Business
Farmer's Weekly
Understanding carrot fertilisation
Whether to apply fertiliser or not depends on which crops were grown in the land previously, among various factors,
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
Ford's new Ranger Tremor built for off-road performance
Ford will introduce its Ranger Tremor to the South African market in the first half of 2024, Siyavuya Mbaduli of CAR magazine reports.
1 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
Private landowners are vital custodians of biodiversity
BirdLife South Africa explains why private landowners’ co-operation can be extremely helpful and is actually essential for the protection of biodiversity.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
Three beautiful but dangerous aliens
As humans travelled to explore, trade and wage war, plants established themselves in their wake to flourish in areas they had never been seen before. Mike Burgess looks at three alien species whose pretty flowers belie their destructive impact on South African biodiversity.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
Good advice and hard work tripled this farmer's potato crop
Potatoes are a notoriously tricky crop to produce, making transformation in the sector extra-challenging. However, through collaboration with Potatoes SA L and mentorship, Limpopo farmer P Walter Mathidi has boosted production. Lindi Botha reports.
8 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
Mixing the traditional with modern technologies
Reindeer farming is an ancient practice that involves the herding and hunting of reindeer for meat, hides and horns. Janine Ryan looks at a brief history of reindeer farming, and how modern technologies are being used to improve efficiency.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
What does the new year hold for agriculture?
Agriculture leaders and role players look back at 2023 and express their wishes for 2024.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
South Africa's grain and oilseed outlook for 2024
Magda du Toit examines the trends and forecasts for maize, soya bean, sunflower and wheat in the year ahead.
10+ min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
From trash to power!
Nkweauseh Reginald Longfor, a doctoral candidate at Sophia University in Japan, explains how to harness energy from Africa's rubbish dumps, and save billions in future damage.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 5+12 January
Farmer's Weekly
More wildfires means more destruction
Once again the spotlight shines on climate change as wildfires have engulfed large farming communities across Europe, North and Southern Africa and North America during their summer seasons.
1 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Ostrich production enters better times
Ostrich production is likely to see a revival of sorts in 2024
2 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Unfavourable climatic conditions are taking a big toll on pome and stone fruit exports
Pome and stone fruit production and exports are set to take a hit in 2024, reports Glenneis Kriel.
4 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
The heritability of blue eyes in Spanish horses
Horses with white faces often have white eyelashes and blue eyes due to the ‘splashed gene’. In the US, testing by means of DNA allows breeders to select for genetic traits in horses, such as blue eyes
2 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Carrots are susceptible to the world's number-one pest
Root knot nematodes, when sufficient numbers are present, cause swellings against the main root or swellings further away
2 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Farming embedded in the core of Young Farmer 2023 winner
JJ de Nysschen, the 2023 Agri Limpopo and Toyota Young Farmer of the Year, grew up in a farming family and knew he would one day choose farming as a career. He spoke to Magda du Toit.
6 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
The importance of plant extracts in semen cryopreservation
Dr Cyril Pilane, a researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, explains why plant extracts are becoming the gold standard as supplements for semen cryopreservation.
3 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
How aquaponics is being used to feed communities
Green Arch Innovations founder Luvo Gugwana is a social entrepreneur whose goal is to spread affordable aquaponic solutions across rural areas in South Africa through his franchise model
7 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Agritourism kept farm afloat during drought
While tourism plays an important role in the Namibian economy, agritourism adds considerable value on a farm level in this arid country. Annelie Coleman visited the Mount D'Urban camping site near Helmeringhausen to find out more about tourism's contribution to the business.
6 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Table grapes exports expected to return to normal
The table grape harvest is expected to increase season on season.
2 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Crucial for world to embrace sustainable farming
The international headlines about climate change, pandemics and wars show the challenges the farming community faced this year. With this in mind, the agricultural sector is continuously looking for ways to improve the industry to make it sustainable in the long run for both, the farmer and the consumer.
2 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Eliminating growth problems with plastic
There are good reasons for growing strawberries on plastic-covered beds.
3 min |
22+29 December 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Conservation and local communities
Local communities should be treated as valued stakeholders and sustainability partners in conservation and tourism, say Ian Gordon-Cumming and Prof Kevin Mearns of Unisa’s Department of Environmental Sciences.
3 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Want to start a pig farm? Read this first!
There is a lot to consider when embarking on any farming operation, and the same is true for starting a piggery. Janine Ryan reports on some of the things you should consider when thinking about starting a pig farm.
7 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Do you have environmental authorisation to farm?
Farming’s impact on the environment is not usually front of mind when buying a piece of land, but without securing environmental authorisation, farmers could find themselves in a world of trouble. Lindi Botha speaks to Ngwanarachuene Mampane, director of Westleigh Environmental Services, about remaining on the right side of the law, how to apply for authorisation and the time frame involved.
8 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
SA's renewable energy programme: the hits and misses
South Africa’s 12-year-old Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme offers insights for countries moving to cleaner power sources, say researchers.
4 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Climate change and organic farming
Consumers and legislators in the EU are pushing for food production methods that neutralise carbon emissions. What impact will this have on food availability, costs, exports and imports? Lindi Botha asked Michaël Wilde, director of Bionext in the Netherlands, a body that represents the organic food industry.
9 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Speakers discuss unlocking Africa's agriculture potential at conference
The continent’s contribution to improving food security across the world was discussed at length at the recent Agri Investment Conference,
3 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Plan for these livestock diseases
After a challenging few months, the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa urges farmers to take note of its latest disease report,
2 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Escaping the commodity trap
Statistics show that, due to inflation, people are spending less on buying fruit,
3 min |
December 15, 2023
Farmer's Weekly
No cause to panic-buy eggs, but a poultry meat price hike is on the horizon
Consumers need to brace for a possible price hike going into the new year, writes Jyothi Laldas.
2 min |