CATEGORIES

Blended Finance Offers Viable Opportunities

A lack of financing and access to capital is one of the biggest barriers to entry for new farmers. With these operations regarded as high-risk undertakings, commercial banks are wary to offer loans, leaving new farmers excluded from the sector. Lindi Botha looks at the possibilities that exist within blended financing to overcome these challenges.

Covid-19 Sees Consumers Turn To Healthy, Local Food

In the climate of unease brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers are turning to healthier, locally sourced food for comfort and certainty, according to Shereen Tromp, senior consultant at Euromonitor International. The consumption of locally grown produce offers new opportunities for local businesses and farmers.

A Self-Adjusting Tractor Tyre

Agricultural machinery company STEYR, in co-operation with Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is developing an ‘intelligent’ tractor wheel equipped with an ultrasonic sensor that ensures optimised tyre pressure at all times and hence reduces compaction.

Consistency, Quality, And A Market On The Doorstep

Cabbage can be undemanding, provided the right checks and balances are put in place and the crop is managed meticulously. Lindi Botha spoke to farmer Bright Matimbe about producing healthy cabbage all year round in the Lowveld city of Mbombela.

Spending That Delivers Tangible Benefits

The agriculture department’s budget needs an overhaul, with more money allocated to delivering services to farmers, and less to administrative functions, according to Annette Steyn, DA MP and member of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.

Double-chocolate brownies

These are the best brownies in the world, and will have your family coming back for more, says Janine Ryan. They have a fudge-like texture and are packed with chocolate!

No-till: better soil at less cost

One sure way of reducing soil degradation is to cut down on tillage. Numerous crops can be grown using the no-till approach, and many farmers who have done so will testify that it cuts costs and improves rain penetration in the soil. The soil also holds more water; in fact, no-till soils generally show drought stress two weeks later than tilled soils do.

The struggle to meet the animal health needs of developing farmers

Much is said about the need for transformation in the red meat value chain, especially among smallholder farmers in traditional authority areas and on land reform farms. Unfortunately, according to former government animal health technician Ginette Bentley, inadequate resources, vacant posts and a lack of cohesion hamper the process. Lloyd Phillips reports.

How A Lockdown Hobby Became A Thriving Broccoli Business

What started as a lockdown project to provide fresh vegetables for the family quickly turned into a flourishing business after Teresa Theron started sending excess broccoli to local supermarkets. Lindi Botha reports.

Incentivise The Private Sector To Invest In Agriculture

While large-scale infrastructure investment is needed to support economic growth in South Africa, Prof Ferdi Meyer and Dr Tracy Davids of the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy say that by providing incentives for the private sector to invest in initiatives such as farmer development, government could achieve more without having to increase its spending much.

Onions To The Rescue Of A Sheep Farmer!

Diversifying to vegetable seed production has enabled Karoo sheep farmer PF Theron to reduce his climatic and production risks while greatly improving profitability. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he has managed this process.

A Model For Agricultural Extension

Agriculture is rife with complaints that extension services are poor, with this blamed as a key factor in many failed farmer-development initiatives. However, William Gillepsie and Felicity Mitchell, authors of a manual on the training of extension services, are showing how proper skills development is setting emerging farmers on the road to success. Lloyd Phillips reports.

Hard Work Pays Off For Home-Made Brand

After losing their farm, Isa Basson and her husband, Sonnie, established a preserved fruit brand. She spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how they have thrived by keeping faith and adding value to fruit.

Agri-Spread International Wants You!

Agri-Spread International has had great success entering the market in South Africa, but is currently looking for new importers to distribute its products to dealers across South Africa and the wider African continent. This could be a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs!

The white flag incident

Charged with the murder of a British officer in a highly contentious incident, Veldkornet Salmon van As was given an unfair military trial and executed. Graham Jooste tells his story.

The building blocks of irrigation scheduling

Having a top-quality irrigation system is all very well, but without accurate irrigation scheduling you will never achieve optimal results, says irrigation expert and agronomist Robbie Childs.

Regain profitability with these post-drought sheep management tips

Prof Tertius Brand, a scientist in animal nutrition at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, shares advice on how to manage a sheep flock during and after a drought in order for farmers to regain the profitability of their operations. Jeandré van der Walt reports.

Farmer's cherry pie

Michael Feldman submitted this recipe for a traditional cherry pie, which was baked for him by his farmer friend Henry. The cherry filling is made with ground cinnamon, which brings out the flavour and aroma of the cherries so well, says Feldman.

‘To succeed, a new farmer must be a quick learner'

Gauteng-based Gugulethu Mahlangu says volunteering for experienced vegetable farmers gave her the confidence to launch her own successful career in farming. Siyanda Sishuba reports.

Continual improvement wins loyal customers

From small beginnings, Lizemari de Klerk, who farms just outside Pretoria in Gauteng, has expanded her Brahman cattle operation from only three cattle to a breeding herd of around 200 animals. Her relentless quest to improve the quality of her animals has earned her a loyal client base. She spoke to Pieter Dempsey.

Braford: Beef Cattle Bred For South Africa

Fertility is foremost for optimal productivity in a beef cattle concern, according to Wessel Wessels, a Braford stud breeder from the Free State. Annelie Coleman reports.

Walking the wild apple forests of Kazakhstan

Two experts in South Africa’s pome fruit industry recently undertook an adventure to an ancient forest in Kazakhstan, known as the birthplace of the modern apple. Brian Berkman reports.

New compact Landini offers versatility and driver comfort

Landini’s new specialised orchard and vineyard tractor range, the REX 3 F Series, has been nominated in Europe’s Tractor of the Year 2021 awards in the category for best specialised tractors.

SA must take a ‘bold step' towards fiscal sustainability

The re-evaluation of govenrment spending, although much needed, will not be enough to address South Africa’s immense economic challenges. There also needs to be stronger political will and leadership from government to address poor implementation, writes Dr John Purchase, CEO of the Agricultural Business Chamber.

Learning from your mistakes

As farmers, we should make every effort to learn from our mistakes. In fact, we should go out of our way to turn our errors to our advantage.

Addressing inefficiencies through improved budgeting

Tshepo Moloi and Prof Johann Kirsten of the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University suggest that a zero-based budgeting approach could offer an opportunity to reassess the role of the state in rural development. The agriculture department should also consider adopting a loan, rather than a grant system, when providing production support to new farmers.

Fine Dining And Tractor Game Drives On A Free State Farm

Since diversifying into accommodation and fine dining in 1991, Free State Merino farm De Oude Kraal has become a landmark. Brian Berkman recently visited it and soon understood why it has gained its excellent reputation.

African Farmers Test-Drive Case IH Combines

The Case IH Axial-Flow 4088 proved its suitability to tough African farming conditions, and specifically to the needs of emerging field crop farmers, during extensive field tests conducted recently on a variety of crops in Kenya. The machine’s rugged simplicity also won it praise.

Papaya Production: A Delicate Balancing Act

Papaya production poses few challenges, says Mpumalanga-based papaya producer Giovanna Secco. But with high volumes and unstable demand, farming the fruit requires careful management to ensure that the crop remains profitable. Lindi Botha reports.

A Lean, Mean Sheepproducing Machine

Sheep production has become a numbers game, with an operation’s profitability being largely dependent on the farmer’s ability to produce large numbers of sheep at low cost. Farm manager Dirk Liebenberg spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he achieves this goal.