Law professor Elmien du Plessis joins us virtually for this week’s edition of Farmer’s Inside Track. She shares some of the lessons learnt during the covid-19 pandemic, including the line between enforcing the lockdown and violating citizens’ human rights. Du Plessis, who has previously advised Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa’s land reform panel, also shares her thoughts on long road ahead for land redistribution in South Africa. The interviewers are Food For Mzansi’s Dawn Noemdoe and Ivor Price.

In this week’s episode of Farmer’s Inside Track we’re joined by Dr. Sifiso Ntombela, the chief economist of the National Agricultural Marketing Council in South Africa. He warns that the covid-19 pandemic forces the agricultural sector to rethink how they operate, demanding that they reconsider their priorities as well as the day-to-day essential services. Despite the pandemic’s dampening impact on social interactions, it’s also an opportunity to start being more creative and innovative. Ntombela speaks to Food For Mzansi’s Dawn Noemdoe and Kobus Louwrens, saying covid-19 also accelerates the move towards mechanisation and adopting new technologies to maintain labour requirements.

Christo van der Rheede, the deputy executive director of Agri SA, might be in lockdown at the peaceful Cape West Coast, but he’s in the eye of the covid-19 storm, carefully co-navigation the agricultural sector’s contribution in the pandemic task team. The decisions he influences has a direct impact on the food security of 51.7 million South Africans who depend on farmers and agricultural workers to feed the nation. Van der Rheede speaks to Farmers’ Inside Track about the financial assistance availed for both small-scale and commercial farmers, and the way forward after the biggest pandemic since 1918. Farmer's Inside Track is proudly brought to you by Food For Mzansi, South Africa's leading agricultural news and lifestyle platform.

Wandile Sihlobo undoubtedly looks dapper in a suit when he’s rubbing shoulders with the likes of pres. Cyril Ramaphosa and minister Thoko Didiza, but he certainly has not forgotten how to get down to the beats of New York rapper Nas. The chief economist of Agbiz talks to Food For Mzansi co-founders Ivor Price and Kobus Louwrens about shaping South Africa through agriculture.

The Farmer’s Inside Track is proudly presented by Food For Mzansi, South Africa’s leading agricultural news and lifestyle brand. Farmer's Inside Track is Food For Mzansi's exclusive membership club for small-scale farmers and agripreneurs.

People still underestimate the future impact of the covid-19 pandemic, warns one of the leaders of the task team who are working day and night to ensure South Africans have food during its current 21-day lockdown

Dr. John Purchase, CEO of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), spoke to Food For Mzansi in an exclusive podcast interview about the “really hectic” work being done behind the scenes to keep the food supplies flowing. The qualified agricultural scientist says he is convinced that the crisis is still going to deepen considerably given the expected coronavirus infection curve.

In another exciting Farmers Inside Track podcast episode, Angus McIntosh, regenerative farmer and one of the Mzansi’s few grass fed, pasture-reared beef producers, joins Food For Mzansi co-founder, Kobus Louwrens and editor Dawn Noemdoe this week.

Also known as “Farmer Angus”, McIntosh applies biodynamic and regenerative farming principles and practices in the rearing of all the animals on his on 126-hectare farm in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape.

SALUTING UNSUNG AGRI-HEROES 

Farmer’s Inside Track is supported by Food For Mzansi. Inspiration for your business and life from South Africa’s farmers and agripreneurs. Love how we salute the unsung heroes of agriculture? Why not connect with us on our social media platforms.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarmersInsideTrack/

Twitter: @foodformzansi

Instagram: @foodformzansi

Tshepiso Morokong, an agricultural economist with the Western Cape department of agriculture, joins Farmers Inside Track in studio this week. He grew in up Hammanskraal, Gauteng where most neighbours were subsistence farmers. Morokong says he never intended joining the farming sector, but during his first year of studying medical science he decided to take a different path and opted for agriculture instead.  Morokong speaks candidly about the dangers of climate change, amongst others.

SALUTING UNSUNG AGRI-HEROES 

Farmer’s Inside Track is supported by Food For Mzansi. Inspiration for your business and life from South Africa’s farmers and agripreneurs. Love how we salute the unsung heroes of agriculture? Why not connect with us on our social media platforms.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/foodformzansi

Twitter: @foodformzansi

Instagram: @foodformzansi

Lerato Botha is a zealous agriculturalist whose passion fuels her farming endeavours. She believes that when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. 

The 25-year-old agronomist talks about her life as a “black Botha” and the dynamics of running a family business as her father’s second-in-command.  

“Farming is not an overnight thing. You have to do trial and error even if it takes you a year or two. Make sure once you have a crop it’s going to sustain you for life. Give yourself that time, do not rush it,” says Botha.  

Farmer’s Inside Track is supported by Food For Mzansi. Inspiration for your business and life from South Africa’s farmers and agripreneurs. Love how we salute the unsung heroes of agriculture? Why not connect with us on our social media platforms.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarmersInsideTrack/

Twitter: @foodformzansi

Instagram: @foodformzansi

This week Dr Naudé Malan, an academic and the founder of Izindaba Zokudla (“conversations about food”) joins us in the Farmer’s Inside Track podcast studio for the first episode of our brand-new season. In season 2 we are digging down into climate-friendly agriculture. We speak to farmers and experts about the effects that the climate crisis is having on agri in South Africa.

Malan describes himself as “the laziest farmer” in the Soweto-based farmers’ lab he founded in 2015. He is affectionately known as Mashudu, a Venda name meaning “the fortunate and the lucky one”. He earned these nicknames in honour of his commitment to helping up-and-coming farmers in Mzansi’s townships.

Farmer’s Inside Track is supported by Food For Mzansi. Inspiration for your business and life from South Africa’s farmers and agripreneurs. Love how we salute the unsung heroes of agriculture? Why not connect with us on our social media platforms.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarmersInsideTrack/

Twitter: @foodformzansi

Instagram: @foodformzansi

Robert Patson, who farms in Kyalami in Johustleburg, is an ethical farming warrior of note. His Happy Land farm is known for its farming practices that are not only good for the surrounding community, but also environmentally sound. And best of all: his chickens are happy too! In this week’s Farmer’s Inside Track podcast he talks to Food For Mzansi's Dawn Noemdoe and Ivor Price about a life-changing experience in Afghanistan that led him to agriculture.

Farmer’s Inside Track is a platform for South Africa’s up-and-coming farmers and new entrants into agri-businesses who need information and inspiration to help them start up and get up to sprinting speed as commercial producers and/or agri-processors. The men and women who have resolved to one day getting to the place where the large-scale commercial farmers are, but not really finding useful information on how to get there.

SALUTING UNSUNG AGRI-HEROES 

Farmer’s Inside Track is supported by Food For Mzansi. Inspiration for your business and life from South Africa’s farmers and agripreneurs. Love how we salute the unsung heroes of agriculture? Why not connect with us on our social media platforms.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarmersInsideTrack/

Twitter: @foodformzansi

Instagram: @foodformzansi