Business
Farmer's Weekly
Counting The Cost Of Captive-bred Lion Hunting
Lizanne Nel, conservation manager for the South African Hunters’ and Game Conservation Association, says that hunting captive-bred lions is not good for the local hunting industry and will cost the country millions of rand in losses if allowed to continue.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 21 September 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Beefing Up Cattle Using The Continuous Grazing System
While intensive and fast-rotation beef grazing systems are becoming more popular in South Africa, the Duminies of Duminy Boerdery in Vryheid have stuck by their extensive continuous grazing system. They explained their strategy to Lloyd Phillips.
6 min |
Farmer's Weekly 21 September 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Buying New Tyres For Your Bakkie
Tar road, dirt road, off-road. Mud, sand and rocks. Wet and dry. No single tyre copes well under all conditions. So how do you choose a tyre for your bakkie or 4x4? Jake Venter offers advice.
5 min |
Farmer's Weekly 21 September 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Land Rover: The Making Of A Legend
The Land Rover, with its strange aluminium alloy panels, was meant to be a stop-gap for Rover. But the world fell in love with it, and it became an icon.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 21 September 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Financing Models Now Make Technology More Affordable
Cost is one of the main reasons why farmers are struggling to adopt energy-saving technologies. Charl du Plessis, head of project development at Energy Partners Solar, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the company’s solution to this problem and new developments in solar power.
5 min |
November 09, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
A Farmer's Big Pig Plan
Western Cape pig farmer Leandre Mitchley was named Top Smallholder Farming Entrepreneur at this year’s annual Female Entrepreneur Awards. Her success came after a slow start and a recent major setback, and is testimony to her resilience and discipline. Glenneis Kriel reports.
5 min |
November 09, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Making A Difference In Africa
Crop cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa is still largely carried out by hand. A Free State-based inventor is seeking to change that with his range of remarkable equipment.
3 min |
November 09, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Brucellosis Can Bankrupt You. Don't Let It!
A widespread problem in sub-Saharan Africa, bovine brucellosis can cripple a cattle or dairy farming operation. As no cure is available, all infected animals are required by law to be slaughtered. This makes prevention and control of the disease a crucial aspect of a cattle operation.
6 min |
Farmer's Weekly 28 September 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Breeding Thoroughbreds Takes A Lifetime
39 YEARS AGOBreeding top-class Thoroughbreds can be a lucrative business, with The Green Monkey fetching a record-high price for a colt of $16 million [about R239 million] in 2004. However, breeding these animals takes precision, good management and patience.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 28 September 2018
Farmer's Weekly
The Future Looks Bright For Pecan Nuts
Global demand for pecan nuts continues to grow as consumers become more aware of their health benefits. The trade war may also present opportunities for South African exporters.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 28 September 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Growing Swiss Chard
Swiss chard can either be sown directly or transplanted. Both methods have their pros and cons. For example, many areas I visit are infected with beet cyst eelworm, and direct-sowing Swiss chard here can result in the plants being attacked when the young roots start growing. This not only stunts the seedlings, but allows an extra generation of eelworm to breed.
2 min |
September 28, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Buying A Canopy For Your Bakkie
Bakkie canopies may all appear quite similar, but there are a number of style and fitment options, and the quality varies considerably.
3 min |
September 28, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Data Sharing In The Fresh Produce Industry
According to Ed Treacy, vice-president of supply chain efficiencies for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), blockchain technology holds great possibilities for improving efficiency and traceability in the fresh produce sector. In particular, it optimises supply chain operations, enhancing quality management, increasing market and business intelligence, reducing costs, and fostering brand protection.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5 October 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Aquaculture In Africa: The Successes And Failures
Developments such as cage culture of tilapia and small, privately owned pond systems signal a positive trend.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5 October 2018
Farmer's Weekly
'Red Gold' Brings Success For Small-scale Farming Couple
The Barui-Driehoek Co-op was the ARCs 2017 National Small-Scale Commercial Livestock Producer of the Year. Annelie Coleman visited the owners, husband-and-wife team Kabelo and Matshidiso Mooketsi, to learn more about their top-performing Bonsmara cattle.
5 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5 October 2018
Farmer's Weekly
The Five Freedoms
Codes of good practice herald a new era in animal production. Following them might seem onerous, but they will boost your profit, says Roelof Bezuidenhout.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5 October 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Planting & Harvesting Swiss Chard
Swiss chard should be planted in rows spaced 25cm to 30cm apart, with an intrarow spacing of 15cm to 20cm.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5 October 2018
Farmer's Weekly
New From John Deere
The 9000 Series features the latest forage harvesting technology to provide customers with 10% more productivity while consuming 10% less fuel. Joe Spencer reports.
1 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5 October 2018
Farmer's Weekly
How To Build A Horse Crush
The routine handling of horses is simplified if you own a crush pen, says Dr Mac.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5 October 2018
Farmer's Weekly
It's Time For Smallholder Farmers To Enter Value Chains
The expropriation without compensation debate has been making national headlines since December, with many proponents arguing that it would economically empower the poor. However, Zamikhaya Maseti, a senior specialist for public and sector policy at the Land Bank, says that no land reform policy can be successful if new black farmers do not have adequate access to markets.
3 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Hartebeestpoort Dam
96 years ago Construction of the Hartbeespoort Dam officially began in 1916. However, legal issues, as well as the First World War, hampered production, and the dam was completed only in 1923 after FW Scott tackled the project with renewed energy.
5 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Convenience Or Performance? (Part 1)
There is no getting away from it. A medium to large aquaculture operation, using solar heating, offers the best chance of success.
2 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Customised Training For Commercial And Small-scale Interests
South Africa has an urgent need for agricultural training at all levels. The Hoedspruit Hub Agricultural Training Centre provides commercial skills training programmes, practical courses to assist small-scale farmers, and funding for education of the unemployed in surrounding communities. Lindi Botha reports.
5 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Afrigus - A Game Changer For The Red Meat Industry?
Free State stud breeder Martiens le Roux believes the Afrigus breed is a promising new contestant in the South African beef cattle arena. Annelie Coleman called on him on his farm in the Bethulie district to find out more about this young and relatively unknown breed.
5 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Managing Gerbils On Your Land: Part 2
By the time the effects of a gerbil outbreak on the crop become obvious, it is too late to take action.
2 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Toyota: Its History And Its Bakkies
The company is renowned for its manufacturing techniques and excellent vehicles.
2 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Veld Survey Raises Questions About Rotational Grazing
Dr Heidi-Jayne Hawkins, head of research at Conservation South Africa and an associate at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, spoke to Roelof Bezuidenhout about research findings indicating that rotational grazing management has little effect on veld characteristics across the farm fence lines of South Africa.
4 min |
August 2, 2019
Farmer's Weekly
Commercial Farmers' Vital Role In Rural Development
Largely failed land reform initiatives are leading to increased tension and uncertainty in the agriculture sector as a whole. Veteran rural development expert Jimmy Lonsdale believes commercial farmers have a key role to play in turning this situation around.
5 min |
February 22, 2019
Farmer's Weekly
Tips From The Western Cape's Cucumber Giant
Tunnel production may seem a relatively simple and profitable way to farm, but it involves high capital costs and has a narrow margin of error. Nico Laubscher Jnr spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the lessons that he and his team have learnt at Alzanne, near Vredendal, over the years.
5 min |
February 22, 2019
Farmer's Weekly
Know Your Watermelon Varieties
The watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) originated in Africa, where tribes in arid areas used it as an emergency water source.
2 min |