Business
Farmer's Weekly
COTTON Challenging season ahead for cotton producers
Early indications are that South Africa’s cotton crop for the 2022/23 season could amount to between 75 000 and 80 000 bales, which will be slightly higher than in the previous season.
1 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
SUBTROPICAL FRUIT Exports to cushion SA's subtropical fruit fortunes
The mango and litchi industries plan to focus on new varieties and market expansion in an effort to boost sales this year.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
A memorable stay in heavenly Hermanus
With its magnificent cliff path, whale watching, and a wide range of accommodation, the coastal town of Hermanus on the Garden Route offers something special for everyone, says Brian Berkman.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Pick a peck of pickled avos!
Pickled avocados are a favourite among chefs, who love the combination of creaminess and spiciness.
1 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
The Great Hunger
In 1845, potato blight caused the catastrophic destruction of Ireland's potato crop, which ultimately caused the deaths of about one million Irish people.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Why many first-generation family agribusinesses don't survive their founders: Part 1
Lack of succession planning is one of the key reasons why so many family agribusinesses fail to last, writes Trevor Dickinson. Very few businesses that are simply ‘handed over’ in an informal manner will survive.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
An adventure in the Kia Sorento: Part 1
Graham Eagle tests this all-wheel-drive SUV with moderate ground clearance, coping with two of South Africa’s High 5 gravel passes.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Powdery mildew: a threat to most cucurbit species
This widespread disease, which grows well in environments with high humidity, can reduce yield significantly, warns Bill Kerr.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
CROPS Going the no-till way: Part 2
Humus, mulch and legume cover crops can save you money and greatly improve the quality of your yields, says Bill Kerr.
5 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Using top genetics and good management to boost dairy profitability
Looking for ways to enhance your dairy's profits? Better cow health and improved liveability might be the solution, according to Rebekah Mast, a US-based dairy genetics expert.
7 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Termites: a proven way to reduce food insecurity and poverty
Edible insects can help feed the populations of developing countries, says Ntokozo Blessing Zitha, an agricultural economist involved with the Agricultural Research's Council Professional Development Programme.
5 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Reaping the benefits transformation of in the grain sector
In order to continue improving its food security, South Africa must rely on the contribution of all farmers, both commercial and emerging. A project that's making great strides in both food production and transformation in the local grain sector is Grain SA's Farmer Development Programme. Magda du Toit reports.
5 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
SA-designed tower system offers growanywhere flexibility
Fresh Life Produce has developed a vertical growing system designed to meet the specific needs of African producers. Louis- Gillis Janse van Rensburg and Akhona Gxuluwe spoke to Glenneis Kriel about this system, which has garned international recognition and awards.
7 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
More than food needed to counter inequality
Chris Desmond and Agnes Erzse, researchers at the South African Medical Research Council/University of the Witwatersrand Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science, write that scaling up nutrition interventions will yield productivity returns if children's schooling, health and employment prospects are also addressed.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Plant citrus to supplement your income
Citrus fruits, which are rich in vitamin C, fetch a good price. Consider starting a co-operative system in your community, planting trees in a number of yards and buying inputs in bulk to save money, says Shane Brody.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Make 2023 your own 'good to great' year
There’s no management problem that hasn’t been faced before. Lessons from these issues are at your fingertips on the Internet and in many publications; use them and have your best year yet, says Peter Hughes.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Realising the agricultural potential of rural areas
A new approach and collaboration are needed from government and commodity associations to raise the agricultural output of the former homelands, says Dr Sifiso Ntombela.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
The employment contract, and why it's so crucial
If used effectively, an employment contract is an extremely helpful asset to guide the relationship between employer and employee. Abrie Bronkhorst provides valuable advice on this crucial management tool.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
A garden paradise of the grandest design
A stay at Bosjes working farm in the Western Cape brings one closer to heaven, says Brian Berkman.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Blockhouses: symbols of a fearsome war
The dogged determination of the British to win the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902 resulted in the construction of thousands of blockhouses across the South African veld, writes Mike Burgess.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Savoury Dutch baby
A Dutch baby is a puffed pancake. It’s delicious with a variety of savoury toppings such as crispy bacon, shaved ham and grated cheese.
1 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
What to expect from the S-Presso 2023
South Africa’s most affordable car has just been given a nip and tuck, says Alex Shahini of CAR magazine about the new Suzuki S-Presso.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Identifying lower-back and treating chronic pain in horses
It is important to be able to recognise the source of back pain in a horse in order to treat and manage it successfully, says Dr Mac.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Minor cucurbit pests
Bill Kerr looks at the leaf miner, cucurbit ladybird beetle and African bollworm, all of which, despite being minor pests, can cause damage.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
ANIMAL HEALTH Beware of hydatid disease
Hydatid disease or echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by the tapeworm. It affects livestock, dogs and humans, and can be very dangerous to people living in close contact with animals.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
CROPS Going the no-till way: Part 1
Practising no-till farming will ensure better crops and boost your profits. The process starts with improving the quality of your soil, says Bill Kerr.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Preventing and controlling diseases of sunflowers
Diseases of sunflowers, such as brown rust and head rot, can cause severe economic losses for farmers. Janine Ryan looks at the signs of these and other diseases that can help farmers to identify them, as well as some control and prevention strategies.
5 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
What feedlots expect in the ideal weaner
The South African feedlot industry produces about 75% of all beef eaten in the country. Annelie Coleman spoke to Lynette van Rooyen, group director at Sparta Beef, and Charles Mathewson, Sparta’s head of cattle procurement, about their company’s weaner requirements and how farmers can satisfy these.
6 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Shedding light on DDT and the threat it poses to raptor populations
Kailen Padayachee, a doctoral candidate at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town and a research fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand, Arjun Amar, an associate professor at the institute, and Chevonne Reynolds, a senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, write about the threat that the pesticide DDT poses to birds of prey around the world.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023
Farmer's Weekly
Helping women to become part of livestock value chains
Noluthando Ngcobo and Mamakie Lungwana, intern agricultural economists at the Agricultural Research Council, explore the challenges that women face in the South African livestock value chain.
5 min |