Indholdsfortegnelse for 31 May 2024 i Farmer's Weekly

On 15 May, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the highly contentious National Health Insurance (NHI) into law. This was done to much fanfare, with the media and public being invited to witness the event. Usually, when bills are signed into law, there is little to no celebration of such an event, unlike the current signing of the NHI into law. This has led to opposition parties and members of the public proclaiming that the signing of the NHI into law is simply an electioneering strategy by the ruling ANC, whom many suspect will be seeing a drop in voter support come 29 May, due to allegations of corruption, as well as the challenges of load-shedding, water-shedding and failing infrastructure. While I have spoken of the NHI before, with the election just…

During the months leading up to the election we were inundated with rhetoric, promises, mudslinging, fake news and all kinds of policies. It does not matter whether we have a continuation of the current government, a coalition of parties or a government of national unity, the issues discussed here will determine the success of the new administration. The IEC has several days after the election to finalise results, but 90% of the results will be known by the end of May. By the second week of June we will know how the government of the seventh administration will be constituted and who will be nominated as the next president. The president is indirectly elected in terms of the Constitution by a majority vote at the first or inaugural sitting of…

Although the agriculture sector’s contribution to South Africa’s GDP is calculated at under 3%, its extended impact on GDP stands at between 10% and 12%. During the past 30 years, the industry and its role players have shown resilience and adaptability to changing circumstances and climatic conditions. This was according to John Hudson, Nedbank’s agriculture head. He said the industry’s ability to adjust itself had been proven by, amongst others, the fact that the country achieved record exports over the past three years. Agricultural products to the value of R283,22 billion were exported in 2023. The growth in agri-processing also underscored the adaptability of agriculture in South Africa. Currently, agri-processing amounts to one third of the total industry. “The agriculture sector recently showed a contraction despite the record export earnings.…

The Durban High Court recently denied the business rescue practitioners of Tongaat Hulett’s request to appeal a December 2023 judgment by Judge Rashid Vahed during which he ruled that Tongaat Hulett had to pay outstanding levies of approximately R526 million owed to the sugar industry. As such, Tongaat Hulett is now obliged to pay the outstanding levies to the South African Sugar Association (SASA) as per Vahed’s original ruling. Welcoming the court’s decision, the South African Cane Growers’ Association (SA Canegrowers) said these levies were essential to the economic survival of sugar cane farmers and the thousands of livelihoods that they supported. Vahed confirmed that the Sugar Industry Agreement (SIA) is statutory legislation and payments due under it were still required to be made during the business rescue process, during…

UNITED STATES Farmers in the US have resumed planting maize and soya bean after a month-long delay caused by heavy rain. According to US Crop Watch, farmers in Iowa have sped up the process by working day and night to make up for lost time. “Almost all Crop Watch growers are a bit uneasy at the forecast for scattered rain [in May], because although the amounts should not be huge, most locations need drying time aside from Kansas, where more moisture would be welcome,” said Crop Watch. UNITED KINGDOM A farmer in Cambridgeshire has become the first in the area to use a driverless tractor. According to the BBC, the farmer used the tractor to cultivate the soil and a second one to plant seeds. In a statement, the National…

South African consumers remain under immense cost pressures due to constrained incomes. Consequently, this has led to local subdued demand and has continued to weigh on the livestock industry. Macro-economic data releases show that wage growth has slowed markedly, against a backdrop of an inflation surge that has hit low-income consumers especially hard. BEEF Class A carcass beef prices have remained stable, trading sideways month-on-month (m/m) and hovering around R55/kg since the beginning of the year. In contrast, Class C carcass prices decreased by 1,2% m/m, attributed to ongoing consumer pressures. Local consumption has been increasingly impacted by the sluggish growth in wages, which is failing to keep up with inflation. Modest growth in red meat exports to the Middle East has, however, provided price support that offsets some of…

Hiking The Fish by Henk Blanckenberg & Lizet Meyer (Struik Travel & Heritage, R200) This slim guidebook – just 104 pages long – aims to prepare you to hike the Fish River Canyon. This must be one of South Africa’s, if not the world’s, great bucket-list trails. The authors are respectively an adventure guide from Kilimanjaro to the Grand Canyon (Blanckenberg) and a project and programme manager whose hiking bug has even taken her to the Annapurna region of the Himalayas (Meyer). The emphasis is not on what you will see but on the practicalities – fitness, timing, booking and health insurance, communication planning, travel, and packing your gear (this occupies a useful 30 pages, including first aid and personal health items). The last chapter talks you through pacing yourself…

The 30th sale of the season saw 374 bales on offer, which mostly consisted of medium-length, fine-micron wool. Sustainably certified wool comprised 54% of the Merino segment. An overall sales clearance of 94,3% was achieved, according to Cape Wools SA. The strengthening of the rand against all major currencies, coupled with the downward trend in the Australian market, resulted in a softer market. The non-certified Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) indicator decreased by 3,7% to close at R148,32/kg, while the RWS-certified indicator declined by 3,3% to close at R166,21 /kg. OVK saw 1 476 bales on offer, of which 96,34% were sold, with the highest price of R150,60kg (clean price: R197,12/kg) achieved for a two-bale BMY lot of 18 microns from the clip of H Linde of Cradock. The buyer was…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer’s Weekly. This article was first published by The Conversation. Read the original at bit.ly/3V9weff. "There were early warnings that Kenya’s long rain season – between March and May – was going to bring above-normal rainfall. The extreme intensity of the rain has resulted in devastating floods in many parts of the country. Forty of the country’s 47 counties have been affected. More than 230 people have died and about 40 000 households, so far, have been displaced. Poor maintenance of key infrastructure and drainage systems, and disregard of environmental regulations regarding maintenance of land near rivers, contributed to the situation. The government has responded with measures to minimise destruction and safeguard lives. These include ordering…

ARCHIVE Pioneering tea company Sapekoe in Tzaneen started small and became a big name in the industry. South African tea drinkers are discovering a new taste in teas – our own. ‘Made-in-South Africa’ teas have been appearing on the market and have been welcomed by the ‘experts’. One of the major suppliers of this tea is Sapekoe of Tzaneen, whose tea plantations cover the slopes of the mountains surrounding this Eastern Transvaal town [nowadays in Limpopo]. A factory on their Middelkop Estate is producing the finished product, either for blending with other teas or as a pure South African product. Farmer’s Weekly paid a visit to this modern factory to find out exactly what happens to the tea on its way from the bush to the pot. The technical director…

It is estimated that Africa’s fisheries contribute US$20 billion (about R364 billion) to the continent’s economy, representing 13% of its GDP. They provide a sustainable diet to about two billion people and will support 58 million jobs by 2050 if investment is sustained to harness the sector’s potential, according to the African Union (AU). The World Bank has since 2005 supported the sustainable use of marine resources in Africa and is calling for transformative interventions to ensure nutrition security and jobs. The bank has created an international programme to promote and facilitate fisheries and aquaculture’s contribution to sustainable growth, food security, women’s empowerment and poverty reduction. This is in tandem with the AU’s Agenda 2063, which declares the ‘blue economy’ to be Africa’s future while recognising the key role the…

The growing of cannabis is a complex dance between nature, art and science. Growers encounter a wide range of challenges that can affect profitability, quality and production from seed to harvest. Nevertheless, these challenges are surmountable using the appropriate information and methods. PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT Infestations of pests and illnesses are among the most enduring problems in the cultivation of cannabis. In addition to diseases like powdery mildew and botrytis that can drastically reduce yields, pests like fungus gnats, aphids and spider mites may wreak havoc on crops. Prevention: Vigilance must be maintained, and strict quarantine regulations for newly acquired plant material should also be followed in order to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases into the cultivation facility. Monitoring: Before indications of a disease or pest infestation…

Erika Kritzinger, the owner of Shema Eva in Misgund in the Eastern Cape, grafted 600 Opal trees onto an M793 Maribelle rootstock in August 2023. So far, all the grafts have taken, with some even bearing apples, which she will remove to promote graft growth. After a meeting with Jan van Ingen on her farm, she is planning to graft Maribelle onto all the remaining Opal trees. “What I like about Maribelle is that you are tapping into an established market. Having a variety that does not have to be thinned, that is easy to grow, that requires low inputs thanks to its resistance to diseases, and is appealing, will help me in my quest to farm in a more environmentally friendly way,” she says. Being able to send the…

Christiaan Frederic Beyers was born on 23 September 1869 on the farm Banhoek in the district of Stellenbosch. He was admitted to Victoria College (now Stellenbosch University) where he obtained a law degree. After completing his studies he moved up to Pretoria in 1888 and set up a law practice. He was by nature a man of fine physique who played a prominent role in the Transvaal rugby team as a forward from 1892 to 1895. He was, however, unfortunate not to play against the touring British sides of 1891 and 1896, due to duty and injury. In 1895, he joined the commando that captured Leander Starr Jameson, who had invaded the Transvaal hoping to start unrest along the Reef, which would enable Britain to come to the rescue. The…

Export opportunities for South Africa’s agricultural products are opening up within BRICS+ countries. Over the past two years, China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have widened market access for various agricultural products from South Africa. Admittedly, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have recently joined the BRICS+ grouping, and market access is part of the long-term bilateral engagements with South Africa. South Africa can now export selected fruits, wine, wool, meat and grains to these countries. However, South Africa aims to broaden market access to the majority of the agricultural products the country produces. For this reason, through the 2023 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg and the prior engagements, South Africa prioritised trade as a significant point on the agenda for discussion. The political principals broadly agreed that deepening trade was…

The good news about climate change is that its effects can mostly be predicted. The bad news is that mitigating against the volatility it will bring is costly and mostly unaffordable to those who will need it most. This was according to delegates who were recently speaking at a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) event on El Niño. The delegates noted that anticipatory action would be the most effective way of protecting communities against climate shocks. Looking specifically at the havoc wreaked on farming systems by the last two El Niño events, FAO deputy director- general Beth Bechdol noted that over 60 million people were affected during the 2015/16 event, resulting in 23 countries appealing for international humanitarian assistance worth over US$5 billion (about R92 billion).…

The UK’s National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said that a survey that had been running from 2010 showed that farmers’ confidence across the country was at its lowest. Survey results from 2024 showed that 82% of farms and farm-related businesses had suffered negative blows, largely due to extreme floods, said the union. According to the NFU, farm business had also reported losses with “65% of respondents saying their profits are declining or their businesses may not survive”. A number of fruit farmers have reported that they might go out of business by end of the year. In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office in May, Rishi Sunak’s Food Security Index presented to farmers predicted that the country’s self-sufficiency could drop by 8%. “I know for many farmers the impact…

Early May saw construction of Namibia’s first salmon farm. The Benguela Blue Aqua Farming project was launched in Lüderitz by the country’s vice president, Netumbu Nandi-Ndaitwa. She described it as “a transformative endeavour poised to drive economic growth in the region”. According to foodbusinessafrica.com, the Benguela current along Namibia’s coastline creates rare and ideal conditions for salmon aquaculture. The counter-clockwise gyre in the south Atlantic Ocean brings cold water from a current that abuts with the Antarctic circumpolar current to form the Benguela current. Deep, cold waters well up as they are pushed against the continental shelf, creating cold, nutrient-rich water masses near the shore. Benguela Blue Aqua Farming says on its website that salmon is a globally accepted, high-status and uniquely positioned seafood item and the largest single fish…

Only use registered products and follow application instructions for the best results when applying fungicides with drones on high-value crops. This was the message from Marius Ras of Ras Consulting at the Vinpro Information Day, recently held in Stellenbosch. He compared the spray deposition efficiency of drones against rig sprayers when applying fungicides protectively on four vineyards in different locations. The results showed that at equivalent formulation volumes applied per hectare, T30 drones with hollow-cone nozzles did not reach 3% deposition under leaves, meaning it resulted in insufficient protection. In contrast, the ground rig sprayers he used, a Multi Row Venturi and Single Row Axial, achieved satisfactory depositions of 25% and 49% respectively. Upper leaf deposition with the drones approached acceptable protection at 7% and 10%, but this was only…

There are many beliefs and myths about dogs that we all, if not now, at some point, believed to be true. I remember being told that if you fill up plastic two-litre bottles with water and leave them on the lawn, the dogs won’t toilet near them. Well, one of our dogs nearly went on top of it. So, let me dispel five myths you thought were true about dogs. OLD DOGS CAN'T LEARN NEW TRICKS This has been ingrained in our lives since forever. Our grandparents told us about this saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Interestingly enough, this is one of the oldest idioms in the English language. No wonder we believe it. Apparently, it is from as early as the 16th century! Where…

When it comes to the life cycle of a worm, it is important to first distinguish between the final (or definitive) host and the intermediate host. Like other species, worms undergo changes as they develop from larvae into adult worms. These changes are what constitute the life cycle. Some worm life cycles involve only a final host. These life cycles are called ‘direct’. Those that require an intermediate host, as well as a final host, are called ‘indirect’ life cycles. “In a direct life cycle, infection is spread to new hosts by life stages that live on pasture in a non-parasitic (‘free living’) life stage that, after a period of development, is ingested by the grazing animal,” says Worm Boss. “Indirect life cycles have immature life stages parasitic in other…

The University of Adelaide in Australia in collaboration with the Nanjing Agricultural University in China are leading research into the genetic functions of wheat. This after the fungal disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) has been spreading due to hotterthan-normal weather conditions. “While some types of wheat are resistant to FHB thanks to the action of the TaHRC gene at the Fhb1 locus, how this gene functions in wheat cells was unknown until now,” they wrote a paper published in Cell Host & Microbe. In their research they show how TaHRC works in wheat cells and whether it can decrease the crops’ susceptibility to the disease. Nanjing University’s Dr Xiujuan Yang said they combined the gene with a protein complex. This led to susceptibility to FHB. The University of Adelaide noted…

Dear Prof McCrindle, When I send cows for slaughter, the abattoir management wants a health certificate to prove they are healthy and free from FMD. What does that mean and where can I get it? Kind regards, Murray Dear Murray, Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a notifiable and controlled disease of ruminants, as well as wild game. Other notifiable and controlled animal diseases are listed on this website: nahf.co.za/controlled-and-notifiable-diseases/. Abattoirs are not allowed to slaughter any livestock unless the animals are healthy, fit, and from an area that is free from any contagious, notifiable or controlled animal disease. If your farm is located in a province where there has been a recent outbreak of FMD, you will have difficulty in transporting animals to the abattoir, as there are movement controls applicable.…