Agri Kultuur July / Julie 2018 | Page 3

Editorial | Redaksie W elcome rains and snow have fallen over large parts of the Western Cape, filling our dams and replenishing our most important source of livelihood. With every drop we receive from the heavens, it seems as if all creatures, great and small, are suddenly filled with new joy, new life and a fresh spirit. How wonderful it is to drive along the farm roads where you can appreciate the new growth all around you, experience the greening of tracts of land, not so long ago lying barren under a thirsty sun, or watch a lamb or more frolicking about with pure joy. Let’s remember how utterly important every single water droplet is to our survival and daily life -how no farming enterprise can succeed without this extremely valuable commodity. We should rather remember that the drought has not been broken really and that we should continue to save water and adapt our daily actions accordingly. Now is not the time to sit back and continue as if the drought is something of the past, or to continue our water (and other) wasting practices as before, but rather to continually exercise sustainable water (and other) efficient practices and where possible adopt new ones in line with the latest cutting-edge technology. vliegtuie (drones), biotegnologie en vele meer. Yes, every individual on earth has a role to play towards providing food for the future, be it conventional farming enterprises such as grain, livestock, forestry or marine. Similarly, the city dweller practicing rooftop farming, aquaponics, vertical farming on a smaller scale or the academic providing the technology towards future food and farming practices such as robotics, nanotechnology, in vitro meat etc. are just as important in their respective roles as food producers. We are proud to include and welcome, from this edition onwards, a brand-new tourism column by Brian Berkman, catering specifically for our farmers and their getaway needs. Until next time Chris To feed the ever-increasing millions of people globally in the future, we will need to be smarter -moreover because we have only this planet and its (limited) resources to do it with. Dit is presies wat ons in hierdie uitgawe en volgende uitgawes gaan dek. Die vordering in die wetenskap en tegnologie maak vir die boer, maar ook die gewone landsburger, vir soverre dit voedselvoorsiening betref, dinge moontlik wat voorheen nie moontlik was nie - ons dink aan voorbeelde soos presisie praktyke, die gebruik van onbemande mini AgriKultuur |AgriCulture 3