Innehållsförteckning för Vol 19 - No 2 2022 från AgriProbe

Economic recovery lies within agriculture We have been and continue to be in a pandemic that has now become an endemic. The disease is affecting exports as some countries are still implementing strict lockdown rules causing delays in the movement of goods. While agriculture continued to operate, certain industries, like wine, were affected more severely than others. They have surprisingly managed to bounce back with even more vigour. The Russia and Ukraine conflict is one of the challenges affecting economies globally due to increased inflation. South Africa is no exception, especially the threat to food security and exports of various products. Climate change continues to be a threat in food systems, but has also encouraged innovation in the sector, e.g. adoption of water saving technologies and other smart agricultural production…

Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer and the South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) recently hosted an event to introduce members of our diplomatic corps to the array of ostrich meat products produced in the Western Cape. Minister Meyer highlighted that introducing foreign diplomats to uniquely Western Cape products was a critical step towards facilitating market access. “When I assumed office, I said that my goals are to increase agricultural exports by 5% over the next five years and enhance the agri-processing value-add in the province. Today's event is about working towards that goal. An increase in agricultural exports is good for the economy and jobs in the Western Cape.” “The ostrich industry contributes greatly to the local economy of the Klein Karoo.” 'The ostrich industry contributes greatly…

Studies wat by die Oudtshoorn navorsings-plaas van die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Landbou gedoen word, toon dat jong broeivolstruise 'n volle seisoen vroeer kan begin produseer as wat algemeen aanvaar word. Tradisioneel word geglo dat volstruise eers van drie-jarige ouderdom af kan begin produseer. Gevolglik word jong broeivolstruise eers in hul derde seisoen nà uitbroei in broeikuddes ingesluit. In die praktyk beteken dit dat hulle drie jaar lank gevoer moet word voordat hulle enige produksie lewer. “Altesaam 115 jong volstruise is verkoop teen’n gemiddelde prys van R7 222.” Op die Oudtshoorn navorsingsplaas word jong broeivolstruise egter al in hul tweede seisoen na uitbroei (dus selfs voor twee-jarige ouderdom) in die teeltkudde ingesluit - en lewer goeie produksie. Die ouderdom waarteen volstruiswyfies begin eiers le, het mettertyd verbeter tot 'n gemiddelde van…

Olwethu Titana was appointed as Agricultural Advisor for Agricultural Producer Support and Development (APSD) in the Cape Winelands District on 10 August 2021 and is based at the Wellington office. His journey started in 2018, when he joined APSD, Cape Winelands district as a student intern and later was accepted as a graduate intern from May 2019 until April 2021. Olwethu hails from Paarl and completed his matric in 2012. He started to work on farms during harvest season when he was just 15 years old and did so until 2017. He wanted to study Horticulture after matric, yet he couldn't get the opportunity at the institutions where he applied due to his late application, but was offered to study Biotechnology. He did not intend to study Biotechnology and therefore…

One of the observations emanating from the SmartAgri project (2016) was that the Province was poorly served by freely available, accessible and reliable climate data. Such data is obviously a vital component in the monitoring of both current weather and the impact of future climate change at a local level. Weather data archives become increasingly valuable as their history lengthens. “The Western Cape Province exhibits enormous climate variability both spatially and temporally.” However, not many “official” weather stations in agricultural areas of the province still have (publicly accessible) uninterrupted historical data from which to extract a 30-year climatological “normal”, which is the recommended minimum period from which climate change effects (or the lack thereof) can be inferred. Furthermore, these weather datasets are unfortunately not free (being subject to the business…

African swine fever is a serious disease of pigs that first broke out in the Western Cape in early 2021. It is caused by a virus that does not affect people but causes deaths in up to 100% of pigs it infects. The virus survives for a long time in the environment and on objects, so it spreads easily between farms when pigs and people move. Outbreaks of African swine fe-ver have occurred across the Western Cape since 2021. There have been outbreaks in 27 locations across the province as of March 2022. Thus far only informal and small-scale piggeries have been affected. African swine fever is quite devastating in the communities that have experienced outbreaks as these are generally resource-poor settings where pig farming is seen as a low-input…

Employment creation, i.e. jobs, is one of the key priorities of the Western Cape Government. In the 3rd quarter of 2021 the Western Cape labour market recorded a positive growth of 0.4% (9 000) jobs year on year (y/y). Figure 1 illustrates the provincial-level, sector-specific employment growth numbers during the 3rd quarter of 2021 (y/y). It was observed that major declines in employment were in mining (55%), trade (16%), community and social services (13%) and manufacturing (7%). However, on the positive side, agricultural employment significantly increased from 137 000 (Q3: 2020) to 197 000 (Q3: 2021), showing a growth of 44.3% (year-on-year), followed by utilities (28.5%), construction services (14.7%), financial services (4.49%), transport (12.8%) and private households (2.2%). The Western Cape agricultural employment growth of 44.3% in the 3rd quarter…

Introduction Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam.) is an excellent source of energy and contains various vitamins and minerals. It is a popular traditional crop and food security crop with advantages as a crop that gives an exciting potential in addressing income and job creation. The annual production of sweet potato in South Africa is around 64 000 tons. The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of planting sweet potato in Beaufort West area, Central Karoo District. Experimental design and agronomic management A cultivar demonstration trial consisting of nine varieties of sweet potato with varying skin and flesh colour was established at Rondawel Farm, situated in the Nieveldt Mountain in the Beaufort West area. The trial was established on 4 December 2020. The soil preparation was done…

The Keurbooms River system delivers vital services to those dependent on this source of fresh water and the entire ecological value chain it supports. The Keurbooms River Ecological Infrastructure Investment (EII) Working Group, comprising local and provincial stakeholders, environmental managers and conservation experts, was formed in 2020 to ensure long-term water security and implement a systematic programme for the removal of invasive alien plants. On 29 March 2022, I tabled a budget of R969.2 million for the 2022/2023 financial year. I confirmed that the Western Cape would not be returning to our pre-covid days when I did so. However, I also emphasised that the agricultural sector would continue to lead the economic recovery of the Western Cape, create jobs and push forward. “A total of 20 000ha of alien vegetation…

1 What is most exciting abouQ your current position? Titana: Gaining knowledge on different commodities that I did not study, such as vegetables, livestock and deciduous fruits. Engaging with different categories of producers and knowing that the advice I give, contributes to the livelihood of producers, families, a sustained agricultural economy of the province and for the agricultural sector at large. 2 What advice would you lea to young people who are in matric or at high school? Titana:Everything falls into place when one works hard and stays committed. Choose a career that you are interested in. 3 What advice would you lea to those who are studying their first qualification in an agricultural field? Titana: Be committed, work hard and most importantly, never quit. There are enough opportunities within…

Earlier this year, the Western Cape Depart-ment of Agriculture (WCDoA)’s Rural Development team partnered with various government and private sector stakeholders to empower rural youth from the Bella Vista community in Ceres with information on social and economic opportunities. Stakeholders presenting various topics included the Department of Labour, South African National Youth Development Agency, Department of Social Development, Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency, South African Revenue Service, Perdekraal Wind Farm, Department of Local Government and Department of Health. Based on interactions and experiences from various communities, the rural context is characterised by a lot of challenges, such as youth unemployment, high school drop-outs, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse and low levels of both matric and tertiary education. The reality is that the youth do not have access to social…

The Western Cape climate change response framework and implementation plan for the agricultural sector (SmartAgri plan) provides a roadmap for agriculture that is low-carbon and resilient to climate change. In this series in AgriProbe, the SmartAgri plan is unpacked into its core elements, structured around four strategic focus areas (SFAs). Some of the active projects led by the various programmes of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA), and additional priorities will be highlighted. This is the fourth article in the series (refer to previous AgriProbe issues for the first three articles). SFA2 (“Strengthen effective climate disaster risk reduction and management for agriculture”) deals with the specific challenges experienced when climate-related disasters occur. While disasters hit individual farms, the landscape becomes equally important, with farm experiences closely linked to catchment…

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. This lesson clearly applies when talking about Liezl MacKenzie. She is the proud winner of the DJI Drone Pilot Success Stories competition during Women's Month. Liezl, an experienced GIS technician in Programme Research and Technology Development Services, began her inspiring story when she participated in the Department's drone pilot training programme and became the first female drone pilot in the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. After nearly 30 years as a GIS technician, she inspired many others to look at new opportunities and achieve their full potential. Liezl now flies the Phantom 4 Multispectral, a critical tool for research purposes in our spray drone technology. The competition required that each female participant make a…

I In the previous edition of the AgriProbe readers were introduced to some of the interventions the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) has embarked on relating to the full potential and impact of agri-processing as a sub-sector. This sub-sector has the potential to spur economic growth and create jobs, particularly in the rural areas, with household food security and reduced food wastage being two added advantages. “This initiative will be taking agri-processing to the next level. It is in fact wheels of change.” But how does one ascertain if this is not just one of those trendy bandwagons that everyone blindly hops on? The WCDoA takes pride in being a research and data driven government department when it comes to decision-making and this project is no different. Research indicates…

Two doctorandi completed their studies in the joint research programme of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and Stellenbosch University at the AgriSciences graduation ceremony on 4 April 2022. Both newly promoted doctorandi were recently appointed as research scientists at the Directorate Animal Sciences of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, where they will continue with their research. Their studies are briefly introduced here. Cornelius Loftus (Nelius) Nel Studies on genetic responses and genomic characterisation in South African and Australian sheep The study conducted by Nelius demonstrated that direct selection for lambs weaned per ewe mated in the Elsenburg Merino flock induced substantial direct gains, also benefitting its components - fertility, twinning and rearing ability. Selection Impaired staple strength among the wool traits. Lamb survival benefited from selection, particularly under…

In the Agriprobe volume 18 of 2021, It was highlighted that the agriculture sector considers drones as the missing instrument to fill the gap of human error and inefficiencies brought about by traditional farming methods. Furthermore, the Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, and Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, echoed similar sentiments that the era of guesswork or ambiguity is over, and the time is ripe for focusing on accurate and reliable information (captured by drones) when making farming business decisions. Buttressed by this unwavering support from the executive heads, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) proceeded to train eligible farmers and agriworkers to legally operate drones for commercial purposes in 2021 and 2022. This strategic Intervention by the WCDoA generated enormous Interest beyond the agricultural fraternity. Subsequently the…

The wildlife industry powered through the first quarter of 2022 with some exciting game auctions, thereby sharing unique genetics amongst members and providing the industry with positive stimulus for the rest of the season. A healthy 41 auctions took place, successfully selling 17 845 head of game. This realised an industry total of R142 756 068, which touches on 50% of the 2021 outputs. This bodes well for the rest of the 2022 season and is substantiated by the fact that the average auction turnover for this first quarter (R3 484 855) is 44,9% higher than that of last year. In the same way, the average number of game sold per auction increased by 67% above that of last year, standing at an average of 435 per auction. The lifting…

At 3pm on Tuesday 1 May 1973 the Provincial Veterinary Laboratory was officially opened at its current location by the then Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. H. Schoeman. For its nearly 50-year existence the buildings served the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and its clients well. During the past half century, building renovation and maintenance were mostly limited to internal and external painting of walls, the odd roof repairs and the construction of additional laboratory rooms. However, in the 50 years, building codes, regulations and requirements have changed significantly and unfortunately the laboratory buildings did not keep up with all these changes. Funding has now become available that will allow for a major renovation and compliance upgrade of the buildings to ensure that the Laboratory enters its next half century…

An uncontrolled veld fire can be likened to a two-sided coin. The most obvious is the trail of destruction it leaves in its wake-a skeleton landscape seemingly devoid of life. On the other hand, many fynbos and other plants indigenous to the Cape are dependent on fires as the instigators of new ecological lifecycles. For farmers, so dependent on vegetation for their livelihood, runaway fires often have significant financial implications and severe impacts on the sustainability of their farms and the environment itself. It is known that a high incidence of veld fires impairs biodiversity, causes erosion and leads to the extinction or migration of important pollinators and predators. In the Western Cape, one of the worst affected veld fire areas in the country, firefighting teams are constantly at the…