CATEGORIES

Farming: The Breeding Ground For SA's Next Millionaires

Agriculture offers many opportunities for wealth creation, and young South Africans who are passionate about the sector should use their skills to establish new businesses, say Soyama Mthongana and Athenkosi Denga, the owners of Lizwe Meat.

From Humble Beginnings To Cream Of The Crop

Over almost three decades, Foundation Farm in KwaZulu-Natal has evolved from a small dairy operation to winner of the Agricultural Research Council’s 2019 Master Dairyman of the Year. The farm’s founders, Alan and Frances Webster, hope that their success story will motivate aspiring and existing farmers to persevere with their agricultural vision.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Continue To Rise

Despite calls for governments and policymakers to take an active approach to the issue of global warming, a new report by the World Meteorological Organization shows that the rate of increase of greenhouse gas emissions is still above average. If urgent steps are not taken to reduce these emissions, the world will suffer catastrophic consequences, the report warns.

World's Fastest Tractor At LAMMA 2020

The 38th LAMMA show, one of the UK’s top agricultural machinery, equipment and technology expos, took place near Birmingham from 7 to 8 January. It featured a special display of the world’s fastest tractor, the JCB’s Fastrac Two.

Turning a hobby into an award-winning stud

What started off as a hobby for Theuns Bruwer and Pierre Veldhoen seven years ago has turned into the registration of an Angus stud with successful and highly respected breeding stock. Jeandré van der Walt visited their stud, Windmeul Angus, outside Paarl in the Western Cape.

STRONG GROWTH FOR POLISH POULTRY SECTOR

The Polish National Agricultural Support Centre recently hosted Farmer’s Weekly news editor Julinda Schroeder on a four-day study tour to Poland, where she had the opportunity to have a closer look at the country’s poultry industry.

Strict selection sees Beefmaster stud thrive

Dawie du Plessis of the Magmar Beefmaster stud in KwaZulu-Natal implements strict selection criteria based on Beefmaster founder Tom Lasater’s six essential traits.

Smithfield's capricious cannon

Ou Grietjie, a cannon in the Smithfield Museum that was used in the Free State-Basotho Wars, is linked by name to another famous Boer gun and a European siege cannon.

Harnessing the dual-purpose potential of Merino ewes

Matthew Morgan of Tarkastad has developed his family farms vertically by establishing permanent mixed pastures for his 3 000 Merino ewes to lamb on. The excellence of his farming won him the title of 2019 Toyota-Agri Eastern Cape Young Farmer of the Year.

Growing garlic: Part 2

Garlic (Allium sativum) can be grown in a wide range of soil types.

Cotton prospects for the new season remain promising

In the November 2019 Cotton Report released by Cotton South Africa (Cotton SA), the US-China trade dispute was again cited as a contributor to the challenges faced by the industry.

Transformation project stands as an example

Despite ongoing delays and red tape, Merino stud breeder Eddie Prinsloo and eight of his employees have begun farming in partnership in a business known as the Donkerhoek Farming Project. Sabrina Dean visited them on Prinsloo’s Free State farm to learn about the venture.

Tough times need tougher cattle

Cattle farmers in Southern Africa have had a difficult year, with on going drought and foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks. Louis Steyl, CEO of the Bonsmara Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa, says that the Bonsmara, with its adaptability and high functional efficiency, has proved itself the ideal breed to cope with, and thrive in, these challenging conditions.

TEN YEARS IN AGRICULTURE: the winners and the losers

As another decade draws to a close, clear winners and losers have emerged on the agricultural front. While the industry is in a better position overall than 10 years ago, a bumpy road lies ahead. Lindi Botha reports.

Large-scale composting turns waste into healthy soil

Over the years, composting guru Redge Jelliman has produced thousands of tons of compost as organic fertiliser for his crop farming enterprise in the Free State. Now semi-retired from farming, and a soil health consultant, he shared his experiences with Lloyd Phillips.

How farming is making South Africa a better place

The South African farming sector deserves to be acknowledged by politicians and citizens in general for the overwhelmingly positive impact it is having on the future of all who live here. Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus looks back at how farmers did their part this year to promote transformation and social cohesion while ensuring food security.

Autonomous equipment rivalry

A number of autonomous agricultural machinery concepts have been revealed at international agricultural shows in recent years, and several are in the testing phase. The question is, when will this equipment become commercially available?

ANIMAL ANTICS

From tool-using goats and brilliant baboons to big, angry bulls, animals can amuse, amaze and sometimes scare us. A number of people related their favorite animal stories to Glennis Kriel.

A plan for reducing food loss and wastage

In a recent study, published by the World Resources Institute, researchers explored 10 scaling interventions that could help reduce food loss and waste across supply chains and geographies. According to the report, ‘Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Ten Interventions to Scale Impact’, governments, businesses, farmers, consumers, and everyone in between need to play a role in implementing these interventions.

The fundamentals of fertility in beef cattle

Llewellyn Angus, an animal scientist, Simbra/Simmentaler breeder, and SA Interbreed Judges Association examiner, says that grazing and fertility management are both crucial to profitable beef cattle farming. Here he shares the basic principles of managing fertility in a beef herd.

World's ‘smartest tractor' coming to SA in 2020

John Deere’s 8RX tractor, which recently won the ‘Tech for a Better World’ category in the CES Innovation Awards held in the US, will be brought out to South Africa next year.

THE BEEFMASTER When only the best will do

Tabbie du Plessis, who runs the Janmarck Beefmasters stud in the Free State, says the Beefmaster breed has lowered the birthweights and increased the weaning weights of calves in his herd. He adds that the future of the breed is bright, as breeders are constantly improving their herds through the use of exceptional animals in breeding programmes.

Ultra-high-density grazing for sustainable beef production

There are a number of tools that can contribute to successful sustainable agriculture, provided farmers use them strategically. Danie Slabbert, one such South African farmer, explains how he is using ultra-high-density grazing to help ensure that he and future users of the land all benefit. Lloyd Phillips reports.

Quality counts in the business of big beef

The Beefmaster Group’s abattoir in Kimberley can process up to 800 cattle a day. Roelie van Reenen, the group’s supply-chain executive, spoke to Sabrina Dean about how the group operates and maintains its high standards.

Tomato pests to look out for

This crop is targeted by a wide range of pests. Infestation will vary from place to place, and from season to season, but some form of pest control will invariably be necessary.

Industrialise first. Free trade will follow.

Michael E Odijie, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Centre o African Studies, argues that implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement will not catalyse industrialisation on the continent. Rather, governments should start with regional industrialisation.

Shifting paradigms to make SA sugar cane farming more sustainable

The negative effects of more than 170 years of monocropping with sugar cane in South Africa are starting to appear. KwaZuluNatal sugar cane farmer Deon Schröder explains what these are, why they should be changed, and how he is going about this on his farm.

Carbon tax may cost farmers dearly

In a world increasingly focused on climate change, farmers have little choice but to reduce their carbon footprint. If they fail to do so, they stand to lose both market access and money. David Farrell, founder of agricultural consultants Blue North, spoke to Lindi Botha about the urgent need for farmers, particularly exporters, to carry out their calculations and take action.

Bean pests & soil diseases

One pest that every bean farmer knows is the African bollworm. This tends to appear sporadically, rather than building up its population gradually.

The case for a national agri insurance plan

South African farmers are finding their businesses increasingly at risk due to the effects of climate change. Broad-based access to a state-supported agricultural insurance scheme would enhance food security in the country, writes Dr Sifiso Ntombela, a senior agricultural economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council.