Innehållsförteckning för 26 May 2023 från Farmer's Weekly

ARCHIVE 44 YEARS AGO 1911 17 January 1979 2023 This article described a South African breakthrough in breeding a superior sunflower hybrid cultivar through irradiation. Sunflower seed bombarded with gamma rays to produce mutants for the breeding of a new, shorter-stemmed and later-maturing sunflower variety has placed South Africa among the few countries in the world playing a leading part in the use of irradiation in sunflower breeding. This significant breakthrough in sunflower research has been achieved by a leading South Af rican seedbreeding firm, Saffola, which has its farm and nurseries in the Bapsfontein area of Gauteng. The managing director of the firm is JB McOnie, but the mutant project is under the direction of Martin Herring. The new cnltivar, which still has to undergo a strenuous test programme,…

The recent announcement by Design Biologix, a vaccine researcher, developer and manufacturer, that it has registered a bluetongue vaccine for South Africa has been welcomed by the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO). James Faber, RPO chairperson, said it would have been extremely difficult for the country's smallstock farmers to continue production without the vaccine, as vaccine shortages at Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) continued to hurt livestock producers. “The current shortage of vaccines has had a highly negative impact on sheep production in South Africa. [OBP] has been unable to produce adequate vaccines to immunise sheep against the disease. The delay in the production of vaccines against diseases such as bluetongue means that […] some producers [have lost as] much as 50% of their flocks. The announcement by Design Biologix of…

The call to maximise Zambia's growth sectors so it can become Africa's food basket amid climate change, and the increased cost of imported food and inputs and other headwinds, is spurring the country to become innovative in agricultural production. Although the mining sector has been Zambia's lifeblood since the early 1930s, this has waned in recent years because of fluctuating copper prices. President Hakainde Hichilema assured delegates during separate meetings of the European Parliament in Brussels and an African Union (AU) Mid-Year Review meeting that Zambia was “well placed” to weather the global food crisis, which had been worsened by the war in Ukraine and the climate change crisis. It was the country's resolve, he stated, to fill the void and grow the various food items on demand across the…

South African olive estate De Rustica recently received international recognition when its Coratina Collection was awarded Best in Class, the Absolute Best Olive Oil, and Best Monovarietal at the EVOOLEUM Awards in Spain. The EVOOLEUM competition, one of the largest and strictest olive oil competitions, assesses and judges extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) from all over the world. This year, a panel of 26 judges from 10 countries blind-tasted nearly 1 000 samples from scores of global producers, and De Rustica came out on top. Vittoria Jooste, CEO of SA Olive, said: “We wish to formally congratulate De Rustica on this proud triumph. This accolade proves once again that South African olive producers can compete internationally and win major awards around the world. “De Rustica's achievement is further testament to…

While some may believe that ‘animal welfare’ and commercial livestock production are terms that cannot co-exist, the truth is that most farmers are arguably more committed to animal welfare than the most passionate animal activist is. This is because farmers are deeply invested in their farming businesses, and animals that are under stress due to poor handling, lack of food or water, injury or illness are bound to be less productive. Most farmers also appreciate their animals for the function they perform as part of the farming operation, and so are also deeply invested in the welfare of their animals. Animal welfare refers to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of animals. It encompasses a range of factors, including adequate nutrition, shelter, and medical care, as well as the ability…

The management of animal health is crucial to the profitability and sustainability of a herd or flock. Technology makes recording, analysing and predicting illness, behaviour and body condition easier. The list below highlights the advancements made in this kind of technology. It is by no means complete, and there are many apps that provide the same functionality as these ones: HARDWATCH Herdwatch is a mobile app for farmers to manage their herd or flock's health and productivity. It is available on iOS and Android devices and is designed to be easy to use, even for farmers who may not be particularly techsavvy. The app has the following functions: • Record-keeping With Herdwatch, farmers can keep detailed records of the animals’ movements, as well as births, deaths, sales and purchases. Farmers…

A cursory, and sometimes scary (given the price of new cars), glance across automotive segments provides a revelatory snapshot of buying trends in the South African passenger vehicle market. The key take-outs are that nearly twothirds of new vehicle sales now originate from compact and medium-sized SUVs, within which manual transmission equipped models are continually losing their appeal, making petrol automatics almost the default choice. And what of diesels? There are a handful of options at the R300k-R400k entry point, a similar number between R700k-R900k, and a raft of seven-digit price picks thereafter. Between R500k and R700k, though, where what's left of the country's economically active middle-class is being forced to shop, there is not a single one. Enter Kia, which trotted out a petrol version of the fifth-generation Sportage…

Hillbilly Homes LIFESTYLE Dear Jonno, I particularly enjoyed a recent article of yours in Farmer's Weekly showing cottages for small families. I plan to build something similar and would appreciate your help with the design. I own 2ha in an undeveloped area south of Johannesburg and want to construct three two-bedroom units on it. One of these should be slightly larger to accommodate a bigger family or two families sharing. Each house should have a different layout, with the roof accommodating an attic space. The site slopes upwards to the rear at a gradient of 1:10. The attached Google Earth picture should help you to decide where to place the houses on the site. I'll have to get local authority approval for the cottages before going ahead. I look forward…

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 Ankole National Auction HIGHEST: (COW) R1,1 MILLION Wolmaransstad – The Ankole National Auction was held at the Bona Bona Game Lodge on 22 April. The highest price of the day was paid for the cow Merlot NANK 06 006, which was sold by Daniel Naudé of Benella Ankole Stud in Stellenbosch to MJ Ernst of Bona Bona Game Lodge in Wolmaransstad for R1,1 million. Cows achieved an average price of R347 500. The highest price for a bull was paid for Swazi LU 19 048, sold…

‘THE CURRENT SHORTAGE OF VACCINES HAS HAD A HIGHLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SHEEP PRODUCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA’ – Christo van der Rheede, CEO of Agri SA, on the welcome addition of Design Biologix's bluetongue vaccine on the market (pg 14). ‘[…] some producers are now resorting to the use of illegal, unregistered vaccines’ – James Faber, chairperson of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, on the lag in the production of vaccines (pg 16). ‘[…] the difference between farm-gate and consumer prices can be narrowed by improving efficiencies […]’ – Willie Jacobs, CEO of Potatoes South Africa, on the difference between the farm-gate and retail price of potatoes (pg 17). ‘When the bulk [of the budget] is invested wrongly, it places food security in the balance’ – Bennie van Zyl, general…

According to Nature, farmers in Mexico have asked the government to ‘bomb’ the clouds as the country continues to experience its second-worst drought in a decade. In March, the National Commission for Arid Zones announced that it would launch a rainstimulation programme in the states of Tamaulipas and Baja California. Cloudseeding involves the dispersion of crystalline silver iodide into clouds. According to Nature, these particles attract water droplets, which nucleate around them. The droplets eventually become heavy enough to fall as rain or snow. Despite the Mexican government claiming success with cloud-seeding in the past, scientists in the country are doubtful of its efficacy. Fernando Garcia, a cloud physicist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said that while experiments had resulted in a modest increase in precipitation, there was…

The development of traditional agricultural areas, previously known as reserves, will be a key priority during the coming financial year, according to Minister Thoko Didiza of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Didiza made the announcement during her budget speech, which was delivered on 9 May. She referred to an analysis by the National Agricultural Marketing Council, which found that placing a mere 10% of this land back into production would unlock 500 000 job opportunities and increase GDP by R59 billion. She said that only 9% of agricultural output was produced by previously disadvantaged farmers, implying that the sector was gradually improving on inclusivity, but “still a far cry from the vision of a united and prosperous agriculture sector”. She added that the blended finance model…

Tractor sales for April 2023 were marginally down 2,9% year-on-year (y/y), while combine harvester sales were up 136,4% y/y, according to the latest Tractor and Combine Harvester Sales report released by the South African Agricultural Machinery Association (SAAMA) in early May. In April 2023, a total of 543 tractor units were sold, compared with the 559 units sold in April 2022. Year-to-date, tractor unit sales were down 3,3% y/y, with 2 470 units sold up until April 2023 and 2 554 units sold up until April 2022. ‘FARMERS ARE WATCHING CROP YIELDS, QUALITY AND PRICES’ In terms of combine harvester sales, 104 units were sold in April 2023, which was up a significant 136,4% y/y. In April 2022, 44 units were sold. Year-to-date, 198 units had been sold thus far…

The severe drought in Namibia could result in the same humanitarian crisis as during the 12-year drought which ravaged that country until 2019. Following so soon after the prolonged drought, farmers are faced with severe hardship and suffer from drastic cash-flow restrictions, according to Henriette le Grange, coordinator of the Namibian Disaster Relief organisation. Although the entire country was affected by lack of rain, the western and southern parts were particularly hard hit. Le Grange said that some areas in the south have received no rain this past summer. Very little, if any, had fallen in the western parts, including Outjo, Kamanjab and Khorixas and further north as far as the Kunene River. “The rest of Namibia received only sporadic showers. Some pockets of rain fell in the eastern and…

China will no longer be the world's most populous nation. India's population will overtake it this year with an estimated population of 1,42 billion. It's an epochal transition which speaks to other underlying demographic changes across the world, including the fact that China's population has peaked and is now falling. Meanwhile, the region with the fastest-rising population, from a current base of around 1,4 billion, is Africa. I have researched the economics of China, and China-Africa relations, for nearly two decades. I've also specifically analysed the political economy of demographic change in China. On the surface, China losing the ‘world's most populous country’ crown means nothing for African countries. However, as I outline in my new paper, the transition embodies a number of opportunities and risks for many African countries.…

The Mataffin farm on the outskirts of Mbombela in Mpumalanga was one of the first in the area to be transferred back to the original owners in 2003 as part of South Africa's land restitution programme. The Mdluli clan occupied the land around 1840, when their leader, Matsafeni Mdluli, a Swazi chief, conquered the area. After the Native Land Act was passed in 1913, the clan was removed from the land. Ownership thereafter changed several times before the land was bought by HL Halls & Sons, which is today synonymous with avocado production. By the time the farm was bought by government and returned to the Mdluli clan, many decades of farming had completely transformed the landscape. Thriving avocado, litchi and pecan nut orchards now covered the land, delivering an…

In last week's article (see Farmer's Weekly of 19 May 2023), I mentioned the importance of applying nitrogenous fertiliser (LAN) soon after transplanting. With the price of LAN having increased markedly, however, you need to apply it correctly to avoid wastage. For this reason, you should ideally apply it about a week after transplanting. If you place a little near each plant, you will use about 100kg/ha. Unless you overirrigate or experience a heavy downpour, all of this will be used by the plants. If you have an applicator that can place the LAN in bands down each row, you can apply 150kg/ha. You can even use an old fertiliser bag for this purpose. Roll the bag down to about half its length, cut a hole in the corner, and…

SERVES SIX 200g maize meal, preferably coarse, braai pap 750ml (3 cups) water + extra 250ml (1 cup) 15ml (1 tbsp) salt 410g whole corn kernels, drained 100g Parmesan cheese 60g butter Avocado or olive oil to fry For the avocado guacamole 2 ripe avocados, peeled and stoned 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 15g (½ punnet) fresh coriander, plus a little extra for garnish 1 tomato, deseeded and chopped 1 chilli, deseeded and chopped (optional) 3-4 spring onions, finely sliced Juice and zest of 1 lemon To make the pap squares: • In a medium-sized pot, bring the three cups of water to a rolling boil and add the salt. Grease and line a baking tray while you wait. • In a separate bowl, mix the maize meal with the…

LIFESTYLE The Hitching Post I am a white woman who grew up on a farm, and my late ex-husband was a farmer. My son and son-in-law also farm. I would love to meet a white gentleman, a farmer or otherwise, in the 70s age group. I simply want to meet a decent chap who is financially secure (not for his money), but companionship with the right person would be great. I am sincere, honest and enjoy gardening and animals. I do not smoke or drink and am generally in good health. LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU I am a 22-year-old black female who is in the field of mining engineering, living in North West. I would love to meet a young white farmer, aged 25 to 35. I love reading,…

FARMER'S DIARY 29 May, Royal Show, Pietermaritzburg The Subtropical Information Day, brought to you by Farmer's Weekly and DFM Technologies, will feature leading agricultural economists and role players from across the country. These experts will discuss the challenges facing producers. Visit farmersweekly.co.za/tour-and-events. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 25 MAY Subtrop Transformation Summit, Fairview Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Tzaneen. Register at events. events.subtrop.co.za/event/2023-subtroptransformation-summit. 1 TO 2 JUNE Drones and Unmanned Aviation Conference 2023. Email Maria Ndlovu at info@bussynet.co.za, or phone 011 074 7095. 5 TO 7 JUNE International Seed Federation World Seed Congress, Cape Town International Convention Centre. Register at congress.worldseed.org. 5 TO 8 JUNE Africa Agribusiness and Science Week, International Convention Centre, Durban. Visit aasw.faraafrica.org. 6 TO 8 JUNE AVI Africa 2023, Emperors Palace, Kempton Park. Visit sapoultry.co.za/avi-africa-2023-registrations-open. 5 TO…

The time for chasing high potato production volumes is over, and farmers now need to balance quality and price to survive the cost-price squeeze, according to Gert Bester, chairperson of Potatoes South Africa (Potatoes SA). Bester was speaking at the annual general meeting of the Sandveld Potato Growers’ Association held recently in Lambert's Bay in the Western Cape. According to Potatoes SA statistics quoted at the event, potato production has increased by 14% to about 2,6 million 10kg pockets over the past decade, thanks to improved technologies and production skills. At the same time, the area under production has fallen by 2% to about 51 000ha and the number of potato farmers by 14% to approximately 550. Bester predicted that the number of farmers would decrease even further this year,…

The top livestock breeders, stud herds and flocks, and stud animals falling under the auspices of SA Stud Book were recognised at the organisation's national awards ceremony held recently in Bloemfontein. In the Vleissentraal/SA Stud Book Elite 2023 Bull Growth Test Class, 20 bulls were nominated by their breeders’ societies for the 2023 competition. The Vleissentraal/SA Stud Book National Elite 2023 Bull Growth Test Class award went to a Red Angus bull, Roechama Honey Comb (RCM 20 153) from RC Malherbe's Roechama stud in Hertzogville. The bulls elected as Platinum Award winners in the Plaas Media/SA Stud Book National Elite 2023 Platinum Bull Award category represented the Beefmaster, Bonsmara and Tuli breeds. A maximum of five bulls qualify for the category each year. The 18 cows that received Platinum awards…

The scourge of attacks and subsequent loss of life faced by the farming community across the country continues unabated. This is largely because the South African Police Service (SAPS) does not have the manpower or resources to offer protection; instead, it provides mainly reactive policing. To ensure the safety of farmers and farmworkers requires a proactive approach. Most farm attacks, like criminal acts in general, catch victims by surprise, and they therefore have little or no time to call for help or backup. The best solution, then, is for farmers to help themselves as a community. To repeat: the critical factor is to be proactive rather than reactive. DEFINE THE AREA TO BE SAFEGUARDED As a first step, nominated farmers and role players need to map out a ‘security district’…

Many international studies show that stress plays a major role in farmers’ health. While each type of farming presents its own stressors, and individuals have their own ways of coping (or trying to), it stands to reason that farmers who run family businesses or ‘oneman operations’ are most at risk of burnout or stress-related maladies. Studies cite the following as some of the causes of ‘agricultural stress’: mounting paperwork and legislation, the political climate, workload and time pressures, disease and acute crises, seasonality and adverse weather conditions, mechanical failures, security, isolation, and negative press coverage. No real surprises there! In addition, the blurred boundaries between a farmer's home and working life make it difficult to escape from occupational problems. Now add financial worries, and you have the ideal recipe for…

We all know that a horse (like a person) sweats when it gets hot and shivers when it gets cold. But did you realise that this reaction is linked to increased heart rate as well as changes in the distribution of blood circulating through various organs? Understanding this can assist you to monitor and react in time when your horse gets too hot or cold for comfort. The normal rectal temperature of a horse varies between 37,7°C and 38,2°C, but can rise to 44°C after a gallop on a hot day. The proportion of blood circulating in the skin, tissues, fat and muscles plays a significant role in thermoregulation. Length and thickness of the hair can also help protect horses against cold weather in winter and to some extent increase…

ACROSS 1. Red or green pepper (8) 5. Category of agricultural produce used as fodder (4,4) 9. A ______ plough has fixed tines for breaking up the soil (6) 10. Temporary police checkpoints (10) 11. Sailors (8) 14. Shell-less land mollusc (4) 17. More (5) 18. Heavy cooking pot placed in hot coals (5,4) 19. Broken-down remains of a building (5) 20. Subdued; domesticated (5) 22. Grass plain of eastern Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Eswatini (7) 23. Fish basket or lobster trap (5) 25. Not hollow (5) 27. One skilled in the science of bodily structure (9) 28. Hooked claw (5) 30. Range of food habitually eaten (4) 32. 18 to 25 years old, for example (3,5) 34. Establishment that prepares and serves meals (10) 35. A flower's female reproductive organ…

Robert Harry Doherty Rogers was born in Warden in the then Orange Free State on 7 November 1921. From an early age, he was interested in weaponry and became a very good shot; this earned him his Springbok colours when he represented South Africa in an international contest after matriculating at Maritzburg College. Rogers enrolled as a medical student at the University of Witwatersrand, but in 1940, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, he left his studies to join the South African Air Force (SAAF) as a gunner. After qualifying, he volunteered to train as a pilot and was sent to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) for further training. Both South Africa and Southern Rhodesia had been chosen to establish training facilities for future British and Commonwealth pilots.…