Virgin Soil Matters
South Africa has a number of different sets of legislations that are designed to protect the environment that different sectors of the economy must adhere to. Just like the other sectors, the agricultural sector is not exempted from these legislations. There are a number of legislations that govern the agricultural sector, but for the purpose of this article only the legislations that farmers must adhere to if they want to develop virgin soil for agricultural purposes are discussed. A...
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO’S DESK: 2015 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LIGHT
The year ended on a high note with Casidra’s 25 Years of Excellence celebration and staff year-end function held on 28 November 2014, which was well organised, attended and characterised by a good atmosphere and spirit. It drew the curtain for Casidra on an eventful year filled with new developments, such as the appointment of its new CEO and the new Executive Authority. The night offered ample time to reminisce and reflect on the past 25 years and offered...
CASIDRA RECEIVES FIRST RUNNER-UP
Casidra shone at the 2014 National Productivity Awards Finalists Ceremony held at Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg where it received an award as first runner-up for its outstanding achievement in productivity improvement in the “public sector category”. Casidra went up against four other institutions from various regions in the country. This achievement followed after Casidra received a Gold Award in the Public Sector category during the Western Cape Productivity Awards Finalist ceremony held at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape...
BEST EMERGING SEED PRODUCER ACHIEVEMENT
Waaikraal shone brighter than the sun when the farm won the coveted award of ‘Best Emerging Seed Producer for 2014’ during the Klein Karoo Seed Production’s (KKSP) Gala ceremony held at the Queen’s Hotel in Oudtshoorn. This prestigious event was attended by most seed producers for KKSP, with Waaikraal’s farm manager, Jolian du Preez, amongst them. Du Preez received the award on behalf of Casidra who manages the farm on behalf of government. According to Casidra’s CEO, Michael Brinkhuis, this...
World Food Day commemorated in Suurbraak
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Swellendam Municipality, Casidra and various other stakeholders commemorated World Food Day on 16 October 2014 in the small village of Suurbraak where poverty is rife. World Food Day is an international day of action against hunger celebrated during the month of October. It has since then been observed by millions of people around the world who come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. When it comes to hunger,...
Western Cape Farm Worker of the Year 2014
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) crowned its top Farm Worker of the Year for 2014 during their prestigious event held in Stellenbosch on 7 November 2014. This annual competition for Western Cape farm workers is hosted by the Department in conjunction with Shoprite. The event was attended by high profile dignitaries and approximately 700 farm workers and farmers across the Province. Michael Brinkhuis, Casidra’s CEO, was amongst the guests who attended the event. Prior to the final...
CASIDRA MOURNS THE DEATH OF ONE OF ITS STAFF MEMBER
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” – John 54-26. Casidra is still in mourning after the death of Natalie Hoffmeester, who was a bookkeeper at our Regional Office in George. Natalie passed away after a long illness and will always be remembered for her dedication and hard work. Her valuable contribution for the...
Land Reform Programme for the Western Cape
The UTA conducted an evaluation of the Land Reform programme in the Western Cape. The report is summarized below:
The Unit for Technical Assistance was requested to conduct an evaluation of the Land Reform Programme in the Western Cape Province. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the rate of success on a sample taken from 246 agricultural land reform projects supported by the Department of Agriculture from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2013 through the Comprehensive Agricultural...