Make 2023 your own 'good to great' year
Farmer's Weekly|Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
There’s no management problem that hasn’t been faced before. Lessons from these issues are at your fingertips on the Internet and in many publications; use them and have your best year yet, says Peter Hughes.
Peter Hughes
Make 2023 your own 'good to great' year

Approaching the end of my schooldays, other than a vague inkling that farming would feature in some way in my future, I hadn’t the slightest idea as to the career path I’d follow.

Mentioning this to a school career guidance counsellor, she grimaced and pointed out that farmers needed business skills, and as bookkeeping wasn’t one of my chosen subjects, she strongly recommended I avoided anything in commercial farming.

“How about becoming a teacher?” she suggested.

“Why not?” I thought, and off to university I went to prepare for a teaching career.

It didn’t last long. Exposure to the wider wonders of the animal and plant kingdoms brought my embryonic agricultural instincts to the surface and, influenced by a brilliant zoology lecturer, I ended my university career with a degree in entomology.

My first job had me testing insecticides and counting insects on citrus and cotton crops, and as time moved on I found myself the boss of a small team of operators.

We were turning out results and information on new products when I discovered that one of my team members had being seriously neglectful about calibrating spray equipment.

To add insult to injury, when confronted, he became abusive in full view of his colleagues. I had to take action against him, but what?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023 من Farmer's Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023 من Farmer's Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من FARMER'S WEEKLY مشاهدة الكل
Optimising nutrient availability for cattle
Farmer's Weekly

Optimising nutrient availability for cattle

Nutrient circularity in cattle farming can help improve soil health and reduce farming costs. Ernest Makua, livestock technical adviser at Red Meat Industry Services, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about practical strategies for farmers to achieve sustainability and profitability in the industry.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 06, 2024
Canola: a growing force in South Africa's agricultural landscape
Farmer's Weekly

Canola: a growing force in South Africa's agricultural landscape

Zander Spammer, an agricultural resource manager at Southern Oil, spoke to Zunel van Eeden about the growth of the canola industry in South Africa and the main uses for this versatile crop.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 06, 2024
Uncertainty over Trump's stance on AGOA
Farmer's Weekly

Uncertainty over Trump's stance on AGOA

It is of vital importance that that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) be upheld following the recent US presidential election, in which Donald Trump emerged as the winner.

time-read
1 min  |
November 29, 2024
Plum pollen study reveals varietal differences in pollination effectiveness
Farmer's Weekly

Plum pollen study reveals varietal differences in pollination effectiveness

A new study undertaken near George, Western Cape, explored pollination in plum varieties, showing key differences in pollen quality. Octavia Avesca Spandiel reports on the research findings.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Study: small cuts to beef production could eliminate years of emissions
Farmer's Weekly

Study: small cuts to beef production could eliminate years of emissions

In a paper published in early November, scientists reveal that pasturelands, in particular those that were once forests, hold great potential for mitigating the effects of climate change.

time-read
1 min  |
November 29, 2024
Harnessing wind for cleaner energy
Farmer's Weekly

Harnessing wind for cleaner energy

At the Windaba Conference and Exhibition, held in October in Cape Town, Western Cape, Niveshen Govender, CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the state of wind energy in the country and the opportunities that farmers can exploit.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 29, 2024
The Cape Grace: a Cape Town icon is reborn, and her new custodians shine
Farmer's Weekly

The Cape Grace: a Cape Town icon is reborn, and her new custodians shine

Brian Berkman has had the exceedingly good fortune of spending many nights at the Cape Grace Hotel over the years. He revisits it to find it as impressive as ever.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Cutting-edge tech aiding the agri sector
Farmer's Weekly

Cutting-edge tech aiding the agri sector

Toyota Material Handling's innovations conserve resources and reduce the environmental footprint of farming operations.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Use the correct growing medium for safe seedling production
Farmer's Weekly

Use the correct growing medium for safe seedling production

Instead of buying expensive growing mediums for seedlings, farmers can make their own mixtures from local resources, such as manure, which are economical and produce excellent results

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Optimising cherry production and quality
Farmer's Weekly

Optimising cherry production and quality

Growing cherries in a suboptimal climate requires manipulating trees and temperatures. But with a considerable market advantage, it is worth the effort. Lindi Botha visited ZZ2's Toscana farm, which for four weeks of the year takes prime position in the cherry market.

time-read
8 mins  |
November 29, 2024