by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 24, 2019 | My categories
The situation in Mozambique is devastating. Tropical Cyclone Idai, which hit the coastline of Mozambique on March 14th has caused a heavy loss of lives and affected more than 600 000 people, according to some estimates – the number will most likely rise after...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 23, 2019 | My categories
In the recent issue of Agrekon, which is an agricultural economics academic journal, some of the most renowned agricultural economics professors, namely Johann Kirsten, Philip Pardey, and Colin Thirtle wrote a moving memorial tribute of the late Dr Frikkie Liebenberg,...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 22, 2019 | My categories
There is broad consensus that part of the reason why SA’s land reform programme has fallen short of expectation has been due, to some extent, to a lack of well-timed, co-ordinated and effective measures to support new farmers. Access to tailored seasonal finance, fair...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 16, 2019 | My categories
THE WEEKEND ESSAY: By Professor Johann Kirsten and Wandile Sihlobo[i] Behind some of the policy proposals and discussions on land redistribution in South Africa is a persistent notion that the country should establish ‘small-scale farms’ so that there could be more...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 14, 2019 | My categories
If I were to be asked to name one word, I used more extensively than any other this week, it would be – confidence. I participated at the Citrus Growers’ Association Summit held in Port Elizabeth on 13 March, and the South African Feedlot Association’s Cattlemen’s...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 11, 2019 | My categories
My first blogpost this year was titled — Can South Africa’s sorghum industry be revived? In it, I highlighted the decline in the production of this crop, with area plantings having reached 28 800 hectares in the 2017/18 production season – the smallest area on...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 9, 2019 | My categories
South Africans are a very inquisitive nation. Each time I post a tweet about the country’s agricultural fortunes, there is always someone who asks about proportions of that particular product in racial terms. The other day, I posted a chart about liquor...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 8, 2019 | My categories
The World Bank recently released an interesting book titled Agriculture in Africa: Telling Myths from Facts. It covers a wide range of topics from smallholder land access, post-harvest losses, financing of agricultural inputs, agricultural labour productivity and...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 7, 2019 | My categories
Last week SA’s ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries published a media statement following a visit to the country by Saudi Arabian agriculture minister Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli. The statement essentially summarised the objective of the visit,...
by Wandile Sihlobo | Mar 1, 2019 | My categories
I see that the Saudis were in town this week, and seemingly had an interesting engagement with South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. The main purpose of the visit was to discuss a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation in...
