Farming & Agriculture
Covering the latest trends, news and stories across Southern Africa.
From Egg to Market: The Business Timelines of Southern Africa’s Poultry Sector
For the poultry farmer, the clock starts not when the bird leaves the shell, but when the egg first feels the warmth of incubation. The length of that journey - 16 days for a quail, 46 days for an ostrich - can determine how quickly capital returns, how often the...
How to Monetize Rural Land in Southern Africa
Rural land in Southern Africa holds untapped potential for economic development and wealth creation. With proper planning and innovative approaches, landowners can transform their properties into profitable ventures while contributing to local economies. This article...
The Importance of Accurate Valuation for Biological Assets in Farming
In the ever-evolving world of agribusiness, biological assets—such as livestock, crops, and other living organisms—play a pivotal role in the financial health of the business. Unlike traditional assets, biological assets are dynamic, growing and changing in value over...
South Africa’s Maize Market: A Strategic Overview for Businesses in the Value Chain
The maize value chain in South Africa plays a pivotal role in food security, economic stability, and industrial production. From farmers and millers to traders and exporters, every participant contributes to maintaining a reliable supply of maize across local and...
Ethiopia’s Coffee Riches Brew More Than Just a Cup
Coffee lovers, raise your mugs! While your morning latte might hail from distant lands, the true coffee connoisseur knows the origin story begins in Ethiopia. This East African nation boasts a heritage intertwined with the very bean, and sipping Ethiopian coffee is...
How Israel became the Most Advanced Country in Agriculture
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, early settlers who decided to settle in the lands of Israel faced a huge challenge: how to farm in conditions of sweltering heat and minimal rainfall. The land was catastrophically barren, but the desire to make this area...
The Nitrogen Fertilizers Gap: Russian Sanctions, Africa, and Global Food Economy
Sanctions, or talk of sanctions, toward Russia create opportunities for the African Agricultural Economy, especially fertilizer production amongst other things. Throwing threats and executing them are two different things, and what lies between must be an impact...
Russia-Ukraine Geopolitics creates Opportunity for SA Agri-Commodities
All war affects geopolitics and has a direct impact on global economics by reshaping demand and supply. From an international trade perspective, the current Russia-Ukraine dispute has created opportunity for largest African agricultural commodity exporters like South...
Donkey Business in Botswana
One man’s meat is another men’s poison. This phrase came so close to its literal meaning in the donkey business recently established in Africa. While many are grossed out by just the thought of eating donkey meat, some consider it a delicacy. This phenomenon only...
Sowing Seeds of Success in East and Southern Africa
The seed industry in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region is among the best performing agricultural sub-sectors in some member states comprising 21 countries. An extract from a report titled “A Regional Perspective on the Development of...
First Breeding Summit for Dairy Farmers in Zambia
Without a perfect breed, dairy farming does not make sense anymore, and Zambia has moved a step toward world class dairy farming as dairy farmers begun using technology for breeding intelligence at the end of 2019. Here is an extract of a briefing from ADT Project...
Old Orchard Organic Farm in Zambia
A study by Sebastian Scott for FAO. Since its establishment in 2008, Old Orchard Organic Farm has grown every year in diversity and size. The farm is run by two people, including building, irrigation installation, crop production and marketing. The total area under...
The Coffee Economy
Coffee, just like copper, is a Zambian economic strength, that, if fully exploited, will not only grow the economy, but carve a space in the global economy for the country as does copper production. Zambia is a coffee producing country with the potential to export...
Beefy Exports: Opening Up the Beef and Meat by Products Industry
According to FAO, the world has 1.468 billion head of cattle, and Botswana has 2.5 million of that herd, and it is estimated to account for less than 2% of Botswana's GDP. On the other hand, Botswana is a cattle country dating back to pre-colonialism, and its...
The Women’s Farming Syndicate
The Women’s Farming Syndicate (WFS), founded in 2011, is an agribusiness community with a diverse membership from professionals to grass roots; a business constituency that has grown to over 5,000 women entrepreneurs across the country with key projects and programmes...