Farmer's Weekly 1 April 2022

The Russia-Ukraine conflict will have a direct impact on food exports and supply chains, due to these two countries’ significance as agricultural producers. In South Africa, we can expect to see a rise in the prices of vegetable oils and staples such as bread, as we import the commodities needed to produce these products. We’ll also see a further rise in the prices of petrol and diesel, with some analysts predicting that they could increase by as much as R2/ℓ and R3/ℓ respectively in April. Of course, this all depends on the strength of the rand and the price of oil, which are both volatile at the moment. While we have covered the Russia-Ukraine conflict in quite some detail over the past few weeks, I want to focus specifically on its effects…

“Sub-Saharan Africa’s youthful population and extent of mobile penetration has the potential to enable digital agriculture transformation. Countries across the region are in varying stages of this transformation, which creates an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, expertise and lessons. While potential may exist, there are still hurdles to overcome, such as limited infrastructure in rural areas and insufficient funding for agriculture, which are essential drivers for digital agriculture transformation. An enabling business environment is fundamental to attract investment in digital agriculture. This article looks at the many challenges that still exist in this area, and the opportunities that are opening up as a result. INFRASTRUCTURE Most of the countries studied in this report have adequate infrastructure in rural areas to enable digitalisation. That said, the state of digital infrastructure needed varies across countries.…

23 to 27 May, Delmas The Tractor Operation and Maintenance course, presented by the Buhle Farmers’ Academy, focuses on teaching students how to properly operate tractor. This is an essential part of any farming business, where the operation of heavy machinery is important for production. The course also looks at the optimal use of implements for land preparation, as well as the basics of tractor maintenance. Phone the Buhle Farmers’ Academy on 063 287 2732, or email applications@buhle.org.za. Visit buhle.org.za. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 31 MARCH TO 1 APRIL Agriculture 4.0: Future of Farming Agriculture Summit, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cape Town. Email Charity Wockelmann at charity@agriculturefmi.co.za. 12 TO 13 MAY Drone and Unmanned Aviation Conference, Emperors Palace, Kempton Park. Email info@bussynet.co.za. 25 TO 27 MAY Irrigation, Drainage and Water Management Summit, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cape Town. Email Charity Wockelmann at charity@irrigationfmi.co.za. COURSES…

Together with its customers, Woolworths has raised R2,5 million to empower communities across South Africa to grow more food and become food secure. In line with the retailer’s food security strategy, seven organisations have received donations to assist them with providing people with the skills and resources needed to alleviate hunger in their communities. The organisations that the funding will support are: • Afrika Tikkun, a non-profit organisation (NPO) that is supporting young entrepreneurs in Gauteng and the Western Cape to start their own agriculture businesses; • Inmed South Africa, an NPO focused on humanitarian development that is helping unemployed young people in the Free State start climatesmart agricultural enterprises; • Joint Aid Management, a humanitarian aid and development operation helping to improve food security in vulnerable Free State communities; • Siyazisiza Trust, an…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA SA’S AGRIBUSINESS CONFIDENCE REMAINS POSITIVE, DESPITE CHALLENGES Excessive rainfall at the start of the planting season, higher input costs, logistical challenges and geopolitical tensions in Europe are taking their toll on agribusiness confidence, according to the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index released on 15 March 2022. Read the full article at bit.ly/34MiiAd, or scan here: Posted: 15 March 2022. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA We posted a link to an article titled, ‘Alarming upswing in green maize theft threatens food security’ (see page 16) and some of our followers shared their views on the matter. Posted: 15 March 2022. READERS’ COMMENTS Karabo Matshego: “[I’ve seen hawkers] selling mealies on street corners [recently].” Simo Socikwa: “This is bad. [It’s a] sign of a failing state. Guava farmers around East London [are] complaining of the same problem.” Lebohang Rasenyalo:…

In this article, a Merino farmer explained how he successfully ran this breed of sheep in a coastal district. A farmer in the Eastern Cape’s Alexandria district is proving that Merino sheep can be successfully run on lucerne pasture in the coastal strip. What’s more, the average wool yield of his Merinos is 1kg more than that from the Merinos he once ran in the Karoo. HGH van Schalkwyk of De Hoek farm runs 513 sheep on 45ha of planted pasture. He intends to clear another 130ha to 170ha, which he will also plant to pasture, and hopes to eventually have 1 600 to 1 700 Merinos on De Hoek. He admits that he is hopelessly understocked at the moment, even though he has 60 dairy cows that provide him with a monthly…