CATEGORIES

Foreign currency: now business risk number one!

The challenges associated with foreign currency transactions have escalated sharply and become arguably the greatest risk for farmers. Get expert advice and take action to limit your exposure, advises Peter Hughes.

Royal Show to focus purely on agriculture

The Royal Show was held for the final time at Pietermaritzburg's Royal Show Grounds from May 26 to June 4.

A bumper crop of agricultural college graduates

A larger than usual number of students graduated recently from the Taung Agricultural College (TAC), based in Taung in North West.

British fruit farmers' concerns grow over shortage of seasonal workers

Farmers in the UK are concerned about a shortage of workers as harvest season approaches.

App allows rapid reporting of coastal issues

World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) recently launched an app that allows the public to report incidents, ranging from poaching to pollution and marine wildlife strandings, in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, which extends from Gordon's Bay to the Bot River Estuary in the Western Cape.

Elephant-human conflict a peril to Namibia's FMD status

The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) welcomed the Meat Board of Namibia's purchase of approximately R900 000 worth of energisers and other accessories to protect the Namibia-Botswana border fence against elephant encroachment.

Census aims to improve knowledge on cheetahs

Landowners have been asked to participated in the Free-Roaming Cheetah Census launched by the Cheetah Outreach Trust, Ashia Cheetah Conservation and Stellenbosch University.

A 'flop' that flourished

This article described how tobacco seedlings, from a shaky start in trays, ended up larger, healthier and hardier than those grown in seedbeds.

Farmed meat versus lab-grown alternatives

Precision fermentation will be unlikely to disrupt the livestock industry but may provide high-value products for niche markets, says Prof Paul Wood of Monash University Clayton Campus, in Victoria, Australia.

Some common grapevine diseases in South Africa

In this article, Janine Ryan looks at the symptoms, treatment and prevention of some of South Africa's most common fungal, bacterial and viral diseases of grapevines.

Veld fires and livestock: advice on animal treatment decisions

Dr Claudia Cardoso, lecturer in Ruminant Health and Production, and Dr Rhoda Leask, senior lecturer in Ruminant Health and Production, both of the Department of Production Animal Studies in the University of Pretoria's Faculty of Veterinary Science, offer some advice on treating livestock affected by veld fires.

Upskilling helps people and boosts profits

Improving workers' skills is essential to increasing production efficiency and improving staff morale, and lies entirely with the farmer, who is ultimately the custodian of food production. Indeed, fulfilling this role responsibly requires ensuring that farmworkers undergo ongoing training, says Janine Ryan.

SA brandy wins title of world's best for second year

Locally produced Van Ryn Distillery’s 15-year-old potstill brandy has been awarded the World’s Best Wine Brandy at the 2023 World Brandy Awards that were recently held in London, UK.

US producer confidence down on back of dropping commodity prices

Sentiment among US agricultural producers declined sharply in May as crop prices continued to weaken, World Grain recently reported.

Community initiative set to boost medicinal agriculture on the KZN North Coast

South Africa’s Organic Medical Herbs Strategic Project Plan was recently launched in the iLembe District. Jyothi Laldas reports.

Draft water licence legislation under fire

The Department of Water and Sanitation has proposed draft water-use legislation stipulating that certain enterprises would need up to 75% black shareholding to apply for a water licence. This appears to fly in the face of public interest and previous investments made by water users. Glenneis Kriel reports.

Agri North West welcomes load-shedding initiative

Agri North West welcomed the recent announcement by the province’s MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Desbo Mohono that the department planned to engage with Eskom on the possible exemption of load-shedding for agriculture sectors such as agro-processing.

BRICS: is South Africa backing the right horse?

Hosting the 2023 BRICS summit has become fraught with dangers for South Africa, writes Danny Bradlow, a professor at the Centre for Advancement of Scholarship at the University of Pretoria. In this article, he explains why the organisation was established, and outlines its successes and failures.

Risk mitigation in farming

PJ Mommsen, a freelance risk mitigation strategist, writes about how the inclusion of risk mitigation strategies and innovative solutions, in combination with the traditional value analysis of a defined element of production, can add new perspectives to farming operations, and specifically sheep production.

Coaxing the clouds

The history of weather modification has been stormy. From exploding balloons to strewing smelly chemical concoctions around dams, Roelof Bezuidenhout looks at how we came to the exact science of rainmaking.

A top-rate hotel in a pleasant Cape Town suburb steeped in history and tradition

Southern Sun Newlands is a good place to stay, and not just because of the mountain views, says Brian Berkman.

Man on a mission: spreading the Word, fighting slavery and exploring a continent

An intrepid missionary, explorer, physician and legend in his own lifetime, David Livingstone started his career in a mission station at Kuruman, says Graham Jooste.

Chicken curry rotis

This load-shedding-friendly chicken curry recipe will be sure to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night!

Where have all the horse vets gone?

Faced with an emergency with one of her own horses, Dr Mac experienced South Africa’s shortage of equine veterinarians for herself.

New JAC Motors double-cab series on its way!

From electric to diesel, these big, beefy vehicles will come in several versions, each showing that, when it comes to bakkies at least, size really does matter to customers.

Biological control of diamondback moth

Biocontrol of this ubiquitous brassica pest is highly effective, and can save you a considerable sum as well as much effort, says Bill Kerr.

Agrochemicals are not the villains of agriculture or the environment

Agrochemicals are often used as a scapegoat for agriculture’s impact on the environment, yet these chemicals do not by definition harm the environment, and they play an important part in food production, according to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn of CropLife South Africa. Magda du Toit reports.

Succulent poaching 'out of control'

The illegal trade of wild succulents, particularly Conophytum species, has left some on the brink of extinction. Glenneis Kriel reports on the situation and what farmers can do to help.

This is how carbon policies can prevent food insecurity

The race to net-zero carbon emissions has implications for agriculture and food security. Whether the outcome will be positive or negative for society, the environment and farmers, depends largely on how government formulates emissions policies. Lindi Botha reports on why agriculture’s role should not be confused.

African horse sickness vaccines replenished in time for vaccination season

Some good news for horse owners as African horse sickness vaccine stock is replenished, according to Onderstepoort Biological Products.