Innehållsförteckning för 14 October 2022 från Farmer's Weekly

On 27 September, Danish and Swedish officials announced that two leaks had been identified along the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. Only a few hours prior to this, those same officials had announced a similar development concerning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. These gas pipelines have dominated news headlines in recent months due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries. In early September, delivery of gas from Russia to Europe via Nord Stream 2 was suspended citing a “technical fault”. However, widespread speculation was that Russian President Vladimir Putin was responding to sanctions imposed on his country. At the time, Europe and the US were discussing implementing caps on the price of Russian…

After two years of solid growth for South Africa's agriculture sector, the performance for 2022 is likely to be disappointing, and I am already in the camp of those who forecast a mild contraction. A number of things concern me. The livestock industry, which accounts for approximately half of South African agriculture's gross value added, continues to be affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks and rising feed costs. Meanwhile, heavy rain at the start of the season has meant that some field crop harvests will not be as robust as they were in 2020/21. It should be acknowledged, however, that these harvests will still be well above long-term harvest levels. That said, the challenges mentioned here are likely to overshadow the robust activity seen in field crops such as soya…

The pome fruit industry has had a tumultuous year, as prices did not keep up with record-high volumes. Increased input costs and shipping rates further eroded on-farm profitability. South Africa's exported crop of apples and pears reached 33 million and 17 million 12kg-cartons respectively at the end of September. This represented a 6% increase year-on-year. Jacques du Preez, general manager of trade and markets at Hortgro, said low demand in Europe had been especially disappointing, as stocks were low at the start of the season and producers were hoping for good prices “This was one of the worst years in a long time. Europeans' buying power has diminished amid high inflation and economic pressure since the start of the Ukraine-Russia war. “Furthermore, significant delays at the Port of Cape Town…

School leavers and students looking to pursue a career in the agriculture sector need to be aware that the deadlines for applications for bursaries are fast approaching. “Agricultural businesses employ experts from a wide variety of fields, including chartered accountants, architects and communications experts. It's a misconception that the [sector] only employs agriculturalists,” Francois Strydom, chairperson of Agbiz and CEO of Senwes, told Farmer's Weekly. As a result, a range of bursaries and graduate programmes was available in the sector. The Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education has set aside R5 million in funding for tertiary bursaries, and the deadline for applications was 31 October. Andrew Russell, chairperson of the South African Cane Growers Association, confirmed that first-year students would be given preference. “The bursaries will be given to students…

The powerful Tropical Storm Fiona caused havoc for farmers in Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island (PEI), when it made landfall on that country's east coast in late September. Dairy farmers lost power, resulting in shutting down of their milking systems, which run on electricity, according to Donald Killorn, executive director of the PEI Federation of Agriculture. He said that the storm had also disrupted early harvesting of potatoes and other crops. Despite the size of PEI, farmers there produced one-fifth of Canada's potatoes last year, according to Statistics Canada, with the bulk exported to the US. “We've seen huge destruction of our barns and storage facilities. Damage to infrastructure is significant, widespread and catastrophic/ Killorn told Reuters. Canada's eastern fishery industry was also severely affected, with wharves, foodprocessing plants…

Government's recently published draft National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency Bill and its draft regulations on fracking are threatening water security in South Africa, according to agriculture sector stakeholders. Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu said the proposed National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency would be a stateowned enterprise. He added that it would be responsible for the design, planning, financing, development and operation of national water resources infrastructure. Janse Rabie, head of natural resources at Agri SA, said the idea of having an agency responsible for these functions was noble, as it could improve water security in the country by ensuring timely maintenance and upgrades of infrastructure, something which Mchunu's department had been struggling with. He added, however, that the idea was impractical, and he was concerned about how the…

Inflation figures released last month indicated that US inflation eased from 8,5% in July to 8,3% in August (see graph). A similar trend was apparent in the UK, where inflation dropped 0,2% month-on-month (m/m) to 8,6% in August. The EU, however, recorded higher inflation in August at 9,1%, up from 8,9% in July. The rising inflation rate in the EU is creating cost-of-living pressures. These are being underpinned by soaring energy costs and supply chain bottlenecks, although the latter appear to be easing. OIL AND GAS PRICES With regard to energy, diverging trends are apparent in different markets and energy sources. The price of oil has decreased steadily since the second quarter of 2022, while that of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the EU has quadrupled over the past year,…

Vegetable production is central to South Africa's agriculture sector. The availability of fresh produce markets, retailers and supermarkets, as well as informal markets such as hawkers and bakkie dealers, make vegetable farming a profitable option for new entrants and resource-constrained farmers. Established farmers produce vegetables on a large scale. They have invested in irrigation and seed technologies, and established a regular supply of fresh vegetables in South Africa and other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries. According to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, we produce 5,4 million tons of vegetables a year. Nearly 78% of this is made up of potatoes, tomatoes, onions, carrots and cabbages. In 2021, the vegetable industry was valued at R30 billion, benefitting smallscale as well as large commercial farmers. The importance…

Researchers from Irish agriculture authority Teagasc, the University of Murcia in Spain and the University of Lyon in France are conducting a study using the saliva from piglets to determine how rapidly they learn to become independent of their mothers. The samples are collected in a non-invasive manner: the pigs are given sponges to chew, and the saliva is then collected from the sponges. The collection of saliva samples is hugely beneficial, says Edgar Garcia Manzanilla, head of pig development at Teagasc. “Pigs are very curious; they sample everything in their environment, so saliva contains a lot of information,” he told Agriland Information such as how the environment affects the microbiome of a pig, its intestinal health and its immunity can be gained from these samples, explains Manzanilla. He adds…

“Inflation is a global problem. At the end of August, it was 8,3% in the US and 9,1% in the Euro area. It was 20,3% in Nigeria, 25% in Malawi, and over 30% in Ethiopia and Ghana. The impact on Africa has been devastating. The International Energy Agency estimates that by the end of the year, 30 million more Africans will be unable to afford fuel for cooking. The World Bank estimates that the number of Africans living in extreme poverty will increase from 424 million in 2019 to 463 million this year. There is no agreement on why this is happening. Some argue that it is primarily a supply side problem. The dislocations in supply chains caused by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine…

In September, South Africa experienced Stage 6 rolling blackouts, the third time since Eskom introduced so-called load-shedding in 2008. One of many people criticising the ANC government was former president Thabo Mbeki who, in a speech, questioned why government could not manage the electricity issue better. This took me back 25 years to a process that could have changed the provision of energy completely. Eskom embarked on a scenario planning process in 1997 exploring South Africa's future and the role that the utility should be playing in it. PLANNING HORIZON During this process, the utility developed a three-dimensional matrix in light of the complexities of the energy environment at that stage. The planning horizon was for 2012, much less time than the usual 30- to 40-year horizon generally used by…

A new bill released for comment will place a greater emphasis on the responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to act against property trespassers. The Unlawful Entry on Premises Bill will replace the current Trespassing Act, and while there are many improvements, it contains loopholes. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development published the bill for public comment in August. Since then it has elicited a range of responses based on fears that trespassers would have greater rights than property owners. Agri SA has said that, while the bill was promising, it needed further consideration to allow for more decisive action against trespassers. Uys van der Westhuijzen, chairperson of Agri SA's Centre of Excellence for Rural Safety, said the bill had the potential to address some key problems…

The federal government of Pakistan is pledging to provide subsidised seeds and fertilisers to farmers in flood-ravaged areas during the upcoming sowing season. This was according to that country's Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema. “We plan to provide subsidised wheat and edible oilseeds, as well as one bag of fertiliser per acre to farmers in the calamity-hit areas,” Cheema said during a meeting with World Bank representatives. According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, the disbursement would be made through provincial governments and Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, and would “allow farmers to get back on their feet”. Cheema said he had also instructed the Department of Plant Protection to prepare a comprehensive plan to deliver farming inputs to the affected areas. In addition, technical staff would…

It is inconceivable for anybody to remain a part of South Africa's agriculture sector without a forwardlooking and calculated hope in the future of the industry. This was according to Senwes CEO Francois Strydom, who addressed delegates at the recent 2022 Agri North West congress. Strydom said that agriculture globally found itself in a vastly different world order than before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Although the industry benefitted hugely in terms of the stability it brought through the sustainable production and provision of food and fibre during the pandemic, it still finds itself in flux “The pandemic was a once-in-a--hundred years phenomenon that left us without any frame of reference. “This means we have to navigate its aftermath carefully, based on logical thinking and analytical decision-making, with the focus on the…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects economic growth in Zimbabwe to drop to around half of what it was last year due to rising fiscal instability and a decline in agricultural output. In a statement, the fund said that it expected Zimbabwe's real GDP growth to deteriorate to about 3,5% this year, after it increased to about 7% in 2021. The IMF based this forecast on rising macroeconomic instability and erratic rainfall in that country. According to Dr Piet Croucamp, a political analyst at North-West University, Zimbabwe's economy relied heavily on tourism, agriculture and mining. Its tourism industry was still struggling to recover from the “destruction caused by the poor economic decisions taken by the government in the past”, he said. “The tourism industry was a major job creator in…

With the rise in seed prices, industry stakeholders are worried that organised crime syndicates are targeting the lucrative seed market. “Every year, our producers struggle with seed theft, but the problem has become exacerbated due to the rising cost associated with this input,” Corne Louw, senior economist at Grain SA, told Farmer's Weekly. In mid-September, it was reported that 5t of maize seed, worth Rl,2 million, were stolen from a farm between Steynsrust and Kroonstad in the Free State. In another incident, two suspects were reportedly apprehended by the South African Police Service in the Free State for allegedly trying to sell 177 bags of stolen maize seed with an estimated value of R850 000. “Crime as a whole is a national crisis, and over the long term it could…

Eskom's dismal performance can seriously damage a farmer's sustainability. Many farmers are therefore trying to become less dependent on Eskom by installing solarpowered systems or even, in extreme cases, by going completely off the grid. A farmer who wants to go off-grid will have to spend a huge amount of money. This will need careful budgeting, taking onto account various uncertain factors. Rough calculations show that farmers need to invest at least R100 000 per R1 000 Eskom tariff increase to get off-grid. The price of electricity increased by an average of 72% between December 2020 and July 2022, an annual increase of 43%. Now Eskom has applied for a 35% increase in tariffs for the next year. The chances are that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa will…

LIVESTOCK Dairy Nutrition Recent years have seen a marked decline worldwide in the reproductive performance of dairy cows due to inappropriate selection, increasing herd sizes, poor management and suboptimal nutrition. And behind it all lies an unbalanced emphasis on milk yield. This was according to Colleen Engelbrecht, a ruminant nutritionist at DSM Nutrition and Health, who was a speaker at the Dairy Management Consulting conference held in Durbanville, Western Cape, in August. Engelbrecht explained that to alleviate the impact of low milk prices, dairy farmers have focused more and more on milk yield when selecting dairy genetics. Unfortunately, this has been to the neglect of reproduction, longevity and health traits, and the result is that many animals end up being culled because of reproductive and fertility problems before they reach…

HYDROPONICS Hydroponic systems don't use soil for production; instead, the plants' roots are submerged in a solution that contains macronutrients. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and magnesium, as well as trace elements such as iron, chlorine, manganese and molybdenum. Chemically inactive media, such as gravel, sand and sawdust, are used in lieu of soil and help support the root systems. There are many advantages to hydroponic crop production. It takes up much less space than a conventional farm, particularly when used in vertical farming. The roots don't need to search for nutrients and water, as these are delivered directly to the roots, enabling the farmer to plant at a higher density. It uses less water than conventional growing methods do. According to US agritech company Eden Green Technology, plants use…

MAKES AT LEAST NINE SQUARES 1 large or 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and stoned ½ cup maple syrup, honey or agave syrup ¼ cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup plain flour ½ tsp baking soda ½ cup cocoa powder ½ tsp salt or pinch of sea salt ½ cup chocolate chips or cocoa nibs • Preheat oven to 180°C and line a lightly greased 23cm baking dish. • To a food processor, add the avocado, maple syrup and sugar, and blend well. • Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract, and blend until all of the ingredients are well combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor. • Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa, and blend…

The Guerrilla and the Journalist: Exploring the Murderous Legacy of Jonas Savimbi by Fred Bridgland (Delta, R290) In 1987, respected British journalist Bridgland published a largely positive biography of the Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi. Bridgland's new book on the guerrilla commander, who was the hero of the West, has an unusual sting in the tale. Bridgland now wishes 'to set the record straight', having discovered new evidence relating to the activities of Savimbi and his UNITA movement. He was greatly assisted by one of Savimbi's aides, Tito Chingunji, in recording some unpleasant aspects of Savimbi's methods. Savimbi, of course, lost his life in Angola's civil war/ proxy West/Communist conflict and is on the losing side of history, so not many are queuing up to defend him. Is this the…

With input costs at an all-time high and the summer rainfall region's planting season almost here, grain and oilseed farmers must ensure that their production and marketing risk mitigation strategies are better than ever. This was according to Corné Louw, senior economist at Grain SA. “Fertiliser, seed, chemicals, fuel and repairs make up about 75% of producers' running costs, and these have increased by 40% since last year. “In September 2021, grain and oilseed farmers' input costs amounted to an average of about R7 900/ha. This year, the [figure] has risen to about RIO 800/ha,” Louw told Farmer's Weekly. In contrast to this cost burden, the price of maize and soya bean had increased by only 20% and 12% respectively. “There's a massive risk that farmers may not make a…

The government of Botswana has approved the slaughtering of about 9 600 cattle in the villages affected by foot-andmouth disease (FMD) in the north-eastern part of that country. Botswana's Ministry of Agriculture recently confirmed FMD cases in cattle in some parts of the country that shared a border with Zimbabwe. It expressed fears that, as the disease-control fences had been damaged, this highly contagious disease could spread to other parts of Botswana, which would have a devastating impact on the local cattle farming industry. Botswana's Assistant Minister of Agriculture Molebatsi Molebatsi recently told farmers that the area surrounding the affected villages would be declared an FMD-containment zone. “All of the cattle in the containment zone shall be slaughtered at an approved abattoir. All animals will be humanely killed and buried…

DENMARK Denmark's agriculture ministry has announced that it won't extend a ban on mink breeding when the current ban expires at the end of the year. The temporary ban was introduced after the government ordered the culling of about 17 million mink in 2020 due to fears that the animals were spreading a mutated coronavirus variant. It subsequently emerged that there had been no legal basis for the call to cull, Reuters reported. EUROPEAN UNION The chairperson of the European Parliament's international trade committee has expressed confidence that the region's trade deal with New Zealand will soon be ratified. In July, New Zealand secured a historic free trade agreement with the EU which, once signed, would result in the removal of trade tariffs on 91% of exports to New Zealand.…

Murray Thompson, a farmer from North West, was selected as the Syngenta National Potato Farmer of the Year during the Potatoes South Africa (PSA) biennial congress held in Johannesburg recently. According to a statement by PSA, Thompson farmed 300ha of irrigated potatoes near Christiana as part of the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme. For the past decade, Thompson had established himself as a table potato grower, as well as a seed potato producer in collaboration with WesGrow, the statement said. “This year, we experienced many challenges, such as the above-average rainfall and erratic power supply from Eskom,” Thompson said.…

September saw the price of sweet peppers in South Africa jump by more than 40%. In fact, pepper prices reached R20,05/kg, with red peppers in particular rocketing to R40/kg. This drastic price hike is due to a number of reasons, including the weather. Winter has been colder than normal, and as a result, peppers are ripening more slowly and therefore taking longer to get to market. This has significantly affected the price. In addition, the rand/US dollar exchange rate has increased import costs and affected the price of fertilisers, fuel and other inputs. MARGINS UNDER PRESSURE In the fresh produce industry, a farmer can view statistics from the markets dating more than three years back, and generally come up with an average price for his or her commodity for that…

Many experts will tell you that it's essential to have a mixture of breeds on a farm. Some farmers, for example, have terriers that stay inside their houses at night, while their larger dogs stand guard outside. Whatever your preference, a large-breed guard dog isn't only bred to protect its owners and property; its size, deep bark and intimidating appearance can also help to deter intruders. The American Kennel Club uses a scale of one to five to describe the levels of aggression, maintenance and appropriateness for families of various dog breeds. These traits are important for farmers who have young children, or those who often have visitors. The scale works as follows: AFFECTIONATE WITH FAMILY 1 Independent Highly affectionate 5 This indicates how affectionate a breed is likely to…

International research, which is being repeated in South Africa, has found that B-carotene and vitamin E levels are often low 20 days before to 40 days after calving, when they are needed most. Colleen Engelbrecht, a ruminant nutritionist, explained that these antioxidants are required mostly during this period, and farmers therefore supplement with them to prevent deficiencies. B-carotene, a carotenoid found in green plants such as lucerne and spinach, improves fertility through the development of better follicle quality, leading to better fertilisation and a lower chance of embryo loss. It can thus be seen as a fertility vitamin. Vitamin E improves the activation of immune cells, stimulates the immune response and protects, and prolongs active life. It helps to reduce somatic cell counts and the prevalence of clinical mastitis at…

Dear Prof McCrindle, I have been struggling to get hold of the African horse sickness (AHS) vaccine, and my horse therefore hasn't been vaccinated. It's already late in the season, so can I still vaccinate my horse if I only get the vaccine some weeks from now? Are there any natural products I can use that will improve my horse's immune system in the event that I don't get the vaccine in time? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Onderstepoort Biological Products recently released a short-expiry-date AHS vaccine that expires at the end of November Contact them or your local veterinarian to see if you can still buy doses. The vaccination period for AHS is between 1 June and 1 October, as this is when adult midge numbers are at their…