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2018 Agbiz Congress - Restoration of dignity is key to land reform

"Agbiz input with regard to land reform so far was primarily viewed from a commercial perspective, thus the creation of successful and viable new entrants. This is only one part of the story. The restoration of dignity is also key to the debate, but how does one do this practically?" Theo Boshoff, Agbiz head of Legal Intelligence discussed the current policy environment for land reform and the relevant legislation at the 2018 Agbiz Congress and said that Agbiz is closely involved in many land reform forums.

Published: 11/07/2018

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2018 Agbiz Congress - Model will help to identify export opportunities

Trade facilitation and cost reduction strategies can help to unlock South Africa’s economic potential through increased exports and more scientific fact-based market intelligence. This should be at the centre of strategic decision-making and trade facilitation initiatives, increasing trade in goods and services between South Africa and the rest of the world. The same applies to agro-industry related stakeholders. This was the message to the 2018 Agbiz Congress of Prof Wilma Viviers, director of the TRADE research entity and World Trade Organization chair holder at the North-West University, and Martin Cameron, managing director of the TRADE Research Advisory.

Published: 11/07/2018

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2018 Agbiz Congress - President Ramaphosa has done well so far, but an uphill battle lies ahead

President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a number of important steps so far this year in stage one of the Ramaphosa reform era. These include recalibrating key areas of economic and institutional importance. He also overhauled the security cluster, said Goolam Ballim, chief economist of Standard Bank, at the 2018 Agbiz Congress.

Published: 11/07/2018

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2018 Agbiz Congress - Partnerships are important, but must ‘be meaningful’

Mike Mlengana, director general of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries delivered the keynote address at the 2018 Agbiz Congress and placed public–private partnerships in the spotlight. “These partnerships are important for the South African economy, but they must be meaningful and they must have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. We must have a strategy and a clear vision about these partnerships,” he said.

Published: 11/07/2018

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2018 Agbiz Congress - Not a time to sit back and relax

“Don’t be too excited that the Zuma error has been terminated. Change, however, could be intoxicating. Agribusinesses must invest in building confidence. Now is not the time to sit back and relax under Ramaphoria. The president is crying for help.” This was the opinion of Mpumelelo Mkhabela, political analyst and a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation at the University of Pretoria, at the 2018 Agbiz Congress.

Published: 11/07/2018

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2018 Agbiz Congress - Land reform: what can the private sector contribute?

Current programmes of smallholder support from the private sector are built on shaky foundations. They are often based on problematic assumptions and normative ideas informed by the experience of a successful (white) and large-scale commercial farming sector in South Africa. A fundamental rethink is required, said Prof Ben Cousins, DST/NRF research chair in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies at the University of the Western Cape, at the 2018 Agbiz Congress.

Published: 11/07/2018

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2018 Agbiz Congress - Agricultural markets will grow but prices will remain the same

Agricultural markets will grow but prices will stay more or less as they are today. The only way for agricultural producers to remain in business is to build their margins. This was the message of Prof Marcos Fava Neves, professor at the Business School of Economics, Business Administration and Accounting at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, to the 2018 Agbiz Congress.

Published: 11/07/2018

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2018 Agbiz Congress - Agriculture cannot be measured in terms of money alone

Agriculture and agribusinesses annually contribute around 14% of total GDP to the economy of South Africa but the value of these sectors cannot be measured in money alone. They make a huge contribution to rural development and sustainable employment. At last calculation, the turnover of Agbiz members, including lending exposure of financial institutions, was in the region of R400 billion per annum, considerably greater than the total farm-gate value of agricutural production in South Africa. The participation of Agbiz members is, therefore, crucial to take agriculture and agribusiness forward in South Africa, said Dr John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz in his opening address at the 2018 Agbiz Congress.

Published: 11/07/2018

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South African tractor sales grew by 19% y/y in June 2018

The South African tractor sales increased by 19% y/y in June, with 569 units sold, which is the highest sales figure for the corresponding month in a dataset starting from 2014. This far exceeds our expectations of modest sales of 471 units, which is a surprise given that June is a fairly quiet month in terms of planting for both summer and winter crop areas. – Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz economist

Published: 09/07/2018

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SA agricultural economy contracted by 24.2% q/q in the first quarter of 2018

The negative effects of the Western Cape drought are evident in the first quarter GDP data, which showed that South Africa’s agricultural economy contracted by 24.2% q/q.1 This far exceeds our expectations of a modest contraction of about 11% q/q. – Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz economist

Published: 09/07/2018

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