CATEGORIES

Getting The Basics Of Tilapia Farming Right

Asian small-scale tilapia growers long ago learnt the secrets of successful greenwater fish farming. To be more productive, their Southern African counterparts need to follow the same principles.

Learning From Apple Growers In Poland

Poland is the largest producer of apples in the European Union. On a recent visit to the country, Annelie Coleman met BartÅ‚omiej Brodzik from the Apple Factory, one of Poland’s major apple growers and exporters.

Low-chill Blueberry Production In Limpopo

By securing planting rights to varieties bred to withstand warmer climates, Rosle Boerdery’s Charles Rossouw has become a leader in blueberry production in South Africa. Lindi Botha reports.

The Benefits Of Organic Matter

When the soil contains sufficient organic material, farming becomes far easier and less risky. In contrast, in a chemically based system, the interaction between the minerals becomes critical and complex, and a farmer needs a great deal of experience and knowledge to get good results.

The Combine Market Gets Busier

Several new combine harvester models were launched at Nampo 2018, and this year the focus was on reducing compaction. Joe Spencer reports.

Better Results With A Single-breed Herd On The Highveld

After suffering the effects of a trichomoniasis outbreak in 2010, Afrikan Farms, winner of the ARC’s National Commercial Beef Producer of the Year award for 2018, decided to switch from running a mixed-breed cattle herd to a Beefmaster herd. Siyanda Sishuba reports.

Chicken Larb The South East Asian Salad

A room-temperature salad with a meat or chicken base, larb looks good on the plate, is a riot of delicious flavours, is easy to make, and will be a glorious addition to your repertoire of kitchen skills.

140 Years Of Kverneland

The history of this company dates back to 1879 when the founder, Ole Gabriel Kverneland, built his small forge in the village of Kvernaland, 25km outside of Stavanger, Norway. Joe Spencer reports.

Cherries Are Profitable

Then, as now, cherry farming was labour-intensive and required plenty of water, yet demand and price made up for these factors.

Coffee Farm: Creating Jobs And Making Profit

With the call to increase job opportunities in agriculture, many farmers have been left scratching their heads over the economic implications. But the Schroeders of Mpumalanga have found a winning recipe in coffee production: its high labour component and profitability levels make the crop viable. Lindi Botha visited the mother-and-son team on their farm near Hazyview.

Get The Basics Right For Table Grape Success

The winner of this year’s table grape competition in the Olifants River region, Morné Paxton, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about shade nets and choosing the right grape varieties for export.

Minimising The Impact Of Land Development

Development in a natural area should maintain the integrity of the environment and never compromise the proper functioning of the ecosystem within the landscape.

Sustainable Use Of Wildlife: A Poorly Understood Concept

South Africa is world-renowned for its biodiversity conservation and resultant variety of wildlife. However, public opinion is often divided on the subject of wildlife utilisation. Dr George Hughes, former chief director of the Natal Parks Board and CEO of its successor, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife before retiring in 2001, explains why sustainable wildlife utilisation is essential for biodiversity conservation.

Urgent Access To More Avocado Export Markets Needed - Subtrop

A large avocado harvest means the industry needs to access more export markets to remain sustainable, according to the South African Subtropical Growers’ Association (Subtrop).

First Make It Work, Then Survive, Then Prosper

After playing a significant role in corporate South Africa, Dr Reuel Khoza, former chairperson of Nedbank and Eskom, decided to turn his focus back to his roots in the farming sector. He spoke to Lindi Botha about practical transformation and taking hands with commercial farmers.

A Unique Symbiosis Between Farmers And Brown Hyenas

Although the Kruger National Park is a haven for South African wildlife, it is not the ideal home for the secretive and submissive brown hyena, also referred to as the wolf or strandwolf. Farmland outside of protected areas is vital to their survival. Dr Katy Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Mpumalanga, has been finding out why.

The Wonderful Soil Food Web

Because most soil organisms are microscopic, they don’t get the attention they deserve. Yet a teaspoon of good soil may contain a billion bacteria of thousands of species.

Counting The Cost Of Captive-bred Lion Hunting

Lizanne Nel, conservation manager for the South African Hunters’ and Game Conservation Association, says that hunting captive-bred lions is not good for the local hunting industry and will cost the country millions of rand in losses if allowed to continue.

Beefing Up Cattle Using The Continuous Grazing System

While intensive and fast-rotation beef grazing systems are becoming more popular in South Africa, the Duminies of Duminy Boerdery in Vryheid have stuck by their extensive continuous grazing system. They explained their strategy to Lloyd Phillips.

Buying New Tyres For Your Bakkie

Tar road, dirt road, off-road. Mud, sand and rocks. Wet and dry. No single tyre copes well under all conditions. So how do you choose a tyre for your bakkie or 4x4? Jake Venter offers advice.

Land Rover: The Making Of A Legend

The Land Rover, with its strange aluminium alloy panels, was meant to be a stop-gap for Rover. But the world fell in love with it, and it became an icon.

Financing Models Now Make Technology More Affordable

Cost is one of the main reasons why farmers are struggling to adopt energy-saving technologies. Charl du Plessis, head of project development at Energy Partners Solar, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the company’s solution to this problem and new developments in solar power.

A Farmer's Big Pig Plan

Western Cape pig farmer Leandre Mitchley was named Top Smallholder Farming Entrepreneur at this year’s annual Female Entrepreneur Awards. Her success came after a slow start and a recent major setback, and is testimony to her resilience and discipline. Glenneis Kriel reports.

Making A Difference In Africa

Crop cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa is still largely carried out by hand. A Free State-based inventor is seeking to change that with his range of remarkable equipment.

Brucellosis Can Bankrupt You. Don't Let It!

A widespread problem in sub-Saharan Africa, bovine brucellosis can cripple a cattle or dairy farming operation. As no cure is available, all infected animals are required by law to be slaughtered. This makes prevention and control of the disease a crucial aspect of a cattle operation.

Breeding Thoroughbreds Takes A Lifetime

39 YEARS AGOBreeding top-class Thoroughbreds can be a lucrative business, with The Green Monkey fetching a record-high price for a colt of $16 million [about R239 million] in 2004. However, breeding these animals takes precision, good management and patience.

The Future Looks Bright For Pecan Nuts

Global demand for pecan nuts continues to grow as consumers become more aware of their health benefits. The trade war may also present opportunities for South African exporters.

Growing Swiss Chard

Swiss chard can either be sown directly or transplanted. Both methods have their pros and cons. For example, many areas I visit are infected with beet cyst eelworm, and direct-sowing Swiss chard here can result in the plants being attacked when the young roots start growing. This not only stunts the seedlings, but allows an extra generation of eelworm to breed.

Buying A Canopy For Your Bakkie

Bakkie canopies may all appear quite similar, but there are a number of style and fitment options, and the quality varies considerably.

Data Sharing In The Fresh Produce Industry

According to Ed Treacy, vice-president of supply chain efficiencies for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), blockchain technology holds great possibilities for improving efficiency and traceability in the fresh produce sector. In particular, it optimises supply chain operations, enhancing quality management, increasing market and business intelligence, reducing costs, and fostering brand protection.