Indholdsfortegnelse for 6 September 2024 i Farmer's Weekly

I have been practising wushu (kung fu) for several years at the leading kung fu institute in Africa. Kung fu is the root of all martial arts, including the more commonly known karate and judo, and consists of kicks, punches, throws, joint locks and wrestling. There are various styles of kung fu, such as the Shaolin or Wudang styles, and, of course, the wellknown Shaolin animal styles, such as tiger, dragon, crane, snake and mantis. In order to grade at the institute where I train, a general knowledge of the history and development of kung fu is required, as well as a general knowledge of the lineage of the institute. In a recent class I attended, some of this theory was covered, particularly the lineages of the school. During grading,…

The effects of the recent El Niño-induced midsummer drought are starting to show in South Africa’s agricultural jobs data. For example, the figures recently released by Statistics South Africa show that employment in primary agriculture was down 5% quarter-on-quarter to 896 000 in the second quarter of 2024. From an annual basis perspective, the performance is also weak, although up 0,2% from the second quarter of 2023. Still, primary agricultural employment remains well above the long-term employment figure of 799 000. Some subsectors showing a decline in employment include field crops, livestock, and forestry. The job performance in these subsectors is unsurprising as the midsummer drought has notably impacted them, specifically field crops. Moreover, the livestock industry faces relatively higher feed costs and lingering animal disease, which all explain the…

UNITED KINGDOM The UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) has warned of a sudden rise in cases of the BTV-3 strain of bluetongue in the Netherlands and Germany. New cases have also been reported in France, Denmark and Luxembourg. While there was no evidence of bluetongue in Great Britain at the time of going to print, the surge in cases in Europe meant there was a higher risk of the disease spreading to the former. Since May this year, over 4 000 new cases of bluetongue have been recorded in northern Europe. AUSTRALIA The exotic tomato brown rugose fruit virus, which affects nightshades like tomatoes, sweet peppers and chillies, has been found for the first time in Australia. This is at two locations in the northern Adelaide Plains in…

South Africa’s dairy industry is navigating a period of significant volatility as global market trends and local challenges converge. According to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) in its Baseline Agricultural Outlook report for 2024 to 2033, the global dairy market is marked by instability due to the concentration of processed product exports in Europe and Oceania. These regions have a strong influence on global price dynamics, which, in turn, affect South Africa. In 2023, global dairy product prices fell by 17% compared with 2022, driven by lower global feed costs and a weakened demand in the context of high inflation. This price decline continued into early 2024, reflecting the broader economic challenges facing consumers worldwide, including those in South Africa. “The global decline in dairy prices is…

In a move to bolster food security and economic inclusivity in Africa, Tiger Brands continues to make strides through its Agriculture Aggregator Model. Launched in 2019, this initiative has been pivotal in transforming the landscape for small-scale farmers, particularly black and women producers. The model addresses the critical challenges of smallholder farmers who struggle to scale their operations to meet commercial standards. By linking these farmers with expert black-owned farming companies (aggregators), Tiger Brands provides a comprehensive support system designed to elevate agricultural practices and integrate small-scale producers into its value chain. The aggregators offer the farmers crucial technical and management skills, enabling them to enhance their operational and financial capabilities. This support includes input finance, offtake agreements, and extensive agrarian and technical guidance. “The success of our aggregator model…

The Eastern Cape Export Symposium, held last month in East London, brought trade and agriculture experts together to discuss the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to transform the continent’s agriculture sector. Prof Salomo Mbai, director of the Agriculture Trade Policy Institute at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, said one of the biggest barriers to intra-African trade was the inconsistency in regulations across countries. “Harmonising our agricultural policies and standards will not only reduce the cost of compliance but also make our products more competitive on the global stage.” Sandile Tyini, chief director of Africa Multilateral Economic Affairs at South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition, said the AfCFTA was a game-changer for Africa’s agriculture sector. “However, to fully realise its potential, we must…

After 30 or so years in commercial farming and having been a buyer of livestock for abattoirs and for my own livestock speculation business and butchery enterprises, I learnt some valuable lessons about ascertaining the grade of livestock when it comes to what is desirable to the red meat markets. Essentially, buying livestock that doesn’t make the ‘slaughter grade’ can be a costly exercise for you as a buyer who works on commission, and for the enterprises that you’re buying for. For example, if a client wants 500 mutton carcasses with a fat grade of ‘2’ or ‘3’, which are the most desirable grades sought by consumers, and you as a buyer make a mistake by purchasing leaner ‘1’ grade animals that are less desirable to consumers as these animals…

5 KEY WORDS: GAIL SCHIMMEL There’s an enjoyable challenge for author Gail Schimmel, CEO of the Advertising Regulatory Board, in combining the hurly-burly of her working days with some personal time to write fiction often combining both a thriller thread and an element of quiet social satire. Schimmel’s job might be key to why The Finish Line (Macmillan, R340) is ‘only’ her ninth adult novel since 2008, apart from an earlier children’s book and 2022’s great romp Chasing Marian, written with three other local fiction heroes. Less rush means we readers benefit from her beautifully polished and elegantly concise prose – a real cause for celebration. Here are five of her key guiding words: 1. Boarders. My mother was sent to boarding school from nine years old and was the only…

Dear Prof McCrindle, We have lots of rats on our smallholding, where we breed Dorpers. Our Jack Russell ate rat poison and nearly died. Can we control rats without using poison? Kind regards, Richard Dear Richard, It is very possible to control rats without using poison. Rat poison is not only dangerous for pets like dogs and cats but it is also poisonous for people. There is an antidote, but with modern rat poisons, death is so fast that it’s very difficult to get a pet to the vet or a person to the doctor in time to save their lives. The most important factor in rat control is to stop feeding the rats. On a farm, almost everything you produce can be eaten by rodents. Cleanliness is essential! If…

With the Government of National Unity now firmly in place, there is a renewed sense of optimism. This excitement is not misplaced. Business Day recently ran an interesting editorial about our new Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ronald Lamola, and his desire to marry foreign policy with economic policy. This is music to our ears and nowhere is this sentiment more important than in our relationships with other BRICS countries. As a delegation from China prepares to meet the South African government this month, it is worth looking at a few critical statistics. Despite China being South Africa’s biggest trade partner, agricultural trade still lags behind its potential. China imports nearly US$216 billion worth (over R3 trillion) of agricultural products each year but only US$975 million (over R17 billion),…

South African potato consumption is expected to grow by a mere 0,8% a year to only reach pre-COVID-19 levels of above 40kg/capita/annum by 2033, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) recently released Baseline Agricultural Outlook report for 2024 to 2033. The total area planted in 2023 declined by 4%, with some regions seeing up to a 13% decline due to the risk of load-shedding to production, the relative profitability of alternative field crops, such as maize and wheat, and high input costs. The significant reduction in supply led to a staggering 72% year-on-year increase in potato prices, reaching an average price of R72,92/10kg pocket by the end of 2023. BFAP expected the area under production to increase by 1% to 50 340ha in 2024, and from…

Fruit growers will need to produce more high-quality fruit, more fruit per hectare, and increase production efficiencies to improve their profitability. This was according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) recently released Baseline Agricultural Outlook report for 2024 to 2033. In 2023, fruit growers realised record gross revenue per hectare thanks to improved market conditions and a weaker rand offsetting lower volumes caused by adverse climatic conditions. These exceptional returns, however, rarely translated into record profits because of rising input costs. Costs for critical inputs, such as fuel, fertiliser and labour, increased by between 34% and 69% from January 2021 to April 2024. BFAP calculated that the prime interest rate hike from 7% to 11,75% resulted in the repayment of a 10-year loan to establish a hectare…

Dairy Management Consulting (DMC) recently celebrated the top reproduction and calf-rearing farms at its annual conference held near Klipheuwel and Riversdale in the Western Cape. Robhoek in Tsitsikamma, Eastern Cape, achieved the best reproduction scores for Holstein cows. The pasture-based dairy, owned by Nigel and Tanya Lok and managed by Hermie Ferreira, had an average of 930 cows in milk over the year and followed a voluntary waiting period of 75 days. Conception via artificial insemination averaged around 48,9%, with 14,2% of the female animals not pregnant 80 days after the voluntary waiting period. The pasture-based dairies Kleinplaas (near Groot Brak) and De Draay (near Riverdale) in the Western Cape shared the highest reproduction scores for Jersey cows. Kleinplaas, owned by Jimmy Robertson and managed by Wimpie and Marozé Fourie,…

Authorities have advised Zimbabwean wheat producers to be on the outlook for red-billed queleas (Quelea quelea) following increasing reports of this migratory pest being spotted in the country. Shingirai Nyamutukwa, acting chief director of Migratory Pests and Biosecurity Control in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, issued a warning pertaining to the presence of quelea birds in Zimbabwe, saying it could have devastating effects on the anticipated bumper 2024/25 wheat harvest, the country’s The Sunday Mail newspaper reported. According to a BBC report, red-billed queleas are considered pests across East and Southern Africa. An average quelea is able to consume around 10g of grain a day. As the flocks can number up to two million birds, they can collectively consume as much as 20t of grain…

Most month-on-month (m/m) average prices showed increasing trends as volumes fell during the second week of August. The exception was onions, which have been experiencing elevated volumes, putting prices under pressure. Potatoes and tomatoes are mainly supplied from Limpopo in the second half of the year. Due to weather dynamics in that region, analysts predict that volumes will remain at the lower end and price elevations are likely to persist until the start of spring. CABBAGES For the week ending 9 August, average cabbage prices depicted increasing trends, mainly supported by m/m and year-on-year (y/y) declines in average volumes. Average prices showed a 56,4% m/m increase (see Graph 1), moving from R3 092/t to R4 836/t due to a 14,2% decline in average volumes supplied. Monthly volumes fell from 2…

The current economic climate makes the possibility of retrenchment a hard-hit reality in the workplace. Dismissals due to operational requirements (retrenchment) are usually considered the last resort for employers after alternative measures have been considered first. An example of the employer not meeting operational requirements can be due to financial reasons, when expenses exceed income over a period of time, resulting in it just not being financially viable for the employer to keep all the staff employed. In an attempt to rescue the business, the employer can opt to cut down on operational expenses, such as salaries, by implementing retrenchments. DETERMINING WHETHER A SUBSTANTIAL RETRENCHMENT OF EMPLOYEES IS NEEDED In order to determine if it is a large-scale retrenchment, the employer needs to ascertain the number of employees employed in…

It’s been four decades since Patrick Watson began designing gardens professionally. However, his love of the veld dates back to his youth and his family, where a love of nature, architecture and gardening was cherished. His interest in highlighting indigenous planting chimed with the times, and many of his gardens have become an inspiration for those looking to restore biodiversity. In Veld: The Gardens and Landscapes of Patrick Watson (Struik Nature, R650), writer Garreth van Niekerk collaborates with photographer Elsa Young and artist Heidi Fourie to produce a glorious account of 23 of Watson’s more than 200 gardens. They range from huge projects like Sun City ‘forests of fantasy’ to the garden at Stark Studios in Randburg, Johannesburg. The book closes, appropriately, with Van Niekerk chatting to Watson in Watson’s own…

ARCHIVE An Eastern Free State Farmer used this cheap, effective, labour-saving method to raise his calves. A dairyman who profitably raises more calves than he needs as replacements for his grade milking herd is SJ Campher of Harrismith. He will have about 44 cows calving in March-April and of the calves he’ll keep 26 after selecting, selling the rest. “I prefer a constant number and have facilities for them. This also helps my planning and I can work out how much fodder must be produced,” Campher said. He will then rear the 26, using the females as replacements himself or selling them to other milk producers, and sending the males to market at about 14 months (he has received as much as R82 for an animal). Very little feed is bought –…

The wine industry will have to unlock more value to avoid stagnation, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) recently released Baseline Agricultural Outlook report for 2024 to 2033. The report stated that South Africa was following the same trend as the global wine industry, with production shrinking due to the decline in per capita consumption, but value gaining thanks to the migration to higher priced premium wines. Adverse climatic conditions and fungal disease problems led to global wine production falling by 9,6% to 23,7 billion litres. Trade value increased by 4,7% on the back of smaller traded volumes, with average wine export prices reaching a record €3,63/ℓ (over R70/ℓ). South Africa’s domestic and international wine sales amounted to fewer than 800 million litres. Domestic consumption remained…

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently earmarked emergency funding of US$19 million (about R338 million) to fight ongoing outbreaks of rabies in wildlife across numerous states. This support is aimed at helping the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to increase its stockpile of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) baits for future use while dealing with emerging rabies cases in high-risk areas where the virus is likely to spread. According to Dr Michael Watson, APHIS administrator, wildlife rabies posed a major threat to livestock and pets. “By reducing rabies in wildlife populations, we are protecting human and animal health and minimising the risk of the disease spreading, which could undermine the progress APHIS has made in rabies management since 1995.” He was referring to the APHIS National Rabies…

World meat prices fluctuated drastically between 2020 and 2023, while the South African animal production subsector went through a stormy period. This was according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) Baseline Agricultural Outlook report for 2024 to 2033. The world economy was restricted by raised inflation levels and interest rates following the supply-and-demand tremors that resulted from the COVID-19 response policies. Geopolitical pressures further inhibited supply chains. Issues like herd reduction caused by drought in the US, high feed costs, and widespread highly pathogenic avian influenza further exacerbated supply restrictions. According to BFAP, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Poultry Price Index and Beef Price Index increased by 40% and 29%, respectively, from 2020 to 2022, while the increases in pork and sheep…

Linda Birch, Liezl Richards and Natalie van Rooyen recently received their Cape Wine Master (CWM) diplomas at the annual awards luncheon of the Institute of Cape Wine Masters (ICWM) held in late August at the KWV Cathedral Cellar in Paarl, bringing the tally of Cape Wine Masters to 116. The first three Cape Wine Masters to graduate, in 1983, were Bennie Howard, FC ‘Duimpie’ Bayly and Tony Mossop, who were also the founding members of the ICWM. Birch’s dissertation, ‘The evolution of Colombar in South Africa’, examined the development of the cultivar from when it was first introduced in South Africa in the 1900s, mainly for brandy production and as a fortifying grape, to its sudden emergence as a neutral wine of standing in the 1970s. Richards’ dissertation, ‘Unveiling the…

The Japanese government, through its representative in Namibia, Ambassador Hideaki Harada, earlier in August announced its decision to contribute R8,8 million for drought relief in the Southern African country. Since 2012, Namibia has been subject to sporadic droughts, the effects of which have been exacerbated by brown locust outbreaks and severe veld fires. According to the Windhoek Observer newspaper, the aid will be administered through the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) to address the immediate nutritional needs of the most vulnerable populations in the country. The Japanese government’s contribution would enable the WFP to provide critical food assistance to the most affected regions like Kavango East and Kavango West. The Namibian government, through its National Drought Response Programme, would co-ordinate the distribution of the aid. The partnership between Japan, the…

Marketers use terms like ‘bounce rate’, ‘click bait’ and ‘marketing funnel’ and love to use acronyms like USP (unique selling proposition), B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer). All farmers should be familiar with these and other common marketing terms and concepts. In my recent Farmer’s Weekly columns, I’ve outlined the principles of market segmentation, product differentiation and the four Ps, but let’s get one thing straight: unless your product is of consistent good quality, all is lost. Great quality is the foundation for success, but there is much more to selling your produce than just this, which brings me back to the four Ps. Selecting your target markets is the foundation of all that follows. Until you have made a carefully researched decision on target markets, you…

Under the first government of national unity (GNU1), the agriculture sector was led until 1996 by Dr André ‘Kraai’ van Niekerk. At the core of the GNU1 was building a stable, competitive and internationally inclined agricultural economy. As a consequence, there was a radical shift in agricultural policies from strong state control towards a policy era characterised by the privatisation of farm credit, information and inputs; liberalisation of trade; and deregulation of markets. Essentially, policy reforms adopted by the GNU1 aimed to minimise state interventions in agriculture and make it export-orientated. There is sufficient evidence to show that the GNU1 was successful in deregulating and privatising the sector. Today, 55% of the agricultural value is generated from export markets, and private companies are the main generators of technology, markets and…

Scientists from the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) in the US have introduced four new pest-resistant varieties of long bean. According to Phys.org, these new cultivars could help farmers produce more resilient crops while reducing their dependence on pesticides. This breakthrough involved collaboration between researchers from UC Riverside and the UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno County. Funded by a $400 000 grant (about R7 million) from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the team crossed local long beans (Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis) with pest-resistant African cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp). This led to three aphid-resistant long bean varieties and one resistant to root knot nematodes. The scientists’ findings were published in the Journal of Plant Registrations in February 2024. LOWER PESTICIDE USE, HIGHER SALES Through discussions with long…

EASTERN CAPE 4 SEPTEMBER Cockscomb Merino Production Sale, Jansenville Showgrounds. On offer: 55 rams. Phone Louis Hayward on 082 825 3886, or Pindy van Deemter on 082 469 3232. 10 SEPTEMBER Hencil Boerdery Bonsmara Production Sale, Grootvlei, Barkly East. On offer: 24 bulls and 50 female animals. Phone Cecil van der Merwe on 082 560 1528, or Mario Kruger on 060 522 3906. 13 SEPTEMBER Nagenoeg Poenskop Herefords and Guest Sellers Auction, Moorcourt, Barkly East. On offer: 12 Hereford SP bulls, 13 Beefmaster bulls, three South Devon bulls, two Drakensberger bulls, 10 Nagenoeg Poenskop Hereford heifers, 10 Botha Broers heifers, five Hereford x Charolais heifers, and 15 crossbreed red heifers. Phone Jovaan Cloete on 079 575 0795, or Frikkie Tauber on 082 926 3826. 17 SEPTEMBER Karooveld Bonsmaras Production Sale,…