logo
Trade show to plough through agriculture sector issues

Trade show to plough through agriculture sector issues

eNCA08-05-2025
JOHANNESBURG - The annual Nampo Agriculture Trade show will be getting underway next week.
It is a gathering of the agriculture sector where diffeent stakeholders discuss major developments.
Managing Director of Grain SA Dirk Strydom says the theme for this year is global agriculture locally.
"Everything that happens in the world affects our market and that why we need to be on top of everything.
"And this trade show will see more than 900 exhibitors come to showcase the latest technology and how they can assist producers to be more efficient and sustainable going into the future," Strydom said.
Additionally to this, Strydom says there will be talks about improving infrastructure as well as improving agriculture skills.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Farmer loses SCA battle after harmful Facebook posts about lawyer following R3 million debt
Farmer loses SCA battle after harmful Facebook posts about lawyer following R3 million debt

IOL News

time23-07-2025

  • IOL News

Farmer loses SCA battle after harmful Facebook posts about lawyer following R3 million debt

SCA dismissed an appeal by farmer who posted inflammatory messages against an attorney over a debt. The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed an appeal from an aggrieved farmer, Francois Harman, who had taken to Facebook to post disparaging and inflammatory remarks against Pretoria attorney Pieter Strydom. Strydom, who acts as an insolvency practitioner, was representing the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) in its legal proceedings against Harman for outstanding debts. The Land Bank and Unigro Financial Services advance loans to farmers and whenever a farmer falls in default of payment, the organisations would instruct Strydom to initiate legal proceedings to recover the debt. The legal dispute began when Harman and his company, Redlex, secured a loan from the Land Bank but fell into arrears, ultimately leading to a lawsuit for over R4.3 million. After Redlex was liquidated in July 2019, the Land Bank, represented by Strydom, secured a judgment against Harman in May 2020 for more than R3 million plus interest. Frustrated by the judgment and the financial toll it had taken on him, Harman resorted to social media to express his anger. His Facebook posts targeted Strydom and other officials at the Land Bank, accusing them of unethical behaviour and acting impartially. In response to his alarming online conduct, Strydom sought a protection order against Harman, which prohibited him from further harassment or verbal abuse through electronic communication. The order was obtained in Harman's absence.

Supreme Court ruling clarifies limits of freedom of expression in social media defamation cases
Supreme Court ruling clarifies limits of freedom of expression in social media defamation cases

IOL News

time22-07-2025

  • IOL News

Supreme Court ruling clarifies limits of freedom of expression in social media defamation cases

The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that neither the Constitution nor freedom of expression is an excuse for defamation. Image: File Neither the Constitution nor the freedom of expression protects a person who posts defamatory material concerning another on social media, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in turning down an appeal by a farmer after a Facebook post by him sparked death threats against an attorney. A dispute arose between Pretoria attorney Pieter Strydom and farmer Francois Harman after the latter accused Strydom in a Facebook post of targeting white farmers. Strydom, upset by the contents of the post, obtained an urgent interdict against Harman to stop harassing him. The high court found that Harman and his friends and followers on his Facebook account posted and published offensive and life-threatening defamatory statements concerning Strydom. Some of the postings were found by the high court to amount to a smear campaign. The high court ordered Harman to remove the published material from his Facebook account, which referred to Strydom. Harman was further ordered to submit, under oath, a list of the particulars of the persons who made the responding postings. While Harman had meanwhile removed his posts, he turned to the SCA to appeal against the fact that he had to disclose the particulars of his followers who published threats against Strydom. Strydom is an attorney and insolvency practitioner who also represents the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa and its financial agent, Unigro Financial Services. The Land Bank and Unigro advance loans to farmers, subject to agreed terms and conditions, which include mortgaging their farms as collateral. The loan agreements provide for annual instalment payments of the amount loaned, due to seasonal harvest of the crops. Whenever a farmer falls in default of payment, the Land Bank instructs its attorneys, in this case, Strydom's law firm, to institute legal proceedings to recover the debt. Included among the farmers was Harman and his company, who fell into arrears with payments. Harman took to his Facebook account, stating that Strydom and some officials in the Land Bank were the cause of his problems. Strydom obtained an interdict against Harman, prohibiting him from committing verbal abuse through electronic communication as well as refraining from harassing him. The order was obtained in Harman's absence. The following day, a messenger tried to serve him with the protection order, but Harman denied them entry into his house and instead photographed them. After they left, he again took to his Facebook account and posted the pictures together with a post regarding how the lives of white farmers are made difficult in this country. On the same day, his Facebook post was followed by a slew of other vitriolic postings from different persons - some who made death threats towards Strydom. This resulted in the court ordering him to take down his post and to disclose the identities of those who had levelled threats and made defamatory statements towards Strydom. Harman refused to submit the list of his Facebook friends involved and cited various excuses, including that 'the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) prevented him from divulging this information. He also stated freedom of expression as an excuse. To post a message on Facebook that someone 'needs a bullet between the eyes' is an impermissible exercise of freedom of expression. The right to freedom of expression, like all rights, has limits. The one obvious limit is when its exercise encroaches into the domain of another person's right, the SCA said. It found that Strydom is entitled to the list of persons responsible for these unlawful acts in order to vindicate his rights, if he deems fit to do so. [email protected]

Slice of relief: Bread prices saved from rising in South Africa
Slice of relief: Bread prices saved from rising in South Africa

The Citizen

time24-06-2025

  • The Citizen

Slice of relief: Bread prices saved from rising in South Africa

The removal of external grain inspectors will prevent higher prices for bread and grain products, sparing South African consumers. South Africans will breathe a sigh of relief following an intervention by the Department of Agriculture to stop the price of bread from going up. This is after the department last week revoked the designation of Leaf Services, which, since 2016, has been responsible for carrying out inspections of grain, grain products, and bread sold in the country. Inspections Since 2016, Grain SA has actively opposed the implementation of Leaf Services' custodianship over the grain grading system, citing excessive costs to producers, estimated at tens of millions of rands annually, without sufficient consultation or methodological justification. Formal objections were submitted, legal advice was pursued, and a direct appeal was made to the ministry in 2024 to revoke the appointment of Leaf Services. 'Had the proposed R4-per-ton fee by Leaf Services been implemented in 2016 as intended, it would have cost our members more than R600 million to date. Seen differently, this revocation represents a R600 million saving for grain producers,' Grain SA said. 'Grain SA believes that going forward, stronger, principled partnerships between government, industry, and the private sector are essential to building a regulatory framework that protects public interest while fostering productivity, sustainability, and prosperity – both in rural and urban communities'. ALSO READ: Modest decline in essential food prices but savings not always passed on Cost of grain In revoking its designation, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, cited many of the same reasons echoed by the industry. The department said that the fees charged by Leaf would have added tens of millions of rands to the cost of grain and oilseeds. 'Considering the importance of the need to ensure that products, which amongst others form stable diet of South Africans, are compliant with mandatory regulations, the Department of Agriculture's Inspection Unit will take over the mandate of inspection of grain and grain products whilst a potent Private-Public Partnership inspection model as provided for in the Act is explored' Bread The DA said it has noted that national retailers have confirmed that Steenhuisen's actions will stop a price hike on loaves of bread. 'The contract that the DA leader has terminated would have allowed a service provider to charge retailers for an unnecessary testing service. And retailers would have had to pass this extra charge on to South Africans buying their bread'. The DA said it is engaged in fighting against the rising cost of living, 'in every way that we can, to lower prices for all people in South Africa'. NOW READ: Home affairs ID verification cost to increase by up to 6 500%

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store