The farming world has never been particularly receptive to rapid change. Farmers don’t readily abandon a method that has always worked in favour of one they are not sure of or believe may be too expensive to implement. Less than a century ago, some grain farmers kept up to 50 oxen on the veld just to plough their lands, long after tractors had become an option. Today, despite the obvious benefits of drones, many farmers have yet to buy one.
While some farmers certainly get hooked on technological innovations or gadgets long before these become essential for their particular businesses, it’s also true that other farmers wait too long to fall in line with trends.
A good example of this is the seemingly sudden importance of traceability, animal welfare and good farming practices in the animal fibre industry.
This story is from the February 28, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the February 28, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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