Innehållsförteckning för 1 December 2023 från Farmer's Weekly

Avian influenza has wreaked havoc on the world over the past two to three years, and unfortunately, South Africa has not walked away unscathed. While Minister Thoko Didiza of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said in a recent statement that the bird flu outbreaks in South Africa are under control, the country is still reeling from the culling of millions of birds. Chicken prices have increased in retail stores, and the country faced about three weeks of egg shortages. Since eggs returned to our stores, prices have also increased. This, of course, is bad news for consumers, particularly those who rely entirely on chicken meat and eggs as a cheaper form of protein. Bird flu is difficult to control as it is spread by migratory birds…

READER QUESTION One of our horses has these big swellings. We thought about bug bites but she doesn't have any on the neck. [It could be] centipedes as we live in Hawaii, but it looks impossible that she could get bitten so many times. Plus there is no sign of bites. We gave her Benadryl two days in a row. The swelling went down, then back up again. Any clue? Kind regards, Anne Dear Anne, When a veterinarian looks for the cause of a disease in any animal, they use a technique called differential diagnosis. This is defined as “a systematic process used to identify the proper diagnosis from a set of possible competing diagnoses”. The first step in a differential diagnosis in an animal disease or condition is to…

World Wine production is estimated between 241,1 million hectolitres (Mhl) and 246,6 Mhl in 2023, with a midrange of 244,1 Mhl, according to the first harvest estimate released online by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). This makes the 2023 harvest the smallest since 1961, when 214 Mhl was harvested, and represents a 7% decrease on the already below-average volume of 2022. Giorgio Delgrosso, head of the statistical department and digital transformation at the OIV, ascribed the low volumes to adverse climatic conditions in parts of the wine-making world. After a record-high 2021 harvest and a relative decline in 2022 volumes, production in the Southern Hemisphere is estimated to decline to 45 Mhl. This is 19% lower than in 2022, 18% lower than the five-year average, and the…

Avocados' reputation as a healthy, trendy addition to diets has suffered blows over the last few years as negative messaging around sustainability, carbon footprints, and the supposed support for gangs operating in Mexico have blemished the fruit. Speaking at the Subtrop Marketing Symposium held in White River, Mpumalanga on 8 November, the World Avocado Organization (WAO) gave an update on the reputation management strategy for selling avocados. Research showed that much more needed to be done to dispel myths, and highlighted the important role of effective communication strategies to preempt and counter bad press regarding agricultural production practices. Paul Baeyaert, a communications consultant working for the WAO, said discussions within the industry showed that the WAO needed to be far more aggressive in tackling myths. These included that avocado farming…

Irish cattle farmers and the beef industry in the country suffered a blow after China announced that it has suspended the import of the product due to the detection of mad cow disease. China finally allowed imports of beef from Ireland earlier this year after they were suspended in 2020, and the Irish government was now taking steps to ensure the latest ban would soon be lifted. Earlier in November, the Irish Department of Agriculture's team of veterinarians did tests on a dead cow as part of common procedure in the country. They detected the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) virus, commonly known as mad cow disease, in the carcass. According to the Chinese government, in their protocol agreement with Ireland, beef exports needed to be suspended if and when any…

The festive season typically sees increased demand for meat, providing support for prices. However, this season is characterised not only by restrained consumers, shown by significantly lower red meat prices compared with a year ago, but also by curbed supplies of the most widely consumed protein, poultry, due to ongoing biosecurity issues. This has led to substantial year-on-year (y/y) chicken and pork price increases. BEEF Class A carcass prices for beef continue to trade around the R53/kg mark, with little variation from this price point since September. We attribute this month-on-month (m/m) sideways price movement to slightly higher demand coupled with increased slaughter numbers. The higher slaughter numbers are also reflected in weaner calf prices increasing monthly by 5,9% (see Graph 1). Class C prices, in turn, have lost momentum,…

Maintaining discipline in the workplace is vital to productivity, as well as a positive working environment. Just as an employee has certain rights, the employer has the right to take disciplinary action and enforce discipline. Warnings can range from a verbal to a written, serious written and a final written warning and must be fair, as well as in line with the seriousness of the offence. It is important to handle each case on its own merits, but take note that consistency is key to avoid discrimination in the workplace. Progressive discipline is widely known in the labour environment and one of the most important aspects to be considered by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and the Labour Court in unfair dismissal cases. It aims to change…

Andrew Pettegree's The Book At War: Libraries And Readers In Time Of Conflict (Profile, R650) is based on a clever idea: writing about books, literature, libraries and readers during times of war, especially as using the phrase “time of conflict” extends this beyond the usual idea of battlefields, allowing for gulags and totalitarian run-ups to actual wars. The book deals with the destruction of libraries, through carpet bombing or deliberate incendiary, and the infamous Nazi book burnings and book plundering. It also covers the people who wrote during wartime, often journalists keen to earn a fast buck by running off an “I was there” potboiler. Sadly, the Boer War does not feature as often as it might. 8 COPIES OF FIELD GUIDE TO FYNBOS FAUNA TO GIVE AWAY! TO ENTER:…

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 article at shorturl.at/gjuyW. “African governments are seeking an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beyond 2025. The law was enacted in 2000 to “encourage increased trade and investment between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa”. We asked David Luke, who specialises in African trade policy and trade negotiations, what benefits AGOA has brought for qualifying African countries and how it can be improved. TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE AGOA GOAL BEEN ACHIEVED? The duty- and quota-free access to the US market granted by AGOA has helped in boosting trade and investment between sub-Saharan Africa and the US. Many of the…

ARCHIVE These brothers installed computerised irrigation and fertigation systems to improve their citrus yields. Applying irrigation water for optimum tree growth and crop production has always been a headache in the orange-producing areas of Citrusdal. Although the water used from the Olifants River is excellent, the sandy soils have poor retention, and with summer temperatures often exceeding 46°C, evaporation losses are high. Small wonder that the Vissers of Hex River have been experimenting with irrigation systems ever since an alternative to flood irrigation became available. “As long ago as 1936 my father, Dirk Visser, installed the first overhead sprinkler system seen here,” says Dirk Visser, who together with his brother, Hermann, farms four citrus units.“It was subsequently replaced by a huge German overhead sprinkler cannon, mounted on a mobile 90kW,…

European supermarkets are exploiting cheap labour in the rest of Africa to produce dried mangoes, to the detriment of South African producers. This was the conclusion reached by Jaco Fivaz, a mango farmer in Limpopo who sits on the South African Mango Growers' Association board. Conducting a survey of facilities in South Africa and Mozambique, Fivaz found that all were struggling to keep their doors open due to market prices being lower than production costs. Speaking at the Subtrop Marketing Symposium, held in White River, Mpumalanga, on 8 November, Fivaz lamented the “hypocrisy” of European buyers that ask for Fair Trade accreditation before buying dried mangoes, but then offered prices that were too low to support fair wages. He noted that in Ghana, the labour cost to produce a kilogram…

Grain SA chairperson Derek Mathews has welcomed the appointment of Dr Tobias Doyer as Chief executive officer of the organisation, describing him as the ideal choice. “We are pleased to welcome Dr Tobias Doyer as our new CEO. His exceptional leadership skills, strategic acumen and in-depth industry knowledge position him as the ideal choice to lead the Grain SA Group. We have full confidence in his ability to guide the company towards even greater accomplishments in the future,” said Mathews. Doyer obtained his doctorate in agricultural economics at the University of Pretoria and is a certified director at the Institute of Directors in South Africa. He started his career as a lecturer in agricultural economics at the University of Pretoria, and spent the past 10 years serving, among others, as…

Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into various marketing processes has allowed the South African Pork Producers' Organisation (SAPPO) to optimise its consumer marketing productivity output by up to 30%. Christian Zimelka, head of consumer assurance at SAPPO, told Farmer's Weekly they started engaging artificial intelligence in SAPPO's marketing strategy at the start of the year, using programmes such as ChatGPT for market research, consumer trends analysis, copywriting and to assist with the generation of new pork recipes. “We would set criteria, for instance like a particular pork cut and a few ingredients that a consumer might have in the cupboard, and then ask AI to generate various recipe options. Appointed chefs would then test the recipes, give feedback and recommend final touches,” said Zimelka. Other AI tools are used to help…

The Hong Kong agricultural department has decided to cull close to 6 000 pigs at a farm after the detection of African swine flu. According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, more than 20 pigs on the farm in Yuen Long tested positive. The department added that all transport of pigs from the affected farm had been suspended. It said that after taking samples from a few pigs on the farm, results showed that half of the tested animals were carrying the virus. About 30 staff members conducted the culling and the remains were transported to a landfill site according to the government's procedures, said the department. The farm area was in the process of being cleaned and disinfected, and the removal of animals from the farm has been…

Finalisation of land claims received a boost during the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). The much-lamented slow progress of dealing with land claims was recognised by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, who announced that funds would be shifted from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to Legal Aid South Africa to improve its capacity to provide legal representation on land rights. Francois Rossouw, CEO of Southern African Agri Initiative, said that the organisation fielded copious complaints over the years from farmers who believed that the potential sale of their farms has been hindered by unfounded or slow-moving land claims. “The myriad applications that seem to stagnate within governmental departments causes adverse impacts. It deters farm development, driving away potential investments, and disrupting the agricultural property market.” Providing statistics…

The Women on Farms Project (WFP) convened its annual National Farm Worker Platform (NFWP) under the theme 'A Just Transition for Agrarian Transformation' from 6 to 8 November. On the final day of the three-day convention, a 100-women strong march took place to Parliament where a memorandum addressed to Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza was handed over. The women called for sustainable farming, an end to the use of harmful pesticides, and remuneration that dignified farmworkers, among other things. The platform brought together a variety of stakeholders, including farmworkers, union representatives, NGO leaders, government officials, and farm owner representatives with the goal of facilitating discussions and realistic actions towards a just transition in the agriculture sector. Other involved organisations included the Rural Women's Assembly,…

As part of the eThekwini Municipality's 10-year Agribusiness Masterplan, the city has called for expressions of interest to pilot hemp and cannabis seeds for trials and distribution to local farmers or cultivators for the commercialisation of cannabis. The municipality's 10-year masterplan includes cannabis as the fifth commodity for development of the sector among vegetables, sheep, piggery and poultry. The five are part of the 10-year plan aimed at guiding the municipality towards unlocking opportunities and jobs for agri-SMMEs trading in these commodities and so boosting local economies. eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the process will enable the municipality, under the Agribusiness Department, which is spearheading the process, to pilot and develop the hemp and cannabis sector towards full commercialisation. He said this would be done together with the South African…

The festive season is approaching. It's been a good year for the business and the managing director (MD) is in a relaxed and benevolent mood. He calls the production manager into his office. “Joe, you might have heard that tomorrow morning at 9am there's going to be a total eclipse of the sun.” Joe nods and the MD continues: “It's a rare occurrence. Let's get the workforce out to watch it. I'll explain the phenomenon, but if it's cloudy or raining, let's assemble in the canteen.” Joe meets the department head. “Sid, by order of the MD there's going to be a total eclipse of the sun at nine tomorrow. If it's raining we'll follow the disappearance of the sun in the canteen. This is not something we will see…

Understanding the need to improve crop productivity, a group of researchers from the University of Illinois together with a team at the Centre for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation took a step in this direction. In their research paper published by the Elevated ozone (O3) has a massive impact on the agriculture sector and has caused a worldwide decrease in crop yields. According to scientists, this airborne pollutant comes from other pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and organic compounds that react with sunlight. university in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they wrote that in an increasingly polluted atmosphere, understanding which plants are tolerant of O3 is critical to improving crop productivity and resilience. The researchers studied the effect of O3 on chickpea, rice, snap bean, soya bean and wheat…

SERVES 4 1 cup of dried peaches ½ cup of orange juice 1 red chilli (vary according to taste) seedless and finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 chicken breasts ¾ cup plain double thick yoghurt 1 large egg 2 tsp of soy sauce 2 Tbsp of cornflour 2 big onions, finely chopped 1 tsp turmeric 1½ dhania jeera spice 1 tsp dried coriander ½ tsp fenugreek 4 cardamon pods, peeled ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp black pepper corns ½ tsp to taste 2 tsp garam masala 3 star aniseed ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 lime 1 tin chopped tomatoes 250ml tomato passata 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup chicken stock 250ml cream 1 Tbsp butter, heaped ½ cup fresh coriander, chopped • Soak the…

Dear Prof McCrindle, Some of my milk cows are suddenly dying after showing severe diarrhoea with blood in it. What could cause this? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, There are several possibilities. One of them is warfarin, or rat poison. Sometimes if rat poison is kept in feed stores, cattle feed can become contaminated accidentally. Another possibility is polluted water that contains a high level of different organisms like Salmonella typhimurium, Giardia or Cryptosporidium. In South Africa, this is mainly aligned to sewage runoff that can even infect borehole water. Regular testing of water is very important on dairy farms. You need to monitor the coliform count. It's very important to get a veterinarian in to do a full post mortem and take samples if one of your cows dies.…

In 2022, South Africa exported US$12,8 (about R240 billion) worth of agricultural products, accounting for roughly 52% of our agricultural GDP. Our domestic market is equally important for several commodities, but its growth is largely dependent on the purchasing power of the South African consumer. Whilst we all hope and work towards achieving more robust economic growth, the prospects remain subdued at present. Export-based commodities have the potential to grow faster than the South African economy, provided we can retain access to large, affluent markets such as the EU, UK and US, as well as open up new markets in the Middle and Far East. Trade has remained close to the top of the agenda for 2023 and running into 2024. Whether by coincidence or by grand design, South Africa…

The litchi and avocado industries are making headway in expanding export markets, and ensuring greater, sustained global uptake of South Africa's produce. Speakers at the Subtrop Marketing Symposium in White River, Mpumalanga on 8 November detailed plans on how new markets had been exploited. Rising global avocado volumes have necessitated the creation of new markets to ensure sustainable pricing. Although litchi production in South Africa is stable, strong competition with Madagascar in the European market has kept prices low. The litchi industry therefore embarked on exploring the US, a market untapped for South African litchis. Bernd Julicher, director at AgriLink, explained how they, together with litchi farmer Cornel van der Merwe, worked with Subtrop and government to get protocols in place to ship litchis to the US in the early…

Fruit and vegetable prices are stabilising after reaching respective lows and highs over the last year. Johnny van der Merwe, managing director of AMT, noted that average national potato prices continued to decrease from October to November, trading 20% lower at the start of November than the previous month at around R109/10kg. This was as a result of lower demand and higher volumes. Prices were expected to decrease further for the rest of the year. Tomato and onion prices, which both saw record highs this year, have also subsided and expected to trade lower for most of this year, apart from Christmas-related spikes. Cabbage, garlic and pepper prices have decreased off the back of lower demand and higher volumes. In the fruit category, low prices across the categories over the…

UNITED STATES The US Department of Agriculture said that it is forecasting a drop in their beef and veal exports this year. The department said that beef exports were expected to drop by 14% this year, the lowest since COVID-19 roiled meat processing and international trading in 2020. The government said that as a result, massive farms and companies were reducing staff, with meat-packing plants closing their doors. It added that US imports of beef, which was a cheaper option for consumers than buying locally produced beef, was up by 6% year, with the largest shipments coming from Australia. BRAZIL The weather in Brazil continues to pose a challenge for farmers with WeatherTrends360 data showing the country can expect more hot and dry days. According to WeatherTrends, due to El…

The recent outbreak of theileriosis, known as January disease, among cattle in Zimbabwe is a serious cause of concern, according to the Chronicle newspaper. Half-a-million animals have succumbed to the disease since 2016 and the country has lost nearly R5 billion in potential revenue. The disease is caused by a parasite that infects the blood cells of cattle and causes fever, anaemia, and death. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, Theileriae are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that infect both wild and domestic bovidae throughout much of the world. They are transmitted by ixodid ticks, and have complex life cycles in both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. A source in Zimbabwe, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Farmer's Weekly that the disease was spreading across the country and had resulted in…

Vivian Jakobs from Crispy Farming, Du Toit Group in Witzenberg, was recently crowned the 2023 Western Cape Prestige Agri Awards winner. He competed with other regional winners for the title, who included Lekgotla Mabombo from Berg River, Bernard Louw from the Breede River Valley, Tashwill Toto from the Central Karoo, Lance du Toit from Elgin, Grabouw, Vyeboom and Villiersdorp, Simon Zeeman from Franschhoek, Ntombifuthi Mphetshwa from the Garden Route, Thomas Oosthuizen from the Klein Karoo, Mabonele Molefi from the Hex River Valley, Jacobus Fredericks from the Langeberg, Hermiena Hendricks from Piket-Bo-Berg, Priscilla Hektor from the Olifantsrivier, Dirk Joubert from the Overberg, Ronald Jordaan from Stellenbosch and Marlon Coert from the Swartland. Franschhoek won the title of the region that displayed the best potential in this year's competition, with Keenan Carstens,…

The WWF's Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) completed the successful translocation of its 250th rhino in November 2023 since its inception 20 years ago. BRREP is focused on finding space for the rhinos to breed. In the latest cases, 20 rhinos were captured from a reserve managed by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA). In the past two decades, more than 200 calves have been born on BRREP sites. The hope is that this latest move will encourage even more successful breeding. BRREP project leader Jeff Cooke said: “As a result of these and other efforts, black rhino numbers have more than doubled in the past two decades, from their low point of fewer than 2 500 before the turn of the century. Current estimates are that…

As I've explained before, the market value of slaughter livestock is directly linked to a few important factors. These are primarily fat grading, age of the animal, and type/conformation of the animal. Younger animals generally sell for higher prices, but these and older slaughter stock must meet the minimum requirements in respect of carcass weights. For example, a non-beef type breed like a Jersey cow may be fat, but if it produces a carcass of say only 130kg or 150kg, with fat unevenly distributed, such an animal will not be attractive to abattoir owners. This is because the muscles will show poor conformation, may be unevenly covered with fat, and will generally be too small for a butcher to offer a decent steak cut to customers. You will thus be…

MY 5 KEY WORDS: CLIFF & SURETHA DORSE Conservation biologists Cliff and Suretha Dorse both moved to the Cape in childhood – he from KwaZulu-Natal, she from the Free State. Now their first book, Field Guide To Fynbos Fauna (Struik Nature, R350), celebrates the Cape's fynbos biome. They live in Cape Town and work for the city's biodiversity management branch. Cliff leads the conservation services unit and Suretha heads up priority species and freshwater ecology programmes. These five words are key to their work and lives: 1. Fynbos: The fynbos biome is absolutely unique and amazing for its botanical and animal diversity and endemism. Each place, vegetation community and species has its own unique appeal and story, so it's difficult to have a favourite place, but perhaps Cape Point for…

SERVES 4 1 box of store-bought vanilla panna cotta mix 500ml cream 1 fresh lime ½ teaspoon vanilla paste 125g white chocolate Berries, cherries and other fruit (as per your taste) • Heat the cream in a saucepan. Ensure that it does not boil; just as the cream begins to boil, take it off the heat. • Add the panna cotta mix, the zest of the lime, vanilla paste, and white chocolate to the cream. Whisk the mixture thoroughly. • Pour the mixture back into the pot, and heat for another three minutes on a low heat while whisking continuously. • Pour the panna cotta into the serving dish of your choice, and immediately place in the fridge to set overnight. • Before serving, garnish with your choice of fruit…