SA expects second-largest maize harvest to date in 2017
SA, the continent’s biggest maize grower, will probably increase its forecast for a bumper crop of the staple grain for a third time in 2017 as yields continue to beat expectations. SA’s maize harvest is expected to rebound sharply from last season’s nine-year low, after rainfall increased following the worst drought since records began in 1904. Grain SA in May projected a 3.6-million-tonne maize surplus in 2017.
Nulaid’s pasteurised ‘Safe Eggs’ offer a long shelf life and peace of mind. Safe Eggs are SA’s only pasteurised eggs and have two major advantages over normal shell eggs – namely they are bacteria free, therefore protect against foodborne illnesses, most notably salmonellosis, and secondly they have an extended shelf life of up to 56 days at ambient temperature.
The exquisite art of cake decorating was a big attraction at the SA Cake Decorators Guild (SACDG) master decorators display and demonstration theatre at the recent Food & Hospitality Africa powered by Hostex. The guild’s theme this year is ‘A Celebration’ and the sugar art featured a wide range of skills including figure moulding, royal icing work, sugar flowers and more.
In addition to the master cake decorators’ work on display, some of the guild’s top cake artists demonstrated classic and new cake design techniques such as mirror glaze, pulled and filled sugar flowers, and chocolate work.
Galactic has developed an innovative solution called Prodough Adagio™- for bakery manufactures looking to replace SAPP, SALP, GDL and Palm coated acids with a natural and healthy alternative.
Highly compatible with other baking ingredients and with no off-taste, Prodough Adagio™ is an industry breakthrough it works even when the dough is stored.
Good rains and prospects for a bumper crop have seen the July white maize contract fall more than 4% on 1 March to a 2½-year low of R1,817 a ton after the government crop estimates committee forecast a 2017 harvest of 13.918 million tons, 79% more than in 2016. That forecast was 6% higher than expectations of 13.11 million tons. Domestic consumption is between 10 million and 11 million tons.
Cold weather, rains and resilient genetically modified crops have also limited the damage caused by an armyworm outbreak. The difference with 2016 is stark when the main white maize contract scaled record peaks above R5,000 as an El Nino-triggered drought-parched lands. Prices are now around a third of that.
With increasing competition for top talent, business cannot afford to lose their current employees to other organisations.
Businesses still focus more on acquiring good candidates with the right skills, but often still fail to retain these valuable individuals once appointed to their new roles. Not only is scouting for and hiring talent costly, but the training and orientation of new hires too comes with its own inherent costs in terms of both time and resources spent.
In this article, Kay Vittee of Quest (http://www.quest.co.za/blog/article/367) looks at the challenges surrounding staff retention and its importance as an ongoing business imperative. She also shares her top tips on how businesses can ensure that they retain their top talent through securing employee buy-in and loyalty.
The Willowton Group confirmed that its offices, as well as several other competitors and suppliers, were investigated by the Competition Commission on 8 December 2016. The investigation is as a result of the Competition Commission investigation into a recent merger within the industry as well as another impending merger.
These mergers and impending merger are between suppliers and competitors of Willowton Group. During the commission’s investigations into these mergers, the Willowton Group as a competitor and customer, fully responded to the commission’s investigations into these mergers.
“We have complied with all requests of the investigators and are extending our assistance in finalising their investigation. The Willowton Group is fully committed to sound corporate governance as well as fully complying with all laws and regulations of the countries within which we operate in,” the company, which in recent months has extended its manufacturing operations into both Zimbabwe and Zambia, said in a statement.
“There have been previous investigations into the company’s activities and again we had fully complied with these investigations, where there was no evidence found of any wrong doing on the part of the company. Allegations of price collusion and cartel activities among suppliers and competitors in the edible oil market have been made by the commission and these allegations again are refuted by the company.”
In September 2015, SASKO successfully launched its Siyasizana Daycare Project to assist local daycares in receiving much-needed items for their crèches’.
