CATEGORIES

The Future Of Packaging

Digitalisation, in combination with growing concern over pollution, wastage and food safety, is resulting in smarter, more functional packaging with a smaller environmental footprint. Alwyn van Jaarsveld, head of sales at Tessara, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the latest packaging trends.

Climatic And Soil Requirements For Wheat

There are three types of wheat production in South Africa: dryland summer wheat, dryland winter wheat, and irrigated wheat. Producers must make sure to plant cultivars suited to the area in which they farm.

An Affordable Way To Fix Poor Drainage

Slow water seepage in a field can adversely affect yield, profit, and the land’s long-term sustainability. Lindi Botha spoke to two experts about how to identify and rectify drainage problems.

Smallholder farmer has big aspirations

Jonathan Carlson started working on his dream of becoming a farmer straight after he finished school: he made and sold neck clamps for cattle to raise the funds he would need to turn his aspirations into reality. Today, he runs a small yet successful Boer goat and cattle operation. Pieter Dempsey reports.

Growing onions: Part 8

Plant population is more important than many growers may think, and getting it wrong can result in major crop problems, such as small sizes and strange shapes, says Bill Kerr.

Pöttinger celebrates 150 years in business

Agricultural machinery manufacturer Pöttinger started in 1871 with a fodder-cutting machine. With the launch of its rotary hoes, row crop cultivators and tine harrows in August this year, the company closed the last gaps in its range to cover the whole mechanical crop care segment.

Droughtmaster is making its mark in South Africa

The Durow family from Clocolan in the eastern Free State has been breeding Droughtmasters for only five years, but has been impressed by the breed’s performance from the outset and believes that there is a good future for these hardy, medium-framed cattle in South Africa. Denene Erasmus reports.

Family meetings: learning to plan productively together

Give each person an opportunity to voice their disagreement in your family business, suggests Trevor Dickinson. Doing so will not only reduce resentment, but will help define the role of the next generation.

Bio-Wheat: A Brand Built On Soil And Plant Health

Bio-Wheat has established itself over the years as a wholesome, stoneground flour brand produced by a family business in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. Owner Heinie Fourie spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how the family found success in the milling industry.

Why SA's Grain Sector Must Invest In Research

Ongoing research plays a key role in maintaining the viability of South Africa’s grain industry. Sadly, capacity in this regard has diminished over time, and farmers are paying the price, says Dr Miekie Human, research and policy officer at Grain SA. She spoke to Annelie Coleman about her organisation’s steps to rectify the situation.

Why Are Some Horses So Pricey?

Horse prices currently vary from R2 000 to several millions, says Dr Mac, depending on the animal’s breeding and training.

Unwind at the foot of an ancient mountain pass in the Western Cape

The Oudekloof Pass near Tulbagh may be one of the oldest and steepest mountain passes in South Africa, but thanks to a new road, reaching the peak is easy. Oudekloof Wine Estate & Luxury Guest Farm at the base of the pass offers visitors a fine wine experience and comfy accommodation, writes Brian Berkman.

New combination cultivators for seedbed preparation

According to Amazone, its new Ceus 3000-TX and 4000-TX disc and tine combination cultivators offer shallow, intensive lifting and crumbling, as well as deep loosening and mixing.

Predator control: do your homework!

Know your farm. Know your livestock. Know your predators. These are the keys to successful predation management, says Niël Viljoen, predation specialist at Predation Management South Africa. Susan Marais spoke to him about the lessons he has learnt over the past 13 years, and how farmers can benefit from them.

POULTRY Chicken diseases: Part 1

Disease can spread rapidly among chickens as they are kept together in a cage or chicken house and share the same food and water.

Growing onions: Part 7

There are various ways to produce your own seedlings for transplant, including direct seeding in a seedbed and using a seedling tray. Bill Kerr discusses each of these methods.

Commercial gaps for bioethanol production

The shift from fossil-based energy sources towards greener alternatives is gaining ground. One such alternative is bioethanol production. Johann Görgens, professor of chemical engineering at Stellenbosch University, carried out a study of the production of bioethanol from plant biomass, and explained the results to Pieter Dempsey.

One of SA's biggest avocado growers is on a coffee high

With some areas of South Africa having the ideal conditions for growing coffee, the country has the potential to produce a world-class product. However, only a few farmers are planting the crop, as it is highly labour-intensive. Zander Ernst of Allesbeste Boerdery is one of a handful of farmers who want to change the perception of coffee production in South Africa. Magda du Toit reports.

Caring for lambs

Farmers suffer their greatest sheep losses before weaning, with the majority of lamb deaths occurring during the first 10 days after birth, and more than 20% during the first three days. Dr Josef van Wyngaard, technical manager at Voermol Feeds, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about ways to limit these losses.

Breeding better dairy herds

A milk-on-merit scheme allowed dairy farmers to put more money into breeding, as this article showed.

A Hardy And Healthy Tomato Hybrid

In a first for South Africa, the development of marketable hybrid tomatoes promised fruit that was hardy, robust, grew vigorously, and had uniform fruit set and size, as revealed in this article from the early eighties.

How Covid-19 Changed Agricultural Policy

As governments implemented containment measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in early 2020, they also introduced ways of limiting the effects of the virus and related lockdowns on agricultural supply chains. A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development tracked these initiatives, including the South African government’s response.

Hunger in Africa: problems and solutions

Since well before COVID-19, several major drivers have knocked the world off track in its efforts to end hunger by 2030. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ latest report on food security highlights the need for deeper reflection on how to better address the causes of food insecurity.

Understanding and treating PPID

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, sometimes called Cushing’s syndrome, is a common hormonal disease in older horses, says Dr Mac.

Growing onions: Part 6

As with direct seeding, there are advantages and disadvantages to the transplanting of onion seedlings.

‘It's time for NWGA to focus on grassroots level'

Billy van Zyl, new chairperson of the National Wool Growers’ Association, spoke to Susan Marais about his plan to focus on farmers at grassroots level, the challenges facing South Africa’s wool growers, and how the association is helping communal farmers enter the market.

Innovate to survive in the SA wine industry

For many businesses, COVID-19 brought with it tragedy, but for family-owned winery Van Loveren, it has served as a catalyst for change. Susan Marais spoke to managing director Phillip Retief about the way in which the pandemic inspired innovation in their business.

Putting a breeding plan in place for successful cattle production

One of the basic principles of successful livestock farming is the implementation of a seasonal breeding strategy. Prof Frikkie Neser of the University of the Free State spoke to Wouter Kriel about putting a breeding season plan in place, and how to ensure that bulls are healthy and able to perform optimally.

How to control kweekgras in croplands

Couch grass, commonly known as kweekgras, can rapidly take over a land, leading to serious crop losses. Here’s how to beat this weed.

From automation to no driver!

Michael and Philipp Horsch from agricultural technology and machinery company Horsch discuss how they are working on developments from task automation to autonomous driving systems.