Innehållsförteckning för 10 March 2023 från Farmer's Weekly

At a function held in February at Champagne Sports Resort in Central Drakensberg, Pannar Seed named Phillip Nel as Salesperson of the Year 2022. Nel represents the company in Koster, North West, and the surrounding areas. Le Roux Breytenbach, Pannar Seed sales representative in Welkom, Free State, took second place. Jannie Blignaut, Nel's manager, congratulated him on his "outstanding performance". He added: "Phillip won this award by applying his sales experience, technical knowledge, passion for Pannar and ability to market the company's wide range of crops and cultivars to provide his customers with a professional service. "Pannar is proud to have representatives of this calibre."…

WEEKLY NEWS WRAP – Registrar of the Agricultural Produce Agents Council, Francois Knowles, speaking out about the lack of proper origin-tracing and farming-method information for fresh produce sold on national markets (pg 21). 'Many people were caught off guard, with the [rapid] flooding of the Komati and Crocodile rivers causing extensive damage […]' – Secretary of eight irrigation boards in Mpumalanga, Nancy O'Farrel, giving an account of the extensive damage caused to pumping equipment on farms during the recent flooding across the country (pg 16). 'As long as the SAPS continues to function as it currently does, there will be no trust in the state to effectively manage safety' – General manager of TLU SA, Bennie van Zyl, expressing dismay about the recently released quarterly crime statistics (pg 17). 'The…

Food fraud is defined as a collective term used to encompass the misrepresentation of food, food ingredients, or food packaging. It also includes false or misleading statements made about a product for economic gain. Francois Knowles, registrar of the Agricultural Produce Agents Council (APAC), recently told Farmer's Weekly that the lack of proper origin tracing and farming method information for fresh produce sold on the national markets was a ticking time bomb. "We're nowhere close to having enough conversations about food fraud at the markets, because we're fighting so many bigger issues, like the complete collapse of the markets. "We need to put systems in place that will ensure the integrity of produce and prevent any large-scale claims that could shut down markets or individual fresh produce sectors if any…

South African maize farmers will have the opportunity in March to gain insight into how to improve their yields from US maize farmer Kevin Kalb, whose use of biotechnology and hybrid seeds has made him one of top dryland maize producers in the world, with record-breaking yields. Kalb will be a keynote speaker at the Africa Agri Tech 2023 exhibition and conference, which takes place at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, from 14 to 16 March. Kalb is a fifth-generation farmer based in Dubois County, Indiana, where he produces maize, soya bean and turkeys. He has been in the farming business for 35 years and runs his farm with his wife Shawn and their four children: daughters Jia, Rhyland and Emmerson, and son Kogen. "Everything…

Speaking at the launch of a report on Africa's macroeconomic performance and outlook conducted by the African Development Bank (AfDB), delegates agreed that Africa had far more potential that what was currently exploited. Prof Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University in the US, said at the launch that Africa had the capacity to achieve annual growth of between 7% and 10%. This would be achievable if the continent took advantage of its population to grow a robust single market, as China and India had done. "This will enable Africa to position itself among the three largest global marketplaces. The continent has the greatest growth potential, but needs to build vital regional infrastructure and close the infrastructure gaps over the next few decades." Dr Akinwumi…

The past decade has seen food companies and retailers demanding 'regenerative production practices'. Furthermore, there is a distinct antipathy to what is disparagingly termed 'conventional' or 'industrial' agriculture. The rhetoric is increasingly alarmist, with statements such as "The food system is broken" and "Agriculture is limping on and possibly heading towards an abyss" characterising discussions. Regenerative agriculture is seen as the way to overcome this perceived state of affairs, while at the same time minimising the impact of agriculture on climate change. But what exactly is meant by 'regenerative agriculture'? And are the concerns regarding 'conventional' agriculture valid? A survey of the literature indicates that no clear and concise definition of regenerative agriculture exists, with the term being interpreted in sometimes very different ways. This vagueness is often a source…

There is a need to transfer technology to emerging and smallholder cattle farmers to minimise their challenges in production. Low reproduction rates have been a problem experienced in South Africa's communal and emerging cattle herds. Around the world, there is increased interest in gender-preselected calves, using sexed semen straws in dairy and beef cattle livestock farming when conducting artificial insemination (AI). In a dairy operation, female animals have greater value than bulls, as bulls can obviously not provide milk. However, for beef cattle farmers, the demand for gender-preselected calves differs depending on the type of operation. Moreover, heifer calves born as co-twins to bull calves have a high rate of freemartins, which are genetically female but have many characteristics of a male. (Freemartins are also infertile.) Unfortunately, due to emerging…

The Northern Hemisphere experienced some major challenges during the 2021/22 cherry production season, largely due to unfavourable weather conditions. Logistics and port problems were also encountered there as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns. However, countries in Europe and South America saw good yields. TURKEY According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Turkey is the world's largest producer of cherries, accounting for more than 20% of total production. The country's production conditions, including soil type and climate, are ideal for cherry production. In 2019, Turkey produced 640 000t of cherries, 78 000t of which were exported at a value of around US$200 million (about R3 billion today). In 2020, the country produced 732 000t of cherries and exported 87 944t. This makes Turkey the fourth-biggest cherry exporter…

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) is one of several related crops referred to as 'spinach'. Although they are related and look vaguely similar, they are all different species. There is, in fact, only one true spinach, Spinacia oleracea, which in South Africa is called 'baby spinach'. S. oleracea and B. vulgaris are closely related and will readily cross with one another. The seed are identical in appearance. You will sometimes come across 'outcrosses', as they are referred to; this is the odd plant in either crop with large, reddish leaves that has a superficial resemblance to Swiss chard. The pollen of S. oleracea is wind-borne and can travel great distances on air currents, resulting in unplanned crosses. Another spinach available in South Africa is New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioide), a heat-resistant…

Named the Mufasa (from the Lion King), this Hyundai has been stated created specifically for the Chinese market in a left-hand drive configuration. This means the Mufasa, or the same model bearing a different name is unlikely to land on South African shores. The all-new Hyundai Mufasa is the brainchild of Beijing-Hyundai. The company began operations in 2002 and saw healthy growth at the outset, thanks to the success of the Elantra and Sonata lines. The partnership failed to capitalise on the SUV fad of the 2010s and is now behind the curve of the continuing EV craze. Only two alternative fuel vehicles are available from the manufacturer: a hybrid and an electric. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 EVs, two of the company’s most wellliked electric vehicles, are bafflingly…

Hillbilly Homes LIFESTYLE Dear Jonno, I recently purchased a vacant property in Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal. I'm now looking to build a four-bedroom home to let, a one-bedroom cottage for myself, and a double garage. The home should be large, with an open living area in the centre. I may change this later on into two two-bedroom apartments if I can change the zoning of the property. The roofing must be done as costeffectively as possible. I would prefer an A-frame, allowing for high ceilings. I'd like IBR sheeting as cover. All the buildings should have double walls, with both concrete commons and face brick. I would like sliding barn doors throughout the interior; these will make it easy for me to split the house into two sections at a later stage.…

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 Conversation. To read the original article, visit bit.ly/3XU2UHF. "Gardens, parks, reserves and trees have been linked to cultural, spiritual and alternative medical solutions. Natural or seminatural land areas can also deliver ecosystem services such as food supply, storm-water management and climate control. Cities can plan and manage these for maximum benefit. Our research team works on the Integrative Green Infrastructure Planning project, a collaboration between the University of Pretoria in South Africa and Aarhus University in Denmark. We reviewed policy documents relating to green infrastructure in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (Pretoria and surrounds) to look for ways to plan, manage…

As part of the 2023 World Pangolin Day celebrations in South Africa, animal-protection organisation Humane Society International/Africa (HSI/Africa) gave positive feedback on the now eight-month-old pup born to Cory, a pangolin rescued from animal trafficking a few years ago. Just days before this year's World Pangolin Day on 18 February, Cory and her pup were spotted inside their burrow, and HSI/Africa reported that both were thriving in their natural habitat. "The birth [of this pup] signalled the overall success of the programme to retrieve, rehabilitate and reintroduce Temminck's pangolin [Smutsia temminckii] back into the KwaZulu-Natal wilderness where they had been extinct for around four decades," Dr Audrey Delsink, executive director of HSI/Africa, said in a statement. Cory was rescued from poachers during the COVID-19 pandemic and had been released in…

Jordan Thomas and Carsen Anderson explain that sexed semen contains an enriched proportion of either X or Y chromosome-bearing sperm cells. "The bovine X chromosome is larger than the Y chromosome, resulting in X chromosome-bearing sperm cells containing approximately 3,8% more total DNA content. By staining sperm cells with a dye that incorporates proportionally with DNA content, sperm cells can be differentiated as X or Y chromosome-bearing. This difference in DNA content is the basis for generating sexed semen using one of two commercial processes." Due to the sexing procedure, the use of sexed semen can result in lower conception rates compared with conventional semen. However, this could largely depend on the bull, they say. "This reduction appears to be more severe for some bulls than others. Production of sexed…

The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an annual herb that can be erect, trailing, climbing or bushy. It has a strong taproot and many spreading lateral roots. It requires few inputs, as the plant's root nodules can fix atmospheric nitrogen. This, and the fact that it can be used for intercropping, makes it ideal for small-scale farmers. The entire plant can be used for forage. According to a production guide by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and the Agricultural Research Council, small-scale dryland farmers in South Africa produce a substantial quantity of cowpea, but there is no record of overall tonnage or the exact quantities grown in specfic regions. In general, cowpeas are grown mostly in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West and KwaZulu-Natal. The global cowpea crop…

A recent scientific paper suggests a link between the conformation of the hind hooves and problems with balance and muscular conformation, which can compromise performance and soundness in horses. IT’S ALL IN THE ANGLES The correct conformation of a horse is well known to many horse owners and those interested in all things equine. A horse's body is divided into three equal parts, namely head, shoulders and forelimb; mid-piece and back; and hindquarters. The length of the neck should be about one-third of the total body length and equal to the length of the front limb. From the front, there should be a straight line from the point of the shoulder to mid-hoof. Viewed from behind, the line goes from the point of the buttock, through the hock, to mid-hoof.…

SERVES TWO For the cheese sauce 1 Tbsp butter 15ml flour 165ml milk Pinch of salt Freshly ground black pepper Pinch of ground nutmeg 30g mature Cheddar or Gruyère cheese, grated For the sandwiches 4 slices thick sourdough or country loaf bread 2 Tbsp butter, softened 2 tsp wholegrain Dijon mustard 6 thin slices ham 120g mature Cheddar or Gruyère cheese, grated and divided For the eggs 1 Tbsp butter 2 large eggs Salt Freshly ground black pepper • Preheat the oven to 180°C. • To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add flour and stir for about one minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, whisking continuously, and cook for…

LIFESTYLE The Hitching Post I'm a 52-year-old black man from Namibia, and I am looking for a partner between the ages of 30 and 50 years to settle down with. I like farming, especially poultry, and hope to hear from you. LOOKING FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL I am a sincere, lonely widow seeking a sincere, honest, kind-hearted man who is 60 years or older. I love reading, and helping people and animals. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. LONELY I'm a 65-year-old divorced and retired businesswoman of European descent. I spent 10 years living on a smallholding, but have since moved to the coast. I love animals, nature, fine arts, music, good food and entertaining friends. COUNTRY LOVE, 4225 I am a widowed 57-year-old white woman who is looking for…

While driving in the Western Cape's Overberg region, Paul Schumacher and his wife Dagmar were captivated by the opensky country in the Bossieveld north-east of Villiersdorp, and decided that they wanted a property in the area. At the time, he was a foreign correspondent for a major German news outlet, and she a travel-guide writer and journalist. The couple ended up buying Pendennis, a historic farm 10km from Villiersdorp, in 1987, and settled there with their one-year-old son Max. Although Paul ran it as a working farm, it was Max, many years later, who expanded the operation to what it is today. The climate in the Bossieveld is characterised by warm summers and cool winters, with temperatures ranging from a low of 8°C to a high of 28°C. This makes…

HIGHEST: (EWE) R32 000 Aliwal North - The Welpic Dormer Stud Production Sale was held at the Saddle Down Lodge on 16 February on behalf of JP Potgieter. The highest price of the day was paid for a ewe, which was sold to Janneman Botha of Katmando Boerdery in Clocolan for R32 000. Ewes achieved an average price of R10 410,71. The highest-priced ram was sold to Van Zyl Botha of Accu B Tradings in Aliwal North for R15 000. Rams achieved an average price of R7 723,68. In-lamb ewes carrying single lambs achieved an average price of R2 500, while in-lamb ewes carrying twins were sold for an average price of R3 000. Two-tooth to full-mouth open ewes and 4T to full-mouth open ewes were sold for an average…

FARMER'S DIARY 6 to 10 March, George The Cattle Dairy Farming Management & Production practical course explores the application and management of systems used for dairy management, including those used in nutrition, record- keeping, milking management and the installation of milking machines. Email Rothman Livestock Training Services at office@RLTSafrica.com. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 20 TO 24 MARCH Africa Regional Apimondia (bee) Symposium, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, Durban. Visit apimondiaafrica2023.org.za. 24 TO 26 MARCH Cannabis Expo, GrandWest, Cape Town. Visit thecannabisexpo.co.za. 30 TO 31 MARCH Smart Farming: Transforming Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security in Africa, Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Pretoria Menlyn. Phone Edna Lupiya on 011 862 4001. 3 TO 5 MAY Africa International Sustainable Agriculture production, Biotechnology and Engineering Conference, Cape Town Convention Centre. Email at charity@federatedmi.co.za. COURSES…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA 'STOCK THEFT STATISTICS DO NOT PAINT A TRUE PICTURE OF THE CRIME IN SA' The South African stock theft statistics recently released by the South African Police Service are not a true reflection of the impact of the crime in the country, according to Dr Jane Buys, safety and risk and analyst at Free State Agriculture. Read the full article at bit.ly/3Y0JLnb or scan here: Posted: 22 February 2023. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA When we posted a link to an article titled, 'Food prices continue to rise despite a lower CPI', some of our followers told us how they felt about this issue. Posted: 18 February 2023. READERS' COMMENTS Nicolette Swart Courty: "It's price-fixing by the major retailers. Ever notice how most products…

Agri SA has welcomed a recent announcement from Zimbabwe's Tanganda Tea Company that its revenue increased by 48% in the quarter that ended 31 December 2022. Jaco Minnaar, president of Agri SA, said that developments such as this benefitted not only Zimbabwe, but also the rest of Southern Africa. "It's to our benefit, too, that our neighbours fare well. A sound economy means improved job creation in Zimbabwe. "Simply put, the jobs created by a company like Tanganda Tea Company put money in workers' pockets, which makes it possible for them to buy food and maintain household food security. "Local processing and [exportation] of agricultural products are particularly important for any country because of the influx of foreign capital, which stimulates a country's economy," Minnaar told Farmer's Weekly. In its…

An experiment on the use of highintensity fires to control bush encroachment in South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP) has revealed that these fires did not result in a meaningful long-term reversal of the problem. In mid-February 2023, the results of this largescale, decade-long investigation were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology in an article titled 'High-intensity fires may have limited medium-term effectiveness for reversing woody plant encroachment in an African savanna'. Prof Brian van Wilgen, emeritus professor of invasion biology at Stellenbosch University (SU) and one of the co-authors of the article, says most studies that advocate the use of high-intensity fires in the fight against bush encroachment are based on short-term observations. "I think [ours] is the first study to assess the effectiveness of this management practice…

LIVESTOCK Mashona Zimbabwe's indigenous Mashona, a Sanga-type cattle breed, has evolved over millennia into a hardy, highly adaptable and economical contender in the African beef production arena, says Maree Osborne, chairperson of the Mashona Cattle Society of Zimbabwe. Following the decimation of the Shona people's cattle herds as a result of rinderpest in the late 1890s and East Coast fever in the early 1900s, Angoni cows were mated with Mashona bulls, resulting in the Mashona breed as it is known today. A herd book was established in 1954, after a decade of selection for beef production. Mashona are usually either black or red, and most are now polled. "Working with Mashona cattle has given me a huge amount of pleasure over the years. The breed's small stature plays a crucial…

The need to start thinking about succession planning does not typically arise until the founder and his or her spouse enter their sixties. By this time, the last of the children will usually have left home, and the couple might be trying to adjust to the vacuum produced by the empty nest. Unresolved marital difficulties that for years had lain dormant, masked by the continual pressures of childrearing and business start-up, may well re-emerge during this period. The death or illness of the couple's parents often exerts additional pressure. The thought of growing increasingly dependent on others is especially difficult for couples who place value on managing for themselves. Retirement and the changes of status that come with it exacerbate these difficulties. Couples at this stage resort to emotional strategies,…

ACROSS 1. Desert of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa (8) 5. Hardy breed of pony originating in a Scottish archipelago (8) 11. Plants produced by unions of different species or varieties (7) 12. The time of evening when atmospheric moisture is deposited on the ground (7) 13. Group of people of common descent (5) 14. Mouldy; decayed (6) 15. Outcrop of rocks surrounded by younger rocks (6) 16. A number of chicks hatched at once (5) 19. Tree's outer layer (4) 23. Cried (4) 24. Apparatus for cooking coffee beans (7) 25. Division of a garlic bulb (5) 26. Inappropriate or excessive (5) 28. Horse rider's foot support (7) 30. Bird of the poultry kind (4) 32. Low dam across a river (4) 35. Open-mouthed (5) 38. Rudimentary burrow dug…

AUCTIONS TO PLACE AN UPCOMING AUCTION EVENT in the Classifieds Auctions section, contact René Moonsamy on 010 971 3771 or at renea@caxton.co.za, or Natasha Kock on 010 971 3770 or at natashakock@caxton.co.za. TO LIST AUCTION RESULTS in this section, email Janine Ryan at janiner@caxton.co.za. Market report Best livestock prices: Northern Free State For more information, phone Chris Derksen on 082 807 5961 Mixed results for wool at 20th sale of season At the 20th sale of the 2022/23 wool season, 12 419 bales were on offer, after 1 184 bales were withdrawn prior to the sale, according to Cape Wools SA. Sustainably-certified wool only comprised 35,6% of the Merino wools on offer. A sales clearance of 91,9% was achieved. Despite a weaker currency, the market indicator for both sustainably certified…

HIGHEST: (RAM) R34 000 Jamestown - The Van Pletzen Merino Production Sale was held on the farm Sterkfontein on 31 January on behalf of Ras, Diederik and Niel van Pletzen. The highest price of the day was paid for a ram, which was sold to Murray and Irene Cathcart of Swartberg for R34 000. The second-highest price was also paid for a ram, which was sold to Hendrik Venter Sr and Hendrik Venter Jr of HS Venter Boerdery in Molteno for R27 000. Rams achieved an average price of R8 548,78. The sale was held by BKB, with JP Marais as the auctioneer.…