CATEGORIES

Transporting cattle

Every cattle operation has to get its animals from A to B, despite the stress it places on them. Here’s how to carry it out smoothly and humanely.

THE DEATH MARCH

Graham Jooste dips into the diary of Rudolph Jordaan, who, with other Allied prisoners of war, was forced to work, and ultimately walk, across much of Europe towards the end of the Second World War.

Making waves: should South Africa's livestock exports by sea be allowed to continue?

South Africa’s exports of live animals by ship to the Middle East presents a major new opportunity for the country’s red meat farming industry. But the initiative has generated huge controversy within the industry and from animal welfare experts. Lloyd Phillips looks at both sides of the story.

Flicking flies in Barkly East

Fly fishing is as synonymous with the Eastern Cape district of Barkly East as are Merino wool and snow-capped mountains in winter. As Mike Burgess writes, the legacy of fly fishing in the region is not only rich, but evolving.

Favouring quality over quantity on a small piece oF land

The Patience family started farming on 95ha of rented land in Saron in the Western Cape in the 1960s, beginning with just 10 sheep and a handful of cattle. Today, Therecia Patience and her son, Gary, are on the same land, and are systematically improving the genetics of their Dohne Merino sheep. They spoke to Jeandré van der Walt about their successful operation.

Stress In Cattle

As part of an animal’s stress response, its body releases cortisol, a hormone that provides energy to help the animal escape the stressor. If the stress persists, however, the animal’s health will suffer.

Tooth Caps In Young Horses

Deciduous teeth that are not shed can be problematic in young horses in training, warns Dr Mac.

Beefmaster Breeders Enjoy A Packed, Informative Tour

The annual Beefmaster tour took place in Mpumalanga this year, and included visits to nine prominent Beefmaster breeders who collectively own about 8 300 animals.

Good News For Landowners Defending ‘Vexatious' Land Claims

Landowners who previously had to personally foot the bill for legal fees to successfully defend themselves against vexatious or frivolous land claims will now have the option to request a court to award costs orders against the state or its legal representatives. Lloyd Phillips reports.

Coping Strategies To Deal With Uncertainty

South African agriculture is a uniquely risky environment, yet its farmers are well-known for meeting challenges with courage and resilience. Glenneis Kriel spoke to four prominent farmers to discover how they deal with uncertainty.

Seedlings: Well Begun Is Half Done!

Seedlings are the start of a new crop, so the better their condition, the more likely you are to benefit at harvest time. Most experienced farmers will confirm that when seedlings grow rapidly into a uniform stand, the crop usually ends up well.

Health-Conscious Consumers Drive Up Fresh Produce Prices

Consumer interest in healthy eating is pushing up sales of fresh produce. But looking at the commodities that experienced the highest growth over the past few years, one thing is clear: information, marketing, packaging and branding hold the key to increasing demand and staying competitive. Lindi Botha spoke to industry experts Jaco Oosthuizen and Kandas Cloete.

Are Top-Priced Genetics Really Worth It?

The logic seems to dictate that some livestock producers must suffer buyer’s remorse after purchasing an animal for an eye-watering price. Glenneis Kriel asked a few farmers whether their record-breaking acquisitions have paid off, and found the answer to be unanimous.

Self-Taught Worm Farmer Recycles Waste Into Compost

Using earthworms to recycle food waste into compost is not only profitable but helps to address the increasing problem of food waste. Worm farmer Thato Lekonyane spoke to Siyanda Sishuba about his enterprise.

SA's agri confidence plummets amid market disruptions

Despite improved output and export earnings, agribusiness confidence has fallen to the lowest level since the 2009 financial crisis, due to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Lindi Botha reports.

Angular Limb Deformities In Foals

Angular limb deformities can be treated in various ways, depending on the severity of the deformity, says Dr Mac.

Feed For Every Broiler Farmer

Epol’s wide range of broiler feeds caters for all producers, from the smallest-scale beginner to the largest commercial business, enabling every operation to achieve target weights and maximise profit.

The Dairy Industry: Meeting New Consumer Demands

Consumers are increasingly demanding the best of both worlds when it comes to dairy. For example, they want milk that is safe to drink and has a long shelf, but still tastes like farm-fresh raw milk. Prof Elna Buys, head of the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, writes about how the dairy industry has had to innovate to respond to these types of demands.

New Harvest Winner Gets The Basics Right For Success

As the son of a farmworker, Sewis van der Horst managed to work his way up to become a farmer in his own right and an exporter of quality fruit. Last year, he was crowned the Toyota New Harvest winner. Jeandré van der Walt visited his operation close to Villiersdorp.

The Importance Of Having A Breeding Season

Optimal reproductive performance is crucial to the success of a beef cattle enterprise. A defined breeding season can help to achieve this.

Beefmaster: Great Genetics And An Even Greater Future

The ongoing and productive interaction between Beefmaster breeders helps ensure adherence to the breed’s outstanding traits, and is the best guarantee of Beefmaster’s sustainability. So says Guy Rensburg, the owner of Rensgrow Beefmasters in the Eastern Cape.

Covid-19's Message To Livestock Farmers

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted real problems ahead for livestock producers. There is an urgent need for farmers to adopt more naturefriendly practices.

The man who took the job that no one else wanted

History has not been kind to Thomas Burgers, who was asked to save his ailing country, the Transvaal. Lack of judgement and misfortune contributed to his failure. Graham Jooste reports.

Niche market beats economies of scale

Without economies of scale, Lynne Griesel found it increasingly difficult to compete in the broiler chicken market. Switching to free-range chickens not only allowed her to tap into a more lucrative niche market, but opened further avenues for value adding. Lindi Botha reports.

PROPER PLANNING: THE KEY INGREDIENT FOR QUALITY STORED FODDE

To maximise kilograms of meat or wool produced per hectare, it is crucial to maintain a farm’s carrying capacity during winter. This invariably means producing high-quality stored fodder, and making sure there is enough of it. Deal Miles, a beef, mutton and wool farmer in the Cedarville area of the Eastern Cape, outlined his methods of achieving this to Lloyd Phillips.

Poultry litter to biogas: adding more value to farm waste

The benefits of using chicken litter as fertiliser are well known. As the poultry industry grows, however, other uses for it must be found. Dr Idan Chiyanzu and Primrose Magama of the Agricultural Research Council’s Institute for Agricultural Engineering explain how energy can be generated from litter.

Growing potatoes: Part 3

This article examines planting, the importance of ridging, how much irrigation is required, and when and how to harvest your potato crop.

Futuristic Concept Tractor Wins Design Award

Employing an advanced diesel-electric drivetrain and in-cab display projection, the Steyr Konzept hybrid tractor breaks the conventional mould of tractor technology. It also rewrites the rules on what a farm tractor should look like.

A Call To Government For Fair Treatment Of Legal Gun Owners

Firearm ownership has become a contentious issue in South Africa. Fighting on the frontline for the rights of gun owners in this country is Gun Owners South Africa. Pieter Dempsey spoke to the organisation’s senior management about the red tape and government inefficiencies faced by legal gun owners or people wishing to apply for a firearm in this country.

Sunflower's Potential To Expand In East Griqualand

With its relatively mild summers, East Griqualand has never seen large-scale sunflower production. Thanks to recent advances in breeding, this could well change, says Corné van der Westhuizen, Pannar Seed’s marketing agronomist in North West. Lloyd Phillips reports on this development.