Indholdsfortegnelse for 24 February 2023 i Farmer's Weekly

Late last year, US fast-food restaurant chain Chipotle announced that its tortilla-making robot 'Chippy' would start making potato chips and tortillas in one of its branches in California. Miso Robotics, which manufactured Chippy, describes the robot as an autonomous kitchen assistant. When Chipotle made this announcement in the media, it described the robot as a breakthrough for the fast-food industry, as it would reduce labour costs for the chain and improve food quality Of course, by reducing 'labour costs', the meant that Chippy would replace a human worker in the kitchen, thus at least one more person would be out of work in the US. In February this year, Canadian newspaper Farmers Forum reported on a robot that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make farming-related decisions. According to the article:…

The number of children consuming vegetables on a daily basis at 342 schools in at-risk communities across Gauteng, the Eastern and Western Cape increased by 494% between 2019 and 2022, thanks to INMED's Health in Action (HIA) programme, and the Mondelēz International Foundation. The first phase of the two-phase programme (rolled out between 2015 and 2019 and 2019 and 2022, respectively) focused on promoting healthy lifestyles for children and reducing the rates of childhood obesity. It combined participatory education in nutrition with access to fresh food via school gardens, as well as regular breaktime fitness activities led by INMED-trained unemployed youth. The second phase of the programme focused on spreading its reach and impact to develop a sustainable healthylifestyle culture in schools and their surrounding communities. Non-governmental organisation INMED South…

In 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its global partners released a report titled ‘The state of food security and nutrition in the world’. The report coincided with the release of the African Union’s third edition of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Biennial Review (BR) report (2019–2021). The reports came against the backdrop of a growing recognition that achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 (end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture) is increasingly becoming an intractable target. To understand why this is the case, we need to reflect on the scale of the current challenge, the everrising cost of a healthy diet, why prevailing efforts are proving insufficient to address the problem, and what the continent…

Rolling blackouts have resulted in "astronomical additional costs" for primary producers in South Africa's agriculture sector and are placing severe pressure on farmers' long-term sustainability. This was according to Doug Osler, owner of Lone Tree Farms near Fouriesburg in the eastern Free State. Osler, who farms apples, potatoes, maize, beans and wheat, provided Farmer's Weekly with a breakdown of the added expenses that his business has had to incur to continue with its operations. He pointed out that a number of generators had to be installed, which had pushed overhead costs up dramatically. "We had to install two 250kVA generators to keep the packhouses and cold rooms going, as well as a 150kVA and an 80kVA generator for the grain-handling facilities and the covered potato tuber production unit respectively. This…

In the absence of proof that the Health Promotion Levy (HPL) on sugary beverages, commonly known as the sugar tax, has been effective in lowering the country's obesity rate, the South African Cane Growers' Association (SA Canegrowers) has called on Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to scrap the levy entirely. SA Canegrowers CEO Dr Thomas Funke told Farmer's Weekly that the National Treasury (Treasury) had missed a 30-day legislative deadline to respond to its Promotion of Access to Information Act application. In its application, the association had requested information on what had led to the introduction of the HPL in 2018, and its subsequent increases. "Sugar cane growers, industry stakeholders and South Africans in general are owed an explanation for the rationale behind a policy as destructive as the HPL.…

South Africa's blueberry season has come to a close, and it is one that many farmers would prefer to forget, with the negative repercussions expected to be felt for years to come as many face financial ruin. Elzette Schutte, operations manager of Berries ZA, told Farmer's Weekly that at the start of the season in September last year, the industry had high hopes for a good year. "Exports were expected to reach 25 000t, up from nearly 21 000t the previous year. The increase is due to more hectares coming into production." She said that quality, especially from producers in the northern regions, was very good and so attracted good prices. Logistics had also started to rebound after COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. The industry was then plunged into dire straits when…

During January, the prices of beef, mutton and pork eased, while those of chicken were marginally higher. However, increases in the frequency and intensity of rolling blackouts are placing cost pressures on the meat sector as a whole, and intensive livestock production in particular. BEEF Class A and Class C carcass prices showed divergent trends in January, decreasing and increasing by 1,6% and 3,1% respectively month-on-month (see Graph 1). This was most likely the result of a short-term increase in the supply of Class A carcasses during the month. Class C carcass prices were further supported by constrained consumer income, which resulted in higher demand for this class as a more affordable source of beef. Year-on-year (y/y), the prices of both carcass classes were up; however, due to the above-mentioned…

What is biochar? Biochar is produced during the pyrolysis of wood or farm waste, a process that applies heat without oxygen. Biochar is created at a much higher temperature than ordinary charcoal, making it more stable and porous, and allowing it to remain in the soil for hundreds of years. Ordinary charcoal decomposes within a couple of years, depending on climatic conditions. Who came up with the idea of using it to enrich the soil? It's thought to have originated around 2 000 years ago in the Amazon basin, when people produced it by charring organic waste in primitive ovens with a low supply of oxygen. This special charcoal was added to the soil, resulting in patches of rich soil that retained their fertility for centuries and later became known…

Potato plants (Solanum tuberosum) are herbaceous perennials that grow about 60cm high, depending on variety, with the leaves dying back after flowering, fruiting and tuber formation. The potato arrived in Europe sometime before the end of the 16th century, in Spain around 1570, and in the British Isles between 1588 and 1593. Over the centuries, botanists have created many varieties of potatoes. Some of the best known are Sebago (common potato), Pontiac (very popular because of its thin red skin), Pink Fir Apple potato, Russet Burbank, and Nicola. One baked potato, it's said, contains 21% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin B6, 40% of vitamin C, 20% of potassium and 12% of fibre. The potato has more vitamin C than the orange, more potassium than a banana and more…

It's no secret how important colostrum is to dairy and livestock producers, writes Wisconsin, US, agriculturalist Ryan Sterry. "Unlike many other species, the placenta of cattle prevents the transfer of antibodies from the dam to the calf in the uterus. Instead, the calf must rely on colostrum, the cow's first milk, to obtain antibodies from its mother. Failure to receive and absorb immunoglobulins [antibodies] from colostrum results in what is called failure of passive transfer of immunity, or FPT." According to research, there are direct links between FPT and increased illness and mortality in calves, Sterry told the FarmProgress website. The calf can only absorb colostrum for up until 24 hours after birth. Following this, its intestinal wall closes, preventing absorption of immunoglobulins from colostrum. Thus, Sterry said that calves…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly. This is an edited version of an article first published by the ENACT project. To read the original article, visit bit.ly/3DOYgDm. Illegal harvesting to supply the international horticultural market threatens some of South Africa's endemic succulent species. The plants, sought for their beauty, rarity and often whimsical shapes, face near-extinction in the wild. South Africa is home to three of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. One is the Succulent Karoo, covering 116 000km2 in the Western and Northern Cape and across the border into Namibia. The Succulent Karoo is the world's most biodiverse arid region, with many of its species not occurring anywhere else on earth. It houses the planet's largest concentration of succulents,…

South Africa’s consumer price index inflation remains far above the South African Reserve Bank’s target, despite the most recent interest rate increase since the current cycle of hikes began in November 2021. The interest rate has risen by 375 basis points over this 15-month period. Furthermore, while commodity and freight costs may be falling, they have yet to trickle down to consumers. This means that South Africans continue to face high food prices as the country’s major retailers raise their prices, particularly on staples such as fats and oils, bread and grains, and animal protein. Against this backdrop, it appears that food prices will continue for some time to be higher than they were a year ago. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic saw many people worldwide going on spending…

The expected switch in the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon from the current La Niña to the El Niño phase in the second half of 2023 does not bode well for the South African agriculture sector. According to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, indications were that a strong El Niño phase could be expected in the second half of the year. "The International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University in the US said in a recent report that although the development of an El Niño[phase] was expected in 2023, it was foreseen to remain low until May or July. Thereafter, the chance of stronger El Niño development is between 53% and 57%," Sihlobo said in a recent podcast. This, he added, would be a switch…

Farmers in Botswana are looking forward to starting the commercial production of apples, after the introduction of semi-arid varieties of apple trees suitable for local conditions. According to Botswana's Ministry of Agriculture, apple farming in the country was a challenge as a result of unfavourable weather conditions. The newly introduced varieties, which include Anna, Golden Dorsett and Pink Lady apples, can survive hot summers and winter frost, according to the company supplying the apple trees. A spokesperson said the ministry had initiated a new strategy for horticulture, adding that it was expected to also promote apple farming. "Apple production is included as an important avenue for investment by private investors," the ministry said in a statement. Tomapple Investments, a Botswanabased company, was responsible for producing the apple tree seedlings suitable…

Hundreds of farmers drove their tractors into Paris in early February to protest restrictions on pesticides, as well as other environmental regulations which they said were threatening agricultural production in the country, according to Bloomberg. The demonstration followed an EU court ruling last month overturning a French policy that allowed sugar beet growers to use an insecticide banned by the EU. This raised concerns that the ruling would see a further decline in sugar beet plantings and lead to sugar factories closing. The ruling strengthened discontent among farmers about what they saw as excessive curbs on pesticide usage that went against the French government's calls to boost food security in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. "Our means of production keep being undermined by prohibitions without solutions,"…

Fresh-produce consumption in the EU could decline by 10% as a result of high inflation and energy costs. A reduction in the premium and organic segments, in particular, has been noted. The European Statistics Handbook 2023, recently published by Fruit Logistica, stated that there had been a shift towards price as a key driver of consumer spending last year. "Despite a market recovery postCOVID-19, demand and value are under pressure in some cases as a result of the cost of living crisis. For some consumers, the importance of drivers like sustainability, regionality and organics has decreased," the report said. Philippe Binard, general delegate for Freshfel Europe, said in the report that the latest consumption trends had indicated that consumption levels for fresh produce were in decline. "The purchasing power of…

While the Kruger National Park (KNP) and other national parks saw a decline in rhino poaching in 2022, it is alarming that the poaching threat has shifted to KwaZulu-Natal. This was according to a statement by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). Last year, 124 rhinos were killed in KNP, down 40% from 2021, while no rhinos were poached in any other national park. During the same period in KwaZuluNatal, however, 228 rhinos were killed in provincial parks and 16 in privately owned reserves, with the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park explicitly targeted. Across South Africa, private owners lost 86 rhinos in total to poaching in 2022. Overall, the number of rhinos killed in the country over the past year dropped by three from the 451 poached in 2021.…

For several years, milk producers have been squeezed by stagnant and lower producer prices and higher input prices. The milk-to-feed price ratio is an indicator of profitability, and the graph shows the decrease in farm profitability since February 2018. Although produce prices improved during 2022, the sharp increase in grain prices cancelled any benefit from higher producer prices. The negative gross margin, especially the sharp decrease in profitability since February 2021, resulted in a slowdown in milk production growth and negative growth since February 2021. Milk production fell by 3%, 5% and 6% respectively in October, November and December 2022. In the last six months of last year, 2,2% farmers delivered 2% less milk to processors than during the same period in 2021. As in 2021, South Africa was a…

Tabby Robertshaw, the owner of the Goodluck Homestead brand, sells organically grown vegetables and free-range meat at local markets, restaurants and via WhatsApp. She follows organic production principles on her farm near Stanford in the Overberg, Western Cape, but her produce is not organically certified. "When we moved to the farm a year and a half ago, the soil was totally barren and there was no trace of beneficial microbes or earthworms. We started by using compost and mulching, and six months later, began adding Restore to the soil as well. Since then, there's been a marked difference in the soil's waterholding capacity and fertility. Microbes and earthworms also abound. "We're also using Restore to rehabilitate a section of our land for pasture so that we're less dependent on bought-in…

An Ecological Guide to the Bush by Bruce McKenzie (Jacana, R235) Raised on a Free State farm, where he and his cousin used to roam with their catapults, McKenzie went on to study biology at the University of Cape Town, and graduated with a doctorate in 1984. A popular lecturer, McKenzie enjoyed conversing with his students rather than lecturing at them, and his approach is carried over into this book, which introduces the ecological concept of energy flow through plants to animals and back into the earth as dung and leaf litter. McKenzie, like a host of other authors, was prompted by the long hiatus of COVID-19 to tackle his first book project. He makes concessions for lay readers and estimates that first-year students could tackle it, making it perfect…

Dear Prof McCrindle, One of the cows in my herd died when its calf was only a month old. Unfortunately, this orphan calf doesn't want to drink the milk of the other cows. Please would you advise me how I can feed it? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Being a month old, this calf will probably do well on a pelleted starter, clean water and hay, instead of drinking milk. Calf starters are available from co-ops or online. Some suppliers, such as Alzu, FeedTek, HH Feeds and Midfeeds, deliver livestock feed, often within 24 hours. A dairy calf is weaned within the first three days of its life. During this time, if fed from birth on colostrum (the first milk from a cow, which contains antibodies that protect the newborn…

ARCHIVE This article explained why every farmer should have a snakebite kit on hand, and how to use it correctly. It began by explaining how venom affects different people, as well as the two main groups of venom. Every South African farmer should have a polyvalent antivenom snakebite kit available, says a leading authority on snakebites, Dr Neil Goodwin, head of the intensive care unit at Addington Hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. However, he stresses, it should be used with great care, and even then only when the victim shows symptoms of having received a venom injection. In all snakebite cases, expert medical attention must be sought as soon as possible. “There are many factors that dictate the approach to treating snakebite victims,” he says. About 160 species and subspecies are…

ThriveAgric, a Nigerian agri-tech company, has emerged as the West African winner of the annual Agriculture Youth Technology (AYuTe) Africa Challenge, receiving a US$1million (about R17,5 million) grant as reward. According to a statement by the company, the challenge had been set up by Heifer International to support young entrepreneurs who were striving to improve food security on the continent by developing affordable technological solutions for smallholder farmers. Heifer International is a nonprofit organisation working to ensure sustainable development and eliminate hunger. ThriveAgric was also the overall winner and Visa Direct winner of the global Visa Everywhere Initiative 2022 in December last year. This intense competition saw more than 4 000 start-up founders showcase their innovations. Over the past six years, ThriveAgric had built a network of more than 500…

UKRAINE Ukraine became the top supplier in the sunflower seed trade after Russia's invasion a year ago significantly disrupted the 2022 Ukraine grain and oilseed harvests, according to Reuters. However, the US Department of Agriculture forecast that, in the 2022/23 marketing year, Russia would eclipse Ukraine in sunflower oil exports, accounting for 35% of trade, as against 34% for Ukraine. CHILE Wildfires consumed more than 750ha of forest in Chile in early February, destroying houses and threatening farms and forests as the country faces a summer heatwave across southern and central swathes of the country. At the time of writing, fire had destroyed an area nearly three times the size of Monaco, near the city of Chillán some 400km from Santiago, according to Chile's National Forestry Corporation, Reuters reported. UNITED…

In this article, I would like to focus on a number of recent advancements in pest and disease management that are readily available to today's commercial cannabis producer. These include updates of triedand-tested techniques, as well as high-tech equipment that uses the latest software and sensors. • Integrated pest management (IPM) This strategy helps to reduce the use of chemical pesticides, which can be detrimental to the environment and the finished product. IPM integrates a number of pestcontrol methods, including observation and detection of pest problems, the installation of physical barriers, the use of natural parasites and predators, and the application of selective and targeted chemical treatments. • Biological control Being both a sustainable and effective approach to controlling pests, this is one of the most important innovations in the…

Commercial potato growing has changed a lot in the past 20 years. Prior to this, many commercial farmers used a lot of labour. Often, the ridged potatoes would be lifted from the soil by an implement and then loaded by hand into bags and moved to the packhouse for washing and grading and packed into pockets. The change in labour laws forced farmers to cut down on labour and mechanise. The crop is now planted mechanically and harvesting is done by machines. Potatoes are collected by conveyors, mechanically washed and graded, and placed onto belts from which bags are filled and sealed. Clearly, all of this mechanisation is beyond the means of most small farmers and even some smaller commercial farmers. With emerging farmers, the scale of the operation will…

SERVES FOUR 500g beef mince 250g egg noodles 300g can cream of mushroom soup 1 Tbsp garlic powder 1/2 cup sour cream Salt and ground black pepper, to taste • Sauté the mince in a large pan over a medium heat for five to 10 minutes until browned and crumbly. • At the same time, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, or until they are al dente. Drain and set aside. • Drain and discard any fat from the cooked beef. • Stir the soup and garlic powder into the beef. • Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. • Remove the beef from the heat. Add the noodles and mix well to combine. • Stir in the sour cream, and season with salt and pepper.…