FarmBiz - July 2020

In this issue

Urban farming, Olive trunk diseases, Potato tuber research, Pesticide residue levels,
Business trends in a post-COVID-19 world
Invasive plants and soil health

Business Trends In A Post-Covid-19 World

COVID-19 has changed from something you only heard about on the news every second day, to the reason why our ‘normal’ way of life has come to a virtual standstill and then changed in the blink of an eye. It appears COVID-19 has now surpassed its buzzword status, having dominated almost every news headline as well as being blamed for all our current problems.

6 mins

Urban Farming: Is It Financially And Spatially Feasible?

The term ‘urban farming’ paints a picture of city dwellers attempting to grow their own food in their backyard vegetable gardens, investing large amounts of money, time and water in their new projects, only to discover that store-bought produce is often of a higher quality, cheaper and require little to no effort in comparison.

4 mins

Quality And Service Excellence Ensure Success

Denton Osler and his wife, Margie, started Denmar Dairies in the early 1980s. By then they had realized that farming on the farm Ettrick, just outside Fouriesburg in the Eastern Free State, where he farmed alongside his father Douglas, simply did not have the potential to be sustainable.

5 mins

The Tale Of Philip's Tunnel

South Africa’s first irrigation system can be traced to the Eastern Cape or, to be more specific, the Gamtoos Valley, which is home to the Loerie, Hankey and Patensie villages.

4 mins

Invasive Plants And Soil Health

Invasive plant species are those that have been introduced into a specific area, and that displace and outcompete indigenous species or negatively influence the growth and production potential of ‘beneficial’ alien species.

4 mins

Tips To Ward Off Olive Trunk Diseases

New research by a recent Ph.D. graduate of Stellenbosch University (SU), has shed light on what olive tree farmers can do to curb olive trunk diseases in their orchards.

4 mins

Strategies For Maintaining Minimum Pesticide Residue Levels

Ever since the term ‘biosecurity’ took a front seat on the global ecological train, consumer demand has increased for greater volumes of quality food that is free from pesticide residue. This has placed a fundamental focus on how classic or synthetic pesticides are used and on finding ways to manage their residues.

6 mins

Legalising Medical Cannabis In South Africa

The term ‘cannabis’ refers to plants in the genus Cannabis. The three most recognised species are Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis.

5 mins

Global Herb Production Trends

The term ‘herb’ is used specifically in reference to an aromatic plant’s leaves. Herbs can broadly be defined as plants used primarily for adding aromatic flavour to food. Herbs are also a popular ingredient in other gastronomic products such as condiments, seasonings and teas.

3 mins

Potato tuber corky cracks caused by multiple Rhizoctonia species

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the most consumed and economically important vegetable crop in the world.

5 mins

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FarmBiz Magazine Description:

FarmBiz is a unique monthly publication serving the agribusiness industry. This one-of-a-kind publication addresses issues that are pertinent to better production, higher profitability, policy issues, trade and much more. Its readership spans the entire agribusiness sector – from top commercial farmers and the agribusinesses who serve them, to government institutions, opinion leaders and agribusiness consultants.