Hello Mzansi! It’s a new week full of exciting opportunities in agri! Get out your calendars and take note of this week’s agriculture events in South Africa. Quite a few of these are online, to be accessed from the comfort of your own home.
Check out the calendar on Food for Mzansi’s homepage as well as this weekly article, published every Monday, giving you the low-down on informative, useful, and even lucrative opportunities in the agriculture sector. Email info@foodformzansi.co.za to add your event to the calendar.
Monday, 17 May
Pig farmers answer all your hog-related questions
It’s time for #FarmSpaces again! In this session, pig farmers are taking to Twitter Spaces to discuss everything you need to know about pigs! The interactive panel is open to anyone and you can join the live audio discussion by following the panelists and clicking on the Spaces link as soon as it appears. On the panel is Tsaone Gaseitshubelwe (@Felieboo), a pig farmer from the Northwest province, Stewart Skinner (@modernfarmer), a farmer from Canada, and Kavita Ndolo (@kavitandolo), from Kenya.
The discussion will be taking place at 18:00 and will cover topics like pig care, market prices, etc.
For more information, click here.
Monday, 17 May to Wednesday, 19 May
Global webinar series focusing on precision farming
Catch the last two sessions of the On-Farm Experimentation (OFE) webinar series, hosted by the International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA). The series started on 10 May 2021 and is aimed at realising the ISPA goal of creating a central database of scientific and practical resources. ISPA is an international non-profit organisation focusing on the science of precision agriculture, with a network that stretches across the globe.
The webinar series focuses on topics like data and analytics, people and processes, and value creation. It is free and open for everyone to join.
You can click here for more information.
Wednesday, 19 May
Introducing SA wines to the Japanese consumer
Wines of South Africa (WoSA) will be hosting a one-hour webinar targeted at their Japanese market. The webinar, featuring WoSA Japan’s Yoshiko Takahashi, provides an opportunity for wine producers to discuss the theme and wines to be tasted. Producers and Japanese importers are able to provide tasting samples, and sommeliers have the opportunity in the session to comment on wines.
The webinar is part of a series that takes place every Wednesday, between 8:00 and 9:00.
For more information, click here or contact Marcus Ford on marcus@wosa.co.za.
Five runners-up to be 2021 Western Cape Young Farmer
Agri Western Cape and Santam will be announcing their 2021 Young Farmer of the Year award in Paarl in the Western Cape. Five young farmers have been shortlisted for the prize, and the winner gets to compete in the national Agri SA Toyota SA Young Farmer of the Year competition later in the year.
The farmers in the running are Jo-andra Cloete Gregory, Alexander Gibson, Derec Giles, Floris Steenkamp, and Kleinjan Teubes.
More information can be found here.
Ecological solutions for stronger communities
The United Nations Food Systems Network will be hosting an online event centred on strengthening and transforming the world’s food systems. The event, co-hosted by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, and Food Tank, is made up of seven panels. The panels feature activists, journalists, business leaders, farmers, policy and technical experts, and aims to identify and unpack critical issues around global food systems in time for the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021.
The online event will start at 17:00.
To register, click here.
Thursday, 20 May
Livestock auction in Viljoenskroon
The QualiTrio group is hosting its 21st production auction in Viljoenskroon, Free State. The auction runs from 11:00, with more than 230 animals on offer. To take part in the auction, make sure to register before 17:00 on 19 May 2021 in order for vetting to be completed. Online buyers can place their bids here.
If you would like more information on the auction, contact Paul Mare on 083 870 4309 or pauljmare@telkomsa.net. You can also contact Benjamin Bosch on 083 276 5013, or bbosch@koshcom.co.za.
Join the fourth annual World Bee Day celebration online
The Food and Agriculture Organization is hosting an online event to celebrate World Bee Day. Bees play an important role in the ecosystem, helping produce fruits and vegetables. Since 2021 is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, this year’s celebrations are even more special. The theme for the virtual event is “Bee engaged: Build Back Better for Bees” and will focus especially on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected global food security and agricultural livelihoods.
To register for the event, click here.
Friday, 21 May
A talk on agri-economy, ID scan, and bonsmara farming
The Limpopo Bonsmara Club is hosting a cattle information day and auction in Polokwane, Limpopo. The guest speakers at the event include Wandile Sihlobo from Agbiz, who will be discussing the agri-economy. Albert Loubser will be introducing the ID scan function, which allows cattle farmers to record the unique nose print of their cattle. Louis Steyl will be discussing cattle management and providing an overview of the Bonsmara market for the 2020 to 2021 period.
The registration fee to attend the event is R100. For more information and to register, contact Magda 083 680 7185 or admin@lim-bonsmara.co.za. You can also contact Craig on 082 808 7747 for more information on the auction.
Friday, 21 May to Saturday, 22 May
Research conference unpacks innovations in the marine sciences
Marine ecosystem services are significant to socio-economic development, the global aquaculture industry, and food security. These issues are under the spotlight at this year’s International Conference on Marine Science and Aquaculture event, hosted by the Universal Research Cluster in Pretoria, Gauteng.
Leading academics, researchers, and research scholars in the sector will be exchanging ideas, research, and experiences on all aspects of marine science and aquaculture at the conference. It will also showcase the most recent innovations, trends, concerns, and practical challenges prevalent in these fields.
For information on how to attend the conference, click here.
Saturday, 22 May
South Africa’s most prestigious wine auction
The Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction, previously known as the Nederburg Auction, is taking place at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. The event was established in 1975 and offers wine enthusiasts, investors, and collectors the opportunity to add unique and rare South African wines to their collections. The event is open to all South African wine producers, who can submit their best vintages for selection by renowned and respected wine judges.
Registration for the event is mandatory. You can click here to find out more.
Sunday, 23 May
Show off your beer brewing skills at the Box Shop Lifestyle
Brewster Craft, in partnership with the Box Shop Lifestyle, is hosting a Mqombothi brewing contest in Soweto, Gauteng. The contest, hosted by Apiwe Nxusani Mawela, invites beer makers to display their beer crafting skills in real-time. The event is taking place at the Box Shop in Orlando West, Soweto, and is limited to 250 people. Entry to the contest is free, though you would need to register by 17 May 2021 to attend.
You can click here to find out more.
