Innehållsförteckning för 8 March 2024 från Farmer's Weekly

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the 2024 Budget Speech in Cape Town on 21 February. Being finance minister is not a job I envy, especially considering South Africa's shrinking tax base and rising unemployment; the books are becoming more and more difficult to balance. There have been some mixed responses from economists on the budget speech, particularly as it pertains to goverment announcing that it would be dipping into the country's Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account to help plug the tax shortfall. Government will tap into R150 billion of the country's R500 billion reserve over a three-year period “with a further ‘allocation” of R100 billion to support the South African Reserve Bank,” Moneyweb reported. While tapping into the reserve will allow government to reduce borrowing, taking money from…

There are dire forecasts of large fuel increases looming in March 2024: diesel by at least R1,40 for 500ppm and R1,50 for 50ppm. The price of petrol, octane 93 and 95, will increase by at least R1,30 per litre. The Central Energy Fund (CEF) attributes the forecasted price hikes to rising international fuel prices, which were around US$82 a barrel when the forecast was done. However, the strength of the rand plays a huge part in this. What does this mean? Road freight transporters use, in the main, diesel. There are shorter haul/courier vehicles that use petrol, so they are not excluded from increasing costs. While we have seen fuel prices coming off huge highs in 2022 and 2023, they are definitely not where the local economy would like them…

UKRAINIAN FARM SECTOR LOSSES DOUBLED TO $80 BILLION BY END-2023, ANALYSTS SAY The Ukrainian agriculture sector has suffered almost $80 billion (R1,5 trillion) in direct and indirect losses from Russia's invasion, analysts from the Kyiv School of Economics said on Wednesday. – reuters.com PROPOSED US$1,5 BILLION COLORADO SOLAR FARM UNDERGOES ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The Ute Mountain tribe and renewable energy developer Canigou Group have proposed building R28 billion, 971MW solar project called Sun Bear in Colorado. – enr.com DANISH EXPERT COMMITTEE PROPOSES CO2 EMISSIONS TAX FOR AGRICULTURE An expert committee on Wednesday presented its proposals for a carbon tax for agriculture, which the Danish government has long sought to implement. – thelocal.dk…

The South African poultry industry, a vital pillar of the nation's economy and a key source of employment, has confronted significant tribulations in recent years. From systemic infrastructural deficiencies to economic volatility and health crises, the industry has navigated a treacherous path. Yet, amid these trials, there exists a clarion call for unified action and strategic partnerships among all stakeholders to foster growth, transformation, and global competitiveness. Furthermore, safeguarding the industry's vitality against both domestic and international threats is paramount, given its indispensable role in driving economic development and job creation across South Africa. In recent times, the South African poultry industry has grappled with a constellation of challenges that have tested its resilience and adaptability. The burden of failing municipalities has imposed logistical bottlenecks and inflated operational costs, hampering…

Agricultural machinery sales were off to a bumpy start, with tractor sales in January declining 26% year-on-year (y/y) to 353 units and combine harvester sales 50% y/y to eight units, according to the latest sales data from the South African Agricultural Machinery Association. Month-on-month tractor sales were down 34% and combine harvester sales by 74%. Wandile Sihlobo, senior economist of Agbiz, said agricultural machinery sales were traditionally seen as an early indicator of farming sector health. This time, however, they should be seen as the start of a normalisation period following the high sales of the past couple of years, primarily on the back of large grain and oilseed harvests. In 2022, South Africa's tractor sales hit a 40-year record high, increasing 17% y/y to 9 181 units sold. Tractor…

Farmers from Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece and almost every other European country where agriculture is prevalent have taken to the streets. Other than various issues with their countries’ governments, farmers are also not happy with the EU's agricultural policy that has resulted in numerous fines that farmers are being forced to pay. The farmers’ united plight has seen them dominate headlines around the world. According to these farmers, they had always lived by the “dictatorship of nature” and were now living with regulations that they could not accept. Their complaints included regulated cheap imports, overbearing environmental rules and red tape around agricultural requirements. While the EU invested most of its budget in agriculture, with €47 billion (about R966 billion) going into a vast network of programmes that touched agriculture…

The 21st sale of the 2023/24 wool-selling season saw 7 077 bales on offer, after 4 718 bales were withdrawn prior to the sale. Most of the offering consisted of fine micron wools with 53,8% of the Merino wools on offer being certified as sustainable, according to Cape Wools SA. Taking into account the current difficult trading environment, the market held up well, supported by a weaker South African currency. A very good overall sales clearance of 95,1% was achieved. The non-certified indicator increased by 1,1% to close at R150,59/kg and the certified indicator gained 1,3% to close at R170,76/kg. The Australian market continued to weaken and closed 0,6% down in Australian dollar terms compared with the previous sale. Major buyers were Standard Wool SA (1 570 bales), G Modiano…

Despite the volatility in the citrus market and a host of challenges, the industry fared well in 2023, and a repeat performance is expected this year. peaking at Citrus Research International's post-harvest conference in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, Dr Kandas Cloete, commodity analyst at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy, said higher demand and a weaker rand resulted in more favourable 2023 market conditions than previously thought. These conditions are expected to persist for 2024, resulting in another good season for citrus growers. Cloete also expected input costs to remain on similar levels to last year, although labour costs would increase. The industry will however not be without its challenges, and ongoing load-shedding, market access and logistics will need to be carefully managed. Providing an overview of the Lowveld region, Hannes…

The Western Cape Ministry of Agriculture has urged pig farmers to strengthen their biosecurity measures following an outbreak of African Swine Fever around Groeneweide Park, in George in the Western Cape. The disease has resulted in the death of 45 pigs in the area, with 250 remaining. With no vaccine or treatment available, Groeneweide has been placed under quarantine and farmers are being urged not to remove any pigs or pig products from the affected area. The ministry was also urging pig farmers in general to protect their herds against the disease through the safe disposal of carcasses, by confining roaming pigs to prevent them from getting infected and spreading the disease and following good sanitisation practices to prevent healthy pigs from coming in contact with infected clothing and equipment.…

The Crop Estimate Committee published its preliminary area planted estimate for the 2023/24 production season at the end of January 2024, with a revision planned for the end of February 2024. The total commercial maize area is estimated at 2,63 million hectares, up 2% on the previous season, sunflowers 613 000ha, up 10%, and soya beans 1,03 million hectares, 9,7% down on the previous season. At the end of January, it seemed as if the expected El Niño would not visit. All the maize, soya bean and sunflower plantings look good. However, the very hot and dry conditions during the first part of February resulted in damage to summer grain crops. Returning to Pretoria via the N14 mid-February, the damage to especially younger crops was evident to me. Load-shedding did…

The prices of game animals at auctions in South Africa can vary widely depending on factors such as rarity, genetics, age, trophy quality, and demand. Bear in mind that some game may be more attractive to hunters, while others may be more attractive to safari or game-viewing visitors. In the following, we've provided a list of high-value game for hunting, as well as game that may be more appropriate for safaris. This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are many more animals that are considered high value or attractive for game-viewing visitors. Sable: Prized for their striking appearance and impressive horns. Roan: Majestic antelope with distinctive facial markings and long, slender horns. High-quality roan antelope bulls with superior genetics and trophy potential can fetch significant prices at auctions.…

A group of researchers decided to delve deeper into the development of technology when it comes to sheep farming, with specific focus on dairy sheep farming. They chose the Mediterranean region for their work as it provides 40% of the world's sheep milk. The research, which was privately funded and published on Science Direct, used current technology and worked with the mandatory requirements of the EU, which includes electronic identification systems, such as ear tags, ruminal boluses and sub-cutaneous radio-frequency identification. In extensive dairy sheep farming, the animals are grazed outdoors while maintaining contact with the farmer during daily milking for 120–240 days a year. The researchers looked deeply into tech in pasture management through virtual fencing (VF), developed for extensive animal management as it replaces physical barriers with electronic…

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 bit.ly/3T2uljf. “The Tyhume River, flowing from the forested Amathole Mountains in South Africa's Eastern Cape, gives its name to a valley of 20 villages on communal land. Much of the land is being used for livestock, as crop production has declined over the years. This land is under the custodianship of traditional leaders. The valley is typical of South Africa's communal land: affected by soil erosion, bush encroachment and water scarcity. About a third (more than 17 million) of South Africans live on communal land, which makes up about 13% of all land in the country. The 2017 Communal Land Tenure Bill…

We are heading into the final six months of the current four-year monitoring cycle and want to make a big last push to make sure all groups are accounted for, especially in the Eastern Cape, where we have very little data. Every record is extremely valuable! Did you or do you still have ground-hornbills on your farm? Please help us fully understand what is happening on a national scale by sending us a WhatsApp or voice note with as much information as possible. 079 754 6234 www.ground-hornbill.org.za GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your letters to: farmersweekly@caxton.co.za, or Farmer's Weekly, PO Box 1797, Pinegowrie 2123, SA. The views and opinions expressed on the letters page do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly or Caxton. Readers’ letters will be published and…

The aggressive and often dangerous Cape bush pig causes thousands of rand worth of damage each year to fences, lands and even lambs in times of drought in the Eastern Cape. Consequently it has been classified under the vermin list in terms of the Cape Game Ordinance and is hunted by hunters and their trained dogs. Many an Eastern Cape hunting hounds bears scars of a pig hunt and many are felled when a sow with young charges the pack, ripping bellies open with razor-sharp tusks that measure up to 125mm in length. Tuber crops, mealies and pineapples (in the coastal areas of Peddie, Bathurst and Alexandria) are the favourite foods of the bush pig. Netted fences do not deter this thicknecked animal; if it wants to enter a fenced…

Prolonged dry spells in Zambia have led maize and other crops to wither ahead of the 2023/24 harvesting season in many parts of the country. Eastern Province, Southern Province and Central Lusaka province are among the areas grappling with adverse climatic conditions due to the El Niño phenomenon. This has led to below-average rainfall in many of the 116 districts of the country. As farmers in these districts mainly farmed on dryland, many were concerned about the lack of rainfall, and were now calling for investment in irrigation to save the more than three million smallholder farmers that had been affected by the dry spells. The drought experienced in many parts of the country has also raised fears of food insecurity. Frank Kayula, chairperson for the National Association for Smallholder…

SPAIN Spanish farmers are bracing for water restrictions as the country's Catalonia region is experiencing a historic drought. The government said it was prepared to declare a drought emergency as the region's water reserves fell below 16% of capacity. The state of emergency would lower the daily amount of water permitted for residential and municipal purposes from 210l to 200l a person. Agriculture and industry would also experience water cuts. The area has had below-average rainfall for 40 months. INDIA Farmers who marched to the capital city, Delhi, in February have rejected proposals from the government. According to local media, the farmers were seeking laws that would guarantee minimum prices for certain crops. But protest leaders said they refused the government's offer of a fiveyear contract for guaranteed prices for…

In an effort to put an end to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which costs Africa more than US$2,3 billion (about R43 billion) in economic losses every year, the South African Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition recently approved the World Trade Organization's (WTO) agreement on the ratification of fisheries subsidies. This is the WTO's first agreement that focuses on environmental sustainability. It establishes a set of binding prohibitions and rules that seek to ensure that the support provided by governments to their fishing sector does not undermine the sustainability of marine resources. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition briefed the portfolio committee on the deal and sought approval to ratify the completed first phase, as recommended by Cabinet. Committee chairperson Judy Hermans said implementing the agreement…

FAST FACTS Teff is gaining increasing attention due to its potential to satisfy global food, nutritional and climatic challenges. High yield and quality hay at a low cost are achievable since teff can be harvested multiple times. As teff is gluten-free, it is particularly useful for low-glycaemic diets. I n the early 2000s, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) bred six varieties of Eragrostis tef (teff) for animal feed. The plant breeder's rights (PBR) of six of the ARC varieties: Ivory, Emerson, Witkop, Rooiberg, Emerald and Highveld, have since expired. Since 2022, the ARC-Range and Forage Sciences Cedara breeding unit has collaborated with the University of KwaZulu-Natal on my PhD project, which explores breeding new teff varieties for dual human food and animal feed traits. To date, 80 new M4 (third-generation)…

Frugal Feasts LIFESTYLE What could be easier and more refreshing for breakfast on a hot summer holiday than these popsicles? The only effort required is planning the evening before. Recipe and photo: South African Mango Growers’ Association. SERVES 6 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and stoned ½ lemon 250ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt 125ml (½ cup) muesli or granola of your choice • Place the mangoes with a squeeze of lemon in the blender and whizz to a smooth purée. • To assemble, place spoonfuls of mango purée into popsicle moulds, alternating with yoghurt. • Leave a 2cm to 3cm gap at the top for the muesli. Fill with muesli and pat down gently, and push a wooden ice cream stick into each mould. • Freeze for eight hours or…

Get Your Will Right by Chris Sloane & Wendy Mangin (Zebra Press, R160) This 70-page ‘guide for everyone’ takes you through the basics of drawing up a will to avoid estate nightmares and minimise duty. It is upfront (on page 1 of the introduction) in referring you for higher-level legal advice if you have a complicated overseas structure, family situation or traditional marriage. By page 2 it's straight into common mistakes to avoid in preparing a will or administering an estate – one or more may ring a bell. How about, ‘The family raids the deceased's bank account soon after the person's death'? Or ‘The deceased does not have an adequate record of assets'? My personal favourite is, ‘The family of the deceased is unable to find the original will’…

Dear Prof McCrindle, Cryptosporidium was diagnosed by my vet as the cause of diarrhoea in my sheep and lambs. He says there is no vaccine. What can I do? Bheki Dear Bheki, Cryptosporidium is a very neglected intestinal parasite of calves, sheep, goats and even poultry. It can also cause severe diarrhoea in people of all ages, and if your sheep are infected, you will need to implement hygienic principles and precautions when dealing with infected animals as well as their manure. Cryptosporidium is a very small protozoan that can be seen in faecal smears as microscopic-thick walled or thin-walled cysts. Each cyst hatches into four sporozoites. The intermediate stage, which is a sporozoite, can also be seen when vets are doing faecal dilutions and egg counts for parasitic roundworm and…

In a world increasingly fractured by the ongoing wars, growing geopolitical tensions, and divisions on alignments to these tensions, South Africa's government and business must continuously work to open new export markets and diversify from the long-existing ones to spread the risks should the tensions be prolonged. While this applies to most exporting industries in the South African economy, it is particularly relevant for the strongly export-oriented agricultural sector. South Africa's relationship with the long-existing markets in the EU, the African continent, and some Asian and American countries must be nurtured. This is a crucial step as some countries may not outright block trade between countries in this fractured world but use non-tariff barriers. The EU recently used non-tariff barriers by alleging there was a ‘false codling moth’, a citrus…

Farmers are being urged to take the necessary measures to protect lives, livestock, crops and agricultural infrastructure as extreme heat continues in several parts of the country. As a result of the heat, veldfires have been raging in the Western Cape and other parts of the country, further endangering farmers and workers, livestock, crops and infrastructure. Western Cape Minister of Agriculture Dr Ivan Meyer has urged the sector to put mitigating measures in place. “My first concern is for agri-workers, producers and farmers who are daily exposed to harsh climatic conditions. Climate change is having a dramatic impact on our weather patterns and in extreme conditions poses a threat to the lives of our agri-workers and producers. “I urge those working in the sector to take the necessary steps to…

The first mohair sale of the 2024 summer season had 108 796kg on offer, of which 98% was sold. Although the offering on the first sale was mixed and varied in length, buyers actively competed for the mohair on offer. This resulted in a 13% increase (14% in dollar terms) in the average market indicator compared with the last sale of 2023 winter season. The market closed at R373,22/kg, according to Mohair SA. Responsible Mohair Standard-certified lots continued to attract the most interest, with 78% of the offering being certified. A highest price of R745/kg was paid for an average-style 23-micron kid mohair. Compared with the previous sale, prices were: kid mohair was up 5%; young goat mohair was up 15%; fine adult mohair was up 14%; and strong adult…

Dry and hot weather conditions in South Africa are supporting maize prices, thus increasing feed costs. Drier conditions also lead to reduced pasture and could increase the number of animals marketed, presenting further price pressures. These factors are reflected in livestock price trends. BEEF Class C carcass prices eased monthon-month by 1,5% (see Graph 1), while Class A carcass prices traded sideways, reflecting the historical trend of waning post-festive demand. Beef prices remain lower compared with last year, decreasing by 5,5% for Class C carcasses and by 1,8% for Class A. Both petrol and diesel prices increased at the beginning of February and even higher fuel price hikes are expected in March, putting further pressure on consumers and weighing on consumer demand. Profitability as measured by the beef-to-maize ratio decreased…

There are various laws and regulations that govern hunting in South Africa. If you are planning to run a venue that offers hunting as an activity, ensure that you are aware of the laws that apply. Bear in mind that these laws do not only include the act of hunting itself, but also regulations in terms of slaughter, transport and the sale of game. Here we provide a basic overview of relevant laws, but there may be others that also apply, and farmers are thus advised to consult experts in this regard. National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), which regulates the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in South Africa. Firearms Control Act, which regulates the ownership, possession, and use of firearms in South Africa. Hunters and game farm owners…

Teff (Eragrostis tef ) is a tropical grain crop belonging to the grass family, commonly consumed in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is the smallest grain, measuring 1mm in length and 0,6mm in width, and is consumed as a whole grain. There are three main varieties of teff: white (Magna), brown (Key), and mixed (Sergegna). While all varieties have a similar chemical composition, brown teff is particularly rich in iron and is commonly used for preventing and managing iron deficiency anemia. Teff is recognised for its balanced nutritional profile, containing carbohydrates, fibre, lipids and essential amino acids. It is notably rich in iron, calcium and zinc, making it a valuable dietary addition. One of the key attributes of teff is its gluten-free nature, making it suitable for individuals with celiac disease.…

SERVES 14 FOR THE LEMON CURD 1½cups lemon juice 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs 4 egg yolks ½ tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes ½ tsp vanilla extract FOR THE SYRUP 1½ cups white sugar 3 (2,5cm) strips of lemon peel ½ cup lemon juice ⅔ cup Limoncello liqueur FOR THE MASCAPONE LAYER 2 cups heavy cream ½ cup icing sugar 720g mascarpone cheese 15ml (1 Tbsp) lemon zest 300g crisp ladyfingers (Boudoir biscuits) • For the lemon curd, combine the lemon juice, two cups white sugar, eggs, egg yolks and salt in a large saucepan. • Over medium heat, cook the ingredients, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Cook for another two minutes more. Remove from the heat. • Strain the…