Business
Farmer's Weekly
The economics of cannabis: who's really profiting from it?
Although the cannabis industry has seen incredible growth in recent years, large corporations are still reaping more financial benefits than small businesses and entrepreneurs, says Thomas Walker.
2 min |
April 18, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The brothers who built a successful farm in the Eastern Cape
Through strategic partnerships and perseverance, brothers Simphiwe, Thembinkosi, and Linda Fani have built Doornrivier Farm in Somerset East, Eastern Cape, into a thriving livestock operation. Simphiwe and Thembinkosi spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about the land acquisition, infrastructure, and financial challenges they have overcome to reach a point of sustainable production.
5 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
How the Bonsmara changed red meat production in SA
The Bonsmara is a beef cattle breed that thrives under taxing conditions and has the meat and carcass quality required for profitable production. Sandile Nzuza, breed director at Bonsmara SA, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the contribution this breed has made to the local red meat industry since its development in the 1930s.
5 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The wise use of water in agriculture
As South Africa is a water-scarce country, it is critical for all water users to prioritise the protection of this precious resource. However, water is also a key economic enabler in the agriculture sector. Magda du Toit spoke to industry experts about the regulated use of water in agriculture.
8 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
How to fertilise your onion crop
Depending on the stage of an onion plant's development, the farmer needs to adjust the ratio of elements in their fertiliser mix, says Bill Kerr.
2 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Protecting pangolins is as easy as using WhatsApp
Pangolert is a simple yet powerful tool that farmers and others can use to report pangolin sightings, alert authorities about poaching, and contribute to protecting this threatened animal.
2 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The Agrico T1000 ripper: a durable solution for effective tillage
The Agrico T1000 was locally designed and built specifically for South Africa’s challenging terrains, ensuring optimal efficiency and a longer lifespan.
2 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Communal piglet rearing
Although this UK pig breeder might not have marketed as many pigs annually as he would with a three-week weaning system, he found communal rearing more profitable.
3 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Is a snap election possible in South Africa? Let's look at various scenarios
With the recent election of a new leader of the Liberal Party in Canada to replace outgoing premier, Justin Trudeau, the rumours of a snap or early election immediately arose in that country.
3 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Laying the foundation for a good barley crop
Barley can be a lucrative crop if not downgraded to feed. Manfred Venter, head of agriculture at Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV South Africa, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how farmers can make the most of this crop.
5 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Schools, communities urged to start home gardens
The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe recently visited various schools in Ntabethemba and Tarkastad under the jurisdiction of the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality in the Chris Hani District to promote the cultivation of home-based, community, and school gardens as a means to combat food insecurity.
2 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Tanzania receives 18 white rhino from South Africa
In a groundbreaking project to protect and breed white rhinos, South Africa recently delivered a group of 18 white rhinos to the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.
1 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
DIY budget-friendly bird feeders
You can attract a variety of bird species to your garden with a cost-effective, easy-to-make feeder constructed with repurposed or common materials available from your local hardware store, writes Linda Piegl.
2 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
South Africa's oldest hunt, point and retrieve club is turning 40!
The TVL Hunt, Point & Retrieve Field Trial Club is the pioneer of the versatile gun dog movement in South Africa.
1 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Macadamia prices continue to rebound
Macadamia prices for the 2025 season have shown double-digit increases, but the industry was far from the recovery needed for long-term stability, according to industry role players.
2 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The consumer is always right
People are ready to buy directly from farmers and farmer groups, and the trend towards sustainable food provides a good platform for selling to consumers, writes Dr Koos Coetzee.
3 min |
March 28, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The bond between Boer and Zulu
The friendship forged between Louis Botha and Dinuzulu as boys in rural Natal later led to co-operation and land donated to the Boers to establish a new republic around present-day Vryheid, writes Graham Jooste.
5 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Pet-friendly farm stay
Guest-farm owners and animal lovers Annatjie and Chris Geldenhuys treat pets as family, welcoming dogs of all shapes and sizes. They even roll out the welcome mat for cats and birds, writes Linda Piegl.
2 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
How the Bonsmara changed the trajectory of beef cattle breeding in SA and beyond
The Bonsmara is a South African breed that was bred to thrive under African conditions, says Louis Steyl, CEO of the breeders' society Bonsmara SA. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about the origins of the breed and the value it has added to sustainable and profitable beef production on a global level.
4 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Students chosen for global poultry programme
Lihle Sindaku, a master's student at North-West University (NWU), has been selected to participate in an international poultry programme aimed at bridging academic study and industry insights.
1 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Harnessing renewable energy: sustainable solutions for SA farmers
Sustainable energy options like solar, wind, biogas, and others enable farmers to reduce their reliance on the national power grid and insulate their farms from electricity price hikes, writes Cobus du Plessis.
8 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Advancing the use of integrated pest management in crop production
Experts in integrated pest management are gaining importance as fruit-importing countries tighten their phytosanitary regulations. Nadine Botha, technical and commercial manager at Insectec, spoke to Magda du Toit about her journey from growing up in a small mining town to taking on a leading role in the field.
4 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Challenges to overcome when direct seeding onions.
Achieving the planned onion population and bulb quality requires precise seeding, especially in summer rainfall areas, writes Bill Kerr.
2 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
BMW covers all the bases with all-new X3
In January, BMW rolled out the all-new Rosslyn-built X3. The Citizen's Mark Jones sampled the latest generation of the popular SUV to discover why the three-model line-up caters for everyone.
2 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Global and domestic outlook for canola
Canola is an important global crop, and while South Africa is not a significant player in the industry, production and trade abroad have a significant impact on local production and prices.
2 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
A cottage for people sharing the facilities
Dear Jonno, We write to you for some ideas for a cottage that can be built and rented out to people working in our vicinity.
1 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The cost structure of solar energy systems for farms
Transitioning to solar energy involves understanding the various components of a solar power system, the different options available, and how the costs thereof are calculated, writes Cobus du Plessis.
6 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Charred mango and steak salad
The first few twinges of autumn are in the air, but you can keep the tantalising taste of summer alive with this gorgeous salad. Recipe and photo: South African Mango Growers' Association.
1 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Record number of entries for dairy championships|
Judging for Africa's largest and oldest dairy competition, the South African Dairy Championships, recently took place in Durbanville in the Western Cape.
1 min |
March 14, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
BLUP values vs 'good looks'
In this article, Louis Steyl, CEO of the breeders' society Bonsmara SA, explains why farmers should buy bulls based on both BLUP values and conformation, without prioritising either factor.
3 min |