Farmer's Weekly
Soya Bean Hulls In Feed Boost Milk Profits
Partially substituting maize with soya bean hulls may lower dairy cattle feeding costs while increasing income generated from milk solids. Anesmé van der Vyver, a master’s student at Stellenbosch University, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about her research findings.
2 min |
December 14, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Pig Farming From Scratch: A Growing Success Story
At the time she was awarded a piggery by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Betty Nyambi knew little or nothing about pig farming. But she refused to let that stop her, and through hard work and training she has become a competent pig farmer. Today, she is aiming at her next goal: gaining quality assurance certification. Siyanda Sishuba reports.
4 min |
December 14, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
New Fruit-sorting Technology Helps Curb Food Waste
Earlier this year, Compac Sorting Equipment, part of TOMRA Food, launched its Field Research Unit, which can be deployed on lands to research the fresh produce industry’s most challenging issues. James Flocchini, Compac’s regional director for South Africa and Asia, spoke to Denene Erasmus about how the unit will be used to develop solutions for the citrus industry specifically and how the technology can ultimately help limit food waste.
4 min |
December 14, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Nematodes' Negative Impact On African Leafy Vegetables
Plant parasitic nematodes pose a serious threat to food security in Africa as they damage crops and hamper production. Dr Nancy Ntidi, a nematologist at the Agricultural Research Council, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the effects these pests have on African leafy vegetables, and how they can be effectively managed.
5 min |
December 14, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Managing High Nitrate Levels In Paddocks
High nitrate levels acidify the soil, leading to an abundance of weeds. Dr Mac explains how to manage this, and prevent it from occurring.
2 min |
December 14, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Fine-tune Your Cucurbit Spacing
Back in the days when Boer pumpkins were planted almost exclusively, I got talking to a Limpopo farmer who had just delivered a load of pumpkins to a depot that distributed produce to mine kitchens.
2 min |
December 14, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Fiat Tractors: Still Going Strong
New Holland is celebrating 100 years of Fiat tractors with a programme of events that kicked off at the EIMA 2018 exhibition in November and will continue during 2019. Joe Spencer reports.
2 min |
December 14, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Tips For Taking Cover Crops To The Next Level
Improving and maintaining soil health is not an overnight fix, but a lifelong endeavour that requires patience and experimentation. In this second part of a three-part series on cover crops and soil health, US farmer and cover crops coach Steve Groff shares a number of valuable tips on using cover crops as a tool for achieving sustainable soil health. Lloyd Phillips reports.
6 min |
November 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Tips On Planting Cucurbits
Some farmers, especially at the end of winter, use seedlings for their cucurbit crops in an attempt to get an early-growth advantage and better prices.
2 min |
November 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
The Benefits Of Feeding Dairy Calves Milk Only Once A Day
The myth that calves are better off receiving milk twice daily was recently dispelled in a study by Animal Sciences master’s student Bertus Myburgh. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel.
4 min |
November 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Food Security: Africa Should Be The Answer
With the relentless increase in world population, particularly in Africa, food production has become the subject of much attention. This provides a golden opportunity for science and skills transfer to position Africa as the solution to the food security conundrum, says Dr Peter Oberem, founder and CEO of Afrivet.
3 min |
November 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Grass-Fed Beef: The Trend That Favours Communal Farmers
Joseph Kau, an agricultural economist at the Agricultural Research Council, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the grass-fed beef movement in South Africa and the opportunities it presents for communal farmers, as well as the obstacles thwarting progress.
4 min |
November 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Converting From Wheat To Sheep On A Small Farm
Alfreda Mars, who plants 160ha to wheat in rotation in the Swartland, has realised the limitations of growing this crop on such limited land. Today, she focuses more on sheep and feed crops, and the future looks bright.
5 min |
November 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Make Money From Cattle Hides
Selling hides can add to your overall profit margin, so it pays to protect them.
3 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Why You Should Take The Leap To Cover Cropping
A cover crop can play a valuable role in ensuring that a cropping operation grows and remains sustainable. Cover crops can be tricky to manage, however. In this first article in a series of three, veteran US farmer and cover crop coach Steve Groff explains why a farmer should not give up when trying to grow a cover crop for the first time. Lloyd Phillips reports.
6 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Rewards Elude Farmer Despite Hard Work
Petros Sithole has spent a decade working hard to rebuild a farm near Malelane left destitute by land reform beneficiaries, but now stands to lose it all. After stepping in at government’s request, he has been told to leave as the same beneficiaries have returned to the farm. By Lindi Botha.
5 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Chicken Thighs With Cauliflower And Leek Mash
There is no doubt in my mind that thighs are the best part of the chicken, and that cauliflower mash and its blessed variants cut your carbohydrate load without leaving you with a sense of sacrifice.
2 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
How Changing Rainfall Patterns Are Reshaping Farming In The Karoo
Justin du Toit, a scientist in pasture research at Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute in Middelburg, spoke to Roelof Bezuidenhout about his analysis of rainfall records in the Central Karoo and how farmers can adapt to climate change.
5 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Getting Ready To Plant Cucurbits
Before planting a land to any of the cucurbits, you should kill off all broad-leaved weeds nearby, preferably well beforehand.
2 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Cotton And Mohair Sectors To Promote Local Consumption
Role players in the domestic cotton and mohair industries have joined forces to ensure that a greater portion of natural fibres produced in South Africa are also processed and consumed here.
1 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Beef Farming As Part Of A Broader Business
Napoleon Holborn of Komga is the 2018 Agricultural Research Council’s Emerging Beef Farmer for the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess visited him to learn about his beef operation and how he has built it, and his other business interests, on the solid foundation laid by his father.
4 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Agriculture-Driven Economic Transformation
Recent research by the International Food Policy Research Institute and the International Institute for Sustainable Development analysed progress in agricultural development in 117 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to understand which policies have succeeded or failed. It then provided policy guidelines to help countries still at the subsidence farming stage to transform their agriculture sectors.
4 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
A Promising Future For Pork Producers
Pork prices in South Africa plummeted after last year’s listeriosis outbreak. While this had a serious effect on producers’ bottom lines, the drop in prices has seen pork become more popular among consumers. Should demand continue to increase, pork production is likely to become lucrative.
3 min |
November 23, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
The Desert: Hot, Dry, And Perfect For Fish Production
Groundwater extracted from arid areas is often unsuitable for irrigation, but it would be ideal for aquaculture.
2 min |
November 16, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Persistence Pays Off For Award-Winning Citrus Farmer
Noluthando Mbilase, who farms near Fort Beaufort, recently won the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ Top Entrepreneur Export Markets title in its annual Female Entrepreneur Awards. The award is testimony to her determination, as well as her willingness to learn, since starting in the citrus industry as a field officer many years ago. Mike Burgess reports.
4 min |
November 16, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Voices Of The Past
Before South Africans had television, they relied on live radio broadcasts of important sporting events. Graham Jooste recalls the two greatest sports commentators of their era: Charles Fortune and Gerhard Viviers.
5 min |
November 16, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
The Potato Menace
38 YEARS AGO If poorly packaged or exposed to excess sun, the humble potato can become highly toxic, causing chronic enteritis or even death.
4 min |
November 16, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
The Impact Of Migration On Farming And Rural Areas
A new report on migration and its impact on rural development and food security by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization suggests that policies on migration, agriculture and rural development should be coherent to ensure the safe and orderly passage of people and reduce the potential negative impact of migration on agriculture and food security.
4 min |
November 16, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Securing The Future Of SA Macadamias
The Southern African Macadamia Growers’ Association has undergone major changes, breaking away from Subtrop to become an independent entity and introducing statutory levies. Lindi Botha spoke to newly appointed CEO Lizel Pretorius about the association’s future.
4 min |
November 16, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Positioning SA For The Future Of Beef Production
In this second of a two-part series, well-known cattle breeder and judge Llewellyn Angus provides more feedback on this year’s Beef Improvement Federation Research Symposium and Convention, held in Loveland, Colorado, in the US, as well as the post-congress tour.
5 min |