Innehållsförteckning för 17 November 2023 från Farmer's Weekly

In a recent hearing, EU member states failed to agree on the European Commission's proposed 10-year renewal for the use of glyphosate in crop production (see story on page 22). Euronews reported that as there was no qualified majority for or against the extension, an appeal committee would reconsider the commission's proposal of a renewal and a second vote was thus scheduled for the beginning of November. The commission recommended the renewal after the bloc's food safety agency (EFSA) found “no critical areas of concern” in a July assessment of the impact of glyphosate on human health, Euronews said. However, according to EU officials, the EFSA's analysis included “data gaps and had failed to reach conclusions on certain aspects, including for consumer diets”, Euronews said. It points out that a…

A media article from Reuters recently noted that China was closer to commercialising genetically modified (GM) maize and soya beans. It stated that “China has approved 37 GM maize seed varieties and 14 GM soya bean varieties, taking it close to commercial planting of GMO maize and soya beans.” This is not the first time China has made headlines about its path towards the potential commercialisation of GM maize and soya beans for domestic cultivation. In June 2013, the Chinese National Crop Variety Approval Committee released two standards that cleared the path for cultivating GM crops in the country. This was the missing piece in the regulations, as the government has two steps in these regulations, namely a ‘safety certificate’ and a ‘variety approval’ before crops can be commercially cultivated.…

Ntabanyane Tlali, Thabiso Ramollo, Moeketsi Hlauli and Keketso Matshabisa were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Swellendam Circuit High Court for killing Tool Wessels on his farm Kapteinsrift, near Bonnievale, in the Western Cape, on 13 May 2019. They were also sentenced to 10 years for the attempted murder of Wessels's wife, Liezel, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, and five years for the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as three months imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act. According to the police, the four seasonal workers did not report for work on the day of the attack on the farmer and his wife. Wessels was surprised by the four men when he got home at about 6pm. Detectives assigned to the case made a breakthrough when…

As Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) continues to spread across South Africa, conservationists and rabbit breeders alike fear the loss of valuable genetics. RHDV was first detected in the Western Cape last year. It then quickly spread to the other Cape provinces before rearing its head in Gauteng in August. How the disease entered the country is unclear, but Reggie Ngcobo, spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, said that it was suspected rabbits illegally imported into South Africa were the carriers. An anonymous source told Farmer's Weekly that as rabbits could not be imported into South Africa, expanding the gene pool and accessing rare breeds was difficult. “There is a good market for pet rabbits, and with the ban on imports, the black market has…

The future of the Deciduous Fruit Development Chamber (DFDC) hangs in the balance, according to feedback given at a recent parliamentary committee meeting of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform (DALRRD). Ismail Motala, acting CEO of the DFDC, said at the meeting that the DFDC's memorandum of understanding with Hortgro had been cancelled, and an application for a levy to fund its work over the next four years had been rejected by the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC). He said the DFDC had visibility on six farms in Mpumalanga that needed resuscitation and wanted to develop at least 200ha of fruit in the area over a five-year period. He added that the chamber was also exploring citrus production among black farmers in Limpopo and the Western Cape,…

UNITED STATES The US pumpkin industry experienced its lowest yield on record as farming organisations announced a drop of about 20% due to various reasons this year. According to the US Department of Agriculture, farmers in Colorado were hit with water challenges and extreme weather conditions that affected their harvest. The department said that even though pumpkins could survive in hot weather, this year's heatwave was extremely severe. MALAYSIA The Agricultural and Food Security Ministry in Malaysia said in a statement that they were prepared to import chicken to deal with shortages as the price of chicken soared in the country. The ministry said: “Although the government had previously set a limit on the maximum retail price for chicken, traders have allowed the purchase price of chicken to rise beyond…

The reality of farming without crucial, albeit controversial inputs, is hitting home for EU farmers. On the most recent vote to ban the use of glyphosate on farms classified as slow food producers, a qualified majority could not be reached. This came as a surprise to the Slow Food Movement, since farmers aligned with the cause were prone to using only organic methods. The movement is a global organisation that seeks to counteract the rise of fast food and people's dwindling interest in where their food comes from. It also advocates for farming methods that do not negatively affect the environment. Marta Messa, Slow Food secretarygeneral, said that the lack of agreement on banning glyphosate shows that there were different understandings and levels of ambitions as to what sustainable food…

COMMUNAL FARMING This is a tricky time for livestock farmers. Many parasites require heat and moisture to proliferate, and over the past few years, many farming areas of South Africa have had immense rain and elevated temperatures. Dangerous parasites as well as ticks, which can cause potentially fatal livestock diseases such as redwater and heartwater, enjoy these conditions. In addition, large areas of stagnant water can cause a dramatic increase in disease vectors such as mosquitoes and midges. Water bodies or drinking troughs showing evidence of mosquito larvae should be drained before refilling. These irritating little insects can transmit serious diseases, such as Rift Valley fever, which can lead to abortion and death in livestock and also be transmitted to humans, causing severe fever-related illness. Consider vaccination if you live…

Forklift company, Combilift, was founded by engineers Robert Mofett and Martin McVicar in 1998, when they pooled their expertise to build the world's first internal combustion engine powered, allwheel drive, multi-directional forklift. They employed three people and produced 18 of these forklifts that year, of which one was sold locally and the others were exported. Today, Combilift employs more than 800 people at its headquarters in Monaghan and global support offices, and produces 10 000 forklifts per year. What is more, the company has established itself as the world's leading innovator and manufacturer of multi-directional forklifts and straddle carriers, and recently launched the world's first autonomous dual operational side loader for long loads, the Combi-AGT. This autonomous forklift, which was showcased at the celebration, embraces the very latest in smart…

SERVES 4-6 Ingredients for the avonnaise: 2 avocados, peeled and chopped 50ml avocado oil 1 tsp smooth Dijon mustard 1 tsp crushed garlic 1 lemon, juiced, plus zest Pinch of sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Ingredients for the potato salad: 500g peeled new potatoes, cooked and roughly chopped 1 large avocado, roughly chopped Chopped chives to garnish Freshly ground black pepper to garnish • To make the avonnaise, place all the ingredients in a jug and blend with a stick blender until smooth and pourable. Add a couple of teaspoons of cold water if necessary, to reach a pourable consistency. • To assemble the salad, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir through a couple of tablespoons of avonnaise until the potatoes are well-coated. • Spoon the…

Vertical farming means growing crops in vertically stacked layers in controlled environments. Research first began on this subject years ago with climate change destroying some farmlands and the need for more farming space arose. While vertical farming in crops is already in motion and making a difference to some produce, livestock farming is the next step. A research team from Visva Bharati University in India started investigating vertical farming due to the lack of land in the country, finding that dairy farming could be adapted into the methodology. While the literal farming of animals vertically is challenging for now, providing the animals with other resources through vertical farming is possible, says a team from the US. In 2021, US-based Grōv Technologies designed a vertical farm in Utah. According to an…

Buy Your First Home by Zamantungwa Khumalo (Tafelberg, R260) The moment never feels completely right to buy your first home, which is why it helps to be steered through this key investment by Khumalo, who's written a regular property column and hosted regular property podcasts. She ushers readers through the mental and financial preparation to put in before getting into serious househunting and takes you through buying options (built, off-plan, at auction) as well as looking at taking on a build. She devotes four chapters to demystifying aspects of home finance, from stokvels and first home finance through to how being married in community of property and the wording of your will could affect your family's claim to the home in future. Khumalo also recognises that our property matters to…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly. This article was first published by The Conversation. Read the original at shorturl.at/diTUW. In the 1970s and 1980s, pine trees growing in various forestry plantations in the Western Cape began to die in patches. These trees succumbed to a mysterious root disease and the patches expanded gradually. Spontaneous regrowth of seedlings in the patches died dramatically. As in many other true-crime dramas, the finger was initially pointed at the most likely suspect: the root-infecting Phytophthora cinnamomi. Its name – plant (phyto) destroyer (phthora) – reveals its power to cause harm; the pathogen is known to cause disease in almost 5 000 different plants. After further investigation and the collection of many samples, tree pathologists…

Close to 600 000ha have been wiped out by veldfires in the Northern Cape this year. According to Willem Symington, Agri Northern Cape president, this was one of the most challenging fire seasons the province has seen. Not only did the number of fires increase markedly from previous years, there is a significant difference in the intensity and frequency compared with the 2022 fires. Symington said in a statement that the province was confronted with the effects of changes in climate, which resulted in extremely high fire indices. “We are confronted with shifting weather, which has resulted in changes in the occurrence of rainfall patterns. This brought about a massive amount of dry combustible matter on the land. The province was also buffeted by extremely strong winds, and wind speeds…

Zambia remains one of the main exporters of maize in Africa, following sustained output of the country's staple food in recent years spurred by input subsidies, despite some climate change effects, invasion of pests, erratic rains, post-harvest losses and frustrated production in recent years. According to the agricultural ministry, in the 2022/23 farming season, Zambia's maize output was 3,3 million tons, slightly lower than the 3,6 million tons produced in 2021/22. Zambia has induced a robust food production and doubled its maize production in the past 20 years, said the ministry, aided by increased area and productivity, prompting neighbouring countries and beyond to look to Zambia to plug their deficit of the crop. This year, Zambia exported 60000t of maize to various countries with northern neighbour the DRC accessing more…

COMMODITY PRICE TRENDS Commodity prices have decreased considerably compared with a year ago for grains and oilseeds, with double-digit decreases seen for South African maize, wheat, soya bean, and sunflower seed prices. Local production sentiments, however, remain optimistic at the onset of the 2023/24 summer crop season, even with weather risks on the back of the El Niño weather phenomenon. MAIZE The US maize crop harvest progressed faster than usual at the end of October, reaching 71%, which is ahead of the five-year average of 66%. The focus has now shifted to production in South America, where volatile weather in Brazil is expected to affect production adversely. The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) maize price edged slightly higher month-on-month (m/m), increasing by 0,8%. However, supplies from freshly harvested US crops…

NEW NORMS IN AGRI ECONOMICS Fruit South Africa, an umbrella body of fruit industries, celebrated a 10-year anniversary on 31 October 2023. Although as an entity it was only registered a decade ago, the concept of an umbrella body was actually born in 2002 when fruit farmers and exporters realised the need to coordinate efforts to promote a united South African fruit brand in international markets. They also understood the power of collective bargaining in engaging and influencing government's policies and farmer support programmes. Today, policymakers and investors know the significance of the industry in creating jobs, exports and investments. In 2022, fruit and nuts were ranked number seven in the South Africa's top 10 exported products, generating R73 billion in foreign earnings. According to the Bureau for Food and…

Also known as the Spanish Longhorn, the large, wide-horned Texas Longhorn breed of cattle was introduced to Mexico by the Spanish Conquistadors in 1521. They were of Andalusian and Moroccan stock and their pedigree was impressive. Pictures painted on the walls of caves by StoneAge humans in northern Spain and southern France around 20 000 years ago clearly show their ancestral lineage. By 1540, the initial group of calves – six heifers and one young bull – introduced by Hernando Cortes, the conqueror of New Spain (Mexico), had increased to such an extent that herds of cattle were able to accompany the ill-fated Francisco Coronado expedition into the interior. A PARTICUILAR TRAIT OF THE COWS WAS THEIR FIERCE PROTECTION OF CALVES AGAINST ALL COMERS The slow-moving Longhorns were not easy…

Dear Prof McCrindle, How do you prevent male ostriches from attacking your staff if you want to use them for security on a farm? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Ostrich farming is traditional in South Africa. Originally focused on feathers, meat is currently a more profitable alternative. Ostriches are also used for tourism and often seen on game farms. Although ostriches are considered indigenous wildlife in South Africa, historical evidence shows them being ridden in ancient Sumeria and domesticated in ancient Greece and Rome. At a stage, ‘ostrich riding’ was an option offered by Sun City. Ostrich racing still occurs in Oudtshoorn (see youtube.com/watch?v=aCTA_eWphhE). The reason this is possible is because the ostriches and tamed, fed and handled regularly after hatching. Farming ostriches with sheep or goats can reduce predation…

South Africa has seen a decline in agricultural households according to Census 2022, owed to increasing pressure on the agriculture sector by various factors, including high input costs and low returns. Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke presented the data to President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria in early October. The detailed Census 2022 results on households’ involvement in agriculture is aimed at providing useful insights on agricultural activity at household level and equipping policymakers to optimise agriculture as a driver of food security, job creation and rural development, as envisaged in the National Development Plan. The information collected is also used to identify all households involved in agriculture in the country to develop a framework for smallholder and subsistence agriculture. According to the numbers, Census 2022 showed that 13,8% (2 463 429) of…

Shifts in crop production caused by climate change will increasingly necessitate countries to be self-sufficient in food production. Over the last year, cases of countries instituting export bans on key crops, and net exporters becoming importers instead, have been rife. Adolfo Escoto, commodity analyst at the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service, reported that Indonesia intends to import significant volumes of rice this year. This is due to concerns about rice supplies amid El Niño weather patterns. “While Indonesia is the fourth-largest rice consumer, it typically produces enough to satisfy domestic needs. However, Indonesia does import intermittently and when that happens, it can sharply affect global trade. In 2023, imports are forecast to nearly quadruple from the prior year, making Indonesia the third-largest importer. “Imports are forecast to decline…

The citrus market in the US will continue to be profitable for South African growers, should transport and port issues be resolved. During an industry visit to citrus company Wonderful Citrus in California, US, South Africa's Citrus Growers Association (CGA) was given an overview of the citrus market in that country and areas for growth. Commenting on growth in the Californian citrus industry, Zak Laffite, CEO of Wonderful Citrus, said that the industry had entered a new phase. “What worked in the past may not work now. From 2010 to 2019, we had rapid volume growth and aggressive plantings, higher grower margins as velocity drove retail profits, and growing consumption to a point where demand exceeded supply, with marketing driving up consumption,” he said. “From 2020 we entered into a…

The Australian Trade Ministry said they had not been making progress in terms of talks of free trade with the EU. The statement was released by Minister Don Farrel of Australia in October, following a meeting in Osaka, Japan, where the government met with EU representatives. The ministry said Australia was pushing for access to the European market for beef, mutton and sugar, and some European countries wanted an end to the use of some geographic locators. The statement read: “The European Commission regrets the lack of progress made during talks in Osaka. We retabled agricultural demands that did not reflect recent negotiations and the progress made between senior officials. We stand ready to continue negotiations.” According to media reports, the Australian delegation walked out of the last round of…

Namibian Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila recently announced that a nationwide drought has left more than 695 000 people in dire need of food-relief assistance She made the revelation during the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction at Uukwangula on Friday, the Namibian newspaper reported. Large parts of Namibia were experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions following the end of the 2022/23 rainy season. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila nonetheless said no person would die of hunger because of poor harvests this year, as the government, through relevant stakeholders, would ensure that all those in dire need of food relief support would receive food parcels. “As we roll out the drought programme, effectiveness and timeliness remain key. We will, therefore, leverage information technology, through the introduction of a Commodity and Beneficiary Management Information System. The…

MANAGING FOR PROFIT Have you ever had your boss make a decision regarding your area of responsibility without informing or involving you? As someone once put it more crudely: “Have you ever been treated like a mushroom, kept in the dark and fed on manure?” If not, consider yourself fortunate. I have, and I didn't appreciate it. I know how it affected me and my level of respect for my boss and company, prompting me to leave as soon as possible. Effective, open communication between boss and employee is the foundation of successful and profitable businesses. It's the pillar supporting the entire structure and the oil that keeps the business wheels turning. Good communication leads to employee buy-in to the company's vision and strategies. It clarifies each person's role, promotes…

From where does your interest in the Karoo and idea for the book stem? Although my career as a historian has been in the UK, I was brought up in Cape Town in the 1950s and 1960s. As a child I travelled through the Karoo every year, by train to Pretoria. The landscape was foreboding but its starkness was appealing. My research interest in the environmental history of the Karoo came by an unusual route. Trying to understand more about the history and experience of African people was a central project. I did my doctoral research in Mpondoland in 1976-7 when the government policy of betterment or rehabilitation was still an important issue. Government planned to move rural African people from their scattered settlements into villages to demarcate selected areas…

Stock theft, which involves the illegal and unauthorised taking of livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats, can have significant negative effects on farmers. These effects can be both economic and emotional, and they vary depending on the scale and frequency of the theft. Here are some of the key effects of stock theft on farmers: FINANCIAL LOSS Direct financial loss is one of the most significant impacts of stock theft. Farmers invest a substantial amount of money in purchasing, breeding and raising their livestock. When animals are stolen, it can result in a substantial financial setback for the farmer. LIVELIHOOD THREAT For many farmers, their livestock is a primary source of income and livelihood. When stock is stolen, it can threaten the financial stability of the entire household. Loss…