Animal ‘weed-eaters' to the rescue!

JP de Villiers has not used any herbicides on his farm for the past three seasons. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his use of sheep, pigs and chickens to overcome soil health problems in his orchards and vineyards.

Reining in the influence of ‘Big Food' companies

Despite the well-documented harm that ultra-processed foods pose to human health, large corporations are still able to produce and sell their products. With the market for ultra-processed foods, which are associated with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, saturated in developed countries, these corporations are moving into industrialising countries like South Africa. This article explores the strategies behind this move.

Karoo sheep farm survives drought with beer and cheese

According to Peter and Francy Schoeman of Langbaken Karoo Cheese, their cheese business has enabled them to survive the prolonged drought in the area. They spoke to Wouter Kriel about how they developed their sheep farm into a cheese operation.

Anti-plague action necessary

In this article, farmers were advised to act quickly in the fight against a gerbil plague, and a researcher gave instructions on how to use zinc phosphide to eliminate these and other rodents.

The Eastern Frontier's Martello tower

The Eastern Cape town of Fort Beaufort is home to a Martello tower, a structure used for coastal defence as early as the 15th century to ward off Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. Mike Burgess looks at why one was built on the Cape’s 19th century Eastern Frontier more than 100km from the ocean.

Using the drought to up your game

The Northern Cape’s Williston district is sheep country through and through, but six years of drought have made extensive sheep farming here desperately difficult. Wouter kriel spoke to producer Hannes esterhuyse about how he has adapted his operation to run optimally despite the drought.

Grain storage innovation needed

In this, part one of a two-part series, Mariana Purnell, a consultant with eGrain, a provider of electronic warehouse receipts for the grain industry, discusses the challenges that changes to grain quality control pose for the industry. In particular, she focuses on producing maize according to particular standards for niche

Northern Cape farmers need ‘patient capital'

Agri Northern Cape is extremely concerned about the financial resilience of farmers in the province’s drought-stricken areas, even after the good rainfall reported in late October. This was according to Nicol Jansen, president of Agri Northern Cape.

Want optimal irrigation? Don't make assumptions

Plan, execute, control and verify. These are the four elements that constitute the irrigation approach of Indigo Fruit Farming in Mpumalanga, where every drop of water is used to its full potential. Farm manager Willem Kieviet spoke to Lindi Botha about his methods of irrigating to achieve the best crop yields.

Farmers speak out about record fuel prices

The record-high fuel prices, as announced by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy at the beginning of November, will add significantly to the direct input costs of grain producers and put additional strain on already tight profit margins. This was according to Chris Schoonwinkel, who farms maize near Wesselsbron in the Free State.

Spike in contaminated Australian meat shipments to the US

A rising number of meat shipments from Australia are being blocked by US food safety officials due to faecal contamination.

Limited space? Try a floating solar farm

Nico Laubscher of Alzanne Boerdery is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve business efficiencies, and this led to him exploring solar energy as a way of reducing his electricity bill and carbon footprint. Laubscher and Paul Kotze of Solar Energy Architects spoke to Wouter Kriel about the unique placement of the solar panels.

Macadamia demand stabilises as markets recover

The South African macadamia industry has rebounded from suppressed sales since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. And with a downward revised crop forecast, the market is set to stabilise even further.

Inclusivity is crucial to SA's livestock sector

Mooketsa Ramasodi, acting director general of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, argues that bringing South Africa’s informal livestock sector fully on board will not only improve the lives and future prospects of smallholder farmers but also maximise profits for the industry as a whole.

Hard work brings free- range success for farmer

When Einstein Sibanda came to South Africa 15 years ago, it was with the intention of working in a restaurant. Today, however, he has a flourishing farming business in the Western Cape that supplies restaurants and delicatessens with free-range eggs, broilers and pork. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his journey.

Favourable outlook for SA table grape harvest

The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) estimates that table grape production will average between 70,6 million and 77,7 million cartons (4,5kg-equivalent) in the coming season, which is close to the volume packed during the 2020/21 season.

Chemical burn: who is to blame?

In this article, farmers were given advice on how best to avoid costly damage to their crops caused by chemical burn.

CASE launches excavator in SA

CASE Construction Equipment recently launched a new heavy-duty, fuel-efficient excavator in South Africa. Despite its size and capability, the 22t machine is equipped with several energy-saving features.

Be careful when mixing your own feed and supplements!

If you want to mix your own feed concentrates to cut costs, you will need to do so very carefully. Getting it wrong can result in toxicity or scours, and may even prove fatal to the animals, says Shane Brody.

Balancing need with ability to pay

A critical juncture in the life of the family agribusiness is the transition from one generation to the next. One of the reasons for this, explains Trevor Dickinson, is that the capacity of the business to pay any form of remuneration has to be balanced with the requirements of the individuals who own and operate it.

A golden future for sunflower in SA

In some production regions of the country, sunflower is considered a last-resort crop. However, its ability to produce relatively consistent yields under adverse weather conditions makes it an attractive option for farmers in dryland areas. Magda du Toit reports on how the negative view of sunflower can and should be changed.

How civil society groups can help resolve food insecurity in SA

A new study on emergency food relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, by researchers Camilla Adelle and Ashley Haywood, shows how civil society groups can help to restore South Africa’s ailing food system in the long term, and why government needs to aid the process by providing an enabling environment.

Beet cyst eelworm

Chemical fumigation of crops destroys beet cyst eelworm, but it also kills beneficial organisms. Farmers would do better to plant a trap crop such as oil radish or mustard to control eelworm, suggests Bill Kerr.

Eugène Marais: a life of tragedy and triumph

A pioneering naturalist, a remarkable poet and author, and a torchbearer of Afrikaans, Eugène Marais nonetheless lived a life wreathed in sadness.

The basics of mulching

Mulching is inexpensive, and can make all the difference to soil quality.

A new flagship in the Amazone plough range

The Amazone Tyrok 400 semi-mounted reversible plough promises to deliver higher speed for higher output with minimum wear.

Are national fresh produce markets coming to an end?

National fresh produce markets are vital to food security in South Africa, providing a robust, transparent pricing system and a crucial service to buyers and sellers across the country. While widely successful in these aspects, fundamental problems in these markets are threatening the future of the industry, and they need to be addressed.

Beware! The locusts are swarming this summer

South Africa looks to be heading for another large-scale brown locust outbreak this season, according to Dr Gerhard Vedoorn of CropLife South Africa and Dr Roger Price of the Agricultural Research Council. They spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the most effective means of combating these swarms.

FRUIT Growing papayas

This week’s article focuses on the nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium and nitrogen, that are required by the papaya tree.

The rise of the Boer goat

Two young goat stud farmers recently paid R500 000 for the 2021 world champion Boer goat, Maserati. They spoke to Susan Marais about how the Boer goat is taking the world by storm, and about further improving the breed’s South African genetics.