Business
Farmer's Weekly
Getting To Know Earthworms
More than 2 000 species of earthworm have been identified worldwide and there are 300 known species in South Africa. The presence of earthworms is a good indication of soil health.
2 min |
December 04, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Growing Success For A Small-Scale Wattle Farmer
Mthandeni Ntanzi has combined ingenuity, expert advice and sheer hard work to improve production on his small black wattle plantation, becoming an award-winning farmer in the process. Lloyd Phillips visited him at his operation in KwaZulu-Natal.
7 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Dorpers: The Great Survivors
According to Northern Cape sheep breeders Hennie and Hercules Erasmus, the Dorper was bred to thrive on harsh veld. Putting these animals under feedlot conditions ‘waters down’ their hardiness, they explained.
3 min |
December 04, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Benefits And Risks Of A Digitised Farm Sector
Digital technology can make food markets more efficient and inclusive. However, according to a recent report, the digital divide places farmers in some of the world’s poorest regions at risk of being left behind.
5 min |
November 20, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
The role of forests in global food security
The expansion of agriculture increases the risk of deforestation, which will not only have a negative impact on climate change mitigation, but also diminish food security for millions of desperately poor people. This report looks at the link between food security and forest ecosystems.
6 min |
December 04, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Collaboration and safety high on agenda of new Agri Western Cape boss
Villiers Loubser, newly elected president of Agri Western Cape and a farmer near Durbanville, is keen to see the old divisions in agriculture give way to greater unity between all role players, creating a better future for all farmers. Jeandré van der Walt spoke to him about this and other pressing issues in agriculture.
3 min |
December 04, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Take the bite out of rabies
Domestic dogs are the most common reservoir of the virus, with more than 99% of human deaths from the disease caused by dog-mediated rabies.
2 min |
December 04, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Growing guavas: Part 4
This week’s article deals with pests and diseases you need to guard against to ensure healthy plants and a good yield.
2 min |
December 04, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Breeding wireworm-resistant Meatmasters
Through rigorous selection, Meatmaster stud breeder Nico Grobler from North West has succeeded in significantly reducing wireworm infestation in his Kern Meatmaster flock. This has enabled him to run the stud successfully in an area highly susceptible to the parasite. Annelie Coleman reports.
5 min |
December 04, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Dragon Fruit: A Weapon To Fight Food Insecurity
With hunger and food insecurity a reality for thousands of South African households, any effort to reduce this problem should be welcomed. Retired business owner Frikkie Adams is convinced that dragon fruit is ideal for growing at home, as its high nutritional content can benefit families. He showed Lloyd Phillips his experiments at propagating the plant.
5 min |
November 20, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
A Bright Future For Solar Energy In South Africa
Against a backdrop of severe economic pressure and an unreliable base-load power supply, the local uptake of renewable energy is gaining momentum. Henri van Eetveldt, solar and storage consultant at Energy Partners Solar, explains the nuts and bolts of solar energy to Jeandré van der Walt.
4 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Climate-Proof, No-Till Crop Production In The Maize Triangle
Cocky Mokoka has been farming since 2007, but only started incorporating conservation agriculture principles to improve his soil in 2015. He spoke to Pieter Dempsey about the practices he implements on his 740ha farm.
4 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Savvy producers use social media to maximise profit
Social media offer small food and farm businesses a cheap and effective means of advertising. Yvonne Fontyn spoke to three e-commerce entrepreneurs about how they identify their target market, decide which platform to use for marketing, and go about advertising their goods and services online.
6 min |
November 20, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Making every drop of rainwater count
In this first of a two-part series, Dr Louis du Pisani, an independent specialist agricultural consultant, explains the basic components of the water cycle and how these apply to the growth of grass on the veld.
6 min |
November 20, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
The wheat blast disease threat
The recent detection of wheat blast in Zambia raised alarms in the wheat industry in the SADC region. Once established, the disease is difficult to control, say researchers Dr Tarekegn Terefe of the Agricultural Research Council’s Small Grain Institute and Dr Willem Boshoff of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State.
4 min |
November 20, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
New Technology To Detect Mycotoxins In Animal Feed
Prof Cobus Visagie, a mycologist studying fungi at the University of Pretoria’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, was recently awarded a prestigious research grant under the Future Leaders’ African Independent Research programme. He explains the impact of mycotoxins on humans and animals.
5 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
More money for the Land Bank
Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, announced in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement that despite serious efforts to curb government spending over the next three to five years, the Land Bank would be allocated another R7 billion to finance its restructuring plans. Denene Erasmus reports.
2 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
What's behind the locust swarms damaging crops in Southern Africa?
In this article, originally published by theconversation.com, Prof Frances Duncan of the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, whose research involves investigating the survival strategies of brown locusts, explains what is behind the migratory locust outbreak ravaging crops and pastures across Southern Africa.
3 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Surprise: Africa's farmers are relatively young!
Thomas Jayne, a professor of agricultural, food and resource economics, and Felix Kwame Yeboah, an assistant professor of international development, both at Michigan State University in the US, say it is simply untrue that Africa’s farmers are mostly old and, on average, getting even older. It is also a misperception, they argue, that the continent’s young people are not interested in farming.
3 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
New mower and header attachments from CLAAS
German-based agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS has announced the launch of two new mower ranges, as well as changes to its line-up of ORBIS row-independent front attachments for the JAGUAR self-propelled forage harvester.
2 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
PUTTING NATURE BACK INTO BEEKEEPING
With bee populations dwindling globally, beekeepers are looking for ways to improve the resilience of their colonies. Albertus van Zyl spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he achieves this.
5 min |
November 13, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
One Agripreneur, Two Enterprises. Success Despite The Odds!
When the COVID-19 lockdown forced Ncumisa Mkabile to shut down her catering business, she put her entrepreneurial spirit to the test by starting two small-scale farming businesses on a piece of land in Khayelitsha. Jeandré van der Walt reports.
4 min |
November 6, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
A Vicious Circle Of Poverty - The Scourge Of Child Labour In Agriculture
Across the world, child labour is practised more in agriculture than in any other sector. This is despite the numerous hazards involved in farm work, including unprotected exposure to chemicals, working with potentially dangerous livestock, and carrying heavy loads over long distances. Moreover, a lack of access to quality education means these children not only suffer in terms of development, but are unlikely to escape the poverty trap. Janine Ryan investigates.
7 min |
November 6, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
The Latest Generation Of Seed-Sowing Robots
AGCO/Fendt is developing the next generation of field robots as part of a strategic research project. The new series of Xaver sowing robots differs markedly from the past two iterations, and in more than just appearance. The inner seed units of the machines are also entirely new.
4 min |
November 6, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Know When Your Soil Is Ready!
It’s always a good idea to get soil fertility in balance by providing enough fertilizer and, perhaps, organic matter, but treating the soil well is also very important.
2 min |
November 6, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
How To Keep The Family Business In Business
Very few family farming operations transition effortlessly from one generation to another. The process requires careful planning, hard work and a lot of patience. Annelie Coleman spoke to several experts about the factors that drive success, and found that timeous succession planning, a family constitution, and a willingness to allow new entrants topped the list.
5 min |
October 30, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Chillies: A Hot Crop If You Know What You're Doing
Diversifying with chillies has enabled Klein Karoo stone fruit farmer JD van Deventer to increase cash flow, use orchard space more efficiently, and mitigate the climate- and market-related risks associated with fruit production. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel.
7 min |
November 6, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
How Non-Genetic Factors Affect Bull Performance
An Agricultural Research Council study of the performance of Brahman bulls in feedlots across South Africa has highlighted the non-genetic traits, such as environment and herd of origin, that affect the average daily gain and feed conversion ratios of the animals. Researchers Melville Ferreira, Alfredo Lepori and Frans Jordaan explore the importance of the results, emphasising that maximum feed efficiency is essential for the long-term sustainability and profitability of the beef industry.
5 min |
November 6, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Producing Cowboy-Style Workhorses Naturally
Pierre and Carine Kleinhans breed horses capable of patrolling large areas of land with minimal inputs, much like the animals used by cowboys in the American Wild West. The couple spoke to Glenneis Kriel on their farm near Touws River in the Western Cape about their operation.
7 min |
October 30, 2020
Farmer's Weekly
Add Value To Berries: Part 1
Do you want to increase your market turnover? One proven way of doing this is to add value to your crops through agro-processing.
3 min |