Agricultural events this week: May 17-23

Hello Mzansi! It’s a new week full of exciting opportunities in agriculture! Get out your calendars and take note of this week’s farming events in South Africa. Many of them are online, accessible from the comfort of your own home.
Check out the calendar on the Food for Mzansi homepage as well as this weekly article, published every Monday, giving you an overview of informative, useful and even lucrative opportunities in the agricultural sector. Send an email to [email protected] to add your event to the calendar.
Monday 17th May
Pig farmers answer all your pig related questions
It’s time for #FarmSpaces again! In This Session, Pig Farmers Take to Twitter The spaces to discuss everything you need to know about pigs! The interactive panel is open to anyone and you can join the live audio chat by following the panelists and clicking the Spaces link as soon as it appears. On the sign are Tsaone Gaseitshubelwe (@Felieboo), a pig farmer from the North West Province, Stewart Skinner (@modernfarmer), a farmer from Canada, and Kavita Ndolo (@kavitandolo) from Kenya.
The discussion will take place at 6:00 p.m. and will cover topics such as pig care, market prices, etc.
For more information, click here.
From Monday May 17 to Wednesday May 19
Global Precision Agriculture Webinar Series
Attend the final two sessions of the On-Farm Experimentation (OFE) webinar series, hosted by the International Society for Precision Agriculture (ISPA). The series began on May 10, 2021 and aims to achieve the ISPA goal of creating a central database of scientific and practical resources. ISPA is an international non-profit organization focused on the science of precision agriculture, with a network that spans the world.
The webinar series focuses on topics such as data and analytics, people and processes, and value creation. It is free and open to all.
You can click here for more information.
Wednesday May 19
Presentation of SA wines to the Japanese consumer
Wines of South Africa (WoSA) will host a one hour webinar targeting their Japanese market. The webinar, featuring Yoshiko Takahashi of WoSA Japan, gives wine producers the opportunity to discuss the theme and wines to taste. Japanese producers and importers are able to provide tasting samples, and sommeliers have the opportunity during the session to comment on the wines.
The webinar is part of a series that takes place every Wednesday between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
For more information, click here or contact Marcus Ford at [email protected]
Five finalists to be the 2021 Western Cape young farmer
Agri Western Cape and Santam will announce their 2021 Young Farmer of the Year award in Paarl, Western Cape. Five young farmers have been shortlisted for the award, and the winner can enter the national Agri SA Toyota SA Young Farmer of the Year competition later in the year.
The farmers in the running are Jo-andra Cloete Gregory, Alexander Gibson, Derec Giles, Floris Steenkamp and Kleinjan Teubes.
More information can be found here.
Green solutions for stronger communities
The United Nations Food Systems Network will host an online event focused on strengthening and transforming global food systems. The event, co-organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, and Food tank, consists of seven panels. The panels bring together activists, journalists, business leaders, farmers, policy and technical experts, and aim to identify and resolve critical issues related to global food systems in time for the United Nations Systems Summit. food in September 2021.
The online event will start at 5:00 p.m.
To register, click on here.
Thursday, May 20
Cattle auction in Viljoenskroon
The QualiTrio group is holding its 21st production auction in Viljoenskroon, Free State. The auction takes place from 11:00 am, with more than 230 animals on offer. To participate in the auction, be sure to register by 5:00 p.m. on May 19, 2021 so that the screening is complete. Online shoppers can place their bids here.
If you want more information about the auction, contact Paul Mare on 083 870 4309 or [email protected] You can also contact Benjamin Bosch on 083 276 5013, or [email protected]
Join the Fourth Annual World Bee Day Celebration Online
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is hosting an online event to celebrate World Bee Day. Bees play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to produce fruits and vegetables. Since 2021 is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, this year’s celebrations are even more special. The theme of the virtual event is âBee Engaged: Building Better for Beesâ and will focus in particular on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected global food security and agricultural livelihoods.
To register for the event, click on here.
Friday May 21
A conference on agro-economy, identity digitization and bonsmara breeding
The Limpopo Bonsmara Club is holding a Livestock Information Day and Auction in Polokwane, Limpopo. Guest speakers at the event include Wandile Sihlobo from Agbiz, who will discuss agro-economics. Albert Loubser will present the ID scan feature, which allows cattle producers to record the unique nose print of their cattle. Louis Steyl will discuss livestock management and provide an overview of the Bonsmara market for the period 2020-2021.
The registration fee to attend the event is R100. For more information and to register, contact Magda 083 680 7185 or [email protected] You can also contact Craig on 082 808 7747 for more information about the auction.
From Friday May 21 to Saturday May 22
Research conference unveils innovations in marine sciences
Marine ecosystem services are important for socio-economic development, the global aquaculture industry and food security. These questions are in the spotlight at this year’s international conference on marine science and aquaculture, organized by the Universal Research Cluster in Pretoria, Gauteng.
Leading academics, researchers and industry researchers will exchange ideas, research and experiences on all aspects of marine science and aquaculture at the conference. It will also present the most recent innovations, trends, concerns and practical challenges prevalent in these fields.
To find out how to join the conference, click here.
Saturday May 22
South Africa’s most prestigious wine auction
The Cape Fine Rare Wine Auction, formerly known as the Nederburg Auction, takes place at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. The event was established in 1975 and offers wine lovers, investors and collectors the opportunity to add unique and rare South African wines to their collections. The event is open to all South African wine producers, who can submit their best vintages for selection by renowned and respected judges.
Registration for the event is mandatory. You can click here to know more.
Sunday 23 May
Show off your beer brewing skills at Box Shop Lifestyle
Brewster Craft, in partnership with Box Shop Lifestyle, is hosting a Mqombothi Brewing Competition in Soweto, Gauteng. The competition, hosted by Apiwe Nxusani Mawela, invites beer makers to show off their beer making skills in real time. The event takes place at the Box Shop in Orlando West, Soweto, and is limited to 250 people. Entrance to the competition is free, but you will need to register before May 17, 2021 to attend.
You can click here to know more.