Agricultural marketing includes the performance of all business activities in the supply of products - from the start of production to having the end-product on the consumer's table - "from the farm to the fork" - as they say. These activities are interlinked... Read more
Progress in the ongoing quest for food insecurity across the globe has been steady. According to Stats SA's latest General Household Survey Report; the percentage of South Africans that are vulnerable to hunger fell from 29,3% in 2002 to 13,1% in 2015... Read more
The impact of climate change on agriculture varies widely based on the crop and livestock species involved and other factors such as geographical location. However, a common risk is that climate change impacts every type of natural resource. According... Read more
The role of female farmers is well-documented in literature spanning many decades. Women have always contributed substantially towards food security through the production of food and other rural activities that enabled access to food. However, it is equally true that the role of young women in... Read more
With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, scientists across the globe have been working continuously to improve the provision of nutritious and sustainable food through biotechnology. As a result, new developments include enhanced staple crop yields, increased nutrient content, and improved tolerance to unfavourable growing... Read more
Modern agriculture describes the broad type of production practices employed by farmers on a worldwide scale. Modern agricultural methods include the wider use of new high-yielding seed varieties (to replace indigenous varieties) together with chemical inputs like pesticides, herbicides, and mineral fertilizers... Read more
South Africa's weather at best is a study in contrasts due to our variable climate and weather conditions. In many of the elevated interior, the weather can become scorching during the summer months, and freezing cold during the winter months... Read more
Skills development for small-scale and subsistence farmers is an important key to unlocking the potential of rural economies. Improving the skill levels of farmers through learning and practice, improve productivity levels, with resultant efficiency and profitability... Read more
We can describe the relationship between man and land as based on social, economic, and environmental factors. Land is the basis for food, shelter and livelihood. With a growing population and the continued threat of food security taking centre stage in South Africa, it is no wonder... Read more
The ability to respond to changing seasonal conditions such as drought depends on the farmer's land capability, financial resources, goals, the perception of risk, and the level of development of a farm management plan. Although drought is a major feature of the South African climate... Read more
South Africa's farmers have survived many difficult years, and 2015 was no different. The severe drought that negatively affected the 2014/2015 summer grain season, the depreciating value of the Rand together with all the inherent challenges of farming, all contributed to making... Read more