Alle landbouwerkers mag deelneem.
Alle
’n Landbouwerker is enige persoon wat deel vorm van en ’n bydrae tot die boerdery lewer
Die werkgewer, bestuur, plaaskomitee of mede-werknemers kan persone vir die kompetisie benoem.
Algemene Werker
Trekkerdrywer
Administratiewe Personeel
* Diereproduksie
* Tegniese Operateur
* Besproeiingspesialis
* Sosiale Ontwikkeling
* Landbou-verwerking
* Voorman/-vrou
* Junior Bestuur
* Middelbestuur
Algehele wenner ontvang
Prysgeld
R25 000-00
Plus....
Algehele wenner ontvang
Shoprite Koopbewys
Shoprite Koopbewys
R20 000-00
R20 000-00
’n Oorsese studietoer en ’n iPad
en ’n iPad
Sluitingsdatums sal in die streke bekend gemaak word.
Vir verdere inligting kontak:
Meghan Cupido Tel: 021 808 7601 | Sel: 082 906 5647 | Epos: meghanc@elsenburg.com
Byron Jacobs Tel: 021 808 5421 | Sel: 078 096 2504 | Epos: byronj@elsenburg.com
Gaan na www.elsenburg.com om inskrywingsvorms af te laai
T = tenacity.
E = engaging.
A = accountability.
M = mobilisation.
TThis issue of Agriprobe showcases a smorgasbord of interesting articles depicting the services offered, programmes managed and accolades achieved by the department and its staff.
“Smorgasbord” per definition means “a large mixture of different things”. In many ways this is not only about the department and its service delivery agenda to the agricultural sector in the Western Cape, but also about our vast array of stakeholders and their specific needs and the everchanging environment in which we conduct our business.
Whilst grappling with the current drought and water challenges on many levels, the opportunities to grow our sector and explore new opportunities are vast and only by fostering new partnerships we can take our impact even further, even beyond our wildest imagination.
In a proverbial rugby game, how do we inspire our youth to enter the sector and create an exciting career for themselves;
how do we elevate our female entrepreneurs and agri workers to a level that has been unknown to them up till now; how do we tackle our climate change related challenges (from diseases and pests to drought, to name but a few) and go score behind the try line? There is one golden solution – we need a TEAM effort!
And always remember one of late President Nelson Mandela’s quotes: “Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity’s belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul, and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.”
Let us make 2018 our best team effort – and remember that we are “Better Together”.
Dr Ilse TrautmannEDITOR
Petro van Rhyn petrovr@elsenburg.com
CHAIRPERSON
Dr Ilse Trautmann (021 808 5012) ilset@elsenburg.com
SECRETARIAT
Gizelle van Wyk (021 808 5022) gizellevw@elsenburg.com
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Ashia Petersen ashiap@elsenburg.com
Douglas Chitepo (021 808 5100) douglasc@elsenburg.com
Riaan Nowers (021 808 5194) riaann@elsenburg.com
Maritjie Cornelissen (021 808 5497) maritjiec@elsenburg.com
Brighton Shumba (021 808 5384) brightons@elsenburg.com
Pavarni Jorgensen (021 808 5227) pavarnij@elsenburg.com
Dr Aileen Pypers (021 808 5028) aileenp@elsenburg.com
Juanita Isaacs (021 808 7702) juanitai@elsenburg.com
John Constable (021 808 7763) johnconstable@elsenburg.com
Arie van Ravenswaay (021 808 5085) arievr@elsenburg.com
In the Western Cape agricultural sector, 2017 will sadly be remembered for the devastating drought and animal diseases. Although both are relevant issues, we can also focus on some silver linings.
Hermanus Bienas, 2017 Prestige Agri Worker of the Year, is definitely one of these silver linings. His story shows that although nature sometimes works against us, people still are our most valued resource.
PUBLISHING TEAM
Publisher Erika Alberts
Creative director Carmen le Roux
Copy editor Aletta Pretorius-Thiart
Financial director Pat Botha
IIf there is one sector that understands both the beauty and brutality of our environment, it is agriculture. The forces of nature, combined with the spread of several diseases, have dealt agricultural stakeholders several large knocks over the last decade. Water scarcity is its latest, and arguably most devastating.
A lot has been said about the agriculture sector’s use of water during this extremely difficult drought period. The drought, the worst our province has seen in 100 years, is not an “us and them” problem. It’s just an “us” problem, because no matter which way you look at it, we’re in this together.
The drought impacts everyone and all sectors of the economy, but the agricultural sector is the only part of the economy that very early on had its water use officially curtailed. This is also the only sector of the economy that uses its water allocation rights to source financing. We’ve already seen both small and large players having to renegotiate the terms of their loans at great cost, during what is already a troubled time for their businesses. It is anticipated that over the next five years, in certain irrigation areas, up to 98% of farms may show a negative net farm income at some stage.
The Western Cape is home to 6 682 commercial and 9 844 smallholder farmers, all of whom depend on water to remain a part of the economy. The gross value added by agriculture, an indicator of all the goods and services produced by the sector, totals R18.6 billion. Export revenue generates R40 billion each year. Agricultural production, processing and related sectors sustain more than 400 000 jobs in the province – accounting for more than 16% of all people employed in the Western Cape. The Western Cape produces around half of South Africa’s total agricultural exports;
therefor the sector’s importance in the national and provincial economies cannot be overstated.
The sector is cognisant of the important role it plays in the economy and in job creation. Farmers have had to change the way they do things as a result of water scarcity. They have to choose which crops to replant, and in some cases, they’re pulling out the ones they can’t water or are simply letting them die. Where possible, others are diversifying their crops and using conservation agriculture, which is beginning to show good results.
Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/SocHvuUusF0 to watch the video: ‘Farmers donate millions of litres of water to Cape Town’.
“This drought is not an ‘us and them’ problem – it’s an ‘us’ problem.”Small farm lake in Grabouw, near Cape Town. Extremely low water level in the Theewaterskloof Dam due to extensive drought. The dam is a major reservoir for the water supply of the Cape Town area. Photo © Harry Beugelink. Photo © Angela N Perryman
Despite how difficult this period has been for farmers, they’ve also stepped up to help the City of Cape Town ensure supply for its citizens and for this they need to be thanked. Agriculture is doing all it can to alleviate the short-term crisis we are all facing by sharing its allocations and by staving off as many job losses as possible in the sector. In collaboration with the farming community of the ElginGrabouw valley, water from private farm dams is being diverted into the City of Cape Town’s supply system, creating an additional 67 million litres of water per day.
This drought has not discriminated in its impact. Until augmentation schemes come online and good rains come, all sectors of the economy and all residents of our province need to share and preserve the limited amounts of water we have available to us all. When jobs are lost, it is a fellow resident whose family suffers. We need to do all that we can to save water and to save jobs, across all sectors. This drought is not an “us and them” problem – it’s an “us” problem.
AP
“The gross value added by agriculture, an indicator of all the goods and services produced by the sector, totals R18.6 billion.”Photos © Ian Scammell
Join the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the Institute of Culinary Arts at this years Cape Made Kitchen begin hosted during the SA Cheese Festival.
Chef October from the ICA will be demonstrating specially developed dishes, inspired by recipes from Herman Lensing, Zola Nene and Johnny Hamman.
These recipes were created for the purpose of using cheese and alternative niche products, such as Pomegranates, Persimmons and Figs.
www.cheesefestival.co.za
27-29 APRIL 2018
SANDRINGHAM | STELLENBOSCH
CULINARY OUTDOOR EVENT
WIDEST VARIETY OF CHEESE
SUPERB SELECTION OF WINES & CREATIVE FOOD
Tickets are available from Computicket and in Shoprite and Checkers stores at R180 per person. Senior citizens pay R120 and children from 2 to 13 years pay R20. No tickets are available at the gates. No alcohol will be served to persons under the age of 18.
FESTIVAL TIMES ARE FROM 10:00 TO 18:00 DAILY GET YOUR RECIPE FOR
by Maritjie Cornelissen
EEach year, the months of December and January carry an atmosphere loaded with excitement and expectation. And the 2017 graduation and the registration days in January 2018 did not disappoint.
The graduation ceremony held on Thursday, 7 December 2017 again exceeded expectations. The Percheron Hall at the Elsenburg College welcomed 212 students to receive the certificates they have worked for so hard. An atmosphere of anticipation filled the room as the academic procession entered on the popular academic song “Gaudeamus Igitur”. The hall was filled with silence and by the look on their faces it was evident that the students realised this moment announces the end of their student life and the beginning of an era with huge responsibilities.
“Elsenburg College welcomes the 236 new students with open arms and look forward to a fruitful academic year.”
A total of 132 students graduated from sub-programme: Higher Education and Training, with 80 students from the subprogramme: Further Education and Training receiving their hard-earned qualifications. Proud parents and students were treated to champagne and fruit juice to celebrate.
As the doors closed behind the 2017 graduation guests, the Percheron Hall kept that same atmosphere of anticipation and excitement, which welcomed the new students of 2018. On a hot and sunny Wednesday in January, 174 first-year students registered for the B.Agric degree and Higher Certificate and 62 students registered for a Learnership Programme at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute.
Elsenburg College welcomes the 236 new students with open arms and look forward to a fruitful academic year with the young agriculturists of the future.
For more information, contact Maritjie Cornelissen: maritjiec@elsenburg.com
The Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, the first centre for agricultural training in Africa, was established in 1898. The Institute has secured an outstanding track record in agriculture and especially in the field of agricultural training.
The field visit saw 14 SKOG collaborators sharing their research knowledge, and despite the serious effect of the drought on grain crops in other parts of the Swartland region, crop production at Langgewens was still of such a nature that an information day could be held.
The next SKOG event will be the SKOG Voorsaaidag, which will be presented in Moorreesburg during the first quarter of 2018. This event is all about reporting back on research that was done during the previous growing season and preparing for the next season.
SKOG is managed through collaboration of four principals, namely the WCDoA, the Protein Research Foundation, KaapAgri and OverbergAgri.
TThe annual Swartland Kleingraan-ontwikkelingsgroep (SKOG) Information Day at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s (WCDoA) Langgewens Research Farm near Moorreesburg was held in September 2017, despite drought conditions affecting grain crops across the province. A total of 197 delegates attended this field day, including two visiting scientists from Rothamsted Research, one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world.
The main speaker was Tim du Plessis, Head: Afrikaans News at Media24. He addressed delegates on the important period for South Africa as a country from September 2017 to September 2019.
For more information, contact Annelene Swanepoel: annelenes@elsenburg.com
by Dr Ilse Trautmann
TThe Drought Committee of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, chaired by Deputy Director General Darryl Jacobs, has been active since June 2016, when the Drought Dialogue was presented.
However, the heightened crisis level of the drought and the provincial structures that have been put in place to manage the crisis have led to this committee being expanded to include industry and other stakeholders. It is now known as the Rural and Agricultural Sector Support Committee (RASS).
To ensure there is alignment between knowledge and action on climate change, and the current response to the drought in the agricultural sector, Dr Ilse Trautmann (Chief Director: Research and Technology Development Services) and Prof Stephanie Midgley (Specialist Advisor to the department on the implementation of the SmartAgri plan in the sector) represent SmartAgri on the RASS Committee.
In a situation where the livelihoods of farmers and agri workers are increasingly vulnerable and emotions can run high, it is critical that discussions and decisions are based on evidence. However, this evidence is scattered, and busy decision makers do not always have access to the facts. For this reason, the RASS Committee tasked Prof Midgley to collate a Drought Fact Sheet for the agricultural sector. The fact sheet includes information on the climatological and hydrological situation, and impacts on the vegetation, crop and livestock farming, jobs, the food system and social welfare.
For the SmartAgri plan released in 2016 scan the QR code or visit www.greenagri.org.za
For the complete Drought Fact Sheet scan the QR code or visit www.elsenburg.com/ content/drought-fact-sheet
For more information, contact Dr Ilse Trautmann: ilset@elsenburg.com
by Dr Ilse Trautmann
AA group of senior managers and officials from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture recently visited one of the farms of the Du Toit Group in Ceres as part of their “hands-on” experience of alternative crop growing and the challenges these farmers experience.
The visit was organised by Hortgro, commodity partner in the implementation of the Alternative Crops Fund (ACF) (see article in Agriprobe, Vol 14, No 3: “ACF supports climate smart production, job creation and economic growth – a progress report”).
The visit included a briefing on cherry production and its success stories, a discussion on challenges encountered and new opportunities lurking, a “pick-your-own” experience in the orchard and a visit to the packing facilities. The financial support to the cherry industry by the department and its ACF and the remarkable achievements obtained, and advancements made with our support were highlighted.
An article on the successes of the cherry industry and the impact of the ACF will follow in the June 2018 edition of Agriprobe
Our sincere appreciation to Hortgro and the Du Toit Group for bringing the cherry world closer to our department!
For more information, contact Dr Ilse Trautmann: ilset@elsenburg.com
HHermanus Bienas was crowned the 2017 Prestige Agri Worker of the Year during a prestigious gala award ceremony hosted in November 2017 at Nederburg Wine Estate in Paarl. The event, which is a culmination of regional competitions, was attended by approximately 700 guests. Since 2005 the competition has been presented annually by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA), and for the past six years it has been done in close partnership with Shoprite.
Hermanus, an assistant manager at Kys Kwekery (part of Vititec) in Vredendal, was surprised and extremely proud when he was announced the top agri worker in
the province. In his acceptance speech he thanked the department for the initiative and the opportunities the competition creates for agri workers. He has since used the competition to convey a message of hope to other agri workers: “Work hard and believe in yourself – there are opportunities for growth and recognition. I encourage other agri workers to enter as it will assist them in reaching their full potential.”
He attributes his success to his passion for and dedication to his work. “That is what keeps me motivated,” he says. He doesn’t shy away from challenges, but rather sees them as opportunities to learn. He is involved in the day-to-day management
of the nursery, which specialises in the growing of vines. Hermanus especially enjoys sharing his knowledge with his staff and proudly proclaims: “I like to contribute to the development of people”. His future plans include advancing to a management position and making a difference in the agricultural sector.
“He has since used the competition to convey a message of hope to other agri workers.”
The Western Cape Prestige Agri Awards remain one of the biggest social upliftment projects of the WCDoA and continues to grow annually. During 2017, 1 347 agri workers from sixteen regions in the province competed in 11 categories. Since the inception of the competition in 2002, a total of 9 431 agri workers have participated. After two challenging adjudication processes, Hermanus walked away with the coveted top award. His prizes included a R25 000 cash prize sponsored by the WCDoA, a R20 000 Shoprite voucher, an overseas study tour to the Netherlands and Germany valued at R60 000, sponsored by the WCDoA, and an iPad Air inclusive of data sponsored by Daleen Turner Consultancy.
Hermanus will also become a member of the Prestige Agri Worker Forum, comprising all the previous years’ winners, who meet on a quarterly basis with the MEC for Economic Opportunities to discuss imperative matters affecting agri workers.
There is no denying Hermanus is indeed a worthy winner and an ambassador for agri workers. We salute you, Hermanus, and all the agri workers in the province for the vital role you play in ensuring we have food on our tables.
AP
For more information, contact Giselle Terblanche: gisellet@elsenburg.com
Kwingxikela yetheko lamabhaso okuwonga nebelihlinzekwe ekupheleni konyaka, uHermanus Bienas ufumene Udumo lokuba nguMsebenzi Wonyaka ka 2017 kweZolimo. Lo msitho yincopho kukhuphiswano lwengingqi. Ukususela ngonyaka ka 2005, lo msitho uhlinzekwe rhoqo ngonyaka liSebe leZolimo eNtshona Koloni, yaye kule minyaka mithandathu idlulileyo, uhlinzekwe ngentsebenziswano no Shoprite.
uHermanus lo, usisandla semanejala kwa Kys ekungumzi wokhuliso lwezityalo (noyinxalenye ye Vititec) ese Vredendal, wothuke kakhulu egcwele naluvuyo xa kwavakaliswa njengoyena msebenzi ubalaseleyo kwezolimo kweli phondo. Ubekade esebenzisa olu khuphiswano njengento yokunika ithemba kubanye abasebenzi kwezolimo ngelithi, ukuba basebenza nzima yaye bezithemba, akhona amathuba okukhula nokuqatshelwa. Impumelelo yakhe uyibalela ekuthandeni nasekuzinikezeleni kumsebenzi wakhe.
“I like to contribute to the development of people.”
TThe Joint Third African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), 51st South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) conference took place in Durban recently.
The AFAAS is a continental body that brings national Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) actors under one umbrella. The AFAAS’s goal is to enhance utilisation of improved knowledge, technologies and innovations by agricultural value chain actors for improving productivity oriented towards their individual and national development objectives. AEAS is a key component of the innovation system, playing a pivotal role in promoting productivity, increasing food security, strengthening rural communities and underpinning agriculture as the engine for pro-poor economic growth.
One of the main mechanisms AFAAS has used for pursuing its mission is by promoting lesson learning, sharing of information and increased professional interaction through the Agricultural Extension Week (AEW) events. The AEW is a key mechanism for AFAAS to reach its stakeholders and delivering results. This mechanism was demanded and identified by AEAS stakeholders in Africa as a tool to bring them together and focus on topical issues that need concerted actions, including technology and innovation
adaptation and scaling up and out, policy advocacy, promoting lesson learning, sharing information on good practices and increased professional interaction –specially to influence AEAS policies and programming in Africa.
presenting on ground-breaking themes.
The AFAAS and the SASAE together with the DAFF organised the third AEW conference with the theme: “Scaling up Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA): integrating youth, women, and the digital revolution”.
Two senior Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) managers, Carol Levendal (Director: Extension and Advisory Services) and Jerry Aries (Director: Cape Winelands and Central Karoo), served on the Local Organising Committee to assist with co-ordinating content and awards.
“The event was clearly a feather in the department’s cap on many levels, from organising to winning awards and
”
Part of the event was the DAFF’s National Extension and Advisory Services Awards (NEASA) that recognise extension personnel in South Africa in three different categories, i.e. Top Agricultural Advisor, Top Senior Agricultural Advisor and Top Specialist Advisor. The achievements of a number of deserving officials were recognised at a gala dinner hosted as part of the event. The WCDoA received multiple accolades for their outstanding work in extension services. Most notably, Manie Grobler from the department’s programme, Farmer Support and Development, Garden Route district walked away as the Top Specialist Advisor and received a trophy and R50 000.
Recognition was also given to the agricultural advisors who supported the DAFF Female Entrepreneur Award winners in their regions. Malebogo Phetlu for the Cape Winelands and Vela Gedze from the Overberg districts were the recipients of trophies to recognise the role they played in uplifting female farmers to the level where they are the best in the country in their respective categories.
SASAE gave recognition in three categories for papers and posters delivered. Most popular paper was presented to Francis Steyn (Sustainable Resource Management), best scientific paper was awarded to André Roux and the best poster was presented to Ben Booysen (FSD, Garden Route district)
and his mentors. Manie Grobler also received third place for best poster.
Apart from winning awards, the department’s head of research, Dr Ilse Trautmann, delivered a keynote address “SmartAgri – process to develop and implement a Climate Change Sector plan as a roadmap to support the agricultural sector” in the session “Scalable CSA Technologies and Innovations”, while Carol Levendal chaired a discussion on “Scaling up ICT innovations for CSA”.
The event was clearly a feather in the department’s cap on many levels, from organising to winning awards and presenting on ground-breaking themes.
The AEW has been held biennially since 2013. The first AEW took place in August 2013 in Gaborone, Botswana focusing on “Value Chain Approach in Agricultural Development: Coping with new demands for Agricultural Advisory Services”. The second one took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in October 2015 under the theme: “Reinvigorating Extension Services for Market-led Agriculture within the Context of the Malabo Declaration”.
For more information, contact Carol Levendal: caroll@elsenburg.com
“Joyene’s ability to perform at an exceptional level is due to the fact that she has her heart and soul solidly entrenched in the agriculture sector. For her, this is not just a job, but rather a calling to make a difference,” says Ismail Motala, Chairperson of the African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA).
JJoyene Isaacs, Head of the Department, recently received the University of the Free State’s Honorary Chancellor’s Medal for her outstanding work in agriculture. This honour is only awarded to one person per annum and when no deserving individual is identified, the Chancellor’s Medal is not awarded.
Joyene is indeed a worthy recipient. She is not only one of the longest serving Heads of Department in the Western Cape Government, but also provincial agricultural departments across the country. She is energetic and drives the agenda of the department and the agricultural sector with exceptional vigour. She has an amazing ability to juggle all her responsibilities and has a passion for sound governance.
Through Joyene’s guidance and example, the department continues to gain accolades provincially, nationally and internationally for its exceptional performance. It has consistently achieved clean audits and has been nominated by the South African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA) as the consistently best government department in South Africa. SAIGA also named the department as the South African department with the Best Annual Report for 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14.
She joined the department in 2002 as the Director: Farmer Settlement and Farmer Support and Development. After running this programme with excellence for three years, she was promoted to Chief Director of the same programme in November 2005. In December 2005, Joyene was appointed as the acting Head of Department (HOD) followed by a permanent appointment in 2006.
Joyene’s work in the fields of agricultural development and capacity development has aided thousands of people. The management practices she initiated and
utilised as an HOD have made invaluable contributions to these fields in the Western Cape and South Africa at large. She has, as core values, made it her personal and professional goal to care for those she serves and works with, to do her job to the best of her ability and capacity, to be honest in doing what is right, to be open to new ideas and to develop creative solutions to problems in a resourceful way, and finally, to serve the needs of the citizens and her employees.
one where women represent 40% of the department. The external human capital development programmes continue and are constantly reviewed and enhanced to promote agriculture as a career choice.
Apart from the aforementioned, the department, with Joyene at the helm, also successfully established a Rural Development Coordination programme. She has devoted a considerable amount of time, effort and money towards developing the skills of both her staff and students. Thus, the scientific expertise of the department has received national and international recognition. In 2014 she was nominated for the National Batho Pele Excellence Awards in the category for best HOD.
Following the widespread labour unrest in the rural areas of the Western Cape during 2012, Joyene and her team developed and implemented a 12-point farm worker response plan that has been implemented with great success.
– Ismail Matola, Chairperson: AFASAShe has successfully steered the department towards its vision and ensured service delivery to the smallholder and commercial sectors in the province. The management practices that have been pioneered and implemented under her leadership serve as a contributor for the success of the department. She made it her goal to sustain and further develop programmes that were already in place and to establish and implement new procedures that would serve as solutions to systematic problems. She strives to foster and strengthen partnerships with non-governmental and private sector organisations. Additionally, she is responsible for the financial performance of the department.
The face of the department itself has changed considerably under Joyene’s leadership. It has transformed from an allwhite male senior management echelon to
Innovation and cutting-edge research have been embedded in the culture of the department and encourage the continual search for new and better methods of working together and to promote a better life for all.
Joyene is also involved in many international projects. She has attended and presented at various conferences, seminars and workshops throughout her professional career.
When asked what motivates her to keep going, she says: “Agriculture is my passion. In a sense it defines me, from a small rural township to the head of agriculture in the province. But even more so, it creates a space for me to be creative and showcase the many facets of agriculture. I’m an African, I’m an agriculturist and I’m a female African agriculturist living my passion.”
For more information, contact Giselle Terblanche: gisellet@elsenburg.com
“Joyene’s ability to perform at an exceptional level is due to the fact that she has her heart and soul solidly entrenched in the agriculture sector. For her, this is not just a job, but rather a calling to make a difference.”
“If the expectation is that the agreement between the EU and the UK will not contain any tariff or technical barriers to trade, a rude awakening lies ahead for a number of people.”
by Dr Dirk TroskieThe Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. The 21st Congress of the International Farm Management Association (IFMA), took place from 2 to 7 July 2017 in Edinburgh. Photo © Leonid Andronov
Ever since the citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) decided on 23 June 2016 to leave the European Union (EU), the implications of this step were analysed from a whole range of perspectives. However, as a South African, it always remained difficult to judge how farmers in the UK would react to this new challenge
(or opportunity). An ideal occasion to fill this gap emerged with the 21st Congress of the International Farm Management Association (IFMA), which took place from 2 to 7 July 2017 in Edinburgh, UK. This two-article series summarises some of the relevant papers, discussions and observations during this event.
IIn the UK the agri food system is equal to 6,6% of Gross Value Added in the economy and the 3,8 million people involved in farming is equal to 13,8% of the total workforce. With 64% of farmland only suitable for the growing of grass, animal husbandry (particularly sheep farming) is the mainstay of UK farming. It is no wonder they have the most sheep in the EU (Tim Brigstocke: Tim Brigstocke and Associates). Despite this important role played by farming, William Neville (Savills) shows the UK imports £32 billion worth of food from the EU and exports only £13 billion. In terms of volume, one third of food consumed by British people is from the EU and they produce only 23% of their own fruit and vegetables.
It was further clear from his paper that a lot of British people and analysts have high expectations of the outcome of the negotiations. For instance, he argues that not one of the EU’s current Free Trade Agreements (FTA) make provision for agriculture. When challenged on the agricultural chapters of the Trade and Development Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) between South Africa and the EU as well as the Economic Participation Agreement (EPA) between the SADC EPA Group and the EU, his answer was that these are “not real free trade agreements”. Hence, if the expectation is that the agreement between the EU and the UK will not contain any tariff or technical barriers to trade, a rude awakening lies ahead for a number of people.
Due to its commitments at the World Trade Organisation, the EU had to “decouple” its subsidies in 2004. The implication is that subsidies are not allowed to be based on any criteria linked to volume or value of production, but is distributed according to area of production. These “area payments” are currently € 175 per hectare in Scotland and is paid irrespective of the type of farming. According to Tim Brigstocke, the area payments are equal to between 47% and 107% of income received from the market place in the case of animal industries. For this reason he is of the opinion that it will be extremely difficult for Scottish hill farmers to survive without EU subsidies. In the grains industry subsidies are equal to a free seventh load of wheat for every six produced by a farmer, whilst farmers in Argentina have to give one free to government (in the form of export taxes) for every three they produce (Trevor Atkinson, President of IFMA).
“While the UK remains a net importer of agricultural products and the EU is a crucial market for those products exported, farming is an important part of the British economy.”Milking cluster on Holstein Friesian cow inside milking parlour, Bedfordshire, England. Holstein Friesians, Shropshire, England. Photo © Christopher Elwell Photo © Matylda Laurence
Tim Brigstocke indicated that the UK government has promised to match payments until 2020. After that it is anybody’s guess what form and nature the support from government will be. To complicate matters, the UK does not have a national plan for farming and for this reason there is nothing to guide post-Brexit decisions on agricultural support. However, the expectation is that any subsidies will be to support the environment as well as the way of living in the countryside rather than ensuring farming profitability. Still, a number of other people (e.g. Charles Dudgeon: property consultant) are convinced that subsidies led to a decline in agricultural productivity in the UK (compared to Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and the United States) as well as capitalisation of payments in land and machinery. Hence, Brexit (and removal of subsidies) will force
farmers to become more entrepreneurial and competitive (David Alvis: Yorkshire Dairy Goats).
Whilst the UK remains a net importer of agricultural products and the EU is a crucial market for those products exported, farming is an important part of the British economy. Hence, there are high hopes of a favourable trade deal and sustained subsidies.
AP
The next article in the series will provide some anecdotes of farmers “Brexit-proofing” themselves.
Oilseed, also known as canola, growing in Cornwall, England.Photo © Helen Hotson
by Albie Storm
AAn occasional disease outbreak restriction or the expected “dry year” occurrence every few years may spell difficulty for farmers. Put together and adding the current economic challenges, it is a recipe for disaster. This is the harsh reality of the current situation in the once blooming “Ostrich Capital of the World”.
Since the first outbreak of H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was diagnosed on a chicken farm on the border between the Free State and Mpumalanga in August 2017, all export of fresh ostrich meat has been banned. Devastating news for an industry that was still recovering from the previous outbreak of HPAI in 2011. The huge difference in the price between ostrich meat slaughtered for the local market and fresh meat to the EU, meant that farming with ostriches suddenly became less viable. Losing almost 60% of the income on each carcass whilst having to feed them
“
with most rural towns, agriculture is an integral part of the town’s existence.”
for extended periods waiting for the quarantine regulations to be amended meant that many ostrich farmers had to close down. Rubbing further salt into the wound was the ever-increasing cost of feed due to the drought.
Comparing current numbers to 2015 (when the exports opened after the 2011 outbreak), the number of ostrich farms in the Oudtshoorn region has declined by 12.5%. The number of owners decreased by 43.1%. This was the result of smaller farmers being engulfed
AsOstrich (Struthio camelus). Photo © Larry E Klink
by larger farms that had the ability to overcome the financial difficulty through alternative ways.
Ostrich hatcheries decreased by 30.8% and day-old chicks diminished by 17.2%. Productive female breeders have declined by almost 24%, whilst the number of ostriches slaughtered is a mere 50% of the figure at the turn of the century.
During the last two to three years, the cost of feeding ostriches has increased by approximately 30-40%. The drought has seen the levels of the two largest irrigation dams in the area (Kammanassie and Stompdrift) dip well below 10%, meaning the channels designed for flood-irrigation haven’t seen a drop of water in 2017. This in turn meant that lucerne production (the staple feed of ostriches) dropped off tremendously. The scarcity of hay, maize,
barley and other cultivated crops also played their role in raising feeding costs through the roof. The area entered yet another dry, scorching summer without any water reserves, luscious pastures on the lands or animals in good condition.
Oudtshoorn was built on the ostrich industry – many establishments are primary extensions of the ostrich industry in the form of farms, abattoirs, hatcheries, chick raisers, feather and skin factories, research stations, eggshell curios or show farms. Secondary industries include fodder production, tourism, which also added value to the Congo caves and others. Agriculture is thus, as with most rural towns, an integral part of the town’s existence.
If agriculture bleeds, the town bleeds. This can clearly be seen in Oudtshoorn at the moment. Businesses feel the strain of the
“The commitment towards supporting the farming community and the region is shown.”A historic ‘feather palace house’ that used to belong to an ostrich farmer in Oudtshoorn. Photo © Erlo Brown Grilled ostrich steak. Not only is ostrich meat healthy, it has many nutritional advantages over many other types of meat. Photo © Erkanupan Photo © EcoPrint
ostrich industry being under pressure. The circle of waves made by the ostrich industry extends much further than the farms –it reaches everyone in the Klein Karoo. Unfortunately, the availability of seasonal work has declined, and some businesses linked directly to ostriches had to search for alternative means of income. This in turn led to the socio-economic downturn associated with financial hardship.
Government and the public sector have started taking hands to work on this challenge and the initiative should be applauded. However, these are just the first
few steps in a long journey ahead for the people of the Klein Karoo. The department’s Veterinary Services is working relentlessly on resolving the HPAI epidemic. Their efforts in conjunction with the Drought Relief programme clearly show the commitment towards supporting the farming community and the region.
The implementation of regulations and the increased sampling and surveillance for HPAI have already aided in resolving some of the positive-tested cases. Throughout these challenges, the cooperation between government and all role players have been positive and outcome driven, highlighting our ethos of Better Together.
AP
For more information, contact Albie Storm: albies@elsenburg.com
by Dr Christiaan Blignaut
OOstrich meat may not be a common feature at a local braai, but in countries abroad it is viewed as a delicacy. The South African ostrich industry, being one of the largest in the world, therefore focuses its attention abroad where exported meat is valued at R158.00/kg, while the local market only pays R95.00/kg. So how do we ensure we retain our overseas market? Let's take a closer look at the role of the official veterinarian.
Before 2017 I had no knowledge of the role of a veterinarian at an ostrich abattoir. The word “ostrich” was rarely mentioned during our studies and we only ever saw the inside of pork, beef and mutton slaughtering facilities. I was placed at the Oudtshoorn State Vet Office to complete Compulsory Community Service (CCS) during 2017 and requested to stand in for the veterinary post at the ostrich export abattoir until the post was filled.
Being thrown in the deep end, I asked myself: What does an abattoir vet do? Most people will never ask this question, since few even realise such an occupation exists. For biosecurity reasons, even fewer ever get to see the inside of an export abattoir. But, if you have ever wondered about the reasons for all the ostrich industry regulations, the answer might interest you.
The European Union (EU) requires that every export certified abattoir has an official veterinarian (OV) on site. The role of the OV is to be an independent, adequately
qualified officer who ensures that EU quality standards are met. This includes the whole process, starting with the welfare of live birds, e.g. Is the transport truck in good repair? Are birds handled humanely? Are water and food available? These factors seem trivial since the animals are headed for slaughter, but they are in fact vital. During 2017 one of the abattoir’s biggest clients from the United Kingdom sent an auditing team specifically to inspect animal welfare at our facility. One’s perception also changes dramatically when considering that most of the carcass condemnations after slaughter are due to bruising that occurred when the bird was still alive.
Before the birds can enter the slaughterhouse, the OV checks all supporting documents accompanying the batch. These
include individual tag numbers, dates of vaccinations and blood tests, dipping records and more. With this information the OV decides whether the batch meets requirements for fresh meat export, heattreated meat export or the local market.
Beyond the slaughter line the OV is also responsible for monitoring employee efficiency. All equipment and facilities must function at certain hygienic standards, all record-keeping must be kept up to date, operating procedures must be in place and hygiene assessments must be carried out routinely. Finally the OV certifies the final product, rendering it ready for distribution.
Europe is currently the biggest consumer of ostrich products, but they will only receive meat that meets EU requirements. This forms the backbone of all the OV’s duties.
During February, an EU auditing team visited facilities across the country and compiled a national report. During our inspection they paid specific attention to pre-slaughter records that had to be met on the farm. They also scrutinised facility maintenance, staff training, recordkeeping and product traceability. The final report included a list of improvements that needed to be met in order for South Africa to continue to export to EU countries. It was headed by the requirement that all facilities must employ an on-site veterinarian, specifically trained for export control. It also included remarks about on-farm documentation and the National Residue Control Programme’s efficacy.
Knowing this, the role of the veterinarian – that is so highly valued by the decisionmakers in the northern hemisphere –suddenly comes to the fore. It provides us with the answer we were looking for at the beginning of this article, and creates a much bigger awareness: Every single person involved along the chain of this unique industry, whether government official or private individual, has a role to play in ensuring that requirements are met. This will in turn enable those white-coated, gumboot-wearing figures, often overlooked by the public, to put the final stamp on a simple document – a piece of paper that will travel miles across the ocean, accompanying a product that would otherwise not exist.
For more information, contact Dr Marthinus Wolhuter: marthinusw@elsenburg.com
All of this boils down to one principle – if EU standards are not met, the country will lose its export status in the blink of an eye. If exports close, the ostrich industry might soon also be something of the past.
“Europe is currently the biggest consumer of ostrich products, but they will only receive meat that meets EU requirements.”Photo courtesy Mosstrich Pty Ltd
by Dr Aileen Pypers
AAvian influenza (AI) is a disease caused by a virus. Viruses are simple micro-organisms that consist of some genetic material (RNA or DNA) surrounded by a capsule. They are unable to reproduce outside of a host cell. Influenza viruses are grouped into three types – A, B and C.
The H and N classification given to influenza viruses is based on the capsule proteins of the particular virus – H for haemaglutinin and N for neuraminidase. H5N8 is therefore a different strain to the highly pathogenic H5N2 virus that resulted in a large outbreak amongst ostriches in the Western Cape in 2011.
Influenza viruses can also create new strains through small changes in their genes when they replicate (mutation), or by swopping genes with another flu virus that has infected the same cell (reassortment). New strains may be able to infect other species or cause more or less severe clinical symptoms.
Wild water birds are the natural hosts for influenza A viruses, but these viruses can sometimes also infect other species, including humans. The classification of
highly pathogenic and low pathogenicity (HP or LP) is made based on the clinical symptoms in chickens – HPAI causes severe clinical signs in infected birds followed by rapid death, whereas LPAI causes milder symptoms and infected birds often recover from the virus.
Avian influenza is highly contagious and therefore spreads quickly and easily. It is a global problem and up to November 2016, 13 strains had been detected in 77 countries around the world. In early 2014, Southeast Asian countries reported a new highly pathogenic H5N8-strain in migratory birds and poultry. By November, the virus had spread to Europe and North America. In 2016, a new re-assortment of the H5N8 strain was reported in a number of Eurasian countries. This strain then made its way down Africa during 2016 and 2017 and was reported in Zimbabwe in May 2017. Highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza was confirmed in chickens in South Africa on 22 June 2017. This was the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial poultry in South Africa.
In birds, H5N8 causes a variety of clinical signs, including high morbidity (illness) and mortality (deaths), green diarrhoea, respiratory signs, blue discolouration and swelling of head and hocks, and incoordination.
Chicken is a cheap and accessible source of protein in South Africa and any disease which results in the death of a large number of chickens not only affects the poultry industry and all the people it employs, but also the indigent population who rely on poultry meat as a cheap source of dietary protein.
So far, there has been no record of H5N8 causing disease in humans. However, there is always a risk that through mutation or reassortment, the virus can cause disease in other species, including humans. Diseases that affect both animals and humans are termed zoonotic diseases and they are generally controlled diseases within a country. This means the government invests heavily in surveillance, testing and control by a variety of means, such as movement control, vaccination or reducing the susceptible population (culling) in order to slow the spread. Vaccination has not been allowed during the 2017 outbreak for a variety of reasons, which will be discussed in a future article.
It is highly unlikely that chickens or ostriches infected with avian influenza will reach an abattoir. If they do, there
are further checks that ensure they are detected and removed. Once the carcass has been processed, the meat contains very little blood and is then cooked. Both of these features further reduce the risk to the consumer. And even if they were exposed, it is unlikely that the virus would have any impact on them and even less likely that they would then be able to spread it to other people.
Pet birds are at risk if they come into contact with wild birds shedding the virus or the excretions (faeces, saliva, nasal discharge) from a sick bird. The excretions can be spread on human clothing and hands or even on cage furniture and dishes. Therefore everyone who owns or works with birds, should be practicing good biosecurity by limiting movement of people, animals and equipment onto their premises, washing their hands before handling their birds and keeping any new birds in isolation for at least 21 days before putting them into the aviary with their resident birds. Not all birds are equally susceptible and owners can therefore protect their birds by preventing contact between their pet bird and wild birds through bird proofing
aviaries. Sick wild birds that are found in the garden should either be taken to a facility that can assist them or be euthanased humanely.
Although there is always a risk that the virus could mutate to affect other species, your pet dog or cat catching or ingesting a sick or dead wild bird or bird droppings is more likely to suffer from an upset digestive system than contracting avian influenza.
The interface between animal and human health is fascinating and continues to be researched through concepts like One Health and protected through the work of organisations like the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). During any disease outbreak, people should not panic unnecessarily, but at the same time should adhere to common sense, practice good hygiene and stay informed by paying attention to and following news reports.
For more information, contact Dr
Aileen Pypers: aileenp@elsenburg.com
by Prof Schalk Cloete
TThe Eastern Cape Branch of the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) hosted the 50th annual SASAS Congress in September 2017 at the Boardwalk Conference Centre in Port Elizabeth. The meeting was a celebration of half a century of service to the livestock industries of South Africa and a number of founder members were also honoured. The theme of the congress was “Golden innovations for sustainable animal agriculture”.
Given the historic relevance of the congress, there were more invited keynote addresses than commonly found, namely 23. Two of these reported research primarily conducted by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA). Dr Carel Muller, who recently retired from his position as specialist scientist at Elsenburg, presented a keynote address entitled: “Fertility in dairy cows and ways to improve it”. Prof Schalk Cloete, specialist scientist at Elsenburg, also contributed a plenary paper with the title: “Selection for hard-tomeasure traits in the national sheep flock: recent progress and the way forward”.
As usual, the congress presented an excellent forum for animal scientists to meet each other and share knowledge and experiences, while also providing excellent networking opportunities. In total, 360 delegates from all livestock sectors registered for the SASAS Congress, making it a truly representative meeting. According to the organising committee, it was encouraging that a large number of postgraduate students and young animal scientists attended the congress and presented oral or poster presentations.
The concurrent sessions presented during the congress were organised according to topics, namely animal breeding, welfare and health, beef production, climate change, dairy science, meat science, pigs, poultry nutrition, ruminant nutrition, small stock and wildlife. The contribution of scientists and students active in the research programme of the WCDoA amounted to two from 28 (7.1%) for animal breeding, two from 27 (7.4%) for welfare and health, seven from 17 (41.2%) for dairy science, one from 24 (4.2%) for ruminant nutrition, four from 29 (13.8%) for small stock and four of nine (44.4%) for wildlife. The disproportionate contribution of Western Cape scientists to wildlife research stems from ostrich contributions that were grouped with wildlife by the organising committee.
Scientific meetings like the SASAS Congress provide excellent networking opportunities for animal scientists to foster existing networks and to establish new linkages.”
Daniel van der Merwe, a PhD student at Elsenburg, was awarded a certificate for the best nutrition poster for his contribution entitled: “Modelling the feed intake of six commercial South African sheep breeds in a feedlot“. Leanne Jordaan and Johanet van der Merwe, both MSc students at Elsenburg, were members of the Stellenbosch University quiz team, which came second in the annual quiz competition.
The achievements of a number of deserving members were recognised during the SASAS gala dinner. Prof Kennedy Dzama, departmental chair at the Stellenbosch University Department of Animal Sciences, received a silver medal for his contribution to animal science. Prof Japie van Wyk, recently retired from the Department of Animal, Wildlife and Rangeland Sciences at the University of the Free State, received a gold medal for his lifetime contribution to the profession. Both Proff. Dzama and Van Wyk are valued and respected contributors to the research programme of the WCDoA.
Scientific meetings like the SASAS Congress provide excellent networking opportunities for animal scientists to foster existing networks and establish new linkages. The attendance of such meetings is therefore considered during the continuous professional development of natural scientists. It is therefore important for all practicing animal scientists to attend such meetings and contribute to the scientific programme.
For more information, contact: Prof Schalk Cloete: schalkc@elsenburg.com
“The theme of the congress was ‘Golden innovations for sustainable animal agriculture’ ”
TThe seventh conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL) took place in Ede near Wageningen in the Netherlands. Over the four days papers, presentations and workshops focused around five main themes of farm animal welfare:
In recent years, the application of animal welfare has moved to studies mostly directed towards the effects of various husbandry practices to considering animal
welfare as an integral part of sustainable livestock production. In Europe, initiatives like the International Animal Welfare Standards were developed by the World Association for Animal Health and the more recent Welfare Quality® Assessment protocols established for cattle, poultry and pigs. Such initiatives are aimed to improve welfare of farm animals at a global level. Food chains and food business operators in many parts of the world are thus now considering and/or implementing animalfriendlier ways of production. Thus, the innovation day, which took place on the first day of the conference, was a great opportunity for business and science to meet, reflect and work on innovative and practical ways to improve overall animal wellbeing.
Several papers presented at WAFL highlighted that concepts of animal welfare need to integrate affective states (i.e. methods of assessing emotions/ pain; individual differences/preferences) within the initial concerns about health and production that has driven most of the research done on animal welfare in farm animals so far. Specifically more emphasis should be placed on how to integrate research on what is important to human stakeholders with what is important to the animal. On-going collaboration and discussions between scientists and users (either farmers or consumers) is thus necessary to overcome constraints associated with differences in perception on problems faced and/or relevant outcome measures to be taken. Such dialogues could also help resolve the issue of sustainability and animal welfare, which was at the centre of many presentations.
The challenge to produce enough food with good nutritional value for an evergrowing and more prosperous population in a more sustainable way is widely acknowledged, yet there is no clear
consensus on how to combine sustainability, environmental protection, animal welfare and economic viability.
Although animal welfare has become a major issue worldwide, it has received little attention in developing countries. Of all presentations and posters presented, 94% originated from research conducted in developed countries, and only 6% from developing countries. Research on farm animal welfare in South Africa is still in its infancy stage and even more so within the ostrich industry. As the bulk of ostrich products are exported to European countries, the production of the highest possible number of good quality chicks surviving to slaughter has to be considered the prime selection objective. Yet fertility rates, hatchability and chick survival are still largely compromised, which could reflect the difficulties of the birds to adapt to the farming environment or a failure of the industry to provide adequate management and husbandry practices at the level required by the birds.
Dr Maud Bonato from Stellenbosch University and resident scientist at the Oudtshoorn research farm presented a talk on the benefits of positive human-animal interactions on welfare and production of ostriches. She also presented a poster on
behalf of Dr Anel Engelbrecht (Research Scientist, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Oudtshoorn) on the effect of clipping the toenails of day-old ostriches on their long-term welfare and production.
These papers are part of ongoing research aimed at improving welfare and production in this species, and have both highlighted promising ways to overcome major constraints faced by ostrich farmers by slightly changing management practices currently in place, but also to improve human-animal interactions with these recently domesticated animals.
More research effort should now be put into economic costs associated with different levels of animal welfare in the production systems currently in place (whether it be in the ostrich industry or in other major livestock industries) so as to evaluate the financial viability of alternative animal production systems where animal welfare is promoted.
AP
For more information, contact: Dr Maud Bonato: maudb@elsenburg.com | mbonato@sun.ac.za
Bonato, M., Muhvali, P.T., Engelbrecht, A., Malecki, I.A., Cloete, S.W.P. (2017). Positive human-bird interactions improve bird interactions welfare and production performance in the ostrich. 7th conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL), Wageningen. Netherlands.
www.elsenburg.com/research-article/positive-human-bird-interactions-improve-welfareand-production-performance-ostrich
Engelbrecht, Cloete, S.W.P., Olivier, A., Joubert, K., Bonato, M. (2017). Clipping the toenails of day-old ostrich chicks: Beneficial or detrimental. 7th conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL), Wageningen. Netherlands.
www.elsenburg.com/research-article/clipping-toenails-day-old-ostrich-chicks-beneficial-ordetrimental
“The core philosophy behind CFM is to bring existing agricultural and natural resource spatial information to anyone who wants to be informed and has access to the Internet.
TThe Western Cape Department of Agriculture has developed excellent online resources to utilise spatial data and/or map information. One such tool is CapeFarmMapper, a webmapping application that can assist with decision-making for agricultural and environmental planning through the online dissemination of spatial information and tools. It is also freely available to the public. The following steps will give a brief practical overview of how a user can easily create a map in CapeFarmMapper with just a few clicks.
Access CapeFarmMapper through https://gis.elsenburg.com/apps/cfm - you will be greeted by a welcome dialog – and click the “Close” button to continue.
Familiarise yourself with the application interface: the icons toolbar in the topright (Figure 1) represents the different panels, while the content and tools of each panel are displayed in the strip on the righthand side of the interface.
The next step is to use the mouse to navigate the area of interest. The map can be panned with a simple click-hold-anddrag action, while the zoom level can be set with the mouse wheel. The functions in the search panel can also be used to locate a farm by the farm name or farm number.
To change the background map, activate the layers panel and click the Basemap dropdown list. Then select one
of the many available options to display a different background map.
Next you want to display some spatial data on the map, e.g. the farm boundaries and the crops on the farm. For this you need to activate the layers panel and expand the category for the data you want to add, e.g. the Surveyor-General farm portions (subdivisions) are located under the “Surveyor-General” section. The layers under the “Resource Layers” section include agricultural, climatic and environmental layers such as crop types, soil types and long-term climate variables. (Note: In most cases it would be advised to add only a single resource layer at a time, along with the farm boundaries, to avoid cluttering and confusion of colours).
The drawing tools can be used if you need to add your own data or drawings onto the map, e.g. camps or infrastructure. With the drawing tools a user can create points, lines and polygons, add labels and set custom styling of each graphic feature.
Once you have added all the required content to the map, proceed to the Map Export panel, where you can create a digital map of the visible content in JPEG or PDF format. A user can also set various options, such as page size, orientation, map title and the visible scale or extent. Click the “Export Map” button and wait for the map download link to be displayed in the resulting dialog box.
Click the “Download Map Document” link to open and view the resulting map.
By following and repeating these steps, a user can generate many maps with any of the available layers to create an extensive spatial overview of the activities and resources on a farm or in a specific area of interest. There is no limit on the number of maps a user is allowed to produce and the maps can be used for reporting purposes. It is however the responsibility of the user to take note of the source of the data sets (layers) and give recognition where due.
The department also provides support for CapeFarmMapper and any queries can be sent via email to info@elsenburg.com or contact us on +27 (0)21 808 5111.
AP
For more information, contact: F.C. Basson: fcbasson@elsenburg.com
“Meeste van hierdie lande word nie meer gebruik vir verbouing van gewasse nie omdat dit nie ekonomies lewensvatbaar is nie.”
TTeen die Weskus en onmiddellike binneland tot so ver as die Sederberge van die Wes- en Noord-Kaap, is oulande met slegs kraalbos as bedekking ’n algemene gesig. Meeste van hierdie lande word nie meer gebruik vir verbouing van gewasse nie omdat dit nie ekonomies lewensvatbaar is nie.
Die lande is meestal net gelaat om op ’n natuurlike wyse te herstel, wat egter nie gebeur het nie. Ná 20 jaar en selfs langer het daar steeds weinig natuurlike herstel plaasgevind en is dit hoofsaaklik kraalbos (Galenia africana), ’n onsmaaklike pionierplant, wat gevestig het. Dié lewer geen bydrae tot die voervloei vir vee en wild nie. Wanneer lande met inheemse plantspesies gerehabiliteer word, kan dit ’n bydrae lewer tot die voervloei en ook ’n belangrike rol speel deur stroke te vorm tussen natuurlike plantegroei-areas. Dit is veral belangrik aangesien die gebied in die Fynbos- en Sukkulente Karoo-biome geleë is, wat albei ’n uitsonderlik hoë biodiversiteit het.
In ’n navorsingstudie wat in die Agterpakhuys gebied naby Clanwilliam op die oorgang tussen Fynbos en die Sukkulente Karoo gedoen is, is ’n paar lesse geleer rakende die rehabilitasie van oulande in die gebied. Die betrokke ouland was vir ongeveer 20 jaar nie bewerk nie en het bykans net uit kraalbos bestaan met weinig ander meerjarige plante. Verskillende metodes is ondersoek om die kraalbosse te verminder, naamlik bossieslaan, ploeg met ’n drieskaarploeg, rip met ’n tandimplement, rol twee keer met ’n mesroller, en onkruiddoder (’n mengsel van Roundup® en Confront® teen 2.5-3%-konsentrasie). Saam met elk van hierdie behandelings is saad van vyf inheemse spesies gesaai, naamlik hartbeesgras (Chaetobromus involucratus subsp. dregeanus), rooisaadgras (Ehrharta calycina), karoobietou (Tripteris sinuata), kleinsaadklappiesbrak (Tetragonia fruticosa) en spanspekbos (Manochlamys albicans). ’n Baie ligte, gelokaliseerde grondbewerking is ondersoek deur grond onder die kraalbosse
“Die betrokke ouland was vir ongeveer 20 jaar nie bewerk nie en het bykans net uit kraalbos bestaan met weinig ander meerjarige plante.”
met ’n graaf los te maak en die saad daar te saai. ’n Laaste opsie is ondersoek waar saad ingesaai is sonder enige bewerking.
Goeie winterreën in jaar 1 het veral karoobietou baie goed laat ontkiem, maar weens die baie droë en warm somer daarna het die meeste van die saailinge gevrek. Ná die winter van jaar 2 het hoofsaaklik die grasse en tot ’n mindere mate karoobietou gevestig. Slegs enkele individue van kleinsaadklappiesbrak het gevestig. Teen die einde van jaar 3 het slegs 1% van die kiemkragte-saad wat gesaai is, gevestig, met hartbeesgras die volopste, gevolg deur rooisaadgras en karoobietou.
Kraalbos is die beste onderdruk deur te ploeg of te rol met ’n mesroller gevolg deur rip, dus alles aksies waar die grond versteur is en die bosse uitgehaal of platgerol is. Die onkruiddoder was aanvanklik suksesvol, maar teen jaar 2 het daar weer heelwat jong kraalbosplante gevestig. Die verlaging van die kompetisie deur kraalbos het daartoe gelei dat die meerjarige spesies teenwoordig in die gebied toegeneem het van vier na 12, waarvan vier spesies ingesaai was.
Hoewel die ploegbehandeling die beste resultate gelewer het, met meer gewenste plante wat gevestig het en kraalbos die beste onderdruk is, sal bewerking met die mesroller eerder aanbeveel word, aangesien dit ook goeie resultate gelewer het, maar minder drastiese grondversteuring veroorsaak, wat beter is vir grondgesondheid en -gehalte, met meer organiese koolstof en vog wat in die grond behoue bly.
Tabel 1: Die koste-doeltreffendheid (R/plant gevestig) van die verskillende behandelings gemeet teen die digtheid van die ingesaaide spesies wat gevestig het. Bewerkingskostes (R/ha) is soos dit was in 2012 en sluit arbeid in; saadkoste volgens kommersiële pryse in 2012.
Al hierdie metodes is duur (Tabel 1), veral as saad van kommersiële instansies verkry word. Om dit dus ekonomies regverdigbaar te maak moet gewenste saad waar moontlik self in die omgewing geoes word, met die nodige toestemming van die grondeienaar. Indien die implemente nie beskikbaar is nie, kan ’n graaf gebruik word om die grond onder die struike los te maak en daar te saai. Dit is meer arbeidsintensief, maar met plaaslike saad is dit nogsteeds ’n beter metode as om slegs saad uit te strooi of selfs as rip en sal daar mettertyd ’n verbetering kom. AP
Vir meer inligting, kontak
Nelmarié Saayman: +27 (0)21 808 5330
nelmaries@elsenburg.com
• Reënval is die beperkende faktor – saai weer saad die tweede jaar aan die begin van die reënseisoen indien vestiging en oorlewing swak was.
• Die afwesigheid van saad van gewenste spesies in die omgewing of in die grond noodsaak die verkryging en insaai daarvan.
• Oes saad van gewenste spesies in die nabye omgewing.
• ’n Ligte grondbewerking is nodig.
AAgriProbe sat down with an expert drone flyer within the department, Arie van Ravenswaay (AvR), and asked him the top ten questions one should ask before investing in this hi-tech tool.
Q: Which drone to buy?
AvR: There are many factors to consider when buying a drone. These include its purpose, sensors and cameras attached, price, flight time and payload. There are different levels of drones ranging from beginner to professional.
Q: How long can a drone fly before its batteries run out?
AvR: Most commercial drones last between 15 to 35 minutes per battery. Professional drones can last up to 40 minutes depending on its payload.
Q: Is it easy to fly a drone?
AvR: The difficulty depends on the type of person flying it and the type of drone being used. A person with great sensorimotor skills and hand-eye coordination may find it easier to fly without the GPS-assisted flight control activated than someone who doesn’t have these skills. Popular commercial drones have different sensors and built-in training applications that make flying easier for beginners.
Q: What is the maximum payload a drone can bear?
AvR: Payload is the amount of load or weight a drone can safely carry over its flight route. Commercial drones are built with standard sensors attached, allowing only a basic payload of 200g-400g for extra sensors. Professional drones can have
a payload from 2kg upwards, depending on the design of the drone, motors and propellers, battery size, electronic speed controllers and the height of the flight.
AvR: As a hobbyist you may fly without an RPL (Remote Pilot License) and you don’t need to register your drone, but you are still restricted by regulation. Readers can familiarise themselves with the acceptable uses of RPAs (Remotely Piloted Aircrafts) at www.caa.co.za
Commercial drone pilots will need an RPL and will have to register their drones.
AvR: Finding a drone for under R 1 000 doesn’t mean it’s going to meet your needs. A beginner should always start small as there is a risk of a drone crash that could cost you more than the original price to get it fixed. Starting off with a budget of a few thousand Rand is normal. Good consumer drones, which deliver good quality footage, could cost tens of thousands, while professional drones can easily set your budget back into hundreds of thousands. These drones may seem expensive, but the amount of money they save industries can easily justify their price and usage.
Arie van Ravenswaay is a publisher and web editor for the department’s programme Research and Technology Development Services. He has a keen interest in innovative technology and loves to play with drones and 3D printers to see how these cutting-edge technologies can improve our services to the agricultural sector.
“There are many factors to consider when buying a drone. These include its purpose, sensors and cameras attached, price, flight time and payload.”
Q: Let’s talk power: four, six or eight motors?
AvR: More motors and propellers are always good, but the drawbacks are cost and a bigger battery. With six or eight motors a drone is much more stable, wind tolerant, powerful and easier to manoeuvre if you experience mechanical failure. Most novice drone flyers, however, find them too expensive and therefore opt to fly with the standard four motors.
Q: Do all drones come standard with a camera?
AvR: Most consumer drones have standard cameras built-in, with the option of adding a small additional camera sensor. Professional drones do not all have a camera as a standard as most professionals opt to add their own
cameras and sensors depending on their required use. For instance, a farmer would need a standard RGB camera combined with a multispectral camera, whereas an engineer would prefer a thermal camera and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging).
Q: DIY (do-It-yourself) or RTF (ready-to-fly)?
AvR: For a beginner it is better to look at a RTF drone, unless you are a tinkerer or drone enthusiast. The advantage of building your own drone is the level of customisation. As the builder you determine the amount of power you need, code the software for your usage, choose what sensors to add and along the way you can add modifications to enhance its functions. You will, however, need to understand coding and debugging of the DIY drone.
Q: Can a drone be insured?
AvR: Interestingly South African insurance companies do offer drone insurance. There are however strict conditions that apply and you must have a valid RPL to qualify for insurance.
Readers are welcome to send Arie more questions on drone technology at arievr@elsenburg.com.
RGB camera: All digital cameras use some form of RGB (red, green, blue) to make up the image they capture.
Multispectral camera: A camera that produces images by measuring the reflected energy at several specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Thermal camera: A camera that renders infrared radiation as visible light, making it possible to see areas of heat.
LiDAR: A detection system similar to radar, but that uses light emitted from a laser to build a three-dimensional representation of the target.
by Yaseen Salie
TThere has been increasing interest in the production of biogas from solid waste. The key drivers are the need for the management of organic waste, increasing costs of disposal and the recognition of the potential for on-site energy use.
In response, GreenCape, a not-for-profit sector development agency that works in partnership with the Western Cape Government, published a document entitled The business case for biogas from solid waste in the Western Cape. This document is available online and was developed to assist those considering installing a biogas system. It outlines: (a) the factors affecting the financial viability of such an endeavour; and (b) the context in which it would be most viable. This article summarises the key insights relevant for the agricultural sector.
“There is significant potential for development and the industry is maturing.”
Biogas is produced through the process of anaerobic digestion (AD). A soil enhancer, known as digestate, is produced as a byproduct of this process. The feedstock for this process is mixed organic material, which could include various types of manure, fruit and vegetable waste and other general food waste. The composition of the biogas varies, but consists mainly of biomethane and carbon dioxide.
Applications include:
• direct combustion of biogas as a fuel to produce heat, e.g. for cooking;
• combustion using a gas engine to produce heat and electricity, which could be used on-site, e.g. for heating or cooling broiler houses;
• upgrading and compression, e.g. for vehicle fuel; and
• the use of the nutrient-rich digestate (liquid and solid) as an organic fertiliser.
The South African biogas industry is established, but is currently considered to be in an infant state, as there is a low rate of uptake and general inexperience in designing, constructing and operating of biogas facilities. Despite this, there is significant potential for development and the industry is rapidly maturing.
There are currently 23 biogas projects (existing or planned) in the Western Cape, with nine situated in an agricultural context, i.e. on a farm. GreenCape’s business case document presents five case studies found in the Western Cape. Three of these case studies are projects located on farms or agri processing facilities (Zandam Cheese & Piggery, Uilenkraal Dairy and Elgin Fruit Juices), with the remaining two projects being centralised waste solutions for a municipal region and a shopping mall.
The case studies highlight the motivation for, and the benefits and the challenges associated with, biogas projects. They represent a range of business models and include type of feedstock, off-take of products and utilisation of energy for heat and/or electricity. The lessons learnt from these case studies are that the business case for a biogas facility is highly site specific.
In the case of Zandam, pig manure slurry is fed into the on-site AD as a feedstock. Uilenkraal uses a cow manure slurry and Elgin uses fruit and vegetable waste as feedstocks. In all three cases, a combined heat and power (CHP) engine is being used to produce energy from the biogas, however the energy is utilised in different ways. Uilenkraal showed the use of the electricity produced met up to 95% of their electricity needs.
Some of the general success conditions for these biogas facilities include:
• a guarantee of consistent feedstock quantity and quality;
• a significant reduction in waste management costs, and
• supplementation of electrical and thermal energy used on-site.
Common challenges were present across the various case studies and include:
• lignocellulosic (woody) contaminants;
• odour;
• digestate management;
• inability to feed excess electricity onto grid, primarily due to regulatory impediments; and
• waste collection and separation.
In the South African context, financial viability of biogas projects is highly site specific and only strong under certain conditions.
These conditions include situations where:
• large volumes of feedstock are available;
• waste management costs are high; and
• there are high-energy requirements (electric or heat) on-site or in close proximity.
This presents an opportunity for the agricultural sector since a large portion of stakeholders meets these conditions and many are seeking to better manage and/ or add value to problematic wastes, such as those from feedlots and abattoirs. This is discussed in greater detail in the GreenCape livestock waste report (which can be accessed via the QR code in this article).
Yaseen Salie is a bioenergy analyst from GreenCape. To find out more about GreenCape’s work visit www.greencape.co.za.
1. The business case for biogas from solid waste in the Western Cape, visit: www.greencape.co.za/content/ biogas-business-case
2. Investment opportunities in livestock wastes, visit: www. greencape.co.za/content/ investment-opportunities-inlivestock-wastes/
3. Building on the momentum gained from recent workshops to consider value addition from organic residues in fruit & vegetable value chains and livestock value-chains, GreenCape has developed three reports highlighting investment opportunities in these areas namely:
• Agro-processing wastewater
• Livestock wastes (focusing on manure and abattoirs)
• Lignocellulose (wood) waste
For more information, contact Yaseen Salie: +27 (0)21 811 0250 | yaseen@greencape.co.za
To access these reports, visit www.greencape.co.za/content/ opportunity-scan-for-valueaddition-to-organics/
BREXIT:
What does it mean for South African agriculture?
(Part 2 of 2)
Andrew PartridgeIntroduction
This paper is the second of a two-part series, building on the previous paper, “Brexit: What does it mean for South African agriculture?
(Part 1 of 2)” (Agriprobe, Vol 14, No 4). In the first paper Brexit was explained and the importance of the Brexit negotiations for South Africa was highlighted and some of the potential implications outlined.
This paper takes the analysis further by looking at the results of a modelling exercise done at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture in order to estimate what the different Brexit scenarios would look like for the South African agricultural sector, in the process drawing implications for the economy at large. To accomplish this, seven different scenarios were developed and modelled through the use of a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model.
The findings are critical, both in terms of helping to prepare for the future, but also to inform South African officials involved in negotiations with the UK.
CGE models are useful tools for doing economy-wide impact assessments as they allow for the assessment of not just the direct implications of a particular shock, but also the indirect implications as economic participants adjust to changes in prices and other variables.
The model used was first developed at the International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI) by Lofgren, Robinson and Harris (2001). It has since been adapted and applied to South Africa’s 2009 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) developed by Davies and Thurlow (2011). Relevant price adjustments were then carried out to make the model relevant to 2016.
It is difficult to confine Brexit impacts to a set number of scenarios, due to the complexity of the different impacts and the interconnectedness between them. However, it is possible to develop a few scenarios that isolate and assess different aspects of the potential Brexit impacts. In line with this thinking seven scenarios were developed:
1. Most Favoured Nation (MFN): Tariffs change from current rates to MFN rates on all products.
2. FTA: A free trade agreement (i.e. tariff elimination on all products).
3. Free Exports: Elimination of tariffs on South African exports only, import tariffs remain as is.
4. Fruit Push: Tariffs are eliminated on South Africa’s fruit exports only, other tariffs stay as is.
5. Protectionism: Export tariffs remain as is, but South Africa imposes MFN tariffs on UK imports.
6. Pound Slump: Tariffs remain as is, but pound depreciates by 10%.
7. CAP Cut: Tariffs remain as is, but the UK agrees to cut agricultural funding as previously done under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
In reality the outcome will feature aspects of all these scenarios but isolating them like this allows for the analysis of the contribution of each one towards more aggregated impacts. The modelling exercise provides percentage changes to key variables. These percentage changes were then applied to macroeconomic projections done by the International Monetary Fund (IMF, 2017) and agricultural data from the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ Abstract of Agricultural Statistics (DAFF, 2017).
Figure 1 shows the change in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) under each of the Brexit scenarios. Particularly strong economic gains were made in the FTA and Pound Slump scenarios. Significant negative economic impacts were observed for the MFN, Protection and CAP Cut scenarios. It
is interesting to note that Fruit Push yielded a high economic gain relative to the total Free Exports scenario, showing that most (60%) of the economic gains for South Africa to secure in negotiations in terms of market access can be gained in the fruit and vegetables industry.
The changes in employment are broken down by skill level in Figure 2. Generally job losses were experienced where there was economic gain. However in the Pound Slump scenario, job growth was low relative to GDP growth, suggesting that this scenario benefits more capital-intensive industries. Of the scenarios where job growth was experienced, the Fruit Push has the largest share of jobs being created for primary skill level workers.
The CAP Cut scenario yielded overall negative impacts for the South African economy due to the resultant rising cost of UK goods that are imported for consumption
and production in various sectors. However, the agricultural sector would benefit substantially under this scenario due to the increased relative competitiveness in UK markets. This can be seen in Figure 3, which shows the change in real agricultural GDP under each scenario. There were also negative agricultural impacts under the Pound Slump scenario due to the reliance on exports in this sector.
Table 1 shows the impact for the different agricultural commodities. Fruit and vegetables tend to be the most affected in terms of net gains or losses. It is also the only commodity that exhibited a decline under the Pound Slump scenario, showing the particular dependence on the UK export market for these products. Interestingly meat exhibited modest net changes despite having the biggest production value for South Africa, suggesting this sub sector is more shielded from the Brexit impacts.
As a final note, the modelling showed that the biggest impact would be felt on middle-income households and that the impact on households was worse for the MFN scenario and best for the FTA scenario (Partridge, 2016).
The impact assessment done yielded the following conclusions, taken from Partridge (2017, pp.5-6):
- Avoid doing nothing: The analysis showed the danger of an outcome that results in MFN tariffs between South Africa and the UK. Such an outcome would have severe negative impacts on the South African economy and be detrimental to certain industries.
- Free Trade is optimal: The optimal outcome in terms of overall economic performance was one of free trade. For this reason South Africa should look to come to an agreement with the UK that resembles a free trade agreement as closely as possible.
- Fruits are key: If the UK can only be pushed to achieve tariff elimination in one area, it should be on fruit exports. The impact assessment showed that eliminating fruit tariffs can make up most of the gains that can be made in the complete elimination of export tariffs to the UK.
- Ensure integrity of sanitary and phyto sanitary environment: Given the importance of the UK market for South African fruit exports, it is critical that South Africa do everything possible to ensure its sanitary and phyto sanitary institutions are of a standard that is highly regarded and trusted.
- Be wary of protectionism: Whilst protection will be needed in certain areas, government must be aware that there could be negative spillover effects to applying higher tariffs on imports from the UK.
- Farmer subsidies could be a useful bargaining tool: The removal of UK subsidies yields substantial gains for the South African agricultural sector, but yielded a negative overall impact on the economy. These subsidies should not be ignored though and could be a useful
bargaining tool to justify concessions in other areas, such as tariff elimination on key products, e.g. fruits and vegetables.
As a general comment to end off, the deeper the research goes into Brexit implications, the more complex the whole system appears to be. Policy makers involved in negotiations should therefore be strongly advised to do their research thoroughly and comprehensively to be prepared for the vast range of complex issues that need to be covered and considered. The positive note is that there are areas where significant gains can be made if negotiations are smart and well researched. AP For more details on Brexit issues and implications, see Partridge (2017), available from the author on request (andrewp@elsenburg.com)
References
DAFF, 2017. Abstract of Agricultural Statistics: 2017, Pretoria: Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Republic of South Africa.
Davies, R. & Thurlow, J., 2011. A 2009 Social Accounting Matrix for South Africa: Version 1.2, Helsinki: World Institute for Development Economics Research, United Nations University.
IMF, 2017. World Economic Outlook. [Online] Available at: www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/01/ weodata/index.aspx [Accessed 27 04 2017].
Lofgren, H., Robinson, S. & Harris, R., 2001. A Standard Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model in GAMS, Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Partridge, 2017. Preparingforthe(Mostly)Unknown:TheImplicationsofBrexitforSouthAfricanAgriculture. Elsenburg: Western Cape Department of Agriculture
Eden District (Garden Route & Little Karoo)
Clyde Lamberts | 044 803 3757 | clydel@elsenburg.com
Willem Burger | 044 803 3747 | willemb@elsenburg.com
Central Karoo
Frederick Mpona | 023 415 3134 | frederickm@elsenburg.com
West Coast (Swartland & North West Coast)
Rose Horne | 022 433 2330 | roseh@elsenburg.com
Marius du Randt | 027 213 2000 | mariusdr@elsenburg.com
Cape Metropole
Ayanda Obose | 021 808 7082 | ayandao@elsenburg.com
Jacob Modise | 021 483 7785 | jacobm@elsenburg.com
Zakhele Msimango | 021 808 7067 | zakhelem@elsenburg.com
Overberg
Hennis Germishuys | 028 425 4807 | hennisg@elsenburg.com
Cape Winelands
Dikeledi Kunene | 021 808 7051 | dikeledik@elsenburg.com
Closing date 31 May 2018
Is a quarterly magazine, distributed to subscribers at no charge by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.
Subscription
For free subscription to this quarterly magazine, please submit your details to Magrieta de Lange. Tel: 021 808 7613 | Fax: 021 808 7605
Email: magrietadl@elsenburg.com
Contact us
Western Cape Department of Agriculture
Tel: 021 808 5111
Email: info@elsenburg.com
Web: www.elsenburg.com
Printing
CTP Printers (Cape Town)
Tel: 021 929 6200
Packaging
Stellenbosch Work Centre for Adults with Disabilities
Tel: 021 887 8688
Email: pmwill@sun.ac.za
You can also read your copy online and subscribe at www.elsenburg.com/resource-library/agriprobe
Don’t forget to tune into RSG Landbou every Friday morning at 04:45 and on Saturdays at 11:45. Listen to the highly informative programmes on the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Sector in general. If you miss it on the radio, you can also listen to the programmes of the week on www.elsenburg.com/resource-library/radio-elsenburg
ISSN: 1810-9799