimuleer, wat die kapasiteit vir veselvertering verbeter en dus lei tot die verhoogde inname van die swakgehalteweiding. Die sukses van oorwintering word egter reeds in die somer bepaal. Gevolglik is die aanbeveling dat die lekaanvullingsprogram vroegtydig en oordeelkundig uitgewerk moet word. Diere behoort die strawwe droë seisoen in ’n aanvaarbare kondisie in te gaan en daarom behoort die lekprogram van so ‘n aard te wees dat voedingstekorte aandag kry, selfs in die stadium wat goeie kwaliteit weiding beskikbaar is. Dit is ‘n beproefde praktyk om fosforlek­ ke soos Nutrifeeds se Nutritub Fosfaat (V14996) of Nutri Lek Fos 6 (V8874) in die somer op groen sappige weidings aan te vul. Sodra die weiding egter in kwaliteit begin afneem, soos gekenmerk deur verhoogde innames van die fosfaatlek, is die aanbeveling om die diere stelselmatig oor te plaas op ’n lek wat benewens fosfaat (P) ook proteïen bevat. Normaalweg sal hierdie oorgangslekke reeds in die laatsomer of
herfs aan die diere beskikbaar gestel word en bevat dit minder ureum as ’n tipiese winterlek. Wanneer die weidingskwaliteit en hoeveelheid van so ’n aard raak dat die inname van die oorgangslek begin styg, is dit die teken dat die lek aangepas moet word eers na ’n volwaardige winterlek en dan later na ’n lek wat ook produksie kan ondersteun. •	Nutrifeeds Winter 40 (V17401, N-FF1453) werk uitstekend vir die doel om weidinginname te stimuleer. Dit bestaan hoofsaaklik uit proteïen waarvan die oorgrote hoeveelheid vanaf ’n NPNbron kom asook uit minerale van belang vir die onderhoud van die dier. Die aanbevole inname van die lek is tussen 375 en 750 g/bees/dag en dit verseker die kostedoeltreffende oorwintering van vee wat nie hoë voedingsbehoeftes het nie. •	Waar die behoefte bestaan vir ’n lek met hoër voedingstofinname vir reproduserende diere, word Nutri Winter­ breker 32 (V3342, N-FF1067) egter aanbeveel, juis omdat die produk ’n uitstekende spoormineraalsamestelling het, bo en behalwe die ideale proteïen-
en mineraalinhoud daarvan. •	Sou diere egter in kondisie of liggaams­ massa afneem, is dit raadsaam om na Nutri Lek Produksie (V28671, N-FF3733) oor te slaan. Dit sal tipies die geval wees waar die vraag aan produksie nie alleen deur ’n winterlek voorsien kan word nie en voorsien die produksielek benewens proteïen ook energie, minerale en vitamines. Hoewel winters die mees uitdagende periode vir veeproduksie is, kan die lek­ program vir bepaalde seisoene nie in isolasie beskou word nie. Die benadering behoort ’n volledige lekprogram vir die hele jaar te wees en die kwaliteit en hoeveelheid van die weiding, asook die inname van die betrokke lek, behoort aan te dui watter tipe lek gebruik behoort te word.
Gevolgtrekking ’n Suksesvolle aanvullingsprogram het die effektiewe benutting van die goedkoopste hulpbron op die plaas ten doel – weiding – ten einde kondisie en produksie van die diere te onderhou. Verdere inligting: fvandevyver@countrybird.co.za of 018 285 1020/083 419 4562.
McCosker en Winks (1994) van Australië beveel aan dat proteïen saam met fosfor, in die vorm van 'n Oorgangslek, in die laat groeiseisoen van natuurlike grasveld gevoer moet word. Die oorbrugging van die groen na droë seisoen met 'n Oorgangslek bevorder produksie en reproduksie omdat dit massa- en kondisieverlies beperk weens die voorsiening van ekstra proteïen.
VOORDELE • Bewerkstellig 'n geleidelike oorgang van fosforaanvulling in die somer na ureumbevattende winterlekke.
• Bevat minder ureum as winterlekke wat die gevaar van ureumvergiftiging verminder wanneer diere na winterlekke (hoog in ureum) oorgeskakel word omdat hulle dan reeds ten volle op ureum aangepas is.
...kan dinge agter uitgaan Indien u dus ernstig is om hierdie winter net die beste te behaal in: • liggaamsmassa en algehele kondisie van u kudde • dragtigheid en speenpersentasies is daar net een keuse...
VOERMOL PREMIX 450 Aanbevole inname: 400 - 500 g per bees per dag
• Verseker dat diere hulle nie aan die hoë ureumbevattende winterlekke oorvreet nie omdat hulle geleidelik daarop aangepas is. • Voorsien minstens 50 tot 80 g proteïen en 6 tot 9 g fosfor per bees per dag gedurende die stadium wanneer die voedingswaarde van die veld begin daal. • Beperk massa- en kondisieverlies by beeste ('n matige groei is dikwels moontlik) waardeur produksie en reproduksie bevorder word. WANNEER? • Sodra drastiese styging in fosfaatlekinnames plaasvind en/of sodra gras volwassenheid bereik deur saad te begin vorm. • In die hoër reënvalgebiede begin beeste alreeds op proteïenaanvulling reageer terwyl die weiding nog in 'n mate groen is. OORGANGSLEKKE VIR VLEISBEESTE In die soeter grasveldgebiede word Voermol Superfos (V17422) of 'n Super 18-gebaseerde Oorgangslek [80 kg Voermol Super 18 (V355) + 50 kg Rumevite 12P (V11994) + 50 kg sout] met groot welslae gebruik. In gevalle waar dit nodig is om meer proteïen te voorsien, veral op swakker en suurder grasveld, kan een van die volgende Oorgangslekke selfgemeng word.
www.voermol.co.za Voermol Premix 450 Reg. Nr. V4676 (Wet 36/1947) Registrasiehouer: Voermol Voere (Edms) Bpk. Posbus 13, Maidstone 4380.
As jy nie VOERMOL PREMIX 450 voer nie... ...kan dinge agter uitgaan Indien u dus ernstig is om hierdie winter net die beste te behaal in: • liggaamsmassa en algehele kondisie van u kudde • dragtigheid en speenpersentasies is daar net een keuse...
POULTRY EQUIPMENT agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
FOKUS • FOCUS Water en besproeiing/Water and irrigation
Western Cape drought – When panic begins to set in, cool heads are needed Janse Rabie, Head of Natural Resources, Agri SA
ow organised agriculture responds in mobilising and supporting its members and the public at large during this unfolding disaster, will define our role in South Africa. Amidst a province in crisis, Agri SA finds a surprising ally.
Unfolding crisis The current drought gripping the southwestern parts of South Africa started as far back as the end of the 2015 summer when the rains expected to fall during the 2016 and 2017 winter seasons did not arrive. This situation has been exacerbated by the fact that at the same time the demand for water in the Western Cape Province increased because of fairly rapid economic and population growth. Together with the effects of climate change, the province’s water resources are under significant pressure and a very real possibility exists that urban as well as rural communities will run out of water by March 2018, if not sooner. As the largest user of water (incidentally not only in South Africa but globally too), the agricultural sector is an obvious and easy target for those taking part in the blame game. Forgotten is the fact that the Western Cape is probably South Africa’s most important export province in terms of agricultural products, or that the foodprocessing sector represents some 25% of the overall manufacturing sector output of South Africa. Also forgotten is that agriculture and agro-processing are responsible for 18% of employment opportunities in the province and that agri-tourism in the Western Cape is a significant generator of foreign and locallyderived revenue. As the current drought crisis worsens,
panic begins to set in and an already fractured and polarised society (the unfortunate hallmarks of South Africa and the Western Cape region) goes to war with itself. Accusations begin to fly and fingers get pointed – somebody needs to be blamed and somebody needs to pay. Half-truths and blatant lies are peddled in the press and on social media as if de rigueur. Political infighting and opportunism are the order of the day. It is feared that the worst is yet to come for the Western Cape Province. Late summer here is normally blisteringly hot and windy, and a very real threat exists of veld fires sweeping the province and compounding the existing drought crisis. All the warning signs indicate imminent disaster. In this time, cool heads are needed to avert a catastrophe realising in the Western Cape.
Surprising ally? As the first order of business for the New Year, on 4 January 2018, Agri SA was invited to a bi-lateral meeting with the minister of water and sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, to discuss the drought crisis in the Western Cape. All preconceptions that may have existed before the meeting were swept aside when the minister acknowledged the fundamental importance of the agricultural sector in South Africa and affirmed her view that Agri SA and Government were allies in dealing with the prevailing drought crisis in the Western Cape Province. Certain hard realities had to be addressed, including the need for improved water-use management and the fact that, in certain identified areas, farmers are undeniably known to be abstracting and
using water unlawfully and to the detriment of their neighbours and the province as a whole. Severe compliance and enforcement action against perpetrators will have to be expected – fair warning has been issued!* While the discussions were led by wellprepared and informed presentations by the delegation of high-level officials from the department who attended the meeting, what impressed most was the calm and purposeful way in which the minister conveyed her appreciation for the severity of the impending drought crisis in the Western Cape and here willingness to listen and reach out to Agri SA and the agricultural sector in this time. At the outset of 2018, the situation in the Western Cape is heading into a critical phase and conditions are feared to deteriorate even further as the late summer heat conditions are set to persist. While the sense of panic and desperation deepens as the realities of this present drought are being felt by farmers and city-dwellers alike, Agri SA has (while setting aside all other differences for the time being) found in Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and her officials capable and cool-headed leaders to support and to be emulated by others. Agri SA looks forward to working together with the department of water and sanitation and, in particular, minister Nomvula Mokonyane, in dealing with the effects of the persistent drought ravaging the Western Cape Province and adjacent areas at this time. (*Agri SA has consistently maintained its view that where farmers use water unlawfully, they do so at the expense of the agricultural community as a whole. As an organisation Agri SA will not defend the indefensible and strongly condemns the unlawful abstraction, storage and use of water by all persons.)
Wat as die water opraak? Dr Gerhard H Verdoorn, Gifinligtingsentrum, nesher@tiscali.co.za 082-446-8946
uid-Afrika het al vantevore uitmergelende droogtes ervaar soos dié van 1933 toe daardie droogte die grootste gros van die land se vee en wild uitgewis het. Dit was natuurlik ‘n fees vir die aasvoëls met al die beskikbare karkasse, maar kort ná die droogte het die aasvoëls so te sê uit die Karoo verdwyn as gevolg van kos wat opgeraak het. Die vraag wat ons onsself moet afvra is of die mens net soos die Karoo se aasvoëls ook tot ‘n einde kan kom as gevolg van droogte. Geskiedenis van ander volkere het dalk vir ons die antwoord. Die inheemse stamme van Suid-, Sentraal- en Noord-Amerika is bekend vir hulle kundigheid oor die buitenste ruim, argitektuur en piramides. Oor die konstruksie van laasgenoemde is daar tot nog toe geen duidelikheid nie. Die Inkas, Majas en Asteke was waarskynlik ook van die wêreld se eerste suksesvolle landbouers, want dis waar die mielie en baie ander van vandag se ander stapelvoedselgewasse vandaan kom. Die argeologie wys daarop
dat hulle ingewikkelde en groot beskawings gehad het met stede en selfs tekens van kontak met wesens van die buitenste ruim. Tog het hulle beskawings baie vinnig en drasties tot ‘n einde gekom. Onlangse studies wil beweer dat die inheemse Amerikaners se einde die direkte gevolg van ‘n vyftienjaar- uitmergelende droogte was. Dink net: eers vergaan die gewasse wat op klein skaal verbou is, daarna het die veldplante en wilde diere ook begin uitsterf en laastens het die droogte die mense uitgewis. Selfs in die Bybelse tye was daar sulke droogtes wat volkere op hul knieë gehad het en hier in Afrika is Ethiopië ‘n sprekende voorbeeld van wat ‘n taai droogte aan mense kan doen. Israel het net een varswaterbron, naamlik die Yam Kinneret of Meer van Galilea, waaruit ‘n redelike groot deel van die land se vars water onttrek word. Ondergrondse water is skaars en haas ondrinkbaar vanweë die opgeloste minerale. Dit het Israel jare gelede genoop om die seewater te ontgin en tans verskaf ontsouting meer as 67% van Israel se
nesher@tiscali.co.za • 082-446-8946 agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
vars water. Dit is ver­ stommend dat Suid-Afrika se leiers nie die geskiedenis ken of wil verstaan oor wat gebeur as water opraak nie. Ons Wes-Kaapse, Oos-Kaapse en selfs Noord-Kaapse kusstreke lê aan duisende kilometers kuslyn met miljoene kubieke kilometer seewater wat smeek om ontsouting. Gaan die regering aanhou wag vir reën of gaan ons drastiese planne maak vir ontsouting van die onuitputlike seewaterbron? Of moet die lot van die Inkas en Majas ook ons s’n word? Dis nie net die mens nie maar ook diere en plante wat tot niet sal gaan. Ons is vasgevang in ‘n politieke bestel wat die verdoemenis van die land elke dag met ongeërgheid nader en nader bring!
Ons sou dink dit is ondenkbaar dat water opraak. Daar is damme, riviere, fonteine en oseane vol water en tog lê die dreigende nood net om die draai vir die Wes- en Oos-Kaap waar daar binnekort bitter min water gaan wees. Geen probleem, sou sommige mense sê, ons sink boorgate en pomp water uit die aarde. Dit is tog wat baie produsente doen, nie waar nie? Die feite is egter dat die aarde se ondergrondse water ook nie onuitputlik is nie en voortdurende benutting daarvan kan die onderaardse water ook laat opraak.
Droogte in die Wes-, Oos- en Noord-Kaap word as nasionale ramp verklaar Die Nasionale Rampbestuursentrum het op 13 Februarie vanjaar die voortslepende droogte in die Wes-, Oos- en Noord-Kaap as ‘n nasionale ramp verklaar. Dit beteken dat ingevolge die Nasionale Wet op Rampbestuur van 2002, die uitvoerende gesag (die kabinet) met die nasionale ramp moet handel ingevolge bestaande wetgewing en gebeurlikheidsreëlings.
ie verklaring van ‘n nasionale ramp behels dat die minister van samewerkende regering en tradisionele sake, in beraadslaging met ander kabinetministers, regulasies mag uitvaardig en instruksies mag uitreik in verband met, onder meer, die volgende: •	Die beskikbaarstelling van enige hulpbronne van die nasionale regering; •	Stappe om die gevolge van die ramp te versag, beperk en te minimaliseer; •	Stappe wat nodig mag wees om te verhoed dat die ramp verder eskaleer; en
•	Fasilitering van reaksie asook postramp­herstel en -rehabilitasie. Die Nasionale Landboubemarkingsraad wat die ministerie van landbou, bosbou en visserye adviseer, het onderneem om ‘n groep belanghebbendes, insluitend Agri SA, byeen te bring om te handel met die vernietigende impak wat die droogte op die landbousektor gehad het en om vorendag te kom met ‘n “slim” droogterampbestuursplan. Agri SA, wat reeds sedert 2016 vir ‘n nasionale rampverklaring pleit, het sy Smart Disaster Aid Plan aan sy nasionale
kongres in Oktober 2017 voorgelê. Daar word gehoop dat die Nasionale Rampbestuursentrum hom sal beroep op die aanbevelings daarin asook op die geweldige ervaring binne die organisasie om die huidige droogte aan te spreek. Agri SA-president Dan Kriek het die organisasie se volle ondersteuning aan die nasionale regering gebied, met spesifieke verwysing na die president van Suid-Afrika, Cyril Ramaphosa, gedurende die droogte en veral te midde van die onstuimige politieke klimaat wat tans heers.
Why should you use the JOOSTE cylinder? The Jooste Cylinder requires extremely light operating power and therefore produces more water than a normal cylinder, with less effort. The cylinder is manufactured from modern materials such as stainless steel and polyurethane, which causes considerably less electrolytic corrosion on galvanised pipes. Cylinder parts are readily available and are colour coded for easy identification, according to size.
here are two series of Jooste Cylinders, namely the AS and the RDS cylinders, which are designed for boreholes with a total head of more than 60 meters. Jooste Cylinder & Pump Company has been producing windmill cylinders for the past 50 years and has been awarded, amongst others, the ‘Cullinan Good Engineering Design Award’, and the ‘SASSDA Award for Recognition of Innovation and Excellence in Stainless Steel’. Jooste Cylinder and Pump Company is recognised as a leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality products that have been designed to withstand the harshest of African conditions.
Zest weg group helps farmers find good ‘ground’ electrically When it comes to electrical installations by farmers, there is a common misconception that could lead to earth leakage systems underperforming, thereby possibly compromising the safety of the equipment and operators.
he difference between “earth” (or “ground”) and “neutral” connections is often not well understood, creating problems when connections are made from on-site transformers or other sources. WEG Transformers Africa has plenty of experience in the manufacture, repair and refurbishment and installation of transformers, miniature substations and switchgear for a range of industries including agriculture. As part of the Zest WEG Group, extensive investments have been made into its two local manufacturing facilities, which produce transformers of various sizes. The neutral connection in an electrical installation is designed to carry current all the time, while the earth connection is only supposed to carry current for a short period to trip your protection switch. If installation is not done correctly the trip system won’t work properly, and in addition to this, stray currents are created that may cause other problems. An example of the impact of stray voltages in dairy farming is where the flow of current in the earth circuit has led to low milk yields. Studies show that where stray voltages – so small that they are usually not perceptible to humans – have been experienced in milking facilities, these can cause a tingling effect on the cows’ udders, resulting in lower milk yields and even mastitis in some cases.
Experience has shown that many farmers use the neutral connection as the earth when they do an electrical installation, and this is not correct.
Current carried on a grounding conductor can result in significant or even dangerous voltages on equipment enclosures. For this reason, the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in electrical regulations. In alternating current (AC) electrical wiring, the earth is a conductor that provides a low impedance path to earth so that hazardous voltages do not find their way to the equipment. Under normal conditions, the earth connection does not carry any current. Neutral, on the other hand, is a circuit conductor that normally carries current
back to the source. Neutral is usually connected to earth at the main electrical panel, or meter, and also at the final step-down transformer of the supply. Neutral is also the connection point in a threephase power supply to connect cable termination in order to gain single phase power. In a three-phase circuit, neutral is usually shared between all three phases, with the system neutral being connected to the star point on the feeding transformer. Earthing is therefore a vital part of electrical installations to ensure that circuit breakers will trip under fault conditions. Safe and legal installation needs to start with the selection of the right transformer, with a star configuration to allow the connection to the neutral point. Installation by a qualified and experienced technician is then ideal, to ensure optimal performance. The correct earthing or grounding of electrical currents has a number of important benefits apart from the main concern around safety. It protects equipment and appliances from surges in electricity – commonly from lightning strikes or power surges – which bring dangerously high voltages of electricity into the system. Good earthing will ensure that excess electricity will go into the earth, rather than damaging equipment. Having your electrical system properly earthed also means you will be making it easy for power to be directed straight to wherever you need it, allowing electrical currents to safely and efficiently travel throughout your electrical system. The earth also stabilises voltage levels, providing a common reference point for the many voltage sources in an electrical system and making it easier for the right amount of power to be distributed to all the right places. This can play a huge role in helping to ensure circuits aren’t overloaded and blown.
The Hino 500 series with Automatic Transmission is the perfect vehicle for any business. Reliable at every turn means that this impressive vehicle gives you the peace of mind to go the distance in an unpredictable landscape. Available in both the 4X2 and the 6X2 models, this automatic medium duty truck enables drivers to focus their attention on the road and what’s ahead. These comfortable and efﬁcient driving conditions contribute to improved fuel consumption, reduced wear and tear and a better working environment for drivers in the road transport industry.
For your convenience, our range of freight carriers, tippers and mixers are now available in a 6X4 model. With a reputation of quality, durability and reliability, Hino is the perfect business partner with the widest dealer network in Southern Africa. Hino strives to support your journey from start to ﬁnish.
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Hartbeesfontein se boere pak veiligheid Veiligheid is een van die groot landbou-uitdagings waarmee regoor Suid-Afrika geworstel word. In die gebied van Hartbeesfontein is dit vir seker ook die geval.
artbeesfontein is geleë in die sentraal-suidelike gedeelte van die Noordwesprovinsie, noordwes van Klerksdorp. Gemengde boerdery word hoofsaaklik beoefen. Benewens veediefstal word verskeie ander items van tyd tot tyd in die gebied geroof. ‘n Paar plaasaanvalle, gewapende rooftogte en selfs enkele plaasmoorde is al gepleeg. Protesoptredes vanuit die plaaslike woongebied het onlangs ook begin om veiligheid in die gebied te bedreig. Hartbeesfontein-landbouvereniging, ‘n aktiewe affiliasie van Agri NW, bestaan al vanaf 1928. In 2006 is die plaaslike kommando gesluit en is besef dat ‘n vakuum rondom landelike veiligheid kan ontstaan. Sedert dié tyd het Hartbeesfontein Landbouvereniging se Veiligheidskomitee ‘n omvattende veiligheidstelsel opgebou. Die veiligheidskomitee bestaan tans uit agt lede en is besonder aktief. Daar word weekliks byeengekom waartydens strategieë ontwikkel word, pro-aktiewe beplanning gedoen word, inligting bestuur word, planne uitgevoer word, kommunikasie op vele vlakke met alle rolspelers en lede plaasvind en om onmiddellike optrede moontlik te maak in ‘n noodsituasie. Die werksaamhede van die veiligheidskomitee is mettertyd georganiseer in ses veiligheidsprojekte wat in totale koördinasie met mekaar funksioneer. Die ses projekte word hieronder kortliks bespreek.
• Kommunikasie en inligting Gereelde en sinvolle kommunikasie met die vereniging se lede word op verskeie metodes gevoer maar veral deur vyf goedbestuurde WhatsApp-groepe, selfoonboodskappe,
per Burg B-radio, per telefoon, per e-pos, persoonlike gesprekke en tydens lede- of spesiale vergaderings. Klem word gelê op die volgende: deurgee van veiligheidsinligting, uitkykbood­ skappe, mobilisasie, opskerping van veilig­heidsreëlings op die plaas en die bestuur van werklike noodsituasies. In die laasgenoemde geval is radiokommunikasie veral noodsaaklik. ‘n Verdere faset van kommunikasie is natuurlik ook gesprekke en die bou van ‘n verhouding met die SAPS en alle ander rolspelers. Inligtingsbronne word ook gewerf en gehanteer om inligting pro-aktief te bekom om sodoende misdaad te voorkom of om misdadigers te identifiseer in ‘n poging om sake te help oplos.
• Sektorpolisiëring Meer as vyftien lede van die Hartbeesfontein Landbouvereniging is as reserviste betrokke
by sektorpolisiëring. Sektorpolisiëring verseker kommunikasie en samewerking met die plaaslike SAPS-stasie. Pro-aktief word gepoog om misdaad te bekamp en te fokus op sekere probleemgebiede of spesifieke misdaadgevalle. Die goeie samewerking tussen die SAPS en die landelike gemeenskap het al tot heelwat suksesse gelei. Ongelukkig is die volhoubaarheid van effektiewe betrokkenheid met die SAPS nie altyd verseker nie. Waar struikelblokke wel opduik, word dit sinvol bestuur.
• Veediefstal-inligtingsentrum (VIS) Die VIS vergader tweemaandeliks met die hoofdoelwit om veediefstal te voorkom en om te help met die oplos van veediefstalsake. Benewens die afvaardiging van die Hartbeesfontein Landbouvereniging is die volgende instansies betrokke by hierdie projek: verteenwoordigers van die betrokke SAPS-stasies, die SAPS se Veediefstaleenheid, die departement van justisie en van die betrokke veeveilingshuise. Gesamentlike optredes word beplan en uitgevoer ten einde veediefstal te hanteer. Bruikbare inligting is in hierdie verband noodsaaklik. • Patrollie-/reaksievoertuig van die Hartbeesfontein Landbouvereniging ‘n Eie voertuig is aangeskaf wat sigbaar gemerk en toegerus is met ‘n radio en ligte. Die doel van die voertuig is om patrollies te doen in gevalle waar die situasie dit sporadies vereis of om te reageer in ‘n noodsituasie. Hierdie pro-aktiewe en reaktiewe optredes met die voertuig is om snel te kan reageer, vir sigbaarheid, gebiedsdominering, observasie, gerusstelling van lede, hul families en werkers, hantering van inligting, terugvoering en >>> bladsy 59 agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Rabbit farming growing in SA Coniglio Rabbit Meat Farm (Pty) Ltd has been expanding throughout South Africa. Rabbit farming has undergone a thorough development period, and after seven years we have more than 150 contributing farmers in all provinces of South Africa that consistently supply products to the system.
e are continuously working around the clock to bring infrastructure closer to the farmer. Effective from 1 March 2018 the price paid to farmers has increased to R60,64 per kilogram.
We have three additional facilities planned for completion this year, one in the Free State, one in Limpopo and one in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The KZN branch will be operational by the end of March 2018, and we would like to invite all interested rabbit farmers in the province to make an appointment to meet with us. This facility will serve as a Coniglio support hub for the KZN region where we would be offering rabbit farming training courses, breeding stock, equipment, support and agro-services permanently.	The branch is located in Boston on a farm close to Howick off the N3 between Johannesburg and Durban. We will be offering an initial pickup service for livestock to other rabbittoirs until we commissioned a brand new rabbittoir for the region. Coniglio Rabbit Meat Farm specialises in producing quality rabbit meat products for mainly export markets. Our clients include African and Middle Eastern Countries. The local markets are also catching on fast and rabbit meat will soon be available at your favourite retail store. Our products are halaal, carries the heart mark and Coniglio Rabbit Meat Farm is ZA export certified. Farmers are specialises in producing quality offered the opportunity to set up their rabbit meat products for mainly own farms and focus on producing export markets. The local products for the same markets by markets are also catching on collective efforts. fast and rabbit meat will soon Rabbit meat has been produced be available at your favourite for centuries around the world and as retail store. Our products are is the case with chicken and fish, is halaal, carries the heart mark enjoyed by many cultures. Yet many and is ZA export certified. consumers are not aware of this
Coniglio Northwest Branch incredible protein source. Local production will mean an increase in local consumption. There is also short supply world-wide, which provide producers with many opportunities.
Interested farmers can send us an email to info@coniglio.co.za. Please supply your full name, cell phone number and province where you are interested in farming. We will email you a full information pack and provide contact detail for the various provinces.
Not just a pipe dream..... AQS
agri Water Many irrigation farmers in South Africa pay an annual research levy to the Water Research Fund in respect of water which is used for irrigation on scheduled land. This fund is dedicated to financing the activities of the Water Research Commission (WRC) to support and undertake research on the use of water for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes. The levy on irrigation water is, however, not the only source of income for the fund: Levies on water use for urban, industrial and domestic purposes makes by far the biggest contribution.
Risk-based approach to irrigation water quality management Agri: With declining raw water quality, the risks for irrigation farming have increased. Has any progress been made to provide relevant advice to farmers? Backeberg: The 1996 South African Water Quality Guidelines comprise one of the most widely-used tools in water quality management. However, they are now viewed as significantly out of date. A Phase 1 department of water affairs and forestry (now department of water and sanitation) project was completed by a panel of experts in 2008. They performed a needs assessment, developed a general philosophy and described the general specifications of a decision support system (DSS) for revised water quality guidelines for South Africa. In response the first WRC project on irrigation water quality management was undertaken from 2014 to 2017, led by Prof John Annandale at the University of Pretoria. The general aim of this project was to develop a softwarebased decision support system (DSS), in order to provide both generic and site-specific risk-based irrigation water quality guidelines for South Africa. The two main components of the project were firstly, describing the technical considera­ tions that determine water quality requirements of irrigation water use; and secondly, capturing these technical considerations in a DSS. The DSS was designed to provide water resource managers and irrigation farmers with guidance about the risks associated with using water of a particular composition for irrigation under both site-specific and generic condi-
tions. In this regard the risks are considered as the likelihood of an adverse effect when using water for irrigation. The DSS that was developed, provides for quantitative fitness-for-use assessments, as well as for determining water quality requirements for irrigation water use. The primary tool for evaluating fitness-foruse or establishing water quality require­ments, is a software-based DSS, which ope­rates at three tiers (described in Volume 1 of the report): Tier 1 resembles the 1996 gene­ric guidelines (but modified where applic­able), which are generated by the DSS. Tier 2 allows for site specificity, the extent of which is predetermined by the site-specific variables that are provided for as part of the DSS. Tier 3 allows for site specificity in other ad hoc contexts where required, possibly using modules of the DSS and other specialised resources as required for a specific purpose. The appropriate informatics, as well as approaches for future updating of databases and algorithms, received specific attention. As an example, both quantitative and more qualitative expert information were consolidated in look-up tables and form an integrated part of decision support. The sources of the information or the way in which they have been derived and applied in the DSS, are reported in Volume 2 of this report (technical support), thereby facilitating future updating where deemed necessary. Setting water quality requirements is essentially the setting of criteria (threshold values) to which water constituents need to comply in order to fall into a particular fitness-for-
use category. The DSS assesses fitness-for-use and establishes water quality requirements for the effect irrigation water constituents have on soil quality, crop yield and quality, as well as irrigation equipment. For each of these, a number of suitability indicators were identified. The criteria used to determine the fitness for use category of each suitability indicator and the relevant calculation procedures, are presented and explained. Suitability indicators for e.g. soil quality include root zone salinity; soil permeability; oxidisable carbon loading; and trace element accumulation. Designing and establishing the DSS was a major undertaking and as far as could be ascertained, a world first. This research-based innovation is therefore certainly novel for irrigation water quality management in South Africa. Further refinement and the need for additio­nal features were identified during the course of the project. Consequently, a follow-up project has been prioritised and will begin in April 2018 to obtain end-user requirements on a broader basis and to improve practical application. For this purpose demonstrations will be done of the “risk based, site-specific, irrigation water quality guidelines”, as published in WRC report TT 727/17 (Volume 1-Description of decision support system; and TT 728/17 (Volume 2-Technical support, on a USB). However, the DSS is ready for testing and electronic copies of the DSS can be downloaded from https:// www.nbsystems.co.za/downloads.html.
Visit the Water Research Commission’s webpage www.wrc.org.za for more information and/or ordering of research reports Tel: 012 761 9300 Fax: 012 331 2565 E-mail: wrc@wrc.org.za. Private Bag X03, Gezina, Pretoria 0031. agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
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SA economic outlook analysed South Africa kicks of 2018 with a relatively strong nominal exchange rate towards the lower end of R12 to the dollar following the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as leader of the ANC in their December 2017 elective confer­ence. The strengthening rand has already led to a reduction in the regulated price of petrol and diesel in January 2018, and should also translate into lower inflationary pressure and possibly even deflation of imported goods.
lthough Mr Ramaphosa won the election it was not an outright victory as members of the top six and national executive committee (NEC) form part of other factions within the ANC. Accordingly, Mr Ramaphosa faces a difficult task to change the country’s economic trajectory. This report highlights key considerations that could influence South Africa’s macro-economy and agricultural sector through 2018.
Macro-economy While the outcome of the ANC’s elective conference was a more market-friendly out­ come, the rand will still face difficult terrain in the coming months. In particular, the National Treasury’s annual budget is highly anticipated by markets and credit ratings agencies. The budget was to be presented on 21 February. According to the Medium-Term Budget Policy statement delivered in October last year, South Africa will have tax revenue shortfalls of around R50,8 billion for 2017 and R69,3 billion for 2018. By 2020/21, approximately 15% of the government’s revenue will go towards paying off debt. The country’s deficit is projected to be 61% of GDP by 2022. The February budget will have to reassure ratings agencies that South Africa is committed to maintaining the credibility of the fiscal framework and the expenditure ceiling. The funding of free tertiary education1 and struggling state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are key considerations to keep an eye on. South African Airways (SAA) and Eskom are examples of SOEs that place a significant burden on the fiscus. It is estimated that SAA will need funding of approximately R8 billion by March and Eskom around R20 billion by May/June. In terms of electricity, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved a 5,23% tariff increase (December 2017) and not the 19,9% initially applied for by Eskom. Currently, this is good news for energy consumers. However, Eskom may still appeal following Nersa’s release of the reason for the decision in early 2018. 1
In addition, Nersa will have to process Eskom’s three other Regulatory Clearing Account (RCA) applications in the coming months. These applications are to address under-recovery of allowed revenue or cost increases outside of Eskom’s control in previous years and total around R60 billion. Whilst the electricity network has improved its reliability, higher electricity costs present a risk of being passed on to consumers or the fiscus (tax payers), as Eskom needs to meet its financial obligations. Political, policy and regulatory uncertainty tied with a lack of policy implementation are the main culprits for South Africa’s recent poor economic performance. The World Bank2 projects that South African GDP growth will reach 1,1% in 2018 and 1,7% in 2019/20. However, policy uncertainty is likely to remain a part of 2018 and it could weigh down on confidence and investment.
Policy uncertainty The ANC have decided to pursue land expropriation without compensation and nationalisation of the central bank. The ANC noted that these policies would only be implemented by considering the impact on the economy. The policies can only be implemented in a manner that will not have a negative impact on the economy. However, the practical application of this disclaimer will be no easy task, i.e. it is highly unlikely that these policies can be implanted without
For students from households with a combined annual income of R350 000.
World Bank. (2018). Global Economic Prospects. Available online: http://www.worldbank.org/en/ publication/global-economic-prospects 2
severe negative consequences. In the sections below, we consider the potential negative impacts of implementing these policies. Based on these impacts, the “policy disclaimer” should argue against the implementation of expropriation and nationalisation.
Expropriation without compensation The High Level Panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation and the Acceleration of Fundamental Change recently found that the biggest challenge standing in the way of land reform is not the property rights clause, but the implementation of land reform policies, procedures and extended entrenched corruption in the system. Expropriation is legally possible; the Constitution allows it. Why must “without compensation” be added? “Without compensation” can only have negative consequences. Legislation already allows for restitution, in which case government seems to hold title deeds. Why are title deeds not registered in the name of new land owners? Nobody wants to see the new land owners overcommit themselves financially once they have property rights, but that we can take care of this by proper financial advice to emerging farmers. The Land Bank and private sector banks have agricultural experts on their staff and the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries ought to have professional advisers on board to guide farmers. Why do we train agricultural economists in our faculties of agricultural sciences? >>> page 51
the fields to growing
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Understanding and managing risk in a farm business Many decisions in agriculture are taken without a clear knowledge of what the specific outcome will be. Farm businesses often find that their best decisions turn out to be less than perfect because of events that occurred between the decision and its outcome. Crop farmers, for example, are often faced with decisions about which crop they should plant, the amount of fertiliser they should apply and what other inputs they should use in the early planting season. These decisions are made before the farmer knows what the ultimate crop yields will be and what prices will be obtained for the crops. A cattle farmer who decides to expand his enterprise through holding back heifers, will have to wait a few years before they receive the income from this expansion. Unfortunately, farmers can do very little to speed up the biological processes on which their production depends, or make them more predictable.
he above examples paint a clear picture of how risk is inherent in agriculture and how complex the management of this risk is. Risk comes from unexpected outcomes, often with serious financial implications, and managing it is largely about reducing the possibility of unfavourable outcomes or at least softening their effects on the business. It is important to understand that for any business, good risk management does not necessarily mean total elimination of risk. Rather, it means controlling the risk to a level that the business is willing and able to bear. A good risk management strategy requires a hands-on approach that integrates all the business functions of the farm, so that the total farming risk system is managed proactively and in conjunction with both the external and the internal environment of the business.
Risk management strategies When dealing with risk, it is also important that we understand that there is no straight­ forward approach. It is also important that farm businesses are as flexible as possible for risk management strategies to be successful. Various risk management strategies, such as enterprise diversification, vertical integration, production and marketing contracts and insurance products, are available to help farm businesses cope with risk. However, farm businesses are not all the same and they cannot have a blanket solution to their risk exposure. Financial position, the size and type of the farm business and various other factors play a huge role in determining the enterprise’s ability to shoulder risk. A well-established farm business with a large amount of equity capital can afford not to insure as it is able to withstand larger losses before it feels the total impact, while a smaller enterprise that has just started production cannot afford to forego the option to take out insurance as a strategy to cushion the risk impact on their business, should the unforeseen occur. The farmer’s use of debt to finance operations and his debt choice depend on many factors, which include the level of risk
aversion, the size and type of the operation and the performance and positioning of his business within the market. In general, a highly leveraged farm business has greater financial risk than does a farm business that operates in a less leveraged financial structure. Highly leveraged farms whose debt exceeds their assets can lose equity, especially when they cannot afford the cost of the debt. These businesses will be more exposed to financial risks such as those related to high interest rates. In such cases it is often advisable for farm businesses not to borrow capital or at least to wait until their position improves. This could mean they will have to postpone their capital expenditure. In reality, however, it might not be practical to postpone capital purchases indefinitely, but the business must be flexible and could prioritise on operating expenditure instead. A healthy cashflow is also very important for risk management. If a farmer has high living expenses, he will be less able to with­ stand a low-income year. It is important that farm businesses maintain their liquidity by taking care of short-term liabilities that are necessary for a healthy continuation of operations. A dent in the business cashflow because of technical or market factors such as a decline in the price of a product can have an impact on farming income.
Types of risk potential outcomes It is important that farm business managers study the different types of risk as well as their impact on the business. They should identify the mitigation strategies available for each type of risk and prioritise them according to their potential impact on the business. To assess and analyse risk, business managers must be able to formulate probabilities and analyse a wide range of potential outcomes for different decisions. These probabilities are useful for forming expectations. The true probabilities are seldom known but are always subjective. The probability of rainfall or the odds of changes in
interest rates, for example, are subjective probabilities. Farm businesses differ and the inter­pretation of available information will vary from business to business. When all the probabilities and their outcomes have been formulated and weighed against each other, a suitable decision can be taken and implemented with a suitable risk management strategy. Risks must be classified not only according to their sources but also in terms of how often the negative impact occurs and what the magnitude of the impact is. Risk management starts with decisions taken on the ground, such as which output to produce and which inputs to use for production. Businesses must arrange risks according to their impact and the probability that these risks will occur. The potential impact can vary from disastrous to minimal and the probability can vary from highly probable to improbable. By evaluating each possible risk according to the above criteria, a producer will be able to discern between risks that require immediate attention and those that are less important. The risk remaining after all risk mitigation has been implemented is known as residual risk. This is the risk that the business simply must cope with in flexible and strategic ways. There is no generic risk management strategy that works for everyone, nor can a risk management strategy be used for every season. It is important that businesses consider their own risk appetite and tailor their strategies for maximum benefit.
<<< page 47 Agriculture was the best performer across the first three quarters of 2017 and was the largest contributor to our 2% GDP growth in the third quarter. Disrupting agriculture with expropriation will stall growth and lead to job losses in the sector. The negative impact of expropriation without compensation will propagate throughout the economy. These impacts are illustrated in Figure 1 below. Alternatives to “expropriation without compensation” must be considered. For example, providing security of tenure to emerging farmers and public-private partnerships to leverage supportive financing models. Agri SA’s existing strategies and recently released land audit has already shown that market forces drive economies – and it is the same for the agricultural economy in South Africa.
Nationalisation of the central bank Nationalising the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), to change the ownership structure, will send a very negative signal in both a financial and economic policy sense. In the context of “radical policies”. It could raise the question whether this is part of a broader strategy to entrench political influence and control over the SARB? Nationalisation of the SARB can serve no purpose because independence is guaranteed in the Constitution and shareholders cannot influence monetary policy. Why fix something that is not broken? It is in fact breaking something that is functioning very well. Our economy needs the SARB to remain independent and to continue with its mandate. Making sweeping changes to the SARB or its mandate is exactly the opposite of what our economy needs. Credit ratings Further credit rating downgrades may be on the cards in 2018, with Moody’s holding the country on review for downgrade. The extent of economic and political reforms, as well as the February budget, are likely to be key influencing factors. Should further credit downgrades materialise, we could expect higher interest rates and inflation, a weakening rand and additional constraints on the government budget. When the government’s interest repayments increase, less funds are available for spending on social security payments, healthcare, education and infrastructure
Figure 1: Economy-wide impacts
projects. South Africa’s credit rating history is summarised in Figure 2 below. The potential impact of further credit downgrades is summarised in Figure 3.
The monetary sector In line with the potential developments outlined above, changes in the relative
strength of the rand, inflation and interest rates will have an impact on the real economy through import costs and the cost of borrowing. If Mr Ramaphosa implements positive economic and political reforms, the rand could perform well. A strong rand would >>> page 52
Figure 2: South Africa’s credit rating history (1994-2017) agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
BlueFan efficiency and performance now available in SA Skov’s next generation BlueFan combines 40 years’ knowledge and experience in the design and use of high quality ventilation systems that ensure the best possible conditions for your flock at the lowest energy consumption achievable.
lueFan has been tested on several poultry farms in Australia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand – in some of the most demanding climates that place harsh demands on ventilation systems – and the results were compelling: In addition to producing less noise and closing completely airtight when not in use, energy savings of up to 70% per cycle were noted. According to Michael Czarick, world-renowned specialist in poultry house ventila­tion, fan selection is one of the most, if not the most important decision a producer has to make when building a new house or retrofitting an older one for tunnel ventilation. “A house’s fans are essentially the engine of the ventilation system and as a result have a significant effect on a producer’s ability to maintain the proper environmental conditions throughout the year. Furthermore, with rising electricity prices selecting the right energy efficient fan can save a producer thousands of dollars a year. As a result, when selecting fans it is crucial that a producer compares fans not just on initial cost but on fan performance and operating costs as well,” he said in Vol. 29 No. 2 of the University of Georgia’s Poultry Housing Tips newsletter,
BESS Lab has tested 24 different variants of Skov’s BlueFan, yielding 24 test reports with some impressive results. This table shows figures for 3 x 400V, however, other variants are also available. Please visit BESS Lab or SKOV websites for more information (www.bess.illinois.edu or www.skov.com).
BlueFan High performance. Energy efficient. Intelligent design. Long durability. which contained a list of the best performing tunnel fans tested by BESS Lab in 2016. Czarick explained: “The University of Illinois BESS Laboratory website is the leading source for agri­ cultural fan performance data. Along with a fan’s
<<< page 51
air moving capacity at various static pressures BESS Laboratory provides producers information on a fan’s energy efficiency rating (cfm/watt) and air flow ratio (an indicator of how well the fan holds up under high static pressures).” >>> page 53
bode well for keeping inflation within the target range, helping to support a softer monetary policy stance. However, the rand is a structurally weak currency and a weaker rand is not off the cards. Should global monetary policy tighten, there would be limited room for the SARB to lower the repo rate. Higher oil prices and a higher average wage growth would place upward pressure on inflation.
Figure 3: Potential impact of further credit downgrades agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Table 1 Day	Number of birds	Weight House 5	House 6	in kg (DMS DA1700)	(MS EC1400)	0	53 500	53 600	33	34 000	35 300	1.8 49	24 000	2.2 54	Slaughter	Slaughter	4.1
Agricultural economy The drought conditions in South Africa’s winter and summer rainfall areas will have an impact on the gross production value of agriculture and farmers’ financial position. Whilst the long-term weather forecast expects good rainfall in the summer rainfall areas, it seems the Western and Northern Cape provinces will continue to experience dry and warm conditions. The global economy is showing signs of an upswing. However, the recovery is not complete with growth remaining weak in many countries. Weak global growth could have an impact on South Africa, along with the weak domestic growth outlook and policy uncertainty. Further credit downgrades could be a reality in 2018. This could increase the cost of borrowing and weaken farmers’ cash positions. Upside risk to oil prices could impact negatively on production costs. However, a stronger rand could help to mitigate such increases. In terms of commodities, the global surplus could lead to lower producer prices on a global level. As input costs and debt levels increase, farm income and profit margins will remain under pressure in 2018. Farming debt for 2016/17 is summarised on page 59. Considering the global and domestic influences that can have an impact on South Africa and the farming economy, farmers should keep track of developments in export markets, especially trade policies and high-growth countries that could present new markets. Protectionist or restrictive foreign trade policies in traditional markets could warrant lobbying for preferential market access in new markets. >>> page 59
<<< page 52
On-farm savings On-farm tests in Springbank in Victoria, Australia showed a very impressive 64% saving in power consumption over conventional fans. Table 1 shows the housing and weight data for the batch during which the fans were tested. The energy signature for the duration of the cycle is depicted in Graphs 1 to 4, while Graph 5 depicts the very impressive savings in energy consumption – which of course translated to an impressive saving in cost. Other tests show similar results – and of course when these savings in energy and gains in production are translated into financial gains, the true value of BlueFan becomes even more convincing.
Graphs 1 to 4: Springbank on-farm test energy signature
Graph 5: Springbank on-farm test power consumption
For more information on Skov’s BlueFan, contact PPA on: Johannesburg: 011 708 3094; Pietermaritzburg: 033 346 1941; Cape Town: 012 987 4831 or log on to www.skov.com agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Beskerm jou boerdery teen insolvensie Adv Kobus Engelbrecht, bemarkingshoof: Sanlam Besigheidsmark
Die oumense het gesê dat trou nie perde koop is nie. Maar wat het trou en perde koop met mekaar te doen?
el, alles. As jy en jou gade in gemeenskap van goed getroud is en jy of jou gade of beide van julle bedryf ’n sakeonderneming, is julle gemeenskaplike boedel aan ’n groot risiko onderworpe: die risiko van insolvensie. Die gevolg daarvan kan wees dat julle alle bates wat julle bymekaar gemaak het, kan verloor.
Hoe dit werk Dit werk so: Gestel A en B trou in gemeen­ skap van goed. Volgens ons huweliks­­­ goedere­reg word die twee individue se boedels op die datum van die troue saam­gevoeg en kom ’n gemeenskaplike boedel tot stand. Dit beteken nou dat A en B elk ’n halwe onverdeelde aandeel in hierdie gemeenskaplike boedel besit. Die boedel bestaan uit die saamgevoegde bates en laste van A en B. Gestel A bedryf haar besigheid as ’n alleen­eienaar. Een van A se kliënte betaal haar nie en dit veroorsaak dat A ’n kontantvloeikrisis beleef en dit lei uiteindelik tot insolvensie. Dit is egter nie A se boedel wat nou insolvent is nie maar wel A en B se gesament­­like boedel – as gevolg van die feit dat hulle in gemeenskap van goed getroud is. Die gevolg hiervan is dat al hulle bates nou verkoop moet word om die krediteure van die onderneming te betaal. Die hele familie beland dus nou letterlik op straat, want hulle plaas en alle ander bates sal verkoop moet word. Hoe om jou bates te beskerm Hoe vermy ’n sakepersoon ’n riller soos hierbo beskryf? Begin by jou troue. Sorg dat jy buite gemeenskap van goed trou. Jy sal dan verder ’n keuse moet maak of jou huweliksbedeling met of sonder die aanwasbedeling moet wees, maar dit is ’n onderwerp op sy eie. ’n Huwelik buite gemeenskap van goed beteken dat daar nog steeds twee afsonderlike boedels bly voortbestaan ná die troue. Gestel dus nou dat A en B in ons voorbeeld hierbo buite gemeenskap van goed getroud was. Dan sal A se insolvensie nie dieselfde uitwerking op B se boedel hê nie, want B se boedel sal nie in so ’n geval noodwendig gesekwestreer word nie. Die Insolvensiewet maak wel voorsiening dat krediteure nie benadeel word nie, veral waar
een gade se boedel gesekwestreer word, en hierdie gade skenk bates kort voor die insolvensie aan die solvente gade. Indien B dus bona fide ’n eie boedel opgebou het, sal sy bates beskerm wees in die geval van sy vrou se insolvensie. Die volgende stap ter beskerming van die familiebates is om te sorg dat beide die partye bates opbou gedurende die huwelik. Die ideaal sal wees om die familiebates, meubels, motors en ander lewens­noodsaak­ lik­hede in die boedel van die huweliks­party te versamel wie se insolvensie­risiko die kleinste is. Op dié wyse verseker die partye dat as die een wat die besigheid bedryf, se boedel wel gesekwestreer word, hulle as ’n gesin nog versorg is. Maar wat van besigheidsmense wat reeds in gemeenskap van goed getroud is? Skei en hertrou is ‘n opsie. Ongelukkig sal die emosie en sentiment wat met ’n troue gepaard gaan waarskynlik tot gevolg hê dat dit vir die meeste mense nie ’n opsie sal wees nie. ’n Ander opsie is om by die hoër hof aansoek te doen vir verandering van die huweliksbedeling wat gepaardgaan met regskostes. ’n Verdere opsie is om die onderneming in ’n struktuur met ’n aparte regspersoonlik­ heid te plaas, soos ’n private maatskappy. Op dié wyse kan mens dan onderskei tussen die gesamentlike boedel van die huweliks­ partye en die boedel van die onderneming.
Die gevare van borgskap Pas egter op vir borgstelling. As jy nou wel jou onderneming in die vorm van ’n maatskappy bedryf, maar jy verbind jouself as borg vir die skuld van die maatskappy, plaas jy weer eens die gemeenskaplike boedel op risiko, so ook jou persoonlike boedel as jy buite gemeenskap van goed getroud is. ‘n Familietrust as oplossing ’n Ander manier om die familiebates te beskerm, is om ’n familietrust op te rig en die familiewoning, plaas en ander lewensonderhoudende bates aan die trust oor te dra. Die gevolg hiervan is dat die trustbates nou onder die beheer van die trustees is, en nie meer in die gesamentlike boedel van die huwelikspartye nie en dus beskerm is teen die partye se skuldeisers. Hou egter in gedagte dat ’n trust ’n ingewikkelde regstruktuur is, wat opgerig en bestuur moet word deur ’n kundige, en dit bring onkostes mee. As jou boedel egter groot genoeg is, mag die trustopsie dalk die aangewese roete wees om te volg. Lesers moet in gedagte hou dat die reg uit baie fasette bestaan en dat dit onmoontlik is om alle aspekte wat ’n uitwerking op ’n mens se boedel het in die bestek van ’n artikel te bespreek. Kry dus kundige advies voordat jy belangrike besluite neem.
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agri Wyn/Wine Ry van Kaapstad verby Hermanus, verby Stanford, Gansbaai, Baardskeerdersbos en ook Elim. Dan kom jy by Strandveld Wingerde waar die grootste naambord denkbaar vir jou wys waar om af te draai na die mees suidelike wingerde in die land. Die mees suidelike wingerd in Afrika, waar die wind vir Conrad Vlok help geur in die druiwe in looi.
ier, op die uitgestrekte plaas Blomfontein bied ‘n klimaat van ekstreme – waar die berugte Kaapse suidooster eintlik gebore is – meer uitdagings vir wynmaak as by die meeste plekke in die wynland. Maar as jy leer om te lewe en te werk met hierdie terroir, is daar groot beloning in die vorm van karaktervolle, unieke wyne. Reeds wyd bekend is die First Sightingetiket, wat verwys na die Portugese ontdekkers Diaz en Da Gama se eerste aangesig van die Afrika-kus, en Strandveld met fassinerende name soos Pofadderbos, The Navigator, Suikerbekkie, Skaamgesiggie en Adamastor, laasgenoemde geïnspireer deur die mitiese god van wind en storms. En nou ook die Stamboom, ‘n ‘alternatiewe’ nuweling waarmee die ware
Conrad Vlok kuier met sy eiesoortige stamboom-familiewyn.
wyn-baanbreker Conrad Vlok terugkeer na sy wortels – ‘n rooi versnit gemaak van die inheemse druifsoort Pinotage en sy voorouerkultivars, Pinot Noir en Cinsaut. Die ouderwetse etiket met die skildery “Het Vrolijke Huisgezin” van die 17de eeuse Hollandse meester Jan Steen versinnebeeld volgens die teks op die rugetiket “ons kosbaarste erfenis, herinneringe aan gelukkige tye saam met vriende en familie”. Conrad, ‘n pretensielose man met passie van hierdie geweste se winde en stemminge, het in sy vroeë loopbaan al by Darlingkelder begin eksperimenteer met versnyding van Pinot Noir, Pinotage en Cinsaut – die afskeepkultivar wat stilletjies in toeka se dae in verskeie vlagskip-versnitte, maar ook in Tassenberg, as ‘versagter’ gebruik is. Nou vind hy ná jare se leer, dikwels op die harde manier, dat ‘n temperamentele kultivar soos Pinot Noir hier baie goed doen en saam met Sauvignon Blanc en Shiraz hul belangrikste kultivars geword het. Hy en sy vrou, Suzán, het in 2004 by Strandveld aangekom en ‘n nuwe lewe met hul dogter en seun begin, wat in laerskooldae daagliks 35 km met ‘n grondpad skool toe op Bredasdorp gery moes word. “Met die vloed in 2005, voor die pad geteer is, was ons dae lank hier vasgekeer. Dit was maar enkele van die uitdagings hier by die uithoeke.” Die dag toe ek hom besoek het, was hy opgewonde “met ‘n swaar hart”, want hul seun, Nicholas, is daardie oggend deur Suzán na Stellenbosch weggebring vir sy eerste jaar op universiteit, vir studies in ‘n kommersiële rigting. Dit was juis die wekroep van Stellenbosch wat vir Conrad, destyds in Durbanville, in die wynmaakrigting gelok het. Ná bietjie proe en gesels in die kelder, het ons met sy bakkie en groot swart hond,
Uithalerwyn uit Elim se uithoeke Levina, gaan rondry tussen die totale 44 hektaar wingerde, voor uitspan by ‘n kuiertafel onder die wattelbome langs ‘n groot plaasdam. ‘n Vuurtjie is vinnig vir middagete aangeslaan en ons het die geurvolle Adamastor 2015 (lig gehoute Sauvignon Blanc met Sémillon) en daardie Stamboom-familiewyn met heerlike stuk tuisgemaakte beeswors, sonder enige bykos, gepaar. Ons het met die hand geëet en moes later, soos familie, die wyn uit een glas deel want die ander is in die gees van Adamastor in skerwe van die tafel af gewaai. Conrad het vertel hoe hy oor die jare as wynmaker van Strandveld, die eiendom van ‘n groep sakemanne, saam met sy buurkelders moes deurdruk en leer. Die Elimwyngeledere sluit ook die privaatkelders Black Oyster Catcher met sy gewilde Mediterreense styl restaurant en craft bier in, asook The Berrio van Francis Pratt. Die top- Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc van Cederberg Kelder se David Nieuwoudt se druiwe word jaarliks meer as 400 km van hier af na sy kelder gekarwei vir pars. By ‘n afdraai met die Uintjieskraal-bordjie, het ‘n stofpaadjie ons na die mees suidelike wingerd in die land, eintlik in Afrika, gelei – van Sauvignon Blanc wat as koelklimaatkultivar hierdie wêreld as’t ware op die mêp gesit het. Die naaste rye aan die see, waarvan jy die wasige blou in die verte sien, lyk maar bietjie gehawend. “Kyk net hoe bliksem die wind hulle!” het hy herhaaldelik gesê. En my ook gewys waar die wingerde verlede November jaar erge haelskade gehad het. “Een van die belangrikste lesse wat ons hier geleer het was die belangrikheid van ryrigting. Die wind waai óf wes óf oos; so dít >>> bladsy 59 agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
<<< bladsy 57 moet ook jou ryrigting wees, want dan stoot die wind deur hom en nie teen hom nie en koel alles daarbinne af.” Mens kon duidelik aan die nuwer aangeplante wingerde sien hoe geil en sterk hulle groei, insluitend ‘n nuwe wingerd wat hy hier vir die famous Ruperts van Franschhoek versorg. Wat die Strandveld-wyne betref, is die First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc, waarvan die 2017-oesjaar vandag feitlik oral beskikbaar is teen sowat R70 plus per bottel, al jare lank een van my gunstelinge, met sy uitgesproke neus en geure van appelliefie en wenke van fynbos – met kenmerkende souterigheid, kruie en gladde mondgevoel wat die Sauvignons hier kenmerk. Hierdie reeks sluit ook ‘n Rosé (Grenache) 2017, Shiraz 2015 en Pinot Noir
2013 in. Die Strandveld-etiket behels die Pofadder­ bos Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (enkelwingerd), Adamastor 2015, Pinot Noir 2013, Syrah (Shiraz) 2013 en The Navigator (van Shiraz/ Grenache/Mourvèdre/Viognier). Dít benewens die beperkte uitgawe Viognier, 2017, Suikerbekkie Edel Laatoes 2012, Anders Sparrman Pinot Noir 2014 en Skaam­gesiggie Pinot Noir Brut MCC-vonkelwyn 2015. Die kleurvolle name dui natuurlik aan dat al hierdie wyne hul eie stories het. Anders Sparrman is vernoem na ‘n beroemde natuur­­mens en verkenner wat bewaringswerk hier gedoen het, terwyl die Skaamgesiggie geïnspireer is deur die ‘n skaars suikerbostipe wat net in hierdie omgewing voorkom.
Die Stamboom is Conrad se eie storie ... en op die rugetiket verskyn hy en sy gesinslede se beskrywings en kos-aanbevelings daarvoor. Sy eie is:” Gestoofde pruim met die geur van tuisgemaakte vla; sagte tanniene soos dié van granaatpit. Dogter Marié, tipies veldkind, verwys na die geur van noem-noem. Ek self moet nog hierdie fynbosvrug proe, maar stem saam oor haar “gemengde speserye” – in ‘n mediumvol, komplekse maar sagte wyn met ‘n strelende mondgevoel, sagte spesery ná veroudering in gebruikte groot vate, en lang nasmaak. Die wyn getuig van Conrad se strewe om die invloede van sy omgewing in eiesoortige, gehaltewyne vas te vang. Tot dusver met beperkte verspreiding teen R200 per bottel.
<<< bladsy 41 kommunikasie. Uiters positiewe terugvoering van lede word deurgaans verkry ten opsigte van die projek. Die SAPS ondersteun ook die projek ten volle en is volledig ingelig. Permanente personeel is aangestel om die voertuig te beman.
Landbouvereniging. Altesaam 20 kameras word strategies op hoërliggende grond, verspreid oor die gebied, opgerig. Die omvang van die totale gebied wat gedek word, is gemiddeld ’n radius van 25 km rondom Hartbeesfontein. Sestien kameras is reeds in werking. Elektrisiteit of sonpanele word gebruik vir kragvoorsiening. Sekuriteit van toerusting kry daadwerklike aandag. Die kameras is van hoë kwaliteit en dek strategies alle padroetes en veral aansluitingspunte ook digby Hartbeesfontein waar voertuie en in sekere gevalle nommerplate herken kan word. Snags sal verdagte voertuigbeweging gemonitor kan word. Radio-dataverbinding is gevestig tussen die kameras en alle data vloei na ‘n sentrale beheer- en operasionele kamer in Hartbees­ fontein. In die beheerkamer word die nodige rekenaartoerusting en vyf skerms gehuisves. Die skerms word deur personeel beman op ‘n voltydse basis (dag en nag), om beeldmateriaal te monitor. Alle kameras kan uit die beheerkamer gerig of vergroot word op spesifieke punte. In wese verskaf die kameras ‘n permanente visie oor die totale gebied. Vir die vinnige opsporing en
beheer van veldbrande is die kameras ook baie nuttig. Die operasionele kamer word gebruik vir die bestuur van noodsituasies. Die plaaslike SAPS is ook ten volle ingelig oor die projek en goeie samewerking tydens die hantering van situasies word bewerkstellig. Bostaande ses veiligheidsprojekte van die Hartbeesfontein Landbou­vereniging se oorhoofse doelwit is om die gebied te domineer sodat misdadi­gers die geleentheid vir misdaad ontsê word. Misdaadvoorkoming is belangrik en dat landbou toegelaat moet word om onverhin­derd sy rol te kan speel om voedsel vir Suid-Afrika te kan produseer. Agri Securitas het ook ‘n enorme bydrae gemaak om die kamera­projek te laat realiseer en daarvoor groot dank. Hartbeesfontein Landbouvereniging is nederig dankbaar om te kan sê dat heelwat suksesse al behaal is ten opsigte van misdadig­heid. Kontinuïteit, samewerking, harde werk, finansiële dissipline, kommuni­ kasie, deursettingsvermoë en geloof is waarskynlik van die faktore wat belangrik is om die bestuur van veiligheid op ‘n redelike vlak te kan behartig. Ongelukkig bly die verrassingselement altyd ‘n bedreiging!
• Reaksievermoë ‘n Volledige gebeurlikheidsplan is opgestel en deeglik met die gemeenskap gekommunikeer om in noodsituasies geaktiveer te word. Sou ‘n ernstige misdaad­voorval hanteer moet word, is 20 lede geselekteer en word deurlopend opgelei om snel bystand op ‘n toneel te verskaf. Noodhulp-opleiding asook opleiding oor persoonlike wapenhantering word van tyd tot tyd vir die veiligheidsgroep en die gemeenskap aangebied. Plaaslike sekuriteits-instansies word ook by die reaksie-vermoë betrek. Lugsteun is vanuit die gemeenskap beskikbaar. Reëlings is met ambulansdienste getref vir voertuig- en lugoptredes in krisisomstandighede. • Kameraprojek Die omvattende kameraprojek is pas toegevoeg as projek tot die bestuur van veiligheid in die gebied van Hartbeesfontein
<<< page 53
Figure 4: Farming debt in 2016/17- R151,3 billion
South African agriculture receives limited government support through subsidies whilst our international competitors are highly subsidised by their governments. Furthermore, many of agriculture’s inputs are imported and priced in US dollar. The fluctuating rand/dollar exchange rate adds to the pressure on farmers’ input prices and margins. Farmers not only have to compete with subsidised competitors but also with the price inflation of imported inputs tied with the volatility of the rand/dollar exchange rate. Increasing input costs will require farmers to rely more on technology to improve productivity and efficiency. Whilst 2018 could see positive economic reforms along with more policy certainty, the downside risks remain. Accordingly, farmers should limit unnecessary exposure to debt, keep track of global market developments and use technology to improve productivity and efficiency. Disclaimer: Although everything has been done to ensure the accuracy of this information, AGRI SA takes no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred due to the usage of this information. agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Verhoogde volhoubaarheid Verminderde kweekhuisgasse
Die groot raaisel van die Kalaharimeer Frikkie Kraamwinkel©
Uit ‘n miervretergat in die Kalahari Dorsland ontdek David Livingstone in 1849 skulpe en sagte kalksteen wat identies was aan dit wat verder noord langs die Zambezirivier aangetref word. Dit het hom tot die gevolgtrekking gebring dat daar eens ‘n enorme groot binnelandse Kalaharimeer moes bestaan het, waarvan die Ngamimeer, waarheen hy met sy ossewa aan’t trek was, ongeveer die middelpunt moes uitgemaak het.
ie Etoshapan, Ngamimeer en Makarikaripan moet vandag oorblyfsels wees van waters van die Kunene-, Zambezi- en Chobe-riviere asook water van die Okavango wat suidwaarts in die enorme meer gevloei het. Die Moloporivier was ‘n natuurlike uitvloei wat water na die Oranjerivier gevoer het. Volgens Livingstone moes die groot meer leeggeloop het die slag toe ‘n aardskudding onder meer die Victoriawaterval geskep het. Professor Ernest Schwarz van Grahamstad Universiteit het gereken dat as daardie 15 000 vk myl groot Kalaharimeer andermaal herskep kon word, dit met verdamping wat daar sou plaasvind, ‘n baie gunstige uitwerking op reënval en weerpatrone vir Suid-Afrikaanse landbou kon gehad het. Verbeeldingsvlugte is na nuwe hoogtes gevoer met visioene van 20 000 vk myl van die beste weigras in die wêreld en 10 miljoen akker landbougrond onder besproeiing. Later het Farini die Grote se ontdekking van die Verlore Stad van die Kalahari nuwe misterie aan die landskap verleen. Met die Zambezi buite rekening gelaat, was Professor Schwarz se idee om die
Kunene- en Chobe-riviere se water by die Okavango te voeg en sodoende die groot meer te herskep. Dit het teen hewige weerstand vasgeloop. Nieteenstaande het Professor Erich Obst van die Hannover Universiteit in Duitsland, wat in 1935 saam met die wetenskaplike dr Kayzer in Suid-Afrika aangekom het om die skema se uitvoerbaarheid van naderby te bekyk, gereken dat die eertydse Kalaharimeer wel teen ‘n koste van £2,5 miljoen herskep kon word. Hulle het egter getwyfel of dit enige noemenswaardige invloed op die weerpatroon sou gehad het. Tevore het die Unie Departement van Besproeiing reeds in 1925 ‘n uitgebreide lugverkenning onderneem van die Zambezi-, Chobe- en Okavangoriviere. Dit het die eerste detailkaart in Suider-Afrika geword wat op lugfotografie gebaseer was. Die belangstelling in die skema het nuwe lewe gekry toe daar in Bloemfontein gedurende 1933 ‘n vereniging gestig met verteenwoordigers van al vier Suid-Afrikaanse provinsies met die doel om die saak vanuit alle hoeke en kante te bekyk. Gevolglik is toe ‘n verdere lug­verkenning van die voorgestelde meergebied deur
die Imperiale en Unie-regerings in Oktober 1935 onderneem, wat die skema ongelukkig as onprakties bewys het. Tog het bepaalde voordele ten opsigte van veral die Okavango na vore gekom. Hierdie lugverkenningsmateriaal duik jare later in 1999 op onverwagte wyse weer in geheel ander verband in die nuus op. Die Namibiese en Botswana-regerings het die Internasionale Geregshof in Den Haag genader met die versoek om uitsluitsel te gee oor waar die grens tussen die twee lande by die Kasikile/Sedukueiland in die Choberivier loop, wat dan sou bepaal aan watter land die eiland behoort het. ‘n Verdere tikseltjie misterie is aan die Kalaharimeer verleen toe die Niagra Falls gespannekoordloper-waaghals, Gilarmi Farini die Grote, en sy seun Lulu, op 29 Januarie 1895 in Kaapstad aankom en vandaar Kalahari toe is waar hulle ‘n antieke Verlore Stad van die Kalahari ontdek en gefotografeer het. Dit het ‘n groot nuusopskudding veroorsaak wat ander avonturiers en skattejagters jare lank na die stad laat begin soek het. Professor A.J. Clement kom in 1964 tot die gevolgtrekking dat die natuurlike Eierdop-koppies by Mier (Rietfontein) die mees waarskynlike kollosale groot Verlore Stad van Farini moes gewees het omdat die klipformasies baie ooreenstem met dit wat Farini beskryf en gefotografeer het. Professor Clement redeneer nietemin dat enige groot stad water sou benodig het en daarom baie onwaarskynlik in die Kalahari kon gewees het. Hy sê egter nie of Livingstone se Verlore Kalaharimeer nie almiskie die waterbron kon gewees het as die stad dalk wel 15 000 jaar gelede mag bestaan het nie. Origens sou dit interessant wees om ter ondersteuning van professor Schwarz se idees te weet, of aan die hand van ervaring met die latere groot mensgemaakte Kariba- en Cahora Bassa-mere, daar tog dalk voordelige weerstelsels rondom die professor se voorgestelde herskape Kalaharimeer kon ontwikkel het. agri FEB • MAART/MARCH ‘18 bladsy/page
Choose the best aeration type
Is natural air-drying the best aeration choice for your operation?
The harvest is the heart of any farming operation – but how efficiently are you managing your harvest once it leaves the field?
o amount of maintenance or crop management is going to prevent the outcome of poor grain storage practises. That is why it is crucial for farmers to carefully assess their grain management solutions, and to choose the aeration type best suited to their operation. If there is a gap in knowledge when it comes to this area, it is always best to consult with an agricultural expert to ensure that the right choice is made. The process of in-bin drying can utilise both natural air, or low temperature air to dry grain in bins. This method of drying takes place over a period of 3-6 weeks, and carries a lower operational cost than batch and continuous flow drying. It will be, however, less effective in areas where grain produced has a higher moisture content. This needs to be carefully assessed, as natural air-drying produces a high quality of dried grain, with higher test weight and germination, as well as lower breakage susceptibility than grain dried with hightemperature drier. When opting for natural air-drying, a perforated floor, and a drying fan that is able to push 0,5-1,0 cmm/bu (cubic metres of air per minute per bushel of grain) as well as sufficient top vents to provide 1 square foot of vent area per 1 000 cfm of airflow is strongly recommended. A shorter bin is also recommended (less than 5 m,) as a drying zone of about 600 cm forms at the bottom of the bin and slowly moves its way up, and grain at the top of the bin will remain at its initial moisture content until the drying zone makes its way through the entire bin. If the bin is too high, or the fan installed is not large enough to produce sufficient airflow, the top grain will spoil. Airflow and power requirements will need to be carefully calculated depending on the initial moisture content of the grain, as well as the weather conditions during drying.
Weather conditions will need to be assessed to determine if adding a lowtemperature drying fan to your storage bin is necessary. This type of fan heats the air by a mere 2,2°C, but this addition reduces the relative humidity greatly: by between 3-10%. This slight increase in temperate and the resulting humidity reduction causes grain to dry by an additional 0,75-1,0%. Temperature (°C)
8,5	11,7	14,6	18,0 8,2	11,3	14,2	17,4 7,9	11,0	13,7	16,9 7,7	10,7	13,3	16,5 7,5	10,4	13,0	16,0
Recommended airflow for naturalair and low-temperature drying Moisture content	Minimum airflow (% wet basis) (cfm/bu) 16 17	18
4	10	15	20	25
Due to average weather conditions being acceptable for air-drying grain, it is often times better for fans to be operated continuously, using air that is not heated (except by the fan) to avoid over-drying. If you are not sure of the impact that adding heat to your drying bins will have on your grain quality, it is best to consult with an expert. Ensure that you have a careful strategy in place for your grain storage to avoid spoilage. If you are unsure what is best for your operation, it is always safer to consult an expert advisor who can help you to calculate your equilibrium moisture content, drying costs, and return on your investment. Contact SBS® Agri today on 0861 SBS AGRI to have our agriculture business consultants help determine what is best for you.
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