Chocolate prices continue to rise

[Paul Makube] Paul Makube, senior agricultural economist at FNB Commercial, reveals the latest insights on cocoa market dynamics, shedding light on the impacts of inclement weather and production declines...

#WomensMonth: 'Own your space, be unapologetically you' - Nosiseko Biko of Danone SA

[Robin Fredericks] Biko is responsible for the strategic sourcing and supplier development/management for the company...

Farmers get relief as diesel prices dip before summer crop harvest

[Paul Makube] Both winter crop planting and summer crop harvesting will require a significant amount of diesel for completion of operations and a reduction in costs bodes well for producer margins...

Crop estimates still positive but not enough to lift agriculture GDP in the near term

[Paul Makube] As expected, the latest Crop Estimates Committee's (CEC) production estimate report showed an upward revision to the February estimate for maize to 10.56 million tonnes...

Maize estimates breach 11m tonnes, boosting supply outlook

[Paul Makube] This bodes well for the livestock sector as lower maize prices, a major input in animal feed, improves feeding margins in intensive production systems such as poultry, pork and feedlots...

Big harvests for 2020, from summer to winter

[Paul Makube] Despite earlier reduction in output in the Mpumalanga areas and reports that some of the maize in western areas has been downgraded to WM2, the total maize crop of 15.54 million tonnes is 38% higher year-on-year...

Consumers face another expensive braai season in 2022

[Paul Makube] What underpins the current strength in meat prices? A combination of factors have been at play...

No respite for consumers as food inflation accelerates further in February 2023

[Paul Makube] Statistics South Africa's latest update on the country's headline inflation accelerated to 7% year-on-year...

#StartupStory: EVOO brand Lets O'Live aspires to be a household name

[Robin Fredericks] We chat with Cape Town-based husband and wife duo Loyiso and Nosisa Ntlebi, founders of Lets O'Live, to find out more about what they do and how they do it...

#WomensMonth: Lusanda Moletsane, owner of Khumo Ea Tsebo Advisory Services

[Robin Fredericks] Lusanda Moletsane is managing director and CEO of Khumo Ea Tsebo Advisory Services, a consulting services company that aims to turn failing farms around...

#StartupStory: Producing healthy food for both animals and people with Mangau Animal Feeds

[Robin Fredericks] TotalEnergies recently announced the winners of their 2021/2022 TotalEnergies Startupper of the Year Challenge winners. Matome Motalane, MD at Mangau Animal Feeds, won the award for the best start-up business under three years old...

President, Cannabis Expo gives SA's cannabis industry high hopes

[Sibusiso Xaba] Sibusiso Xaba, co-founder and CEO of Africa Cannabis Advisory Group, shares his insights on why he feels there is greater expectation of a successful and increased interest and participation by the cannabis industry in this year's event...

From crop to cup: Ricoffy beans now 100% sustainably sourced

[Robin Fredericks] Nestlé South Africa recently announced the launch of its Nescafé Ricoffy Responsibly Sourced campaign which aims to consolidate the brands sustainability initiatives, strategies and resources...

Chocolate puts Ivory Coast on top in Africa's agriculture trade

[Wandile Sihlobo] Chocolate can certainly get one some brownie points, and no way is this truer than in Ivory Coast which in 2018 reported the largest agricultural trade balance in value terms in Africa, an amount of $5.1bn...

SA's fruit industry - Doing more with less

[Konanani Liphadzi] Doing more with less is a theme that's found its way into the narratives of all our economic sectors, in one way or another. The agricultural sector - and the fruit industry - has certainly not been spared, especially when it comes to the dwindling natural resource of water...

Nigeria surpasses South Africa as sub-Saharan Africa's leading maize producer

[Wandile Sihlobo] Agbiz head of agribusiness research, Wandile Sihlobo compares South Africa's maize yields to a second biggest producer in sub-Saharan Africa - Nigeria...

Challenging year ahead for South African beef cattle farmers

[Wandile Sihlobo] One challenge that became apparent by the end of 2018 was environmental related, as grain and oilseed producing areas of the country experienced dryness which led to delays in plantings...

Can South Africa's sorghum industry be revived?

[Wandile Sihlobo] South African farmers planted 28,800 hectares of sorghum in the 2017/18 production season - the smallest area on record in a dataset starting from 1936/37. This is a disappointing picture, given that sorghum was once seen as key to the development of the biofuel industry in South Africa...

Meet the Maker: Nicole Warden from CopperFox G&T

[Samantha Snedorf] The ready-to-drink CopperFox is distilled at the at Time Anchor Distillery, 100% natural and contains 13 African botanicals including Rose geranium, Sour Sea figs, Citrus, Fynbos and Honeybush...

Meet the Maker: Shanna-Rae Wilby

[Samantha Snedorf] Gin blogger Samantha Snedorf from SamSamButDifferent recently launched a new feature called Meet the Maker. Her first maker is the prominent Johannesburg-based distiller, Shanna-Rae Wilby, who is the chief alchemist and co-owner of Time Anchor Distillery in Maboneng...