Entertainment
Heavy Rains May Affect Crops In S’Africa
South Africa’s 2009/10 maize surplus is likely to prevent any supply shortage of the grain this year after heavy December and January rains have affected planting, an industry official said recently.
But the extremely wet conditions may have a significant impact on the soya bean and sunflower harvest, Kobus Laubscher, chief executive of farmers’ group Grain SA, told newsmen in an interview.
“Some of the late plantings are suffering because of the heavy rains. But as far as maize is concerned, there is no reason to suspect that we will run into a shortage.
South Africa, the continent’s largest maize producer, harvested 12.815 million tonnes of the grain in the 2009/10 season, the biggest crop in three decades.
The country’s annual maize consumption is between eight million tonnes – nine million tonnes, leaving it with a surplus of about four million tonnes.
Laubscher said farmers had opted to plant less maize this year due to lower prices for the grain and had increased the area for soya beans, seen as having a more favourable price.
South Africa’s benchmark white March maize has fallen nearly 21 per cent in price since the start of 2010, with yellow maize for delivery in the same month falling about 10 per cent.
On the other hand, soya beans for delivery in March are up nearly 22 per cent since the start of last year.
“The movement away from maizes to soya brought promises of relief from a profitability point of view.
“But in some instances the soya plantings are suffering significantly from the heavy rains,” Laubscher said.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted the early-career challenges she faced, revealing that she was once booed out of the stage while performing at a school event.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the Crazy Tings crooner shared that she wasn’t only booed but was also harassed with plastic bottles.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that despite the embarrassing incident and other such rejections, she remained determined to pursue a career in music.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Tems admitted that some of the initial rejections she faced could be due to her conviction to stick to her originality instead of doing covers or familiar sounds like most of her peers.
The Grammy-winning singer said looking back now, she is glad that she didn’t compromise her style despite the initial pressures.
A close associate of late singer Mohbad, Primeboy, has appealed for the artiste’s burial nearly three years after his death.
According to him, Mohbad’s body remains in the mortuary since September 12, 2023, pending burial arrangements.
The Tide Entertainment reports that in a statement Primeboy urged the family, public, and government to permit the burial, stating, “It’s been almost three years since Mohbad left us. His body is still in the mortuary. I’m begging the family, I’m begging the public, I’m begging the government, please let’s bury our brother. He deserves a befitting burial.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad’s death sparked public outrage, protests, and investigations. Ongoing autopsy examinations, police inquiries, and legal proceedings have delayed burial arrangements amid family disagreements and public scrutiny.
Nancy Briggs
