Try GOLD - Free

Tractors to boost agricultural production

Farmer's Weekly

|

29 September 2023

The donation of new tractors is a big boost for a farming community in the OR Tambo District, writes Jyothi Laldas.

- Jyothi Laldas

Tractors to boost agricultural production

Eastern Cape farmers in the OR Tambo District recently received 21 tractors to boost agricultural production in the region. The donation was made by the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform.

Department MEC Nonkqubela Pieters announced the donation at an Imbizo held at AmaMpondomise Kingdom’s Upper Kroza Great Place in Qumbu, Mhlontlo Municipality.

Speaking to farmers and chiefs in the presence of King Zwelozuko Matiwane and Queen Siyonwabele, the MEC said the tractors were handed over to help farmers in the district move from farming as a hobby to farming as a business.

The machinery, which was handed over throughout the month of September, included six brand-new and 15 refurbished tractors.

A fully equipped tractor with a three-row planter, a heavy-duty disc, an Nguni bull, 10 wheelbarrows and seedlings were also donated to the royal family.

MORE STORIES FROM Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Tropical avo smoothie

Escape to the tropics with this luxurious, creamy, and vibrant smoothie! Blending rich avocado and sweet mango with zesty lime, fragrant mint, and a punch of tangy granadilla, this recipe transforms into a nutrient-packed and silky-smooth treat.

time to read

1 min

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

THE HITCHING POST

I am a 60-year-old white woman who loves camping, animals, the outdoors and watching sport.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

The enduring legacy of Tiyo Soga

In the 1850s, Tiyo Soga, a Xhosa man, became the first ordained black South African minister. But as Mike Burgess writes, his legacy would also be determined by his all-round intellectual abilities honed by a solid Scottish education.

time to read

4 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Isuzu D-Max shows single cabs can be comfortable companions

Bakkie manufacturers don't give single cabs to the media due to them generally being regarded as workhorses without the bells and whistles from fancier double cabs. The Citizen's Charl Bosch was gobsmacked when a single cab arrived for a three-month stay.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

South Africa eyes home-grown rice as ARC expands research efforts

South Africa is taking bold steps toward reducing its dependence on rice imports by exploring the viability of home-grown upland rice. Through a major research drive led by the Agricultural Research Council's Small Grain division, scientists and industry partners are testing rice varieties capable of thriving in South Africa's diverse soils and increasingly water-scarce climate. Anelisa Gusha reports.

time to read

3 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Spanish tortilla

Bring the authentic flavours of Spain to your table with this robust and satisfying Spanish tortilla.

time to read

1 min

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

New year brings marvellous new titles

Patricia McCracken, like many of us, has settled back into the grind of the new year and picked up a diverse selection of books ranging from travel, to fiction, to non-fiction and a delightful local children's adventure.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Nitrogen 'switch' unlocks greener crops

A ground-breaking discovery by molecular biology professors Kasper Røjkjær Andersen and Simona Radutoiu at Aarhus University in Denmark offers a significant step toward developing self-fertilising grain crops, potentially revolutionising agriculture to be greener and more climate-friendly.

time to read

1 min

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Sweet prospects: the current state of litchi production in South Africa

Bram Snijder, agricultural consultant and chairperson of the South African Litchi Growers' Association, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about the litchi industry embracing new opportunities, tackling challenges, implementing innovation, and reaching markets both locally and internationally.

time to read

6 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

How AFGRI uses technology to unlock farm finance from asset to market

As modern farming becomes more capital-intensive and digitally driven, AFGRI is reinventing agricultural finance by linking technology directly to lending decisions.

time to read

5 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size