Animals-and-Pets
Farmer's Weekly
'Be positive and make use of opportunities'
The ALS Group, managed by Cas Joubert, his brother Thys, and partner Johan van Rensburg, was recently recognised as the Agricultural Writers SA Farmer of the Year for 2022. Joubert spoke to Magda du Toit.
2 min |
December 23 & 30, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
'Agriculture is the glue that keeps SA together'
André Brink, 2022 Syngenta/Grain SA Grain Farmer of the Year, joined his father on Groot Phesantekraal in the Western Cape’s Durbanville district during the 1980s when interest rates were high and cash flow tight. This, he told Magda du Toit, taught him the value of careful strategic planning.
2 min |
December 23 & 30, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Escalating demand for eggs spurs optimism
Despite the soaring input prices of this past year and political uncertainty ahead, Western Cape poultry farmer Agmat Brinkhuis, Agricultural Writers SA New Entrant to Farming of 2021, is upbeat about egg production. He spoke to Lindi Botha about his business, Chamomile Farming Enterprises, and his hopes for the future.
3 min |
December 23 & 30, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Bird flu sweeps across the US and Europe
As 2022 drew to a close, agriculture and animal health authorities around the world had their hands full trying to mitigate the effects of what looked set to be the worst outbreak of avian influenza in some of the world’s major agricultural sectors, including the US and the EU.
1 min |
December 23 & 30, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Devastating floods, drought raise risk of food crisis
Unprecedented flooding that hit Pakistan between June and August this year has again underlined the risk posed to food systems by the effects of climate change.
3 min |
December 23 & 30, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Global agriculture round-up for 2022
In 2022, the supply chain challenges and high input costs faced by farmers in the wake of the COVID- 19 pandemic took a new turn when Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Volatile weather conditions further exacerbated the situation, while commodity prices continued to soar.
2 min |
December 23 & 30, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Family farmers: our green-thumbed heroes!
True sustainable development will not be achieved by corporate-wealth-accumulation agendas, but by visionary family farmers, says Prof James Blignaut, an ecological and environmental resource economist.
5 min |
December 23 & 30, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
'Smallholders produce 30% of SA's fresh produce'
Recent market research undertaken by the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) indicates that about 30% of total volumes of produce delivered to South Africa's fresh produce markets come from smallholder farmers, each producing on less than 5ha of land.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Ceres Fruit Growers awards top producers
Ceres Fruit Growers, a subsidiary of the Ceres Group, recently celebrated its top apple and pear producers.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Brahman heifer sets new South African record
The in-calf Brahman heifer SER 19 032 recently set a new South African record when she was sold for R1,2 million at the Prima Genetika Brahman Auction held at Castle de Wildt near Modimolle on 19 November.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Farm sales in South Africa looking bullish
A total of 3 864 farms were sold in South Africa between January and October this year, a significant increase from the 3 133 over the same period in 2021, according to Johann Bornman, chairperson of Agri Development Solutions.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Counting the cost of stock theft in South Africa
Stock theft cases during the period July to September of this year totalled about 7 340, an increase of 10,2% year-on-year (2021: 6 660), according to the latest crime statistics released by the South African Police Service.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Rising interest rates put more pressure on farmers
Increasing input and debt-servicing costs may force many farmers to downscale their production, while others will not be able to access the necessary funds to plant crops.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
'UK farmers must look further afield as migrant labour costs rise'
More foreign workers are needed in the UK to drive economic growth as the country faces a deep recession. This was according to Tony Danker, director general of the Confederation of British Industry.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Our favourite festive season plants, and how to grow them at home
The most common plants associated with Christmas are holly, mistletoe and poinsettia.
6 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
The new Nissan Navara PRO-4X
The Nissan Navara is an old nameplate that represents a line of bakkies produced from 1985.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Dealing with weeds in cucurbits
Uncontrolled weeds can rob pumpkins and other cucurbits of the nutrients they need for a good yield. et weeds can also protect pumpkins at a later phase in their growth.
2 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Controlling root-knot nematodes
Root-knot nematodes are found on the roots of plants and infect most commercial vegetable crops such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and fruit trees. By damaging the plant tissue, they lower crop yield.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Hardening off tomato seedlings
Seedlings that are 'hardened off' will produce plants that are thicker, less succulent and more resistant to transplant damage.
1 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Surviving the troughs of the blueberry market
Three years ago, few would have foreseen that blueberry prices would plunge by more than 50%, forcing many investors to the brink of collapse. Berry farmer Luan Swart of Mpumalanga explained his strategies for weathering the storm to Lindi Botha.
7 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Nguni and Brahman: crossbred to perfection
Theo Maqashalala runs approximately 100 commercial Nguni breeding female animals near the town of Seymour in the Eastern Cape. He spoke to Mike Burgess about his appreciation for the Nguni breed, and why he opted for a terminal crossbreeding programme that uses Brahman bulls.
4 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
How heat stress affects dairy cows: Part 3
In this final instalment of our three-part series on the consequences of climate change on dairy cows, veterinarian Dr JH du Preez explores the negative impact of heat stress on these animals’ conception rates.
4 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
The challenges facing Namibia's cattle producers
Despite the fact that Namibia is an arid country, farmers there continue to run profitable beef operations. However, profitability margins are decreasing. Janine Ryan reports.
3 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Eliminating growth problems with plastic
In this article, a strawberry farmer from KwaZulu-Natal described the benefits of growing these plants in plastic-covered beds, and the problems she encountered when it came to marketing and selling her fruit.
3 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Debunking the myths about land reform in SA
Johann Kirsten, director of Stellenbosch University’s Bureau for Economic Research, and Wandile Sihlobo, senior fellow in its Department of Agricultural Economics, discuss the facts and fallacies of land reform.
5 min |
December 16, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
A daring rescue, a unique Victoria Cross
A cairn near the town of Komga commemorates the actions of Major Hans Garrett Moore during the final Cape Frontier War, a feat that earned him the Victoria Cross. Mike Burgess tells a remarkable story of bravery.
2 min |
December 02, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
A stylish, friendly, affordable hotel without the unnecessary frills
After staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cape Town's Woodstock, Brian Berkman readily admits that the savings are worth more than the absence of robes and slippers in the room. And the staff are five-star, anyway!
4 min |
December 02, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Petrol vs diesel vs hybrid VS electric: Part 2
In this second part of a two-part series, CAR magazine looks at the benefits of electric and hybrid vehicles, with a Porsche in the mix.
2 min |
December 02, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
CROPS - How to improve growing conditions
If your crop yields seem lower than normal or you've seen a drop in quality, take a careful look at the factors that affect plant growth, such as temperature, sunlight, irrigation, soil health, and your choice of cultivar.
3 min |
December 02, 2022
Farmer's Weekly
Curcubit planting strategies
Curcubit hybrids are now the norm. Because they are so much more expensive to produce, you'll need to ensure that every seed counts and produces the maximum yield per hectare.
2 min |