‘Bu t nowa days
we laugh with
tears in our eyes’
- Dorper breeder near Loeriesfontein in
the Northern Cape, Willemse Visser,
sharing the despair of farmers in this
drought-stricken region (pg 18).
‘... the MPO underestimated
the production buoyancy
level present in the
primary industry ...’
- Chief economist at the Milk Producers’
Organisation, Bertus van Heerden, expressing
the organisation’s surprise at the 3,92% increase
in milk production during May (pg 15).
ABOVE
in her recent address during
the tabling of the department of
agriculture, land reform and rural
development’s budget in Parliament,
Minister thoko didiza announced
a new r400 million research facility
for the agricultural research
Council. deputy Minister Mcebisi
skwatsha also attempted to allay the
industry’s fears about land reform
during the debate following the
address – see story on page 14.
Weekly quotes
‘... the South
AfricAn conSumer
iS in A tight Spot
finAnciAlly’
- Chairperson of the Red Meat Producers’
Organisation, Koos van der Ryst, commenting
on the changing purchasing patterns of red meat
in the retail industry as a result of the declining
disposable income of South Africans (pg 16).
‘Every time we try to move
forward, we can’t ...’
- South African Society for Agricultural Extension
president, Mantombi Mbongo, lamenting the
fact that the workplace problems of extension
officers were diverting attention away from the
pressing challenges faced by farmers (pg 21)
‘BoSkoS hAS come AS A
godSend to drought-
Stricken liveStock
producerS’
- CEO of the Namibia Agricultural Union,
Roelie Venter, explaining how farmers in
Namibia are benefitting from the shredded
material from encroaching bushes that
is being used as animal feed (pg 18).
WEE kly nEWs WrAp
2 August 2019 farmer’sweekly 13