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President signs Labour Law Amendment Acts into law

President Ramaphosa has signed the Labour Law Amendments Acts, What does it mean for agriculture in general and the employer specifically Following are some frequently asked questions to look into the detail. - Elize van der Westhuizen, director of Comply Plus

Published: 29/11/2018

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Land reform: Status update

On 15 November 2018 the Constitutional Review Committee made the recommendation that section 25 of the Constitution should be amended to ‘clarify’ that section 25 of the Constitution does make provision for expropriation without compensation. At this time the conditions under which this may happen are still unknown as Parliament is yet to draft and consult on the exact wording of the proposed amendment.

Published: 29/11/2018

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Carbon Tax Bill introduced into the National Assembly

On Tuesday 20 November, the Minister of Finance formally introduced the Carbon Tax Bill into the National Assembly. The Speaker will outline the process that is to be followed from here. A number of changes has been made to the Bill, reportedly as a result of comments received during the public participation process. One of the principle points raised by the business community during the public participation process was the non-alignment between carbon budgets and the carbon tax. - Theo Boshoff, Agbiz head of Legal Intelligence

Published: 23/11/2018

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What does a 'clarification' amendment mean?

The Constitutional Review Committee yesterday revealed their decision to recommend an amendment to section 25 of the Constitution to ‘clarify’ that expropriation without compensation can take place under section 25 of the Constitution. The details of this proposal are still unclear and one will only be able to fully assess the impacts of such an amendment once the conditions are made public, however, it is worth dissecting what a ‘clarification’ amendment could entail. - Theo Boshoff, Agbiz head of Legal Intelligence

Published: 16/11/2018

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Agbiz responds to the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendation to amend the Constitution to provide for land expropriation without compensation

“Agbiz has noted with disappointment and concern the recommendation by the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to amend the Constitution of South Africa to explicitly make provision for land expropriation without compensation. Agbiz has consistently maintained that it is not necessary to amend the Constitution to effect land reform in South Africa, and this proposed amendment to the Constitution will impact negatively on much-needed investment and harm the economy”, Dr John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz, said today. - Agbiz media statement, issued 16 November 2018

Published: 16/11/2018

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Namibian GMO food labeling regulations will affect trade with South Africa

New Namibian GMO Food Labeling Regulations will affect all future grain exports to Namibia. This was according to the CEO of the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) and GM of Innovation, Technology and Development in Namibia who recently addressed grain value chain role players on the impact of the new legislation and the GMO list that was compiled for maize, soybean, canola, wheat, cotton and rice. The Biosafety Act 2006 of Namibia provides measures to regulate the activities that involve research, development, production, marketing, transportation, applications and other uses of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as specific products derived from these GMOs as they are harnessed safely.

Published: 09/11/2018

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Cross-border knowledge sharing between SA and Zimbabwe farmers critical

The collapse of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector from the early 2000s is well documented, and largely attributed to ill-conceived land reform policies. But as the spirit of political change sweeps across the country, albeit with lingering economic underperformance, it is worth looking at what agricultural products Zimbabwe imports in large quantities and whether import substitution would be a possibility in the near to medium term. - By Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz head of Agribusiness Research *Written for and first published on Business Day

Published: 09/11/2018

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Pretoria session stimulates conversation on current topics

On Thursday, 1 November Agbiz hosted a half-day information session focusing on the current challenges in the policy and legislative environment, as well as developments and opportunities in the agribusiness sector. Close to 100 role players and stakeholders, representing agribusinesses, financiers, producers and agri-associations attended the event at Leriba Hotel in Centurion.

Published: 02/11/2018

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Predicting the El Niño effect

Admittedly, it is too early to tell how most Southern African countries will cope with the expected weak El Niño in the summer season. Typically, an El Niño weather phenomenon would lead to drier weather conditions in most countries on the continent, almost similar to what we witnessed in the 2015-16 drought years. However, when it is weak, as expected, the impact could be minimal. - Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz head of Agribusiness Research *Written for and first published in Business Day

Published: 02/11/2018

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Comprehensive producer support policy heads to Nedlac

The draft National Policy on Comprehensive Producer Support published by DAFF on the 3rd of August 2018 has now been referred to Nedlac where organised business, labour and government can engage on its contents. Agbiz forms a central part of the business delegation. The policy seeks to coordinate the producer support initiatives undertaken by government with that of the private sector to ensure that the greatest impact is achieved. As a general point of departure, business welcomed the initiative by government and placed special emphasis on the cooperative nature in which DAFF seeks to drive producer support going forward. - Theo Boshoff, Agbiz head of Legal Intelligence

Published: 02/11/2018

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