Macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts is an important crop in South Africa. It is an important earner of foreign revenue, has high growth potential while also being labour intensive.
Wood, pulp and paper
This page looks at what happens downstream of the plantations: sawmilling, furniture making, paper and pulp production etc. TIMBER PROCESSING Fibre Sawmilling Treated poles Charcoal Pulp milling Wood chip Fibre board From which come: (i) paper & paper products (ii) wood products Mining timber Sawn lumber From which come: (i) wood products (ii) wood […]
Forestry
Introduction Forests include plantations, natural/indigenous forests and woodlands/savannas. All activities linked to these fall under the umbrella of “forestry”. In addition to timber and related products, forests offer non-timber products and activity. They play a big part in our fauna and flora. Fruits, plants, medicinal herbs, birds and animals are found here. Trees protect watersheds […]
Rooibos (redbush)
Introduction Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis, is a natural herb found in the Cape fynbos biome. It is cultivated commercially mainly in the Cedarberg region north west of Cape Town. The plant thrives on coarse sandy soil and winter rainfall. It is called rooibos (‘red bush’) or Red Tea because of its colour when dried. It has a […]
Moringa
Photo above used courtesy of Errol Moloto Introduction The moringa tree has its origins in the northern regions of India. In Africa, two types are grown, moringa oleifera and moringa stenopetala (Lekgau, undated). The moringa tree is considered one of the most nutritious trees in the world since it has vitamins, minerals and amino acids which the human body […]
Indigenous medicinal plants
Introduction In the past two decades, the links between bio-cultural diversity and the richness of plant species in South Africa have contributed to ongoing attempts to develop traditional medicines for use in the modern complementary and alternative medicines sector. Eventually this will aid in the discovery of new drug entities for pharmaceutical industries. African traditional […]
Water and the three percent
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-08-13 In Blog When I first heard, years ago, that the name of a piece of music was Water Music, I chuckled, and chuckled even louder when the friend earnestly asked: “Do you get it?” The name was whimsical, silly and the young man who was me did not “get it”. I […]
Hunting
Introduction Information on hunting (regulations, procedures etc) can be found at www.phasa.co.za and www.sahunters.co.za. In the latter half of the twentieth century a new model for management of game on private land developed in South Africa. Fundamental to this model were the issues of private ownership of game animals and adequate fencing required to keep animals in the […]
Donkeys
Introduction Donkeys can play a vital role in the economy. As a result of the droughts the number of donkeys used for cultivation and transport has increased dramatically. In the southern part of Africa donkey use is on the increase and liable to remain at high levels for the foreseeable future. Donkeys are utilised throughout […]