Business
Farmer's Weekly
How top potato farmer optimises production
Since taking over her late husband's farm three years ago, Franelyn Rossouw has been simplifying her approach to potato farming in order to streamline production. She spoke to Lindi Botha about how her focus on optimising irrigation, meticulous crop protection, and reducing in-field traffic is bearing fruit.
10 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Getting started with potato farming
Potatoes are a valuable crop for farmers with limited land and can be planted almost throughout the year. They are also ideal for use in a rotation system with maize. The crop’s value lies in its adaptability to marginal environments. Successful cultivation, however, requires strict adherence to best practices, writes Linda Piegl.
6 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Updated Isuzu MU-X hits R1 million mark
The Isuzu D-Max bakkie might be a local favourite, but its MU-X SUV sibling is miles behind segment heavyweights like the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest. The Citizen's Jaco van der Merwe took the updated MU-X for a spin to find out if it is capable of gaining any ground on its rivals.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Take control of your risks before they take control of you
Risk has two key components: how likely it is to occur, and the severity of its occurrence. Understanding and managing risk is crucial to the survival of your business, says Peter Hughes.
1 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Nampo Harvest Day enjoys its moment of fame
Nampo Harvest Day 2025 broke records across the board. A record 87 191 visitors attended the agricultural expo, while President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, and Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson were also in attendance.
1 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Global envy over SA’s free market trading system
South African fresh produce traders could not contain their pride during the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) conference held in Johannesburg, Gauteng from 14 to 16 May.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Beefmaster: a 'profit breed' around the world
The Beefmaster was developed in the early 1900s by Tom Lasater, who built on the work of his father, Ed C Lasater. Since then, the Beefmaster has become a force to be reckoned with in beef cattle production, proving itself as a particularly adaptable, hardy, and fertile breed.
4 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Innovative models are needed to fix local infrastructure
This past week, more than 87 000 people descended on Nampo Park in Bothaville for the annual harvest day festival and exhibition.
3 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Wine industry must change approach to lobbying against sin tax
The meaningful and secure participation of black players in wine production will enable the industry to renew its call for government to align excise duties on wine with inflation, writes Dr Sifiso Ntombela.
3 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Instant lawn gives profit and pleasure
Having given up the stresses of a hectic business life, a couple found satisfaction and success in farming grass, as this article showed.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Moringa can transform poultry farming and consumer health
Dr Sharon Nobuhle Lungu, an animal nutrition researcher at the University of Pretoria, says that although moringa offers benefits for sustainable farming and human health, its potential as a poultry feed additive remains largely untapped. She looks at the obstacles facing the industry and how they can be overcome.
3 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
'SA agriculture must be future-proofed' – futurist
Farmers should adapt to survive the deep structural changes that are currently taking place in the world.
1 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The basics of growing cabbages
Getting to know and properly understanding the requirements to effectively produce cabbages will always give the producer the competitive edge, writes Shane Brody.
3 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Subsistence to commercial change 'not happening'
The goal of transforming subsistence farmers into commercial farmers across Africa has largely failed, leaving food security continually in the balance.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Fishing in the shadows: the real cost of unlawful activity at sea
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a global issue with far-reaching consequences, endangering marine ecosystems, destabilising fisheries, and putting economies and food security at risk, writes Linda Piegl.
7 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Nutrient sweet spot for optimal potato yields
To increase potato yield and quality, nutrients need to be carefully managed, taking into account what the plant requires and how applied elements interact with each other. Charles le Roux of Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System spoke to Lindi Botha about optimising nutrition for maximum synergy.
7 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Potato profit margins hindered by municipal fresh produce markets
The insidious decay of municipal fresh produce markets over the past few decades has had far-reaching consequences for the fresh produce industry. As the largest traded commodity, potatoes have been especially hard hit. Willie Jacobs, CEO of Potatoes SA, spoke to Lindi Botha about the impact and the way forward.
7 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Youth farmers celebrate a soya bean windfall
Jay Jay Farming, a rural youth-led farming business in the Eastern Cape, recently achieved its first-ever soya bean harvest, yielding between 1,5t/ha and 2t/ha.
1 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Employees who sleep on the job
Fatigue can impair an employee's concentration, coordination, and reaction speed, which in turn can reduce their productivity. Employees who sleep on duty also put themselves, their colleagues, and their employer at risk, writes James Pretorius.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Accommodation for rural workers
Dear Jonno, There are often workers in our area who require accommodation while fulfilling shortor medium-term contracts.
1 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
From cow dung to cellulose fibres and more
Researchers from University College London in England and Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland have developed a technique to recover cellulose - a natural fibre found in plant cell walls - from cow dung and turn it into useful manufacturing materials.
1 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Rediscovered: the elusive Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew has been recorded for the first time in 46 years
One of the Western Cape's most mysterious mammals, the Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew (Myosorex longicaudatus boosmani), has reappeared, 46 years after it was last documented.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
UCT professor wins prestigious research award
Dr Katye Altieri has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) New Frontiers Research Award.
1 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Sweet potato production
Sweet potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, but be aware of certain pests, and also retain adequate soil moisture, writes Bill Kerr.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Upward momentum in meat complex as SA heads into winter
This week, Absa AgriBusiness considers the dynamics in the South African livestock industry to explore what prices could look like over the coming weeks.
2 min |
June 06, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
A home with a view of Table Mountain
We want to build a house on the West Coast, not too far from Cape Town, and we want it to be reminiscent of the Cape Dutch style.
1 min |
May 23, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Tips for buying a horse trailer
What should you consider when buying a horse box or trailer? It all depends on how many horses you'll be transporting and how often you'll be doing so, as well as how much you're willing to pay, writes Dr Mac.
3 min |
May 23, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Leopard numbers plummet as their habitat shrinks
Global animal welfare organisations, including FOUR PAWS and Wild Africa, highlighted the exploitation of leopards in the global big cat trade on International Leopard Day on 3 May.
1 min |
May 23, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Horse hoof care in wet weather
High rainfall can benefit crops, but without proper grooming and timely treatments, muddy fields can lead to various ailments in horses, including lameness, mud fever, and foot rot, writes Dr Mac.
2 min |
May 23, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
From banking to birding and the bushveld
As winter starts to bite, Patricia McCracken recommends books that will keep you intrigued while you're curled up in front of the fireplace or taking shelter on a sunny veranda.
2 min |