In agri, we know sheep to be a source of food and clothing. But sheep as videographers?
The archipelago of 18 tiny Faroe Islands is absent from some world maps, and up until 2017, it didn’t appear on Google Street View either. But thanks to resourceful individuals from the local tourism board and a few (now retired) camera-bearing sheep, these islands have been officially “put on the map”. Google called this genius idea “shear brilliance”.
Verlede jaar het vrugteprodusente en rolspelers in die bedryf, met vindingrykheid, alles in hul vermoë gedoen om beduidende terugslae en verliese te oorkom. Gelukkig hoef die varsvrugtebedryf van SA nie op skape staat te maak om op die wêreldwye varsproduktekaart geplaas te word nie – die bedryf is reeds daar. Maar, om sy gesogte posisie te behou, verg egter dieselfde tipe briljantheid soos in die geval die Faroëreilande.
Despite – or perhaps, because of – untold adversity, the fruit industry continues to be a respected player in the global context. For me, attending key industry events like the 10th International Table Grape Symposium is a reminder of just that. The industry is boldly keeping up at the forefront, challenging, teaching and even steering amongst its international counterparts. The event took place in November last year at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, drawing table-grape producers mostly from the southern hemisphere, as well as agripreneurs from around the world. Read more on page 30.
Still on featured content, protection of our much-needed agricultural flora is a key priority of the fruit industry. Therefore, biocontrol – an effective tool within the biosecurity arsenal – has been covered considerably in recent editions. In this one, CRI and SATI discuss this critical R&D topic once again. Also included in this edition, are the Kat River citrus co-op centenary, Industry pushback to end auditing duplication, CBS inoculum management, “Mikrobesproeiing”, and “Riglyne vir tafeldruifhantering”.
Op die politieke front sluit SA met vanjaar se verkiesing by 64 ander lande aan (asook die Europese Unie). Dis volgens Time Magazine ongeveer 49% van die wêreldbevolking – histories, meer kiesers as ooit. As ’n bedryf hoop ons saam met ons mede-landgenote vir ’n uitkoms wat wydverspreide, volhoubare groei en welvaart vir hierdie pragtige land sal meebring. Dis nóú inderdaad die tyd vir SA om daardie pure briljantheid in leierskap te ontsluit. En om hierdie einste eienskap in die vrugtebedryf ten volle te benut, vereis egter ware samewerking en deurlopende toewyding van alle bedryfsvennote.