Sommaire pour 23-Oct 2015 de Farmer's Weekly

In the midst of the recent heat wave and prolonged drought, city folks were reminded of man’s dependence on water. Farmers, however, need no such reminder, especially not at this time of the year, when they await signs of rain. After years of denying that South Africa is facing a water crisis, the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation, under Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, seems to be taking the situation more seriously. However, budget restraints and policies putting the control of municipal water in the hands of local government are severely hampering the minister’s efforts. Thus far, the focus has been on supply, not quality. Minister Mokonyane is adamant that our water quality is comparable with the best in the world. And it is – if the parameters used to judge…

As farmers, our primary challenges come not from the economy but ‘the powers above’. Unfortunately, farmers can’t make rain, so dams have dried up, and borehole water can’t fill dams. In my opinion, spare your pump for emergencies other than filling dams. It breaks my heart to see water being wasted in towns. As a new farmer, I’ve come to appreciate what I previously took for granted. On a farm, nothing goes to waste. As a country we need to shift our mindset and understand the importance of land as we struggle to move forward with land claims. For those of us privileged enough to have land, let’s play our part in utilising the land and teach others why we have land. Today’s farming is more challenging due to climate…

Farmers have become so wary of the animal rights brigade that they forget the good work animal welfare organisations do, particularly among the tens of thousands of pets in the country’s impoverished townships, from where damage-causing or disease-ridden dogs and other animals often wander onto farms. These organisations depend on donations and municipal budgets for funding. The bigger ones, such as the NSPCA, focus their activities on welfare hospitals, mobile clinics, inspections, shelters, adoption programmes, veterinary assistance and complaints about cruelty. Smaller organisations tend to focus more on sterilisation as the best route to curbing animal overpopulation. This comes at a cost even with discounted vet bills: R500/dog, R300/cat and R100/euthanasia. In South Africa’s shelters, about one million animals are put down each year because of too many pets and…

The Tsitsikamma Rainforest forms part of the Tsitsikamma National Park, located along the Western Cape and Eastern Cape’s Garden Route. A forest monitoring plan has been developed over more than four decades as a component of the park’s management systems. It provides information on natural changes occurring in the ecosystems, the effects of management activities on the ecosystems, and the effectiveness of management activities. The results are used to ensure that the ecosystems are managed sustainably, based on dependable scientific data. Many of the monitoring projects along the Garden Route were established for long-term monitoring. Long-term data is necessary, given the slow rate of natural change in the forests, the long periods between management interventions for certain activities (for example, the 10-year felling cycle for timber), and the relatively light…

participate in a scheme if profit was not the incentive, said Phadime. A subsidy of 40% has been proposed for commercial producers and 80% for smallholder producers. Phadime estimated that this insurance would cost around R49 million/year. “In case of a severe weather season, the cost could rise to R260 million/year.” Phadime said that in future the scheme could include hail insurance and MPCI on the basis of individual yield coverage, and costs could rise to R389 million/year. DAFF and National Treasury (NT) recommended that the initiative be offered to interested producers in the sector on a voluntary basis. They advised that cover be extended to pre-harvest risks. The initiative is taking the PPP approach with all interested and licensed insurance companies given a chance to apply as insurance intermediaries.…

Refined petroleum products company Engen has launched a competition for young mechanics who can execute the best restoration of a vintage engine to full operational status. The aim of the competition, a partnership between Engen and the SA Federation of Vintage Tractors and Engine Clubs, is to nurture an appreciation for agriculture as well as classic tractors and engines. It is aimed at youth clubs, agricultural and technical schools as well as agricultural colleges. It is open to two age groups – juniors U/18 and seniors between the ages of 19 and 30 – who will compete separately for the combined R150 000 prize. Entries close in February 2016 and regional semi-finalists will be announced in April 2016. The overall winners will be crowned in May 2016. • Visit www.savtec.co.za or www.engen.co.za.…

Malawi is facing its worst food crisis in a decade, with more than 2,8 million people at risk of hunger due to devastating floods and drought that destroyed last year’s crop. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said that flooding, which occurred earlier this year, was the worst in the country’s history, according to a media report. Those crops that did survive the floods were destroyed by drought in subsequent months. To make ends meet, people in effected districts had started selling their livestock. Women were selling firewood and charcoal, further damaging the fragile environment. Since the end of last year, the WFP had provided relief assistance to avert hunger in households hit by floods and drought in the 2013/2014 growing season, in addition to flooding in early 2015. The…

The past year’s drought was one of many challenges the Namibian commercial agricultural sector had to endure, according to Derek Wright, retiring Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) president. He said at the 2015 NAU congress in Windhoek that the drought was considered the worst in 40 years. It had affected the entire country, brought about maize crop failures, caused the failure of the mahango crop in the Northern Communal Areas, and depleted grazing in the livestock-producing areas. “While dealing with the effects of the drought, we were faced with the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the furthermost north of Namibia in May,” he said. The disease had since been contained through cooperation between the commercial farming and commercial business sectors, the Namibian Meat Board and Namibian Directorate of Veterinary Services. The last…

The lion industry wants to get its house in order, according to Prof Melville Saayman, from the department of Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society at the University of the North-West. The South African Predator Breeding Association (SAPBA) had contacted Saayman to investigate the value of the country’s lion breeding industry. The investigation would focus on the main breeding areas of the Free State and North West, and would also determine the number of lion kept by the industry. This was thought to be between 4 000 and 6 000, Saayman said. Access to farms had been organised by SAPBA, he told Farmer’s Weekly. Breeders were reluctant to open their doors following films such as Blood Lions and the shooting of Cecil the lion. “After the visits, we will…

Although the global area planted to cotton was projected by the International Cotton Advisory Committee to decrease by about 7% in 2015-2016 due to lower cotton prices, world cotton production was expected to fall by about 9% due to lower average yield. This was mainly as a result of the effect of El Niño, according to the latest Cotton SA market report. Turning to the local outlook, the 9th estimate for the 2014/2015 production year predicted a total crop of 93 164 lint bales (200kg bales), up 113% from the previous season due mainly to an increase in area planted. Gert Cilliers, who plants nearly 1 400ha dryland cotton near Stella, in the North West, said he had stripped 1,4t/ha, down from his initial estimate of 1,5t/ha. “I spoke to…

Mark Shuttleworth emigrated from South Africa in 2001. Exchange control restrictions were interfering with his international business initiatives. As a condition for transferring his funds to his new base on the Isle of Man, the SA Reserve Bank charged an exit fee of 10%. Shuttleworth challenged the exit charge and was successful in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). The judges were unanimous that the exit charge was a tax, because the money had flowed into the national coffers. Funds already tendered to the SA Reserve Bank were to be repaid to Shuttleworth. The minister of finance then took the case to the Constitutional Court. (South African Reserve Bank & Another v Shuttleworth & Another [2015] ZACC 17.) In a divided judgement, the court ruled against Shuttleworth. Simply put, the…

Meat MEAT PRICES MIXED International: New Zealand steers traded flat at NZ$583/head and cows traded lower at NZ$381/head. US beef traded mostly lower: topside rose to US$220,50/cwt, rump fell to US$331,78/cwt, striploin rose to $536,55/cwt, chuck fell to US$259,03/cwt, brisket fell to US$207,42/cwt, and the carcass price fell 3,65% to US$295,89/cwt. The US domestic beef market has shown no signs of recovering after recording declines in prices over the past week. The backlog of feed cattle at record weights has hit the market and this is pressuring the market. Domestic: Class A prices rose 0,55% to R34,90/kg, Class B traded higher at R32,12/kg and Class C rose 1,09% to R29,45/kg. Weaner prices fell to R19,87/kg, and hide prices rose slightly to R12,31/kg. The market continues to be under pressure, and…

GAUTENG LIMOUSIN CHAMPIONS BRAUNVIEH CHAMPIONS CONTACTS John and Tracey Devonport 083 454 3095 Ansie Botes 072 596 0462…

• Spotted maize beetle, dusty maize beetle – damage to seed before germination. • Cutworm, black maize beetle, greater false wireworm, lesser false wireworm, wireworm, maize rootworm, false maize rootworm, ground weevil, surface beetle, bragada stinkbug – damage to young plants. • Maize stalk borer, pink stem borer, African bollworm, lesser armyworm, maize chafer beetle, maize leafhopper, maize leaf aphid, two-spotted spider mite – damage to foliage of older plants. • Maize stalk borer, pink stem borer, black maize beetle, large fungus-growing termite, small fungus-growing termite – damage to stalks of older plants. • Maize leaf aphid, spotted maize beetle, pink stem borer, maize stalk borer, African bollworm – damage to flowers and cobs. • Courtesy of Dr Johann Brits…

Of all soil organisms, earthworms can be by far the largest component by weight. Their benefits are generally insufficiently appreciated by farmers. This is so even among those who say they are happy to see earthworms returning after they have added manure to their lands. They see earthworms as a symptom of good soil but they don’t seem to realise that worms play a much more active role in the process. Watching my own earthworm population grow, I once wondered if there were species whose main role was soil improvement and whether one could buy them. A retired researcher and earthworm expert soon corrected my misconception: she said that it did not matter which species one had in the soil – all improve soil. In an experiment she conducted at…

Beaverson SA had a range of galvanised steel posts from Profil Alsace for use in fruit, table grape and vineyard trellis systems. The posts have a patented fixed hook system with hooks punched on the outside, making them ideal for mechanisation. The posts are available in various lengths and sizes. They are approximately 20% more expensive than wooden poles, but total costs of setting up one of the trellis systems can be 11% lower than that of a wooden trellis system due to reduced labour and establishment costs.…

Petrol and diesel engines burn different kinds of hydrocarbon fuel and the former requires a spark while the latter does not. But the differences between their combustion go deeper than this. In a petrol engine a single flame, initiated by a spark, is surrounded by a chemically correct fuel/ air mixture. In a diesel engine, fuel burning in the hot air resulting from the very high compression ratio creates many flames. PETROL COMBUSTION Hydrocarbons are liquid compounds containing hydrogen and carbon. Combustion takes place between these components and oxygen in the air. The hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water (H O) at a rate of about 2 1l water for every litre of fuel burnt. When an engine is cold, the water can often be seen dripping out of…

As I write this column, Jill and I are celebrating our 43rd wedding anniversary. People ask me sincerely how we have managed to remain happily married for so long. The honest truth is that it is because we made a decision many years ago to be kind to each other. It really is that simple. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:22, he writes that one of the fruits of the Spirit is kindness. I believe that a contributing factor to a successful marriage is to watch what you say to your spouse – and to others. The Word of God tells us clearly in Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” KIND WORDS INSPIRE KINDNESS IN OTHERS…

PURE GOLD  by Errol Tobias (Tafelberg, R190) The pace of transformation in South African rugby can be measured by the fact that Tobias was the first black Springbok back in 1980 – and we’re still debating quotas! Tobias takes you back to children’s pranks and what his father believed would be unfulfilled hopes of playing on grounds such as Newlands. He provides a particularly sympathetic account of Danie Craven, his memories of being caught in the middle of anti-Springbok protests in New Zealand and a good dose of locker-room gossip. Here is a short but revealing account of a pivotal time in South African rugby. MORE  by Sylvie Hurford (Human & Rousseau, R275) Hurford is an innovative food and fashion stylist and a great cook. So it’s hardly surprising that…

Dr Oberem, a vet such as yourself should be more careful with his statements. You know enough about animal husbandry to acknowledge the dangers involved with the wholesale exploitation of wild animals, in many cases confined like cattle and genetically modified for a variety of purely commercial profit motives, often in the hands of poorly educated farmers with little comprehension of what they are doing to the species. The animal welfare angle cannot be overlooked where these animals are transported countrywide, and where the risk of spreading disease cannot be properly controlled, as you well know. Many wildlife ranches are exploited with no ethical restraint whatsoever; for example those engaged in the so-called ‘canned lion hunt’. This is malpractice at its worst. Moreover, there is the widespread unacceptable killing of…

The mohair market regained some of its losses to close at R190,48/kg. This was 4% higher than the previous sale. All buying houses competed actively for the offering of 136 356kg, which consisted of some excellent quality mohair. A total of 99% of the offering was cleared. Prices increased across all categories, confirming the healthy status of the market, according to Deon Saayman, general manager of Mohair South Africa. Compared with the previous sale, prices were as follows: Kids (winter) up 5%; young goats (winter) up 6%; fine adults up 4% and strong adults up 3%. Pierre van der Vyver, general manager of CMW, said it was rare to see price increases for all hair types at the same sale. The sale saw two seasonal record prices. The first was…

The black Boerboel may soon be scrapped from SA Stud Book as a recognised breed standard for the Boerboel breed. The black Boerboel has been part of the breed standard of the SA Boerboel Breeders’ Society (SABBS) for some years, and was again accepted as part of the breed standard at the 2015 SABBS annual general meeting. However, the registrar of the Animal Improvement Act 1998 (AIA), Joel Mamabolo, rejected the decision to again include black Boerboel as part of the breed standard. According to the AIA, every indigenous breed requires a breed society that administers its breed standards. Jakkie Erasmus, a Boerboel breeder since 1998, said that if the black Boerboel were removed as part of the breed standard, the entire breed would suffer. “It means the gene pool…

Transvaal Agricultural Union of SA (TAU SA) president Louis Meintjies has undertaken a tour with Dr Frans Cronje from the SA Institute of Race Relations (IRR) to discuss the current agricultural policy environment. The tour encompassed Losberg, Bloemfontein, Phillipolis, Orania, Kimberley, Christiana, Wesselsbron, Bothaville, Heilbron, Reitz and Lentevlei. Meintjies said that TAU SA had commissioned Cronje to do a study on the current legislation on land issues and what powers it gave the state. He was also tasked to investigate the reason for the legislation. TAU SA also asked for a strategy that the broader agricultural community could follow to ensure a future for commercial farming. “We are focusing on unity in agriculture. TAU SA has a sustainable agricultural plan where the total agricultural value chain is involved,” Meintjies said.…

Mecki Schneider, Namibian Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO) chairperson, expressed his concern about the deteriorating condition of rangelands in the country. Speaking at the 2015 LPO congress in Windhoek, Schneider said livestock producers needed to pay more attention to grazing according to the Namibian National Rangeland Management Policy and Strategy. Namibian farmers farmed in some of the most arid parts of Africa and were subjected to regular droughts and intermitted rainfall. “We’ll have to adjust our rangeland management practices accordingly to ensure long-term sustainability and profitability,” he said. Echoing this concern, rangeland scientist Bertus Kruger said that the production and resilience of the Namibian rangelands were at an all-time low. Large parts of Namibia’s soil were deprived of minerals and perennial grasses had been exterminated. This had resulted in poor grass…

Buffalo in Namibia’s Waterberg Plateau National Park posed a serious threat to neighbouring livestock farmers and must be dealt with as a matter of urgency, according to delegates at the 2015 Namibia Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO) congress held recently in Windhoek. Delegates said that from time to time, buffalo broke out of the park, which was situated in central Namibia on the Waterberg plateau, 68km southeast of Otjiwarongo, and which fell in a foot-and-mouth disease area. This meant that producers in the area were prohibited from marketing livestock for months on end. Martin Hilbert from Okahandja proposed that the Waterberg herd be moved or culled. “We can’t close and open the Waterberg area forever,” he said. Mecki Schneider, LPO chairperson, said the Namibian livestock sector was a R5 billion annual…

World Egg Day – on the second Friday of October every year – highlights the need for commercial producers to improve production efficiency rather than increasing the number of hens. Getting the world’s current 6,4 billion hens to each lay one more egg in a production cycle would negate the need to almost double the global population of layers by 2050 to meet demand for this protein source. A statement by Elanco Animal Health South Africa (Elanco SA) said that current declining egg production trends globally were the result of ongoing poultry disease challenges, changing production practices and the removal of innovation in production practices in some parts of the world. Elanco SA regional director André Westerveld said in the statement that eggs were still the most important source of…

Farmers in the Cape Flats in the Western Cape are fed up with theft in the area. Initially, thieves stole telephone lines from farms, but about two years ago they started stealing pumps and irrigation equipment, Leon Rix, chairperson of the Cape Flats and District Farmers’ Association, told Farmer’s Weekly. “We lost 22 pumps two years ago at a cost of about R45 000 each. This doesn’t include the costs we incurred to fortify our pump houses,” he said. Rix had originally erected security gates around the pump houses, but thieves had broken in and stolen the gates. He had then fortified the gates, but the thieves had come in through the roofs. “In the end, we had to use concrete roofs, but while you’re trying to fortify or repair…

Modern rose breeding for improved agronomic traits has tended to produce varieties that are less fragrant. A French research team has now uncovered how fragrant compounds are synthesised in rose petals. Roses are not only ornamental; they are used for essential oils in perfume and cosmetics. For hundreds of years, roses have been associated with volatile chemical molecules which impart fragrant smells. This is no longer true. Most modern roses have reduced volatile chemicals, as plants now have to use additional resources and energy to combat pests and diseases, apart from redirecting energy to altered metabolic pathways for synthesising different pigments for new colours and flower shapes. A team of 21 scientists from six French universities joined forces to identify which genes are responsible for producing the several hundred chemical…

Is water a political issue in South Africa? And if so, in what way? Water is a political issue worldwide, but it becomes more political when ideology enters the discourse. This is the case in South Africa, where the discourse focuses on historic privilege and, more specifically, the reallocation of privilege associated with the perceived inequitable way that water was allocated in the past. The political aspect of water is exacerbated by the socialist ideology currently articulated in the form of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). The NDR was introduced to South Africa by the South African Communist Party (SACP) in 1928 and later adopted by the ANC. Droughts and other forms of scarcity magnify the underlying tensions in society, making water more political under such circumstances. How do water…

Colin and Marisa Engelbrecht of Klein Buisfontein Ranch took over an operational cattle farm 11 years ago. By using the best genetics available to breed certain predator species and several selected colour variants of some antelope, they have today established a successful game breeding enterprise. “The South African game industry is based on the four pillars of breeding, hunting, ecotourism and game meat production,” Colin says. “At present, we’re primarily a game-breeding facility with selective hunting of surplus animals. We’re also in the process of developing a tourism facility to diversify our business.” On Klein Buisfontein Ranch, situated near Hartbeesfontein in North West, the Engelbrechts breed, among others, a number of high-value game species on 500ha of mixed bushveld with rocky, sandy soils. These higher-value species are: • Buffalo; •…

Despite government’s land reform programme’s high failure rate, one successful beneficiary has beat the odds and has now requested more land to enable him to become a commercial farmer. Seventy-year-old Salphanius Motswenyane farms on 203ha on Tweebuffelsgeschiet in the Grootpan area near Coligny in platinum-rich North West. He grew up in a farming environment and worked on Fielies van Rensburg’s farm near Taaiboschspruit as a young man. Armed with this background and 20 years’ experience as a clerk at the Mooifontein Agricultural Co-operative, he approached the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform for a farm and received land in 2012. His contract will expire in 2017 and is subject to renewal. GETTING STARTED The farm, according to Salphanius, was in a fairly good condition when he received it “but…

As I write this week’s column, I’m in Bloemfontein with the Institute of Market Agents of South Africa (Imasa) to celebrate its 70th birthday. This promises to be an affair to remember, and the numbers attending the two-day event have exceeded all expectations. Apart from the members of Imasa who have travelled far and wide to be here, a number of highly placed people in government, leading sector organisations and input suppliers will be in attendance. Imasa has been closely involved in the affairs of the markets and the fresh produce sector, but as with most organisations it has had its downturns. There was a time when Imasa was hardly to be seen on the industry’s radar screen as it went through a period of being little more than an…

While dogs (and cats) can be vaccinated against leptospirosis, a vaccinated animal can still contract the disease, but the symptoms may be less severe and may not progress into a devastating form of the illness. Leptospirosis is caused by Leptospira bacteria, of which there are about 230 strains in all. Eight of these have the potential to cause disease in dogs and cats. The illness tends to thrive in more temperate climates and is known to become active in wet conditions. Certain animals are known carriers, and in South Africa the disease is often linked to rats, feral cats and even livestock. There is a growing tendency for pests such as rats to become increasingly immune to traditional poisons and this is a matter of concern when considering their nationwide…

In order to ensure you are getting enough magnesium, first make sure you are eating a varied whole-food diet including regular helpings of dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and Swiss chard. Organically grown vegetables usually contain more magnesium than mass-produced ones. Good sources of magnesium are beans, nuts and pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. A malfunctioning digestive system (caused by Crohn’s disease or leaky gut syndrome, for example) might impair your body’s ability to absorb magnesium from food. If your kidneys are not functioning normally, you may lose too much magnesium in your urine. Alcoholism, poorly controlled diabetes, certain medications and age are all associated with magnesium deficiency. Low magnesium levels can lead to arrhythmia, palpitations or atrial fibrillation, or cause cardiac arrest. It is necessary to protect…

Jacoba Elizabeth was in the orchard behind the farmhouse when the British soldiers arrived. Scarcely two months had passed since the declaration of war between the Boer and the British. While his men began to smash the furniture, the British officer demanded to know from Jacoba whose farm this was. She smiled and said that Elandsfontein belonged to her husband, General Koos de la Rey. Once the officer had regained his composure, he ordered her to fetch the man regarded as one of the most able Boer leaders. “Fetch him yourself,” said Jacoba. “If you can.” Told in no uncertain terms that the house was to be commandeered as living quarters for British officers, an enraged Jacoba mounted a horse and rode into Lichtenburg demanding to see Lord Methuen, the…

23 MARCH 1932 Pre-war world news 83 YEARS AGO This was the year when southern Ireland broke from Britain, when construction of the new South Africa House in London began and when the Union began to emerge from its financial crisis. As daily newspapers in South Africa were still out of reach for most farming communities, farmers placed great reliance on the brief news items published each week in this magazine. Here are some snippets which appeared in our issue of the above date. • “President De Valera declared that the new Irish Government would abolish the oath of allegiance to Britain and refuse to pay any more land annuities to that country. A warning was later issued by Mr Neville Chamberlain, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, that any Anglo-Irish…

At the ANC’s national general council meeting, the party officially accepted the suggestion that farmers share half of their farms with their workers. This comes in spite of assurances made earlier this year by the Rural Development and Land Reform Minister, Gugile Nkwinti, that government would consider alternative methods of farm worker empowerment. Annelize Crosby, legal and policy advisor of Agri SA, said she felt “disheartened by the announcement”, as so much progress had been made in government workshops aimed at finding a viable alternative to the 50:50 proposal. “The announcement by the ANC will only confuse people again. Nkwinti had allowed four years for an investigation of 50 pilot projects to empower farm workers. Twelve projects and funding for these projects had been approved only a few weeks ago,”…

The Southern African Development Community and many national governments in the region have called for an expansion of irrigation and related infrastructure. Dr Jonathan Lautze, senior researcher at the International Water Management Institute in Pretoria, and Justin Mutiro, project engineer for Illovo Sugar’s Ubombo Sugar Limited in Swaziland, conducted research in 2013 on whether irrigation schemes in Southern Africa were a success or not. They determined that 59% were a success, 32% a failure and 9% inconclusive. Criteria used to measure success included crop production yield, economic rate of return and net income, Lautze told Farmer’s Weekly. He identified South Africa and Zimbabwe as two countries with a “lot of irrigation infrastructure” in Southern Africa. Investment in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania made sense, according to Lautze, as “there is more…

A period of hot, dry weather in Australia over the next three months could have serious implications for agricultural output, particularly the wheat crop. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that most parts of of the east coast were likely to record below-average rainfall until the end of the year, according to Reuters. Much of the country would also experience higher-than-average temperatures. Agribusiness economist at the National Australia Bank, Phin Ziebell, said that this negative forecast had come at a critical point in the growing cycle; crops exposed to heat so early in the season could suffer heat stress, leading to a possible reduction in yield.…

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s (JSE) introduction of Namibian beef and weaner derivatives to be listed on the SAFEX Exchange means new economic opportunities for Namibian livestock producers. This also means protection against negative price movements, according to Dr Raphael Karuaihe, manager: commodity derivatives at the JSE. Speaking at the 2015 Namibian Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO) congress, he said there was a 95% correlation between South African and Namibian beef prices, which made for a strong case for this introduction. The high correlation meant a 5% chance that a Namibian hedge on the JSE would be under or over the weight of a producer’s actual hedging needs. The SA beef industry was closely linked to its Namibian counterpart. “This means the SA beef contract traded in the JSE can comfortably address…

The rhino population at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (iSimangaliso) in KwaZulu-Natal seems to have become unattractive to poachers after the animals were dehorned there in August 2015. The R150 000 dehorning exercise of an undisclosed number of both black and white rhinos was implemented only after thorough consideration by the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority and its conservation partner, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. An unprecedented surge in rhino poaching incidents in iSimangaliso – a World Heritage Site – over the preceding 24 months had been a primary motivator for the implementation of the dehorning exercise in an effort to make the dehorned rhinos undesirable to poachers, the park’s CEO, Andrew Zaloumis, said. He added that the exercise was implemented only “after in-depth discussion, reflection and specialist consultation”. According to a statement from…

In 2011, the world’s population reached seven billion. A recent UN report estimates that this figure will be almost 10 billion by 2050, with the fastest growth expected to occur between now and 2030 (see graph). The main part of this population growth will take place in developing and least-developed countries in Africa, Asia and elsewhere. Africa’s population is growing at 2,55%/year, compared with the current global population growth rate of 1,18%. Right now, 16% of the world population lives in Africa. This will increase to 25% by 2050. More than half of the world’s population already live in urban areas. The size of the urban population will increase to five billion by 2030. It’s also estimated that more than three billion people will enter the middle class in the…

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) announced earlier this year that the Scientific Authority of South Africa would conduct a scientific study into the practice of breeding so-called colour variant game animals to help the government decide whether to monitor and regulate the industry. A news report by Bloomberg quoted the DEA as saying that it “(did not) regard the intentional breeding of animals for specific traits such as colour coats as a conservation benefit”. However, “whether it is a threat to conservation would depend on the size and genetic makeup (genetic diversity) of the population into which the colour morphs are introduced”. In a letter to the DEA in 2010, Prof John Donaldson, Chief Director: Applied Biodiversity Research Division at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI),…

There are three important legs to effective pest control in crop management. Collectively, they can achieve excellent results, so it is critical that crop farmers fully understand and implement each of them. The first leg is “Know the biology of the insect pest”. Some insect pests have complex biology and life cycles that require a farmer to apply specific controls for particular stages in the pest’s life cycle. Others have short life cycles – mere days – while others have life cycles that extend for years. The second leg is “Know the life cycle of the crop that needs protection from insect pests”. Some insect pests attack a plant at certain stages in its growth. Knowing the pests that could attack each growth stage will allow a farmer to implement…

Thule has over the years become renowned for its range of trailers, roof carriers, luggage pods, canoe, bicycle racks and other products. Modern laptop computers are lighter, stronger and can absorb more punishment than their predecessors of two decades ago. On the other hand, they contain vastly more data, so any loss is that much worse than before. Recognising this fact, Thule has launched a range of light, versatile and strong travel cases designed to combine convenience and speed of use with a high degree of physical protection from the rigours of travel. A good example is the Thule 15” Macbook pro and Ipad attache. It measures 390mm wide, 380mm high, 55mm deep and weighs just 1kg. It accommodates a laptop computer up to 15” in size, protecting it and…

It is safe to say that any change in behaviour is a sign that something is wrong with your horse. This is, after all, the way horses try to ‘communicate’ with their owners. And when a horse suddenly starts biting, chances are that it is experiencing some form of discomfort. You then need to go through a process of elimination. Firstly, get a vet to check your horse. This will rule out any obvious cause of pain or discomfort. Next, have your equine dentist examine the horse’s teeth. (Teeth should be routinely checked every six months.) If neither the vet nor the dentist finds anything out of the ordinary, it’s time to consider other sources of stress. Biting could be a sign of a lack of confidence, for example, especially…

Author John Smith, better known as Jonno, can be contacted at Hillbilly Homes, PO Box 255, Estcourt 3310, tel 036 352 3178, fax 088 036 352 3178, cell 082 412 4459 or email hillbilly@eca. co.za. Please provide details of the proposed development and any building material you have access to. Dear Jonno Neil and I want to build a new home in the Karoo and eagerly await each week’s copy of Farmer’s Weekly for ideas. We are a family of four. Our two children are students who come home during the holidays. We would like a cost-effective, spacious house with a modern look. It must have a double garage with entry into the house. We have thought about eco-green and off-grid options but they are expensive. However,…

Drones have become an invaluable tool in wildlife conservation and may soon play a big part in forest conservation. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could replace people in monitoring forest regeneration projects, saving time and money and providing much-improved data collection. Data is gathered by drones flying programmed routes, mapping the forest and taking high definition photographs. The drones are equipped with Ecosynth, a system that generates 3D scans of vegetation from sets of digital photographs. In a trial, UAVs captured thousands of overlapping images across 13 one-hectare forest restoration sites spread across a 100km² mountainous area in southern Costa Rica. The researchers compared the Ecosynth results with field-based human monitoring. They also analysed how accurately Ecosynth measurements predicted the abundance of fruit-eating birds, which are important to the process of…