The 7th edition of the Finance and Farm Management textbook, often called the industry’s "blue bible" of farm management, continues to be a cornerstone in agricultural education. Supported by Standard Bank, which has a long-standing commitment to agricultural education, the book plays a pivotal role in preparing students and emerging farmers for the complexities of modern agriculture. The latest edition of the book, edited by Prof. André Louw and Dr Mariette Geyser (North-West University), features key contributions from Stellenbosch University academics Dr Willem Hoffmann, Prof Jooste, and Dr Melissa van der Merwe.
More specifically, Dr Hoffmann and Prof Jooste wrote two new chapters namely “Project management within the farming business” and “Legislation in the South African context” respectively. Prof Jooste also contributed to the updating of “Agricultural finance and macroeconomic variables” and “Entering African and other international markets”. Dr van der Merwe was responsible for updating “Understanding Value and Supply Chains in Agriculture” and “Production Economic Principles in Planning of the farm business”. She also supported Dr Geyser in updating the “Farm business financials” and “Financial analysis of farming results” chapters. The involvement of Stellenbosch University academics in a third of the book highlights the institution’s leadership in agricultural education, reinforcing its role as a key contributor to advancing the sector.
Dr van der Merwe also participated in a panel discussion during the book launch on 1 October 2024 hosted by Standard Bank in Johannesburg. She highlighted the importance of the book in illustrating the importance of the agricultural sector to the economy and the many interesting career opportunities that exist, not only on the farm but also beyond the farm gate. She also urged Standard Bank to, together with University partners, develop innovative solutions such as short videos and podcasts to increase GenZ’s engagement with the material.
From L to R: Prof André Jooste (HoD Department of Agricultural Economics), Dr Melissa van der Merwe (senior lecturer Agricultural Economics), and Dr Willem Hoffman (senior lecturer Agricultural Economics)