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Good News For Landowners Defending ‘Vexatious' Land Claims
Landowners who previously had to personally foot the bill for legal fees to successfully defend themselves against vexatious or frivolous land claims will now have the option to request a court to award costs orders against the state or its legal representatives. Lloyd Phillips reports.
Tooth Caps In Young Horses
Deciduous teeth that are not shed can be problematic in young horses in training, warns Dr Mac.
Stress In Cattle
As part of an animal’s stress response, its body releases cortisol, a hormone that provides energy to help the animal escape the stressor. If the stress persists, however, the animal’s health will suffer.
Seedlings: Well Begun Is Half Done!
Seedlings are the start of a new crop, so the better their condition, the more likely you are to benefit at harvest time. Most experienced farmers will confirm that when seedlings grow rapidly into a uniform stand, the crop usually ends up well.
Beefmaster Breeders Enjoy A Packed, Informative Tour
The annual Beefmaster tour took place in Mpumalanga this year, and included visits to nine prominent Beefmaster breeders who collectively own about 8 300 animals.
Self-Taught Worm Farmer Recycles Waste Into Compost
Using earthworms to recycle food waste into compost is not only profitable but helps to address the increasing problem of food waste. Worm farmer Thato Lekonyane spoke to Siyanda Sishuba about his enterprise.
Health-Conscious Consumers Drive Up Fresh Produce Prices
Consumer interest in healthy eating is pushing up sales of fresh produce. But looking at the commodities that experienced the highest growth over the past few years, one thing is clear: information, marketing, packaging and branding hold the key to increasing demand and staying competitive. Lindi Botha spoke to industry experts Jaco Oosthuizen and Kandas Cloete.
Coping Strategies To Deal With Uncertainty
South African agriculture is a uniquely risky environment, yet its farmers are well-known for meeting challenges with courage and resilience. Glenneis Kriel spoke to four prominent farmers to discover how they deal with uncertainty.
Are Top-Priced Genetics Really Worth It?
The logic seems to dictate that some livestock producers must suffer buyer’s remorse after purchasing an animal for an eye-watering price. Glenneis Kriel asked a few farmers whether their record-breaking acquisitions have paid off, and found the answer to be unanimous.
The man who took the job that no one else wanted
History has not been kind to Thomas Burgers, who was asked to save his ailing country, the Transvaal. Lack of judgement and misfortune contributed to his failure. Graham Jooste reports.
Niche market beats economies of scale
Without economies of scale, Lynne Griesel found it increasingly difficult to compete in the broiler chicken market. Switching to free-range chickens not only allowed her to tap into a more lucrative niche market, but opened further avenues for value adding. Lindi Botha reports.
PROPER PLANNING: THE KEY INGREDIENT FOR QUALITY STORED FODDE
To maximise kilograms of meat or wool produced per hectare, it is crucial to maintain a farm’s carrying capacity during winter. This invariably means producing high-quality stored fodder, and making sure there is enough of it. Deal Miles, a beef, mutton and wool farmer in the Cedarville area of the Eastern Cape, outlined his methods of achieving this to Lloyd Phillips.
Poultry litter to biogas: adding more value to farm waste
The benefits of using chicken litter as fertiliser are well known. As the poultry industry grows, however, other uses for it must be found. Dr Idan Chiyanzu and Primrose Magama of the Agricultural Research Council’s Institute for Agricultural Engineering explain how energy can be generated from litter.
Growing potatoes: Part 3
This article examines planting, the importance of ridging, how much irrigation is required, and when and how to harvest your potato crop.
New Harvest Winner Gets The Basics Right For Success
As the son of a farmworker, Sewis van der Horst managed to work his way up to become a farmer in his own right and an exporter of quality fruit. Last year, he was crowned the Toyota New Harvest winner. Jeandré van der Walt visited his operation close to Villiersdorp.
Covid-19's Message To Livestock Farmers
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted real problems ahead for livestock producers. There is an urgent need for farmers to adopt more naturefriendly practices.
Angular Limb Deformities In Foals
Angular limb deformities can be treated in various ways, depending on the severity of the deformity, says Dr Mac.
Feed For Every Broiler Farmer
Epol’s wide range of broiler feeds caters for all producers, from the smallest-scale beginner to the largest commercial business, enabling every operation to achieve target weights and maximise profit.
The Dairy Industry: Meeting New Consumer Demands
Consumers are increasingly demanding the best of both worlds when it comes to dairy. For example, they want milk that is safe to drink and has a long shelf, but still tastes like farm-fresh raw milk. Prof Elna Buys, head of the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, writes about how the dairy industry has had to innovate to respond to these types of demands.
Parasitoids vs chemicals
When the leaf miner first hit South Africa, the results were nothing short of devastating. Farmers spent thousands of rands per hectare on chemicals, but gained only a semblance of control over the pest. The reason was that this particular species, the pea leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis), had already been exposed to pesticides in other countries, and this, combined with its rapid life cycle, meant it had developed resistance to most chemicals by the time it arrived in South Africa.
THE BONSMARA INSPECTION SYSTEM
Louis Steyl, CEO of the Bonsmara Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa, writes that the society’s strict double-inspection process ensures that only top animals are available for sale.
Saving The Livestock Industry From Covid-19
The COVID-19 global pandemic represents a grave societal threat. In a recent policy brief, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations explains how the livestock sector has been affected, and recommends how to protect the sector and its activities to preserve their contribution to food security and the livelihood of rural communities.
A Call To Government For Fair Treatment Of Legal Gun Owners
Firearm ownership has become a contentious issue in South Africa. Fighting on the frontline for the rights of gun owners in this country is Gun Owners South Africa. Pieter Dempsey spoke to the organisation’s senior management about the red tape and government inefficiencies faced by legal gun owners or people wishing to apply for a firearm in this country.
A Passion For Herbs Blooms Into Business Success
The Kasselhoft estate near Leeudoringstad in North West evokes the French countryside with its fragrant lavender and rosemary fields. This is where Trudi and Rina Kasselman run their herbal business and market their cosmetic care and assorted product range. Annelie Coleman reports.
Choosing Afrikaners For Extensive Beef Production
Jacquies Steenkamp produced the 2019 Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Afrikaner National Performance Test Class bull. Mike Burgess visited him on his farm near Rouxville to see why he believes this indigenous breed is so well suited to extensive beef production in demanding areas.
Sunflower's Potential To Expand In East Griqualand
With its relatively mild summers, East Griqualand has never seen large-scale sunflower production. Thanks to recent advances in breeding, this could well change, says Corné van der Westhuizen, Pannar Seed’s marketing agronomist in North West. Lloyd Phillips reports on this development.
The Importance Of Having A Breeding Season
Optimal reproductive performance is crucial to the success of a beef cattle enterprise. A defined breeding season can help to achieve this.
Futuristic Concept Tractor Wins Design Award
Employing an advanced diesel-electric drivetrain and in-cab display projection, the Steyr Konzept hybrid tractor breaks the conventional mould of tractor technology. It also rewrites the rules on what a farm tractor should look like.
Beefmaster: Great Genetics And An Even Greater Future
The ongoing and productive interaction between Beefmaster breeders helps ensure adherence to the breed’s outstanding traits, and is the best guarantee of Beefmaster’s sustainability. So says Guy Rensburg, the owner of Rensgrow Beefmasters in the Eastern Cape.
Maximising efficiency against heat stress in cattle
Expected temperature increases due to the effect of global warming will have a negative impact on the productivity of livestock. According to animal science researchers at the Agricultural Research Council, beef farmers will have to follow certain breeding objectives to lessen this effect.