Business
Farmer's Weekly
Adele's Mohair: a living tapestry of craft, colour and rural heritage
Octavia Avesca Spandiel spoke to Adele Cutten, founder of Adele's Mohair, to explore how a small spinning experiment grew into a thriving rural craft enterprise rooted in South Africa's rich mohair heritage.
6 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
How Merino farmers are battling predation, disease and rising costs
Whether you are a stud breeder or commercial Merino farmer, environmental, operational, and infrastructural challenges have an equal impact on a farming operation. The aim of any livestock farmer, whether stud or commercial, is to keep losses at a minimum, and although farmers are facing many challenges, they implement various strategies to ensure both the survival and financial security or profitability of farming operations.
9 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Game plus cane proves to be a winning formula
Tania Sandberg visited Neil Hampson, a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) cane farmer who successfully diversified into game, and found out how he cut costs and worked together with neighbouring farmers to create a viable venture.
3 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Western Cape's conservation estate grows by 47 000ha
The Western Cape has added some 47 000ha to its conservation estate through the declaration of two new nature reserves and the expansion of two others.
3 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
New study reshapes macadamia irrigation
Macadamia farmers hoping for a straightforward estimate of annual irrigation needs may be left wanting after the release of long-term research late last year. Instead of a single benchmark, the findings emphasise the importance of week-by-week, region-specific assessments when scheduling irrigation. The upside is that orchards may require less water than previously assumed.
7 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Peppermint Crisp avo ice cream
Forget what you think you know about homemade ice cream!
1 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
The future of SA wool: refined infrastructure and wool traceability
As the agriculture sector starts to adapt to the fast-paced development of technology, producers and processors need to decide what to implement and what to avoid. Henning Naudé spoke to Izak Klopper, manager of shearer training at the National Wool Growers' Association, about how shearing has changed, and what the industry can expect from new research and development from international markets.
5 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Cannabis and marketing in South Africa
The path from cultivation to commercial success remains complicated by regulatory ambiguity. Cultivators who master compliant marketing while delivering verifiable quality will build sustainable businesses, says Thomas Walker.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Spaghetti with fried eggs and crispy breadcrumbs
Tender spaghetti is transformed by the classic comfort of a perfectly fried egg, whose runny yolk creates a luscious, effortless sauce.
1 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Profitability from on-farm horses in difficult economic times
Integrating horse ownership for schoolchildren and holding shows or outrides can increase farm profitability, says Dr Mac.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Foot-and-mouth disease project targets waste reduction and regulatory reform
A groundbreaking research collaboration between Red Meat Industry Services, the University of Pretoria, and global animal health leader Zoetis is aiming to transform South Africa's approach to foot-and-mouth disease.
3 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Multipurpose structure for meetings and lectures
Dear Jonno, I recently saw your academic artwork in Farmer's Weekly at a friend's lodge in Limpopo and was immediately a fan.
1 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
What to expect in 2026
The world faces a complex interplay of economic, geopolitical, environmental, technological, and social pressures.
3 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
How drones are revolutionising pest and disease detection in agriculture
Drones are reshaping modern crop protection by giving farmers a powerful new vantage point: the sky. With advanced sensors, high-resolution imaging, and artificial intelligence-driven analytics, these unmanned aerial vehicles can detect early signs of disease, water stress, and pest damage long before the human eye can. Jedrie Harmse spoke to agricultural drone specialist Monique Heydenrych.
7 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Generic advertising in perspective
Dr Koos Coetzee explains how industry organisations and the agriculture sector actually have the ability to prudently manage the negative perceptions surrounding generic advertising campaigns.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
The modern Merino: the benchmark breed
The Merino breed has transformed dramatically over the past seven decades-from the skin-folded wool specialists of the 1950s to today's plain-bodied, fertile, well-balanced sheep prized for their dual-purpose productivity. Yet, despite its versatility, myths persist. Willie van Heerden, manager at Merino South Africa, dispels some of these myths.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Successful tomato production dependent on holistic approach
Tomato farming has become a high-stakes, high-input business where success depends on getting many moving parts right at once. From seed choice and soil preparation to climate control, irrigation, nutrition and pest management, every stage of the crop’s life cycle demands precise, season-specific decisions.
10+ min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute celebrates excellence
The Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute marked a major milestone in December 2025, conferring over 200 agricultural qualifications, including bachelor's degrees and various national certificates.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Hitting back at the leafminer pest in tomato crops
The tomato leaf miner moth, Tuta absoluta, has wreaked havoc on tomato farms the world over. With a high risk for developing pesticide resistance, and pesticide bans on the horizon, researchers are in a race to develop integrated pest management strategies that can save tomato crops.
7 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Producing premium Wagyu in the 'Hardemans' Karoo
Dr Corrie Avenant is a practicing specialist anaesthetist but also owns and runs the ATKA Stud in the Northern Cape, which produces world-class Wagyu animals and meat at local prices. Janine Ryan reports.
7 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Romagnola beef cattle vastly increased weaner weights on a Free State farm
The Romagnola cattle breed has the inherent quality to increase beef production in South Africa markedly, according to Marnus Lessing, owner of the JML Romagnola stud near Lindley in the Free State, who succeeded in pushing up weaner weights considerably through crossbreeding Romagnolas with Brahmans.
5 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Grain SA issues guidelines as poor-quality agri inputs threaten farmers livelihoods
Grain SA has urged South African grain and oilseed farmers to act fast when seeds, fertilisers, or agrochemicals underperform, providing clear guidelines to protect crops.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Vegetable price trends as we enter the new year
This analysis by Zama Sangweni explores how five key vegetable commodities, cabbages, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes, performed, considering recent supply volumes and consumer demand patterns.
2 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Small is beautiful for budding Overberg trout business
Albert Kemp has turned a childhood fascination with fish into a sophisticated, year-round aquaculture enterprise on a smallholding owned by himself and his wife Alicia in Baardskeerdersbos near Gansbaai. He spoke to Jeanne van der Merwe.
6 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Using data and technology to breed a climate-ready Merino
High on the shoulders of the Sneeuberg mountains near Cradock, the Jordaan family has shaped a Merino that survives where seasons no longer follow rules. They are building resilience against a future where 'normal' seasons don't exist, merging old-school stockmanship with genomics, nutrition science, and hard-won climate wisdom. Sabrina Dean spoke to Andrew Jordaan Jr.
7 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
University of the Free State's cutting-edge research to save the giraffe from extinction
The University of the Free State has launched a first-of-its-kind giraffe research facility, creating a groundbreaking, low-stress environment where standing procedures, as well as reproductive and physiological research, can be conducted on habituated giraffes. Annelie Coleman reports on the initiative.
5 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Joburg Fresh Produce Market needs a 'refresh'
South Africa's fresh produce markets are vital to food security, supplying up to half of the nation's fruit and vegetables. Protecting and modernising these markets is essential for a resilient, equitable food system writes Marc Wegerif, senior lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Pretoria.
4 min |
January 16-23, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Infrastructure, policy, and finance will be the African continent's growth drivers
Africa's agricultural potential is vast, but inefficiencies in infrastructure, trade policy, and finance limit growth. Investments in transport, cold storage, irrigation, and digital trade systems, among others, are key to unlocking faster, cheaper, and more efficient agricultural trade.
3 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
SAPPO Academy showcases skills development and small business success
The South African Pork Producers' Organisation (SAPPO) Academy, a training organisation that promotes animal, environmental, and public health in the pig industry through knowledge transfer, recently hosted a mini development symposium in Pretoria. The event included an afternoon of meaningful dialogue, strategic learning, and leadership exchange, effectively bridging academic insight with real-world industry innovation.
3 min |
January 2-9, 2026
Farmer's Weekly
Backing for SA Canegrowers as sugar imports soar
Coenie Snyman, winemaker and founder of Rock of Eye Wines, was named the 2025 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year for his Rock of Eye Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, while Marnich Aucamp, assistant winemaker at Stellenbosch Vineyards, won the Young Winemaker of the Year award for his Stellenbosch Vineyards Credo Chenin Blanc 2024 at a gala dinner near Kleinmond in the Western Cape.
1 min |