Innehållsförteckning för 27 January 2023 från Farmer's Weekly

I recently spoke to a cashier about the expense of raising children in South Africa. During the course of our conversation, she mentioned to me that she has two young children: one is nine years old, and the other is 11. She revealed that her children didn't go to school in 2022, because the school they were placed in by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) was too far away from where they lived and, because of the distance, she didn't have the means to get them there every day. She added that the DBE had placed her children in a different school for 2023, one that was much closer to where they lived. However, she couldn't send her kids to this school either because of the gang violence, drug…

Sub-Saharan Africa has suffered from low fertiliser use, and this has been driven by two main factors. Firstly, smallholder farmers, most of whom are resource-poor, are unable to afford the high prices of fertilisers. They tend to be further discouraged from investing in fertiliser due to uncertainties arising from erratic rainfall and volatility in output prices (Harawa, et al, 2019). Secondly, smallholder farmers are accustomed to discounted fertilisers due to input subsidies and are unwilling to pay the full price, in part, because they lack awareness of the full economic benefits of fertilisers when correctly utilised. This is compounded by a reluctance to adopt fertilisers due to negative perceptions of inorganic fertilisers on the environment if not appropriately applied (Harawa, et al, 2019). LOW APPLICATION RATE To illustrate the gravity…

Farmers in the Northern Cape, where a devastating drought has prevailed since 2011, are still in dire straits, despite the rainfall that occurred recently in some parts of the region. According to Sybil Visagie, convenor of the Save the Sheep drought-relief organisation, many farmers were experiencing very serious cash-flow challenges and found it extremely difficult to rebuild their herds. "Although [any rain is welcome], most fell outside the region's traditional rainy season and growth period of March and April. This significantly affected the regeneration of the veld, and means that farmers have to continue feeding their flocks. Sheep numbers have declined by as much as two-thirds during the past 12 years," she told Farmer's Weekly. She added that because of the low livestock numbers and the drought's financial and economical…

Zimbabwe is making strides towards self-sufficiency in raw milk production, according to that country's Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary, Dr John Basera. Zimbabwe's The Sunday Mail newspaper stated in a recent report that raw milk production in that country had increased from 79,6 million litres in 2021 to 91,6 million litres in 2022, a rise of 14,3%. Basera told the newspaper that imports of milk powder had declined by 17% over this period, dropping from 8,9 million kilograms to 7,4 million kilograms. He ascribed the increased production to appropriate interventions made by the Zimbabwean government, private sector and development partners. "All these interventions and touch points are contained in the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan, with deliberate programmes [which focused on increasing] the national dairy herd…

South Africa's table grape industry took a beating during the past marketing season, with prices falling due to an oversupply on the local market. Although export market prices held firm, many producers opted to divert fruit to local markets because of high export costs and risks. Gert Upton, senior manager for marketing and sales at Schoonbee Landgoed near Groblersdal, Limpopo, told Farmer's Weekly that many producers had suffered losses on the export market last year due to high shipping costs and delays at ports. "Since shipping costs haven't come down, and uncertainty about port functionality remains, many grape blocks were prepared for the local market. But South Africa can only handle so much fruit, and as a result, prices dropped," he said. While many retailers passed the lower producer prices…

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) recently published its 2021 Agricultural Survey. Total income earned in the sector was R417,l billion, up 11,9% from the R372,8 billion of 2020. The livestock industry produced 38% of total income, followed by the horticultural sector at 26,5% and field crops at 19,5%. Sales of field crops rose 24,2% year-on-year (y/y), while those of horticultural crops increased by 19%, In contrast, income from livestock increased by only 5,1% y/y. Total expenditure in 2021 was 10,2% higher y/y, while capital expenditure rose 8,9% y/y. Some 52% of total expenditure was spent on farm requisites and 12% on salaries and wages. Net farm income (the difference between income and expenditure) was R27,78 billion, 42% higher than the R19,48 billion of 2020. Capital expenditure increased by 18,8% y/y.…

• Immobilise the limb and apply firm pressure to the bite with your hand. • Wrap the bite tightly with a pressure bandage, and continue wrapping the entire limb, from the bite towards the heart. • For the bandage to be most effective, it must be applied at a pressure of 50 to 70 mmHg on a blood pressure monitor. This is near impossible to do with a crepe bandage, and only applies to suspected black mamba or Cape cobra bites. • For a bite on the foot or leg, once the pressure bandage has been applied properly, splint the leg to immobilise it, and bind the two legs together to maximise immobilisation • For a bite on a hand, straighten the arm and, once the immobilisation bandages have been…

In society, waste disposal often follows the principle of 'out of sight, out of mind'. Once a used item has been placed in a rubbish bin, there's not much more thought about where that object will end up, how it will be disposed of, and if there will be any potential negative effects on people and the environment in the disposal process. Irresponsible waste disposal can have numerous unintended consequences for both human and environmental health. For example, a highly publicised stream of waste, plastics, is well known for its impact on flagship marine species such as whales, turtles and albatrosses. Plastics can further break down into microplastics, which have been found in Antarctic ice, the Mariana Trench, drinking water and even human blood samples. Scientists are continuously uncovering the…

The best area to start an orchard is on a slope that doesn't receive too much wind during the day. Consider the size of your plot, and visualise the width and breadth of your desired fruit tree layout. Is the piece of land large enough for the orchard? Will there be walking space between the rows? INSPECT THE TERRAIN After you've cleared away any bushes or trees that may be in the way, inspect the level of the land and the quality of the soil. The surface should be flat enough to support a functional orchard. The soil should be well-drained with a sandy, loamy texture, and rich in nutrients to support healthy tree growth. You should also scout around the property for a nearby water point. A fruit tree…

SERVES TWO TO FOUR 50g sugar 1 lime, halved 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped 60ml fresh lime juice 125ml tequila 60ml triple sec 2 Tbsp runny honey Ice cubes Fresh mint, to serve • Place the sugar in a small saucepan. Wet the rims of your serving glasses with the lime halves, then dip the rims into the sugar to coat them and set aside. • Place the mango, lime juice, tequila, triple sec and honey into a blender and puree until smooth. • Add the ice and continue to blend until you have achieved the desired thickness. • Pour into prepared glasses, garnish with the mint and serve immediately.…

Researchers at the Earlham Institute in Norwich in the UK, in collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, have found that wheat containing exotic DNA from wild relatives benefits from up to 50% higher yields in hot weather compared with elite lines. According to the ScienceDaily website, field trials in Mexico emphasised the importance of genetic diversity in key crops, as decades of selective breeding had reduced their ability to adapt to a rapidly warming planet. Prof Anthony Hall, study author and group leader at the Earlham Institute, told ScienceDaily that it could take a decade or more to develop climate-resilient wheat varieties. The field trials took place over two years in Mexico's Sonoran Desert. The researchers studied 149 wheat lines, from widely used elite…

Farm killings in South Africa by Nechama Brodie (Kwela, R295) Brodie has mastered the techniques of data journalism that help researchers survey, assess and ultimately illuminate a subject: here the tragic and all-too-often controversial phenomenon of farm killings. Her survey goes well beyond the farm gate and beyond South Africa, looking at the idyllic portraits of farming shot through with occasional confrontation from across the world. She considers whether some seeds of this violence were planted in South Africa's early settlement and looks in greater detail at the past 100 years; this includes forced removals and the agricultural labour issues exposed by investigative journalist Henry Nxumalo in the 1950s, before reassessing the effect of 'Kill The Boer' slogans and songs. Brodie dives deep into statistics and possible bias. "Are farm…

Richard Carl Gustav Ludwig Wilhelm Julius von Stutterheim was born into nobility in 1815 in the German state of Prussia, and attended a military school in Cologne. After completing his education, he was posted to a Hussar Regiment stationed at Düsseldorf, with the rank of lieutenant. After killing a fellow officer in a duel, Von Stutterheim fled to England and served with the British Legion in the Carlist Wars between 1835 and 1838. These were a series of civil wars fought by the followers of Don Carlos of Spain (Carlists) against the Christinos, supporters of Maria Christina, the Queen Mother of Isabel II. Von Stutterheim distinguished himself in battle, winning several medals, and was promoted to captain. After three years in the British Army, Von Stutterheim returned to Prussia to…

Agriculture will continue to play an important role in achieving a number of key socio-economic gains in South Africa, such as food security, increased income and job creation. President Cyril Ramaphosa stressed this during his address to ANC supporters at the party's 111th anniversary celebration in Mangaung earlier this month. He correctly said that the growth of the agriculture sector over the past few years had ensured a positive contribution to food availability, employment, and economic growth. Ramaphosa added that government would continue to support agriculture by bringing underutilised land back into production, and making it available to communities and historically disadvantaged individuals. A MOVE TOWARDS REVITALISING THE RURAL ECONOMY He said that the acceleration of farmer support production units was an important step toward revitalising the rural economy, as…

The poaching of endemic succulent species in South Africa present a serious threat that could lead to many species, including those in the Hoodia, Conophytum and Euphorbia genera, becoming extinct. According to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, operations and stewardship manager at CropLife South Africa, the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape had been particularly hard hit by this scourge. He said the extent of this kind of theft fell into the same category as the poaching of rhinos and other endangered animals, leaving numerous species on the brink of extinction. In the Namaqualand region, plants belonging to the Conophytum genus were being hit the hardest by poachers, while the number of plants of the Euphorbia genus in the Eastern Cape was dwindling alarmingly because of the illegal trade in succulents. "Elephant's foot…

The African Development Bank has approved a loan of US$179,7 million (about R3,l billion) to Botswana's government to facilitate growth in private sector-led agriculture in that country, among other programmes. This was according to a recent statement by the bank, which said that among the programmes that would be funded was an initiative that would "propel private sectorled agriculture and industrial transformation [forward]". It would achieve this through "the approval of a national policy on agricultural development and transformation, and creation of a meat industry regulator", the statement said. The bank indicated that it intended to support private sector-led growth and job creation in agriculture through growth-enhancing infrastructure projects. Last year, it announced that the bank had approved a grant of about US$1,4 million (R24 million) to fund a new…

In the second week of January, US President Joe Biden's administration announced a new regulation with regard to the upstream reach of water pollution laws. The aim is to ensure safe drinking water for US citizens "while supporting agriculture, local economies, and downstream communities". In 2014, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced a proposed rule to "clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation's water resources". The rule, known as Waters of the United States or WOTUS, described which water sources could be federally regulated under the Clean Water Act. However, farmer and home-builder groups, who helped stall an Obamaera definition of WOTUS, said that the Biden WOTUS rule was also…

The Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations (Gates Ag One) foundation recently announced that it had awarded a US$34 million (about R578 million) grant to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US for its Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project. According to a statement released by the foundation, the project was aimed at improving photosynthesis via cutting-edge science, after finding that a mere 1% (approximately) of the energy from sunlight was converted into the growth of crop plants. The four-year grant would support RIPE researchers in seeking further improvements in the photosynthetic efficiency of crops such as cowpea and soya bean, which were cultivated in Africa and South Asia, and served as important sources of protein. The RIPE project was established in 2012 and originally funded by the Bill…

The cannabis industry around the world has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, and new technology is playing a key role in this transformation. Here are the some of the innovative tools and systems adopted. • Artificial intelligence (Al) AI has many potential applications in the cannabis sector, including improving customer service, developing new products and services, streamlining transactions, automating processes for compliance and quality control, and increasing operational efficiency. It can be used to analyse customer feedback and preferences, giving businesses an edge in determining which products are in demand and how they can meet these demands. AI can provide insights into market trends by interpreting data from sales, customer service, and other sources. It can be used to automate processes for compliance and quality assurance. It can even…

SERVES TWO For the fish 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp salt 2 tilapia fillets (about 200g each) For the salsa 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced 1/2 red pepper, diced 1 jalapeno chilli, seeded and minced 2 Tbsp minced red onion 1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander 2 Tbsp lime juice 1 Tbsp lemon juice Salt and pepper, to taste • To prepare the fish, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, black pepper and salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, push out the excess air and seal…

Dear Prof McCrindle, A friend of mine recently told me that poultry are difficult to produce and have the highest mortality rate of any livestock. Is this true for all types of poultry? Which birds have the highest mortality rate and need more care? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, The Food and Agriculture Organizat ion of the United Nations defines poult ry as ''domesticated avian species raised for eggs, meat or feathers". It includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, guineafowl, geese, quail, pigeons, ostriches and pheasants. Intensive, extensive and household poultry production have different mortality rates and input costs. There are three chicken production systems: day-old chicks (hatcheries), meat production (broilers), and egg production (layers). The South A frican Poultry Associat ion trains both commercial and smallholder farmers and has detailed training…

15 to 17 March, Ganico Organic Estate, Johannesburg The Floral Intensive Workshop is ideal for those who wish to grow their floral-design skills. Topics covered include practical work, such as designing two to three large installations; as well as theory, including information about colour, shape and texture. Email Wilde Flower at hella@wildeflower.co.za. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 20 TO 24 MARCH Africa Regional Apimondia (bee) Symposium, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, Durban. Visit apimondiaafrica2023.org.za. 20 TO 31 MARCH Smart Farming: Transforming Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security in Africa, Protea Fiotel Fire & Ice! Pretoria. Phone Edna Lupiya on 011 862 4001. 24 TO 26 MARCH Cannabis Expo, GrandWest, Cape Town. Visit theeannabisexpo.co.za. COURSES AND TRAINING 23 TO 25 JANUARY Cattle: Artificial Insemination, George. Phone Lily Rothman on 078 546 7985. 26 JANUARY Cattle…

ARCHIVE In this article, it was revealed that an outdoor set-up for raising pigs could be profitable. However, the management of the animals needed to be vigorous and dedicated. Two factors have brought outdoor pig breeding back into fashion overseas and enabled it to compete with intensive farming on equal terms: three-week weaning, and mains-operated electric fencing with a real kick in it. It has been said that land suitable for growing grain will also be suitable for outdoor pig farming, but this isn't strictly the case. In wet seasons, heavy land spells misery for such an operation. The temporary pasture is churned up by the pigs' sharp hoofs, and soil impaction results from regular servicing trips by tractors pulling trailers loaded with feed or animals. For a herd of…

Exporters to China were given a glimmer of hope late last year after that country scrapped its zero-COVID-19 policy and resumed the importation of goods. This has rapidly dimmed, however, as infection rates have since surged and logistics have once more ground to a halt. According to local agricultural role players, South Africa's export industries had been eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Chinese economy due to the significant role it played in the uptake of South Africa crops. Last year, exports of macadamias, grapes, pears and citrus were severely affected by lockdowns in China. Now delays are mounting again as COVID-19 infection rates soar and Chinese companies report a slowdown in operations due to a lack of staff. Wolfe Braude, manager of Agbiz Fruit, said that as China aimed…

The latest GDP report released recently by Statistics Botswana shows that the agriculture sector continues to be one of the lowest contributors to that country's GDP, with the latest figures showing that the sector contributed 1,7% during the third quarter of 2022, This was driven in large part by the poor performance of the livestock sector. Statistics Botswana stated that the agriculture sector's contribution to the country's GDP had declined over the years, falling from 44% in 1966 to its current level, which was “stuck between 1,7% and 2,8%". The report said the contribution of the agriculture sector to overall GDP had declined from 1,8% during the first quarter of 2022 to 1,7% during the second and third quarters of the year. During the third quarter of 2022, all other…

The use of biological solutions rather than harsh chemicals in crop protection programmes is increasing globally. However, this is due mostly to legislation, as market research shows that consumers are more focused on the cost of food than saving the environment. Speaking at the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting late last year, Mark Trimmer, managing director of market research company DunhamTrimmer, said that sustainability had a prioritisation problem. "We're seeing a 'buy now, save the planet later' attitude in consumers, and these cracks in the consumer sustainability narrative can no longer be ignored." Nonetheless, Trimmer noted that in the wake of the COVTD-19 pandemic, there had been an awakening to the collective responsibility to help save the planet. "Societies are actively moving from self-care to earth-care, and in agriculture, biocontrol solutions…

As of 4 January 2023, India now has 212 registered indigenous livestock breeds. This follows the registration of 10 new breeds by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) during the past year. According to a report in India's Doion to Earth magazine, the registration of the breeds was undertaken by the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. "The registration process involved the identification and surveying of these breeds through visits to the native areas," the magazine reported. The 10 new breeds included three new cattle breeds (Kathani, Sanchori and Masilum), one buffalo breed (Purnathadi), three goat breeds (Sojat, Karauli and Gujari), and three pig breeds (Banda, Manipuri Black and Wak Chambil). The report explained that the Purnathadi buffalo was found in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The Kathani, a…

In late 2022, meat and livestock prices showed divergent trends, with pressure on red meat prices continuing to build as a result of the cumulative effect of months of economic strain on consumers. In contrast, the prices of pork and individually quick-frozen (IQF) chicken pieces continued on an upward trajectory, supported by a combination of strong demand and weak supply. BEEF Beef production profitability, as indicated by the beef-to-maize price ratio, rose 5,1% month-on-month (m/m) in December (see Graph 1) to levels last seen in September 2022. This increase came on the back of lower maize prices, with the SAFEX yellow maize price falling 9,4% from the highs seen at the end of November. The price of carcasses fell, however, due to the softening in demand usually associated with the…

The Red Meat Producers' Organisation's (RPO) Code of Best Practice, recently updated and available on our website, spells out some of the steps that farmers can take in order to make a meaningful contribution towards lowering the industry's carbon footprint. Needless to say, we are very reliant on the environment with regards to the upkeep of the animals and our ability to provide sustainable sources of food for consumers. As an organisation, we are keeping a close eye on how the effects of climate change, both locally and abroad, are shaping critical narratives about the future of our industry. That way, we hope to be able to gain and share useful insights from some of the emerging research that shows the role that sustainable production strategies can play in the…