This, as a result of the conduct of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the departmental Director for Animal Health. Mkhwebane concluded that Behrens should be compensated. Mkhwebane released the report eight years after Behrens laid a complaint that the DAFF has unduly delayed and/or failed to provide her with a report on its investigation into the suspected lack of efficiency of RB51, the vaccine used on her cattle. She said, as a result, she suffered losses with regards to milk production and slaughtering, as well as reduced fertility among her cattle due to the conduct of the department. Following the losses she endured, the Public Protector ruled that the Director-General in the province must, within 3 months of the report's release and in consultation with the minister and the Director for Animal Health, make an offer to Behrens which she deems reasonable in the circumstances. Mkwhebane says the payment is for the inconvenience, distress, and frustration suffered in the process.

Grain SA this week announced about 775 exhibitors would take part in the Nampo Harvest Day 2019, taking place from May 14th to the 17th at Nampo Park, Bothaville, in the Free State. Nampo Harvest Day is an annually organised trade event held for supplementing farmers in the region with a complete perspective of the latest farming products and equipment. According to Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA, they recently received a further 425 new applications for exhibition space at the four-day event. He told Farmer’s Weekly this week that Grain SA’s objective was to use Nampo as a platform to showcase the role of the commercial agriculture sector in South Africa. He added the increasing demand for accommodation would have to be addressed in the near future. An upgrade of the airstrip was also being considered. De Villiers says Grain SA would like to see more urban consumers of agricultural products attending Nampo in order to meet the people who dedicate their lives to the production of safe and affordable food. He further adds Grain SA also wanted to highlight South Africa’s farming industry as a scientific and sophisticated economic sector.

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The effect of climate change on wildlife, transformation and land exportation, economic constraints on game farming, and marketing South Africa as preferred hunting destination, are some of the issues discussed at the annual conference of Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA) held in Pretoria over the weekend. Almost 300 wildlife ranchers gathered to look at the current developments that have an impact on the wildlife sector. According to Adri Kitshoff-Botha, WRSA CEO, this year’s conference attracted many new faces which indicated a growing interest in the wildlife industry. She says the conference programme with its selection of high profile speakers addressed important current affairs that provided essential insight and a fresh perspective into the impact that national and global economic trends have on the South African wildlife sector.

OFM News/Michael Thlakudi