Business
Farmer's Weekly
Pastry delights and cupcakes
The versatility of pastry in baking and cooking is best flaunted by two vastly different recipes appealing to the sweet and savoury tooth, while a novel way to bake those Christmas-themed cupcakes will also go down well.
4 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Specialised spider-hunting wasps
Wasps are apex predators of the insect world and have developed many survival strategies. One group of wasps focuses on hunting spiders to provide a source of food for their larval offspring
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
From bulls to boardrooms: farming part-time as a professional
Maintaining a farm requires time, resources, and commitment. Farming part-time while being fully employed elsewhere can seem daunting and risky. Although it certainly presents unique challenges, it is feasible for some. Koot Klopper and Herman van Heerden spoke to Henning Naudé about how excellent time management and the delegation of resources, as part-time farmers, successfully keep their farms productive.
5 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Holy Shiitake: mastering the science of gourmet fungi
Mushroom production is inherently the practice of expanding mycelium. But since wanted and unwanted fungi flourish under the same circumstances, a mushroom farmer's biggest challenge is ensuring the right fungi prevails. Lindi Botha reports on Rory Brooks' learning curve.
9 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
No more 'secret' price hikes?
'Secret' electricity price hikes in South Africa have been curbed in a game-changing court ruling, explains Felix Dube, lecturer in the Department of Law at the University of Venda.
4 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The cutworm scourge, and how to control it
The dominant cutworm, Agrotis segetum, is causing renewed, costly damage to South African maize, soya bean, and sunflower.
5 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Legislative gap requires a rethink on biosecurity controls
Since the dawn of democracy, the agriculture sector has cemented its place as one of the essential and trusted pillars for economic growth, job creation, and foreign earnings in South Africa.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
From kitchen experiments to a thriving meat empire
What started as an after-hours kitchen project in the Truter household has grown into the fully fledged meat empire Deli-Co. Brothers Pieter and Hendri Truter told Glenneis Kriel how they turned a local favourite into a multigenerational family business.
7 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Brushing up on your 'cow speak'
Experienced stockman and cattle judge Willie de Jager spoke to Sabrina Dean about some of the basics of reading cattle behaviour and how best to handle these animals.
8 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Corporate day job fuels farming dream
Marius Smit lives in the middle of Gauteng in Centurion and spends his workdays in the fast-paced high-stress corporate sector as a group forensic head for Discovery.
5 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The 2025/26 soya bean outlook reflects structural improvement in the sector
Across the globe, soya beans are in high demand not only for livestock feed, but also due to continued interest as a source for plant-based proteins.
4 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Sunflower industry remains cautious but optimistic
With the new season only just beginning, there are contradictory views about farmers' intention to plant. However, all parties can agree that the weather and soil conditions will play a major role in final yield.
4 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Protein demand gaining momentum prior to festive season
The global meat market is closing 2025 with mixed signals across major protein sources. Absa AgriBusiness looks at the supply and demand dynamics influencing prices.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The farmworker's employment contract
The relationship between farmers and their staff is no longer merely a simple, flexible agreement between two parties. As Hannes Latsky explains, there are minimum statutory conditions that must be observed.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Dexter cattle gaining ground in the Western Cape
The South African Dexter Society has recognised Wilhelm Joubert, viticulturist at Hartenberg Wine Estate near Stellenbosch, and Bennie Diedericks, production consultant at Resalt, for their role in expanding and promoting the Dexter breed in the Western Cape.
1 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
State needs to rid itself of the scarcity mindset to grow the economy
As Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana delivered his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, terms such as ‘fiscal discipline’ and ‘tightening the belt’ were likely to dominate headlines. I can understand that we need to be prudent in the financial matters of the country and keep the debt-to-GDP ratio within reason. However, when these measures spill over to an inability to fill critical vacancies in the state’s machinery, the economy suffers.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Promising start to stone fruit season
South African stone fruit exports are expected to rise by 13% in 2025/26, led by nectarines, while apricot volumes may fall slightly. Strong demand on key markets, including the UK, EU, Middle East and soon China, supports the outlook, but growers face challenges with compliance and logistics.
6 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
SA's essential oils step into global spotlight
Karen Swanepoel, executive director of the Southern African Essential Oil Producers' Association, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about South Africa's essential oils industry and its rise from a small niche market to a quality-driven, globally recognised, and fast-growing business.
9 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Storing potatoes
When it comes to potatoes, you can keep them for many weeks or even months if you store them properly, ensure airflow, and avoid moisture and direct sunlight
3 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
South Africa Wine releases strategic ESG roadmap
South Africa Wine (SA Wine) has released an environmental, social and governance (ESG) roadmap aimed at positioning the country's wine industry as the 'most trusted wine industry by leading in sustainability, equity and transparency' over the next 30 years.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Get the basics right to protect your crop after the harvest
With Grain SA estimating input costs for dryland maize at up to R22 000/ha and up to R16 000/ha for soya beans, no one can afford losing even a fraction of their precious crop between the combine harvester and the silo. Jeanne van der Merwe spoke to knowledgeable industry experts to determine how farmers can ensure maximum returns on their investment.
6 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Local dry bean prices could improve in 2026
According to the Crop Estimates Committee’s 9th production forecast for summer crops for the 2025/26 season, the forecast for dry beans remain unchanged from the previous estimate at 90 556t.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Maize looking forward to another promising season
Magda du Toit spoke to industry experts about what 2026 has in store for maize production.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
An Arctic adventure where the hunt continues, but on the ice rather than in the bush
Brian Berkman says a luxury icebreaker expedition offers South Africans an extraordinary alternative to their traditional June holidays.
5 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
New Toyota Land Cruiser FJ likely to head for South Africa
Toyota South Africa Motors confirmed that the new FJ Cruiser is under consideration for South Africa and likely to be introduced locally in 2026. The Citizen's Jaco van der Merwe had a sneak peek at the vehicle at the recent Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.
2 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The best of the best among SA's cows
The Agricultural Research Council recently presented its 47th annual National Performers Awards, which recognise outstanding achievements across various categories of performance and production. Farmer's Weekly is the proud sponsor of the National Best Elite Cow category, and the winners are presented below.
1 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Getting started on a cut-flower project
Setting up a cut-flower project takes some calculated risks to achieve success. Johannes Maree looks at some key factors to consider when starting up such a project.
3 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The growing power of aloe: South Africa's green gold
South Africa is home to more than 500 species of aloe, of which Aloe ferox, commonly known as bitter aloe or Cape aloe, has long been prized for its medicinal and cosmetic properties. Unlike A. vera, which dominates global markets and is cultivated extensively in tropical and subtropical regions, A. ferox is indigenous to South Africa and grows naturally across the semiarid regions of the Western and Eastern Cape.
6 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Study finds MKP spray may reduce strawberry pollen viability
Jaimee Harris from the Bee-Tech Group spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about the use of monopotassium phosphate and concerns about the impact on strawberry fruit quality.
3 min |
December 5-12, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Government of National Unity - Version 2.0
The leaders of the 10 political parties that constitute the Government of National Unity (GNU) met for an indaba during the first weekend of November 2025.
3 min |