Business
Farmer's Weekly
Training a yearling
Your horse doesn’t have to be a racehorse to follow the training programme employed for starting Thoroughbred yearlings, says Dr Mac.
3 min |
September 17, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Complying With SA's Demanding Labour Laws
Western Cape pome fruit producer Steven Versfeld earlier this year became the first farmer to achieve platinum status with no non-compliances from the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa for his workforce management. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about this accomplishment.
6 min |
August 13, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Breeding Chickens For The Show Ring
What started out as a hobby for Helene Roodt six years ago has since turned into a full-time and surprisingly intricate and successful show chicken breeding business. Annelie Coleman visited Roodt to find out more about her enterprise.
6 min |
September 10, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Zondo Commission: a line in the sand, or not?
The Zondo Commission, South Africa’s ambitious project to unravel the networks of state capture in the country, is wrapping up its work. Theo Venter, an independent political and policy specialist and lecturer at the North-West University Business School, takes a look at some of the achievements of the commission thus far, and how its work may influence the future of the country.
5 min |
September 10, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Mohair price up 75% year-on-year
The 99% sales clearance achieved at the first winter season sale of mohair was a good indication of healthy demand for mohair. There were 88 723kg on offer.
1 min |
September 10, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Market access initiative for beef farmers launched
A new livestock initiative is set to provide a platform for the formal selling and buying of cattle for Eastern Cape beef cattle producers. This was according to Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive at the Beefmaster Group.
2 min |
September 10, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Dexter cattle are ideal for experiments
This article explored how Dexters, being the low-maintenance and inherently docile cattle they are, were ideal material for animal scientists operating in certain fields of research.
3 min |
September 10, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Area planted to wheat in England up by 28%, but canola production down
The area planted to wheat in England alone for the current harvest has increased 28% from 2020 to 1,62 million hectares. This was according to the provisional results of the UK’s agriculture ministry’s latest survey.
1 min |
September 10, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Dealing With Abortions In Sheep And Goats
Abortions and deaths of newborn sheep and goats reduce lambing and kidding percentages, and hence your profits.
5 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Breeding Natural Enemies To Control Pests
Limpopo insectary Insectec was founded to develop a secure and steady supply of biological pest control solutions for producers of a variety of fruit and vegetable crops. Magda du Toit reports.
6 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Dealing With The ‘Orphan Disease'
Neurocysticercosis, caused by a tapeworm that cycles between humans and pigs, is a leading source of serious neurological disorders such as seizures in people living in certain rural settings, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 August 2021
Farmer's Weekly
What You Should Know About Mosquitoes
Not all mosquitoes are created equal, say Shüné Oliver and Jaishree Raman of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa. However, people should be sure to protect themselves when visiting regions known for mosquito-transmitted diseases.
4 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Increasing Your Nut Crop: Diversity Is Key
When choosing a macadamia nut variety to plant, farmers could be tempted to stick with one variety throughout the farm to make management easier. However, diversity is key to obtaining a superior nut crop, as cross-pollination between varieties can lead to a yield increase. Lindi Botha reports.
8 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Chief Kama: the Christian collaborator
The Ann Shaw Mission Church in the Eastern Cape’s former Ciskei is known in Xhosa as KwaKama (Kama’s place) in reference to the nearby grave of the 19th century Xhosa chief William Kama. Mike Burgess tells the story of this devout Christian and controversial collaborator with the British.
3 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Feed conversion testing brings greater profits
More meat per herd per year is the golden thread that runs through a profitable cattle enterprise, and genetics play a crucial role in the herd’s advancement. While DNA testing is useful for genetic selection, it can’t determine feed conversion rates. This is where Phase D performance testing comes in. Lindi Botha reports.
7 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
How SA farmers can benefit from Israeli tech
Israeli technology in agricultural production can be hugely useful to South African farmers. These technologies range from decreasing water usage to improving propagation. Wouter Kriel and Susan Marais report.
6 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Riding with hounds
Training your dog and horse to accept each other is vitally important for them to co-exist and work together on the farm, says Dr Mac.
2 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Growing onions: Part 10
Keep an eye on the potassium, nitrogen and zinc levels of your crop to ensure optimal yield, says Bill Kerr.
2 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Chicken diseases: Part 2
Newcastle disease is very serious. However, you can prevent it by vaccinating your chickens and using good management practices.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 20 August 2021
Farmer's Weekly
A rooftop hops farm in the city
Hops are traditionally grown in the Western Cape, but on a rooftop in Johannesburg, Khaya Maloney has shown it is possible to grow hops in the city using a hydroponic system. Pieter Dempsey reports.
6 min |
September 03, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
A Winning Combination Of Yellow Hybrids
Grant Pringle, product agronomist at Pannar Seed, says choosing the right cultivar is one of the most important decisions a farmer makes every year. That is why Pannar provides farmers with a variety of high-performing hybrid platforms to choose from.
2 min |
August 06, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Basics Of Hoof Health Management In Cattle
Hoof health is essential for a beef or dairy cattle herd to perform optimally, and nutrition and good hoof care should form part of any animal health programme. Pieter Dempsey spoke to animal health experts Gert van Zyl, Dr Klaas-Jan Leeuw and Dr Magdaleen Wepener about common problems faced in hoof health.
7 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Invest wisely to weather wildlife industry storms
The local wildlife ranching industry has had its share of ups and downs over the past few years, and drought, a boom-bust cycle and COVID-19 have seen many farmers exit the sector. Lindi Botha spoke to Limpopo rancher Jaco Sullivan about the resilience and sound business decisions that have kept his family in the game.
9 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
A proactive approach to udder excellence
Mastitis can cause devastating economic losses for a dairy farmer. Yet a long-term vaccination programme can be an effective weapon in the fight to control it, writes Robyn Joubert. She spoke to Prof Inge-Marié Petzer, an udder health specialist at Onderstepoort.
7 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
New survey indicates SA consumers are ready to try cultivated meat products
South Africans are generally open to experimenting with their food and would buy meat cultivated from animal cells on a regular basis. Many are also willing to pay more for these products than their conventionally produced counterparts, according to a new survey.
3 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Bobby Locke: the triumph and the tragedy
This prolific tournament winner graced the great golf courses of the world in his distinctive style of dress with great charm. But there was tragedy in the offing.
4 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Is SA doing enough to avert a water crisis?
As the Eastern Cape faces the prospect of taps running dry, South Africa needs to urgently and proactively address a looming water crisis and finalise the establishment of a National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency, writes Raymond Obermeyer, managing director of engineering company SEW-Eurodrive, which provides drive technology and drive automation services and solutions.
4 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Skinny chips baked seafood ‘paella'
While this is about as far from a traditional paella as it can get, the flavours in this dish will delight. Add extra chilli if you like things spicy! Recipe and photo: Potato Nation.
1 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Smart, connected agriculture
New Holland’s award-winning NutriSense system is now integrated into the brand’s MyPLM Connect portal, enabling farmers to visualise crop nutrient data collected by their machines in the MyPLM Connect Farm application.
2 min |
August 27, 2021
Farmer's Weekly
Pig welfare 101
Raising stress-free pigs makes business sense, as it results in better growth of animals and fewer problems caused by disease. Dr Peter Evans of the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation spoke to Glenneis Kriel.
5 min |