Business
Farmer's Weekly
A name among seafaring men: the training ship General Botha
The warship HMS Thames was donated to the South African government to be used as a training facility for young men who wanted to make a career at sea, and renamed General Botha.
5 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Sound advice from a fourth-generation sugar cane grower
Sugar cane farmer Pratish Sharma shares his practical insights with Octavia Avesca Spandiel on aspects like soil health, pests, irrigation, harvesting, and industry rules, offering useful guidance for anyone entering South Africa's highly regulated sugar industry.
7 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Tata out to make amends on its return to South Africa
After a six-year hiatus, Indian car-maker Tata Motors has stormed back into South Africa by launching four models all at once. The Citizen's
4 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Cosy timber cottage for weekend getaways
Dear Jonno, I love seeing your designs in Farmer's Weekly, and there is generally an argument who reads it first in the family. We would love you to design a small timber cottage for us that we can build as a weekend getaway, with at least three bedrooms, for family and friends who tag along. Our site is in the foothills of the Drakensberg, and we have access to pine plantations all around us. The local sawmill has planking, and what they call 'siding,' basically the outer edge of the trees cut to planks. Some are decent enough to include in the building and will help hide the home among the surrounding forests. I envisage a living room and kitchen on the ground floor, and the bedrooms all upstairs. Kind regards, James and Connie
1 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Broilers vs layers: which should you farm?
The choice to farm broilers or layers is perhaps as an ambiguous question as which came first, the chicken or egg?’ As Janine Ryan found out, the reason for this is that there is no quick or foolproof answer, and every farmer will have to decide for him-or herself what is likely to work best in their system.
8 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The sticky truth about 'fake' honey
Honey adulteration has become one of the most widespread food-fraud problems globally and South Africa is far from immune. Prof Robin Crewe and Jan Steenkamp spoke to Glenneis Kriel about this growing threat to consumers, beekeepers, and the future of the honey industry.
5 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Livestock prices rising as the festive season approaches
Nkhensani Mashimbyi, agricultural economist at Absa AgriBusiness, considers the dynamics in the livestock industry to explore what price trends could look like over the coming weeks and months.
2 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Flooding in Pakistan may hamper upcoming potato plantings
According to a recent article by Potato News Today, severe flooding in Punjab, Pakistan, is threatening seed stock and delaying the planting of potatoes. This, the news agency said, was placing additional strain on the country’s food security.
1 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
A disappointing outlook is loomimg for GDP growth
Despite a marked improvement for the agriculture sector in the first two quarters of 2025, Dr Koos Coetzee believes farmers are still facing challenging times ahead.
2 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
WIETA drives inclusivity for black wine producers
The Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trading Association (WIETA), in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, recently hosted an event in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, to celebrate its Black Producer Ethical Support Programme.
2 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Denny problems: firm specific or industry wide?
The imminent closure of Denny's Phesantekraal mushroom production facility in the Western Cape marks the second since 2022, leaving only the Gauteng facility operational.
1 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Egypt reports whopping agri produce exports so far in 2025
Egypt's total agricultural exports have reached around 7,5 million tons so far in 2025, according to Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in Egypt.
1 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Table grape season off to strong start in SA
According to the first crop estimate by the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI), inspected export volumes are expected to increase by 0,6%, from 78,9 million (4,5kg equivalent) cartons to 79,4 million cartons. The lower and upper limits for the harvest are 77 million and 81,7 million cartons, respectively. This is 6,6% above the fiveyear average of 74,5 million cartons.
2 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
From food rescue to food sovereignty: SA Harvest expands greenhouse network to build climate-resilient communities
SA Harvest has announced a significant milestone in its long-term strategy to build a climate-resilient, community-driven food system: the completion of three greenhouses in Cape Town, Gqeberha, and rural Eastern Cape.
3 min |
October24 -31, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Why The Vineyard Hotel remains one of Cape Town's favourites
Brian Berkman has a blissful, peaceful weekend away in one of the Cape's most loved hotels, with its mix of the historic and contemporary, inside and outside attractions.
3 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Black growers pushing for 50% citrus export share by 2032
Black citrus growers are driving a transformation ambition that aims to capture half of South Africa's citrus export market by 2032. The Citizen's Enkosi Selane reports.
4 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Diseases, vaccines and parasites of goats in spring
Dear Prof McCrindle, Which are the most dangerous diseases in Boer goats in spring? We live in Gauteng and have a smallholding with 250 goats.
2 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Boer goats add value where others dare not graze
Giel Swiegers's Boer goats aren't the farm's main income, but by grazing once-unused slopes, they play a vital role in keeping his farm, Witrivier, resilient and productive. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel.
4 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
How to show off your animals in a show ring
Andrew and Colette Masterson run an expanded farming concern on the farm Milagro in the Humansdorp district. Their farm includes, among others, a Simmentaler stud and an Angus stud. The Mastersons are active participants in the show ring. Annelie Coleman reports.
5 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Empowered staff drive piggery profit
Outdated piggery infrastructure doesn't have to be a stumbling block to profitability. At Zimbabwe's Triple C Pigs, CEO lan Kennaird has proved that well-trained, motivated staff are the real drivers of productivity and profit. His philosophy: empower employees to think critically, act decisively, and take ownership of results. Lindi Botha reports on how the more than 600 employees are managed.
4 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Growing greenery for the South African flower market
Welma Viljoen, owner of Mobjadi Farm, spoke to Carol Sutherland about the greenery she produces for the flower market, and the challenges she faces in production and getting her product to market.
5 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The man behind the eloquent Loch Bridge
The Loch Bridge across the Kraai River near Barkly East in the Eastern Cape was designed by British-born engineer Joseph Newey, and opened to traffic in 1893. Mike Burgess writes about the life and times of this immensely energetic member of the Cape Colony's Public Works Department.
3 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
What is your smart?
Discover the smart side of pork with a twist of personality. Whether you're as patient as a potjie, as charming as a curry, or as spontaneous as a schnitzel, there's a dish that matches your unique style. What is your smart? Explore our delicious pork-inspired personalities and find the meal that speaks to you. Think Smart, Think Pork!
1 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
True showmanship - so much more than a title
Jannie Kotzé, owner of De Panne Angus Stud, spoke to Nichelle Steyn about what it takes to become an icon in the show ring.
5 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Weaner to grower: piggery turns waste into profit
Disease outbreaks, high maintenance costs and a fluctuating market remain constant risks for piggeries. As a result, farmers may experience losses and production delays. Jan Streicher, manager of the Riversdale Piggery, spoke to Henning Naudé about maintaining profitability through strict biosecurity measures and an efficient feed programme that capitalises on a waste product.
6 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
A practical guide to managing pigs through the phases
Dr Dorothea Mostert, veterinarian at CSVet, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about practical strategies for managing pigs from weaning to finisher phases, highlighting nutrition, environment, and welfare as key drivers of efficiency and profitability.
6 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Selection of fresh releases for the summer
Patricia McCracken rounds up a diverse range of books to tuck into on nature, the biography of a South African mover and shaker, an old annual favourite on world records, and a fictional dose of suspense.
2 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
In the eyes of a show judge
Shows can be a daunting prospect for newcomers to the showing world. While they offer an ideal opportunity for their animals to be evaluated by professionals in the industry, having their animals formally judged can be nerve-racking. Willemien Pieterse, a show judge and independent cattle inspector, spoke to Janine Ryan about what she looks for when judging cattle in the show ring.
5 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Powdery mildew can be devastating to capsicums
This fungus has the capacity to rapidly build up resistance to crop chemicals, but there is a simple way to defeat it, writes Bill Kerr.
2 min |
October 10-17, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
India-Brazil launch Maitri 2.0
The recent launch of the second edition of the cross-incubation programme in agrotechnology, Maitri 2.0, will strengthen the agricultural innovation partnership between India and Brazil, according to TV BRICS.
1 min |