The agricultural community has been warned to keep a sharp lookout for scammers who are looking to make a quick buck out of vulnerable members of the sector.
Tuesday’s agri line-up also includes a couple of must-watch webinars. First up is a webinar on fresh produce markets, followed by a much-anticipated webinar on the future of tilapia aquaculture in Mzansi. We also spotlight another session in the women’s fresh perspectives virtual event hosted by the Produce Marketing Association
1. ALERT: tender scams and fake contact details
The department of agriculture, land reform and rural development, have issued public notices on how farmers and agriculturalist alike, can spot fake phone numbers and authenticate email addresses of the department. This comes after a recent surge in agriculture tender scams on ‘requests for quotation’ making the rounds.
The department have asked members of the farming community to be vigilant and provided a guideline on spotting authentic departmental contact details from fake ones. Click here for fake numbers and here for fake email addresses.
Should you suspect that you are a potential victim of this scam, contact the department on 012 312 8911 or 012 319 6130.
2. SA fresh produce markets and regulatory frameworks in focus
In other departmental news, the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development is inviting interested individuals to join a series of webinars on several aspects of fresh produce marketing. The free series hosted in collaboration with the agricultural produce agent’s council happens today at 10:00 until 12:00.
Today’s programme will delve into the background of the South African fresh produce markets and will feature discussions on the regulatory framework relating to markets and market agents.
The series will run until Thursday, 17 September 2020 and those who do not want to miss out can join the daily discussion via this Microsoft teams link.
3. The future of tilapia aquaculture in Mzansi
Ever wondered what tilapia aquaculture is and what the hoo-ha is all about? Get answers to your questions during a webinar series on tilapia aquaculture hosted by David Fincham Aquaculture.
The five-episode series charged at R100 per episode or R300 for all five, will provide attendees with great insights on the commodity from a farmer’s practical perspective. The first episode today at 12:00 until 13:00, is an interactive session discussing the farming of tilapia. The episode is themed, “The Present and Future of Commercial Tilapia Aquaculture Farming”.
To be part of the action and book your place, email clarefincham@mweb.co.za, or phone 073 613 3670.
4. PMA webinar on leadership through change
Today marks another chapter of the women’s fresh perspectives virtual event hosted by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA).
Today’s session will be moderated by the CEO of PMA, Cathy Burns, and she will be joined by a exceptional panellists Debora Steier, vice president floral at Albertsons Companies, Laura Himes, sr. merchant manager at Walmart and Mayda Sotomayer-Kirk, CEO of Seald Sweet International.
This series is developed by and for women in the industry and features competency-based themes, timely topics, and engaging speakers. The aim is to help build and strengthen core leadership skills that are important for all leaders, while addressing the broader issues that uniquely affect women leaders.
Register for free now: PMA Virtual Event Series.
- Do you have an upcoming event that should be on Food For Mzansi’s watchlist? Drop us an email to diary@foodformzansi.co.za and we’ll do our best to include it in this weekday feature.
