Farmer's Weekly 18 February 2022

Former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher once said: “The first duty of government is to uphold the law. If it tries to bob and weave and duck around that duty when it’s inconvenient […] then so will the governed, and then nothing is safe – not home, not liberty, not life itself.” South Africans have become so used to corruption in government entities that we barely flinch when we read about it. I often come across headlines announcing that another few million rands have been stolen by government officials and other authorities, and I’m ashamed to say that I don’t often give them a second thought. I recently spoke to a worker in one of the country’s municipalities. (To protect his identity, I won’t say which one.) She told me about the…

“The year 2021 was one of critical conversations about global agrifood systems, which are the processes and methods through which farming produces and markets food. Following on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in global poverty, 2021 saw urgent calls to transform food systems if the world is to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal targets by 2030. The UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021 was a call to action and a challenge to nations to build ‘transformed’ food systems. It was followed by the development of the African Common Position, which outlines how countries on the continent plan to heed that challenge. Then came the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), where nations adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact. Sustainable, resilient agrifood solutions are, after all, crucial…

The Cattle: Artificial Insemination course offers a solid foundation for cattle farming. The farmer’s ability to successfully breed superior cattle has the biggest influence on his/her means to generate a continuous and sustainable income. Management will also have a direct influence on the outcome of reproduction. This course, presented by Rothman Livestock Training Services, not only concentrates on the technical side of artificial insemination, but also covers the influence that management has on successful breeding. Email Rothman Livestock Training Services at admin@RLTSAfrica.com. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 3 TO 4 MARCH Agro-processing Conference 2022, Radisson Blu Hotel, Sandton. Phone Mathema Conferencing and Training on 011 862 4001, or email info@mathematraining.co.za. 9 TO 10 MARCH ICTforAg 2022 Conference (online). Visit ictforag.com. 31 MARCH TO 1 APRIL Agriculture 4.0: Future of Farming Agriculture Summit, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cape Town. Email Charity Wockelmann…

In this article, a pioneer grower from Limpopo, discussed the vital factors that influenced the production of kiwifruit, a crop that was new to South Africa at the time and one considered rather unusual (see story on page 46). Something new out of New Zealand is a delicious fruit called kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), and indications are that it is going to be a winner here in South Africa. On the strength of this, one farmer in the Politsi area of Limpopo plans to have 100 000 kiwifruit plants in by 1983. He is 29-year-old Howard Blight, who has done considerable experimental work on the fruit, which he describes as looking like “a fur-coated granadilla” and tasting like “a mixture of strawberry, melon and orange”. It is peeled by knife and the flesh shows…

An ongoing concern of tree lovers is the tiny polyphagous shot hole borer beetle (PSHB), which bores into tree trunks, introducing a fungus that weakens and often kills the trees. Initial research findings from Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West, the site of an intensive three-year research project on the PSHB (Euwallacea fornicatus), have generated valuable insights: • Researchers are better informed about the seasonal distribution of the beetle, which will help inform how to manage it; • Chemical lures have been crucial in keeping beetle infestations low; and • Pesticide injections into selected trees have slowed down beetle infection rates. This is according to a research report from PhD candidate Heather Nependa from the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology at Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Faculty of AgriSciences. Leslie Naidoo, risk and commercial manager at Vergelegen,…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA ‘TURNAROUND STRATEGY NEEDED FOR SA’S MALTING BARLEY INDUSTRY’ South Africa’s malting barley production fell 95 000t short of brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev’s 360 000t mandate during the past season. This was due to farmers choosing instead to plant lower-risk crops, such as canola and wheat. Read the full article at bit.ly/3ol2UBu, or scan here: Posted: 1 February 2022. FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA When we posted a link to an article titled, ’SA Veterinary Council committed to change’, we received a few comments from some of our followers. Posted: 31 January 2022. READERS’ COMMENTS Danie Odendaal: “The most important factor that determines the availability of private veterinary services is the income potential for the person who provides the service. If the veterinarian and animal health technician can’t earn sustainable incomes, they won’t be there to provide the…