This programme is subject to change – please check the congress website for updates.
Click here to download the PDF version.
This programme is subject to change – please check the congress website for updates.
Click here to download the PDF version.
DAY 1: TUESDAY, 15 AUGUST 2023
07:30 – 18:30 | Registration | Registration Foyer | |||
07:30 – 09:00 | Arrival Tea / Coffee | Exhibition Hall | |||
09:00 – 10:10 | Opening Session Chairperson: Dr Muhammad Kadwa Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
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09:00 – 09:20 | Welcome | SASTA President: Dr Muhammad Kadwa | |||
09:20 – 10:05 | Keynote address | Wandile Sihlobo | |||
10:05 – 10:10 | Vote of thanks | Dr Muhammad Kadwa | |||
10:10 – 10:45 | Tea / Coffee break, Exhibition Hall | ||||
10:45 – 12:50 | Plenary Session Chairperson: Dr Sandy Snyman Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
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10:45 – 11:10 | A Review of South African Sugarcane Production in the 2022/2023 Season: Production, Climate and Economics | Sithole P, Nicholson RJ and Stranack RA | |||
11:10 – 11:30 | Biosecurity: An Overview of the 2021/2022 Season | Basdew IH, McFarlane SA and Stranack RA | |||
11:30 – 11:55 | Ninety-Eighth Annual Review of the Milling Season in Southern Africa (2022/2023) | Padayachee N, Davis SB and Bhyrodeyal L | |||
11:55 – 12:00 | Leg stretch | ||||
12:00 – 12:20 | Demonstration of Chemical Ripening Best Practice and Economic Benefit to South African Small-Scale Sugarcane Growers | van Heerden PDR, Ramusandiwa TR, Chonco B, Shelembe WL, Hlela SN, Gillespie WA, Mkhabela NE, Buthelezi ME and Masondo RT | |||
12:20 – 12:30 | A Time-Series and Sensitivity Analysis of the ‘c’ and ‘d’ Factors in the Recoverable Value Cane Payment System – 2000/01 to 2022/23 | Kadwa M | |||
12:30 – 12:50 | An Economic Analysis of CPI Related Notional Price Increases Coupled with Above CPI Inflation Input Cost Increases in the 2022/23 Season: From a Grower’s Perspective | Nicholson R | |||
12:50 – 14:00 | Lunch Break, Exhibition Hall | ||||
14:00 – 15:35 | Agriculture Session 1: Extension and Agronomy Chairperson: Rowan Stranack Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
14:00 – 15:35 | Factory Session 1: Front End Chairperson: Sean Hulley Venue: Hall 4D |
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14:00 – 14:20 | A Farm Level Economic Impact Analysis of the Carry-Over Cane Crisis for the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal and Midlands Mill Areas: 2021/22 & 2022/23 Seasons | Nicholson R | 14:00 – 14:25 | A Review of Chemical and Microbial Losses of Sucrose in Diffusers | Davis SB and Nel S |
14:20 – 14:45 | Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.): Challenges and Opportunities in Production and Improvements: A Review | Mugehu E, Shimelish H and lmpofu LTM | 14:25 – 14:50 | Review of Devices for Monitoring Juice Flow in Diffusers | Loubser RC |
14:45 – 14:55 | The Economics of Seedcane Production | Theunissen P, De Beer E, Stock K, Visser W, Adendorff M, Wilkinson D, Foxon J, Radzilani T, Nkala J, Govender P, Stranack R, Khomo B and McFarlane S | 14:50 – 15:10 | Old Conventional Power Drive Technology versus New Decentralized Power Drive Technology | O’Reilly C and De Souza C |
14:55 – 15:15 | Small-Scale Grower Contractors: The Adoption of a Code of Conduct | Msimango S and Nicholson RJ | |||
15:15 – 15:35 | Success Story of Mbetseni Farmers: Growing Sugarcane Under Rainfed Conditions in a Fully Irrigated Region of Malkerns, Eswatini | Mkhaliphi P and Mabuza J | |||
15:35 | Meet and Greet, Exhibition Hall |
DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, 16 AUGUST 2023
07:30 – 17:00 | Registration | Registration Foyer | |||
07:30 – 08:00 | Arrival Tea / Coffee | Exhibition Hall | |||
08:00 – 08:30 | Plenary Presentation Chairperson: Andy Church Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D Dr Kitty Foxon: Lessons from Investigating Sugarcane Product Diversification Opportunities |
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08:35 – 10:00 | Agriculture Session 2: Irrigation, Water Management Chairperson: Dirk McElligott Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
08:35 – 10:10 | Factory Session 2: Back-End Chairperson: Natisha Padayachee Venue: Hall 4D |
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08:35 – 08:55 | Sugarcane Ratoon Yield Decline Under Three Irrigation Systems: A Case of Ubombo Sugar | Tfwala C and Dlamini M | 08:35 – 09:00 | Rotary Vacuum Filter Operation in Rainy Conditions at Simunye. | Lung Kit HN, Myeni P and Dlamini H |
08:55 – 09:20 | The Impact of Electrical Load-Shedding on Irrigated Sugarcane Farms in South Africa – Part 1: A Situational Analysis Exploring Farmers’ Experiences and Practices in Response to Load-Shedding | Jumman A and Tweddle PB | 09:00 – 09:25 | A Review of the Estimation of Sucrose Inversion Loss Across a Raw Sugar Factory Evaporator Station | Rahiman SN, Mbuthuma Y and Walford SN |
09:20 – 09:40 | The Impact of Electrical Load-Shedding on Irrigated Sugarcane Farms in South Africa – Part 2: Determining the Severity and Extent of Load-Shedding | Tweddle PB, Jumman A and Paraskevopoulos AL | 09:25 – 09:50 | A review of Corrosion in V2 Systems in Factories that Practice High Levels of V2 Bleed | Munsamy S |
09:40 – 10:00 | The Impact of Electrical Load-Shedding on Irrigated Sugarcane Farms in South Africa – Part 3: Preliminary Results on Yield Impact Due to Irrigation Down Time | Jumman A, Paraskevopoulos AL and Tweddle PB | 09:50 – 10:10 | Sugar Screening – From Scalping to Fine Screening | Baraye J and Allan G |
10:00 – 10:30 | Tea / Coffee break | Exhibition Hall | 10:10 – 10:45 | Tea / Coffee break | Exhibition Hall |
10:30 – 11:55 | Agriculture Session 3: Soil Nutrition Chairperson: Dr Rianto van Antwerpen Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
10:45 – 11:45 | Factory Session 3: Posters Chairperson: David Love Venue: Hall 4D |
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10:30 – 10:40 | Evaluation of Available and Reserve Pools of Soil Micronutrients in the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry | Siyakisa F, Rambwawasvika H and Mutatu W | 10:45 – 10:55 | Improving Pan Stage Crystallisation Using the On-Line Pan Microscope Crystobserver® | Duc N |
10:40 – 11:05 | Management Options for Alleviating Zinc Deficiencies in Sugarcane Farming | Mutatu W and Rambwawasvika H | 10:55 – 11:05 | Development of Analytical Methods for the Determination of Colourant Types Present in Sugar Factory Processing Streams | Booysen KC and Walford SN |
11:05 – 11:30 | Can the Mehlich 3 Multi-Element Extractant be Used as an Alternative to Ambic and Resin Methods in Routine Soil Fertility Testing? Some Preliminary Results | Titshall LW, Naicker N, Msezane A, Kanamugire A, Ntshangase V and Collings K | 11:05 – 11:15 | Development of Potentiometric Methods for the Determination of Reducing Sugars in White and Raw Sugar | Moloi T and Walford SN |
11:30 – 11:55 | Evaluation of Mehlich-3 Multi-Extractant for the Determination of Exchangeable Bases and Essential Micronutrients in the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry Soils | Siyakisa F, Muchanyereyi N, Rambwawasvika H and Mutatu W | 11:15 – 11:25 | Automatic Sampling of Juice Streams in Sugarcane-Processing Factories | Barker B, Mbuthuma Y, Loubser RC and Davis S |
11:25 – 11:35 | Excel-Based Energy Balance Model for Steam System Analysis | Foxon KM, Ndinisa NV, Mkwananzi T, Mngomezulu NI and Mkhwanazi Z | |||
11:35 – 11:45 | Flow Behaviour Characteristics of C-Massecuite | Moloi T, Barker B and Walford SN | |||
11:55 – 13:00 | Lunch break | Exhibition Hall | 11:45 – 13:00 | Lunch break | Exhibition Hall |
13:00 – 14:25 | Agriculture Session 4: Varieties Chairperson: Moipei Lichakane Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
13:10 – 14:00 | Factory Session 4: Energy Chairperson: Dr Katherine Foxon Venue: Hall 4D |
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13:00 – 13:20 | A Snapshop of the Total Industry Sugarcane Variety Data and the 2021/22 Variety Data in the Small-Scale Grower Sector: To Start the Debate on Capturing and Evaluating This Data into The Future | Nicholson R, Dube S, Landman M and Masondo T | 13:10 – 13:35 | Counterflow Air Heater for Industrial Watertube Boilers | Marais F, van den Berg, Barnard L |
13:20 – 13:45 | Indices for Estimating the Ratooning Ability of Sugarcane | Dlamini NE and Zhou M | 13:35 – 14:00 | Replacement of Syrup by Clear Juice to Melt B and C Sugar: Effect on Steam Consumption and Sugar Quality | Panda S, Dani R, Mahana N, Gopalakrishnan N |
13:45 – 14:05 | Cultivar Genetic Gains from the Coastal Breeding Programmes of South Africa | Zhou M, Joshi SV, Lichakane M and Mishasha T | |||
14:05 – 14:25 | Evaluation of Cross-Compatibility Between Commercial Sugarcane Hybrids and their Wild Relatives | Joshi SV, Lloyd Evans D and Ghai M | |||
14:30 – 15:10 | Agriculture Session 5: Entomology Chairperson: Dr Malcolm Keeping Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
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14:30 – 14:40 | Screening Transgenic Sugarcane Plants for Resistance to Eldana Larvae | Jacob RM, Ligege R, GM Meyer and SJ Snyman | |||
14:40 – 14:50 | Abundance and Diversity of Ground-Dwelling Arthropods Under Rainfed and Irrigated Sugarcane Conditions in South Africa | Smith R, Malinga L and Bouwer G | |||
14:50 – 15:10 | Modelling Yellow Sugarcane Aphid Using In Situ Infrared Spectroscopy: A Preliminary Study | Poona NK, Gokul A and Kistan CJ | |||
14:00 – 17:00 | Exhibition Open Afternoon, Exhibition Hall Cash bar branded by Rotex |
DAY 3: THURSDAY, 17 AUGUST 2023
07:30 – 13:00 | Registration | Registration Foyer | |||
07:30 – 08:00 | Arrival Tea / Coffee | Exhibition Hall | |||
08:00 – 09:00 | Plenary Presentation Chairperson: Dr Sumita Ramgareeb Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D2023 ISSCT feedback session by the SASTA President and Jubilee Agriculture and Factory Winners |
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09:05 – 10:10 | Agriculture Session 6: Soil Nutrition Chairperson: Dr Thandile Mdlambuzi Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
09:05 – 10:40 | Factory Session 5: Lab/Management Chairperson: Dennis Walthew Venue: Hall 4D |
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09:05 – 09:30 | An Overview of the Soil Fertility Status of the South African Sugarcane Industry from 2017 to 2022 | Titshall LW, Naicker N and Mdlambuzi T | 09:05 – 09:30 | Estimated Recoverable Crystal Measurement in the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry | Mutatu W |
09:30 – 09:50 | Long-term Trials Supporting N Management Guidelines for Sugarcane Grown in the Australian Moist Tropics | Schroeder B and Wood A | 09:30 – 09:55 | An Assessment of the Impact of 5S on the Safety Climate in an Agro-Processing Unit: The Case of a Sugarcane Processing Unit | Debwe M |
09:50 – 10:10 | Modelling Leaf Nitrogen Using In Situ Infrared Spectroscopy: A Preliminary Study | Poona NK, Radebe T and Titshall LW | 09:55 – 10:15 | How Do We Keep Our Microbes Aka ‘Bugs’ Happy and Healthy? An Overview: Trending Chemical Parameters with Biomass Population | Kungwa Z and Daya V |
10:15 – 10:40 | Installation of a Steam-Heated Pilot Pan at the Sugar Milling Research Institute | Rahiman SN, Mbuthuma Y, Love DJ and Davis SB | |||
10:10 – 10:45 | Tea / Coffee break | Exhibition Hall | 10:40 – 11:00 | Tea / Coffee break | Exhibition Hall |
10:45 – 12:10 | Agriculture Session 7: Soil Health Chairperson: Dr Ruth Rhodes Venue: Dube AgriLab Hall 4C & 5D |
11:00 – 12:25 | Factory Session 6: Commercial Chairperson: Gavin Smith Venue: Hall 4D |
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10:45 – 11:10 | The Potential of Vermicomposted Sugarcane Filter Cake and Other Sugarcane Residues as an Alternative Fertiliser for Sugarcane Production – A Review | Mthimkhulu SS | 11:00 – 11:25 | The New Dimple Tube: A Technology to Improve Vacuum Pan Performance | Bezuidenhoudt D, Gokool M, Rosettenstein S and Stevens M |
11:10 – 11:30 | A Comparison of Pre-Harvest Dry Matter Allocation and Selected Nutrient Content of Various Plant Components Between ZN10 and N14 Sugarcane Varieties Over the First Five Ratoons in Zimbabwe | Mutatu W, Nzvenga P, Nzima M, Dzinotyiwei K and Chinorumba S | 11:25 – 11:45 | Flexible and Fast Steam Turbine for the South African Sugar Industry | Conrad M and Lopes R |
11:30 – 11:50 | Quantifying the Contribution of Residue Retention and Fertiliser Use to the Financial Viability of a Rainfed Sugarcane Crop | Van Antwerpen R and Tweddle PB | 11:45 – 12:05 | Common Grate Defects and Maintenance Recommendations | Du Preez J-P |
11:50 – 12:10 | A Comparison of Soil Compaction in Chopper-Harvested Fields and Manually-Cut Fields at Ubombo Sugar | Tfwala C, Ndlangamandla S, Ngomane D, Magagula M, Dlamini M and Kunene N | 12:05 – 12:25 | Operation of Falling-Film Evaporators in Cane Sugar Factories: Current State of Knowledge | Lehnberger A and Thaval O |
12:15 | Lunch break, Exhibition Hall | ||||
Congress Closing by Dr Sumita Ramgareeb, Chair: SASTA Congress Organising Committee |
SASTA is very pleased to announce that Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), has accepted our invitation to present the keynote address at the 2023 Congress. We look forward to welcoming Wandile to the 2023 SASTA Congress.
In his address, Wandile will shed light on the challenges and opportunities confronting the agricultural sector in South Africa. Given the recent difficulties faced by the sugar industry, his expertise and perspectives are bound to be of interest, as he is expected to offer valuable guidance on potential areas of improvements in the overall agricultural and agribusiness landscape.
Wandile is a highly esteemed professional, currently holding the position of Senior Lecturer Extraordinary at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand. Notably, he has served as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019 (and re-appointed in 2022), having served on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture from 2018.
Wandile is a member of the Council of Statistics of South Africa (Stats SA) and serves as a Commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC). Additionally, Wandile is a respected columnist for prominent publications such as Business Day, The Herald, and Farmers Weekly, and is also the author of “Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity, and Agriculture”. His written work allows him to share his insights widely and influence public discourse on critical issues in agriculture.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University.