Business
Farmer's Weekly
Dental Sinusitis And Apical Tooth Disease
A rotten cheek tooth root can cause sinusitis and extensive facial swelling, warns Dr Mac.
2 min |
July 17, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
The Psychology Of Retirement
Retirement is not a single event; it involves both emotional and financial considerations
3 min |
July 17, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Don't Take Shortcuts With Seedlings
When I mention seedlings in my articles, you may take it for granted that I’m referring to professionally grown seedlings in cavity seedling trays.
2 min |
July 17, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Meet The Future Of Agriculture
The Syngenta Leadership Academy is aimed at empowering a new generation of leaders in South African agriculture. Siyanda Sishuba spoke to three alumni about the skills and knowledge they gained from the academy’s programme.
4 min |
July 17, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Speedlings sweeten seed cane propagation efficiency
Conventional stick seed cane, while long relied on as the source of plant material for commercial sugar cane crops, comes with unavoidable inefficiencies. Experts in seed cane propagation explain how the ‘speedlings’ concept provides an alternative, cost-efficient option that has already proven itself in South Africa’s deman ing sugar cane farming industry.
7 min |
July 24, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
2 min |
July 24, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
5 min |
July 24, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
6 min |
July 17, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
5 min |
July 17, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
4 min |
July 17, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
2 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Tooth Caps In Young Horses
Deciduous teeth that are not shed can be problematic in young horses in training, warns Dr Mac.
2 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
2 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
2 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
7 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
2 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
7 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
7 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
5 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
3 min |
July 03, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Angular Limb Deformities In Foals
Angular limb deformities can be treated in various ways, depending on the severity of the deformity, says Dr Mac.
2 min |
June 19 - 26, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
3 min |
June 19 - 26, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
4 min |
June 19 - 26, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
5 min |
June 19 - 26, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
3 min |
June 5 & 12, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
3 min |
June 5 & 12, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
2 min |
June 19 - 26, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
6 min |
June 19 - 26, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
6 min |
June 19 - 26, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
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.
6 min |