It has not been a great start to the year for farmers, and not only in South Africa.
Apart from their inflation and interest rate woes, farmers in Europe and the UK are angry with their governments about a rash of new environmental regulations affecting their operations, increased taxes, subsidy cuts and bans on pesticides.
British farmers and their families are in a state of deep depression about the future. A recent article in the Guardian newspaper, headlined ‘Farming is a dirty word now’, makes for disturbing reading. (shorturl.at/QSY19).
They’ve adopted some of the more tame methods, pioneered by South Africans, to express their displeasure with government: marching to government offices (with their cows, in the case of Irish farmers), blocking roads and dumping manure on the city streets. (They’ve still some way to go to match our standard toyi-toying, violence and destruction of property!)
COMMON PROBLEMS
Our farmers share all these problems, with a few others thrown in that pose infinitely more serious shortterm threats to their businesses, such as electricity blackouts, poor road, rail and port services, and a lack of maintenance of law and order.
However, South Africa’s farmers are a tough bunch, and have shown themselves highly resilient to adversity. While there is anger and frustration, I have yet to see any of the deep depression that seems to be taking hold among farmers in Britain.
As for spending time and effort protesting against government inefficiency and corruption by blocking roads and dumping manure on the streets, they’re all far too busy solving their problems and ‘state-proofing’ their businesses!
Denne historien er fra February 16, 2024-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra February 16, 2024-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
