Snippets

SA GRAAN/GRAIN EDITORIAL TEAM

South Africa partnership of DuPont business, Pioneer Hi-Bred, and Pannar Seed approved

DuPont business, Pioneer Hi-Bred, one of the world’s leading agricultural businesses, and Pannar Seed (Pty) Limited, a South Africanbased seed company with operations throughout Africa and other parts of the world, were given approval on 28 May to implement their agreement for Pioneer to purchase a majority share of Pannar. The South African Competition Appeal Court announced its approval of the transaction, overturning an earlier decision by the South African Competition Tribunal. Approval is subject to the companies meeting certain conditions and commitments. The transaction has already been approved by the competition authorities in other African countries where approval was required, including Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Advance Seed head appointed chairman of Sansor

The members of the South African Seed Organisation (Sansor) have appointed Brian Lever (managing director: Advance Seed) as its latest chairman of the board. Lever’s appointment was confirmed at the 23rd Annual Congress of Sansor, held during May 2012 at the Irene Country Lodge, Pretoria, Gauteng.

Fertiliser Society director resigns

On 31 March 2012, Dr Gert van der Linde, director of the Fertiliser Society of South Africa (FSSA), resigned after an eight year term of service. The FSSA management thanks Dr Van der Linde for his service to the FSSA over the past 20 years. The activities of the FSSA will be continued with the support of the FSSA Management Committee and Technical Subcommittee who supports the personnel of the Society until a new executive officer is appointed.

Prof Hardy retired

Professor Mark B. Hardy, specialist scientist in the Institute for Plant Production, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, retired at the end of March 2012. Prof Hardy retired after an illustrious career as a scientist in agriculture. He was revered as a scientist among research and academic institutions and also the grain industry in the Western Cape. He has won numerous big awards, including Grain SA’s Grain Scientist of the Year award in 2008 and the Agriculturalist of the Year (Western Cape) in 2007 – presented by the Agricultural Writers Association of South Africa (Western Cape Branch).

South African scientist wins African Union award

On 29 January 2012, the African Union Commission announced the winners of the Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award during the opening of the 18th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU).

On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, His Excellency, president Jacob Zuma, congratulated Prof Maryke Labuschagne for winning the Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award for Life and Earth Sciences. The award is worth 0 000. Professor Labuschagne is a Professor in Plant Breeding at the University of the Free State, South Africa.