CATEGORIES

Saving The Cape Vulture

Saving The Cape Vulture

Lightning Strikes And Heatwaves

Lightning Strikes And Heatwaves

Dealing With Powdery Mildew

Dealing With Powdery Mildew

On Political And Climate Change

It’s difficult, even near impossible, to run a farm without power.

TB Control Needs Farmers' Help

24years agoTuberculosis remains a serious illness in South Africa, and farmers can help with the control and eventual eradication of this disease by ensuring their workers are regularly checked for symptoms.

Finding New Export Markets For SA Key To Sector's Survival

Maize exports were being hampered by South Africa’s lack of competitiveness on the international market, which was the result of the relatively high local price, according to Jannie de Villiers, Grain SA (GSA) CEO.

Improving Piglet Health The Natural Way

Improving Piglet Health The Natural Way

Threat Of Illicit Tobacco Trade

The tobacco value chain is facing disaster due to illicit trade. 

A Spread Of Innovations

An operator who wishes to spread two different types of fertiliser in one pass, but at different application rates, can now mount an Amazone ZA-V or ZA-TS spreader on the front linkage.

Australian Wild Rice Could Boost Global Food Security

Australian Wild Rice Could Boost Global Food Security

High Prices Help Producers Recover From The Drought

Increased red meat prices during 2017 had a positive impact on the bank balances of producers still recovering from the devastating three-year drought in South Africa’s summer rainfall areas until mid-2016, according to Hendrik Botha, chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal chapter of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (KZN RPO).

Stronger Rand No Threat For Wool Industry, Says Global Broker

Wool farmers are concerned that a strengthening rand could negatively affect the market but international wool broker Segard Masurel says that, in rand terms, SA wool should be able to sustain the high price levels for the first quarter of the year.

The Basics Of Growing Lemon Grass

Lemon grass requires year-round rainfall of between 700mm and 3 000mm annually. The most popular production areas are in the lowveld of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

The History Of The Carrot

Carrots (Daucus carota) originated in what is today Afghanistan. The wild parents of our modern carrots still grow there; I saw them flourishing on road verges when I visited the country.

Independent Land Audit Needed

Disparities in the statistics on land ownership in recent audits have elicit mixed reactions from role players in the agriculture sector. Lloyd Phillips reports.

Drought Puts Added Pressure On Wheat Farmers

Wheat production in South Africa is a high cost activity, and farmers struggle to compete with growers abroad. The ongoing drought has made matters far worse.

Running A Small Hunting Operation

Johann Erwee of Kuduwane Game Lodge provided Gerhard Uys with insights into what it takes to keep a small hunting operation economically sustainable, and its environment ecologically sound.

Colour Variants: A Market Perspective

The popularity of colour variants such as the golden wildebeest and black impala skyrocketed in the South African game market in 2000, and their prices reflected this. Fourteen years later, these prices dropped just as precipitously. Dr Flippie Cloete, head of Terratek at Suidwes Landbou, takes a look at the drivers that influence the price movements of colour variants.

Accuracy Is Everything!

Thanks to gunsmith Frik du Plooy, Musgrave rifles are once more available – and living up to their legendary reputation for accuracy.

Success With Sussex Against The Odds

Linden Hewson owns the 2017 Farmer’s Weekly/ARC National Best Elite Sussex cow. This achievement is significant, as the Grey Maclean Stud near East London has been kraaled every night since 2002 to keep the animals safe. Mike Burgess reports.

Onion-Growing Made Easy: Part 1

Onions are one of the easiest crops to grow in a home garden, yet many people have limited success with them. Here’s how to get it right.

The Basics Of Water-Use Efficiency

South Africa is a water-scarce country, and climate change predictions show that even less water will be available in future. It has never been more important to conserve water.

Make Sure Your Carrots Are Free Of Eelworms

An eelworm (nematode) population is of little consequence in many crops, yet it can be a serious problem in carrots. A few eelworms at an early stage will cause forking and lumps on the roots, rendering the carrots unmarketable. 

Changing The Image Of Agriculture For The Youth

Changing The Image Of Agriculture For The Youth

Green-water Tilapia Culture: A Cost-effective Solution

Cutting cost by reducing feed is a good way to make tilapia production more profitable.

Part 3 Of 7 Parrot Fever And Enzootic Abortion

Psittacosis or parrot fever and enzootic abortion are both caused by zoonotic Chlamydophila bacteria. Veterinary specialist in public health Dr Jan H du Preez explains how these diseases are contracted by animals and humans, and offers guidelines for managing infection risk.

Preventing Alternaria On Carrots

Preventing Alternaria On Carrots

Leather Craftsman Produces Quality Halters

20 YEARS AGO Local leather worker, Danie Mentz, crafts his own harnesses and bridles, with his work comparable to that of the international brands imported by South African tackshops.

Rabies Threatens Namibian Kudu Population - And Vaccination Is Now Crucial

Kudu and eland populations are being decimated by rabies, but many uncertainties still exist around the seemingly Namibia-specific manifestation of the disease. Dr Ulf Tubbesing, a wildlife veterinarian in Namibia, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the crisis.

Farmers & Depression

Farmers face constant uncertainty: weather, politics and market fluctuations are all factors out of their control. Clinical psychologist Adri Prinsloo spoke to Lindi Botha about how this, combined with relative isolation, contributes to worrying levels of depression and suicide.