Business
Farmer's Weekly
Cottage pie with baked eggs
A beloved comfort-food classic is taken up a notch with the addition of baked eggs on top. Recipe and photo: South African Poultry Association.
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Saving the bontebok from extinction
The bontebok, endemic to the south-western Cape, was hunted to the brink of extinction before the establishment of the Bontebok National Park in 1931. As Mike Burgess writes, some Overberg farming families were actively protecting the species of antelope from as early as the 1830s.
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Goss's wilt: a once foreign threat to maize is now local
With the emergence of Goss's wilt in certain maize-producing areas of the country, farmers are being alerted to agricultural practices and risk management procedures that may aid in the confinement of the disease.
4 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Boran: ideal for high-density grazing operations
Gideon Oosthuizen runs a commercial beef cattle farm in North West. He explained to Annelie Coleman and Janine Ryan why the Boran is ideal for his particular farming system.
4 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Vital livestock injection and sterility knowledge
To keep your livestock healthy and disease-free, it's essential to adhere to sterile procedures and proper techniques when administering injections
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
New Boran stud off to a great start
The Olifantsberg Boran stud may only have been established three years ago, but it's already showing promise of becoming a name to watch in the industry. Farm managers Johan Geldenhuys and Ruanda Brink spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their breeding strategy, and why they believe the Boran is the breed of the future.
5 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Tractor delivery boosts mechanisation, productivity
Six youth-owned farming enterprises from across the Eastern Cape received fully equipped tractors and agricultural implements in Cacadu as part of an initiative by the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture to boost mechanised farming and enhance productivity.
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
THE HITCHING POST
I’m a born-again Caucasian lady who loves adventure, travelling, cooking, and baking.
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Alcohol: under the influence vs testing positive
The concept of being under the influence in the workplace involves more than just a positive breathalyser reading, as labour law considers several additional factors
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
New Holland offers maximum performance and versatility
New Holland's new-generation tractors keep operating costs low while providing all the power and precision a farmer needs, writes Jaco du Preez, the company’s marketing manager for Southern Africa.
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Relationship between lameness and hoof size and shape
Heavier horses need larger, wider hooves due to the fact that this distributes their weight better and minimises injuries
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Award-winning young farmer credits 'teamwork'
Francois Rossouw, a table grape producer from the Hex River Valley, was named the Agri Western Cape Santam Young Farmer of the Year 2025 at an awards evening held in Paarl in mid-June.
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Managing macadamias: cutting back brings higher yields
Following rapid expansion between 2014 and 2019, most of South Africa's macadamia nut orchards have reached maturity. The larger trees and denser orchards require a different approach to management in order to get the full yield that mature orchards promise.
8 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Livestock sector in crisis (again)
Various foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks over the past few months have put the South African beef industry in a quandary. This will further escalate unless government starts governing
3 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Lizards: the unsung heroes of seed dispersal
Due to its prolonged isolation following its break-up with India around 88 million years ago, Madagascar is now home to some of the world's most diverse plant and animal species.
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
A comfortable semi-modern family home
I write to you to request the design of a three-bedroom cottage.
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Excelling when feeding on the veld for longer
To address the perception that Borans are unsuitable for commercial feedlots, Francois Smit developed an on-farm system that enables him to realise and retain the profit that would've gone to those feedlots.
5 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Naval hero of World War II became one of SA’s greatest military leaders
Hugo Biermann worked his way up from being a naval cadet to overseeing dangerous operations in the Mediterranean Sea during the war, and eventually led the South African Defence Force.
5 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Borans: hardy cattle with a strong herd mentality
When Anton Müller and his son were looking for a breed of cattle that could withstand ticks, mountainous terrain, and predators, they settled on Borans and never looked back
7 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Spekboom: SA's carbon warrior
A humble succulent with a powerful purpose, the spekboom is a master of carbon capture that's water-wise, easy to grow, and adaptable to various weather conditions
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Stellenbosch University animal abuse investigation
Stellenbosch University (SU) is facing an investigation by the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) after Farmer's Weekly was alerted to the alleged inhumane treatment of animals at the SU's experimental farm.
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
FDA approves virus-resistant gene-edited pig
UK-based animal genetics company Genus has bred a pig that is resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Defender PHEV still fit for Camel Man
The combination of an electric system and petrol engine gives the plug-in hybrid Land Rover Defender 110 plenty of power. But the downside is that it gets thirsty once the battery runs out,
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The unmatched hybrid vigour of the Boran
Known as the mother cow of Africa, the Boran has been developed over more than 1 000 years to provide modern farmers with a hardy, cost-effective animal. Sabrina Dean spoke to Gerrit Potgieter from Komga in the Eastern Cape, a council member of the Boran Cattle Breeders' Society of South Africa who oversees the society's marketing portfolio, to find out more about the breed.
7 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
African themes and the war on waste
Patricia McCracken’s exciting selection of books features a feast of culinary delights from a homesick ex-South African, the quest to find archaeological gems, an international racket, and the supernatural.
1 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Study backs port privatisation to boost South Africa's trade and efficiency
A new study by Link Supply Chain Management reveals that port privatisation across Africa has significantly boosted efficiency, investment, and trade competitiveness. The research urges South Africa to fast-track similar reforms at its ports.
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Foot-and-mouth outbreak is pushing meat prices up
In this week's column, Absa AgriBusiness considers the dynamics in the livestock industry to explore what price trends could look like in the months ahead.
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Boran adapted to handle tough mountain terrain
When crop farmer Riaan Celliers decided to run a cattle farming enterprise with Frik Oosthuizen, they had to think outside the box on numerous levels. The first decision they needed to make was which breed would suit their operation best. They spoke to Sabrina Dean about why they chose the Boran.
9 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Good chillies for making a fiery hot sauce
There is a distinct fruity aroma associated with the Capsicum frutescens species of chilli pepper, and it's also quite pungent
2 min |
July 4 - 11, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The Boran advantage
Quentin de Bruyn, who farms cattle in the eastern Free State, has spent over 15 years refining his beef production system around the Boran. He spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about how the Boran’s resilience, fertility, and low input needs are reshaping commercial beef production in South Africa.
5 min |