Sommaire pour 01 May 2020 de Farmer's Weekly

A month ago, just as South Africa’s national lockdown, imposed by government to initially slow the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection rate, got underway, I was almost frantically refreshing the worldometers.info/coronavirus page to see how fast the pandemic and its death toll was increasing locally and abroad. About two weeks into the lockdown, I stopped doing this. The numbers grew too large too quickly, and I struggled to fully comprehend this tragic new reality. Also at the beginning of the lockdown, the Farmer’s Weekly team, along with the country’s farming sector, was focusing much of its attention on getting the message out that South Africans needn’t panic about food shortages. This is as true now as it was then. The country has ample grain stocks and a good harvest on the…

South Africa and the world are in crisis mode, limping from disaster to disaster. Economies are not growing, and poverty and inequality have reached unprecedented levels. In South Africa, economic development has become a dominant discourse in all quarters. The country’s economic growth has dwindled over the past decade, economic growth for 2020 has been revised downwards, and GDP is expected to contract 2% or more. South Africa’s budget deficit is on an upward trend, and debt-servicing costs have increased. Key economic drivers, such as mining, manufacturing and agriculture, have contracted consistently. REFORMS In his February 2020 National Budget Speech, Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni announced prudent financial reforms. While he made solid proposals to reduce government spending, social spending remains high. State-owned enterprises are also an unbearable burden on…

While the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is rightfully the focus of global attention, in some regions of Africa, the greater crisis at the moment is arguably the desert locust infestation that seems unrelenting and without a solution. The locust swarms first arrived in East Africa in June last year, feeding on hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops and pastureland in at least eight countries (Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Sudan). The situation is said to be getting worse now, with a second wave of locusts estimated to be 20 times worse than the plague that descended on the region two months ago. According to the UN, a swarm of just more than a third of a square mile can consume the same amount of food…

The Land Bank is experiencing a liquidity shortfall following two credit ratings downgrades by Moody’s Investor Service in January and March this year, leading to the bank defaulting on one of its loans. Ayanda Kanana, CEO of the Land Bank, said the downgrades resulted in some of the bank’s lenders withdrawing their facilities, while others reduced the roll-over of maturing facilities. Most of the bank’s funders and investors also reviewed their risk appetite, all at a time when the bank had to contend with its peak period for loan drawdowns from customers. In a Johannesburg Stock Exchange News Service statement, Kanana said that the bank was negotiating a “waiver and extension of the repayment date” with the lender, and also engaging with other funders to defer financial obligations and “institute…

I am currently involved in a project in the Hewu district of the former Ciskei region in the Eastern Cape that uses regenerative methodology to teach communal farmers how to preserve their life-sustaining grazing areas. Large areas of land in this district and elsewhere have become degraded to the point where invasive woody plant species such as the harpuisbos (Euryops lateriflorus) have largely taken over. This is a serious problem, as no domestic livestock species can browse this resinous bush. Over the years, attempts have been to remove harpuisbos by poisoning or physically removing them (bush cutting), but these are not feasible strategies in the long term and fail to address the underlying problem, which is overgrazing. A WORSENING PROBLEM Overgrazing or a lack of regenerative grazing results in the…

Over the past decade, the use of genomics in pig breeding has helped to accelerate genetic improvement and on-farm performance. ‘WITH DEMAND FOR ANTIBIOTIC-FREE PIGS, COMPANIES WILL BREED FOR GREATER DISEASE-TOLERANCE ’ “Genetics companies in general have made great strides over the years by making use of performance testing to govern breeding decisions,” says Jurgens Reynders, managing director at DanBred Africa, based in Pretoria. “The combination of genomic selection with conventional selection strategies has significantly improved the effectiveness of selection, enabling much quicker gains. It has also made it possible to breed for new and otherwise difficult-to-breed traits, such as disease resistance.” DanBred, a Danish company, claims to be the first to have used and implemented DNA testing, in the early 2000s, as a tool for increasing selection accuracy. The…

According to Dr Astrid Jankielsohn, there are 11 genes associated with resistance to Russian wheat aphid (RWA), namely Dn1 to Dn9, Dnx and Dny. For a time after RWASA1 was identified in South Africa in 1978, many of the Dn genes could be used in breeding cultivars resistant to RWA. “Initially, there were plenty of cultivars with resistance to RWASA1. As the biotypes increased, resistance was lost, so that nowadays there are only limited Dn genes able to overcome RWA,” she says.…

A feed trough for dairy cows should be large enough to hold the bulky feed that the animals are fed daily. The width of the trough should not exceed 850mm, unless cows have to feed from both sides. In this case, the trough should be at least 1,2m wide to ensure enough head space. It is easier for cows to eat from a feed trough when the floor of the trough is about 10cm higher than the surface they are standing on. Fit a throat rail and a neck rail to prevent the cows from walking into the feed trough and to reduce their head movements while eating. This is especially important when cows have to consume coarse, unmilled, low-grade roughage such as straw. The throat rail should be about…

Popular food blogger Izelle Hoffman (34) has given a 21st-century twist to farm-fresh cooking with nearly 80 recipes focused on MINDFUL EATING(Struik Lifestyle, R350). She started experimenting with recipes back in primary school and her inviting flavour combinations are fascinating. 1. Boeremeisie: I was brought up on a farm about 10km outside Bela-Bela, Limpopo. It meant I understood where food comes from, how plants have to be nurtured, that rain and harvesting each has to happen at the right time, and that products must be looked after all the way to going on sale. 2. Comfort: For me, food has always been about the family getting together in the kitchen or around the braai to create amazing food. That has given me great food memories of comfort food, like goulash…

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has brought the chancers crawling out of the woodwork, especially in the tech world. Fortunately, many app developers trying to capitalise on the pandemic have had their plans thwarted by Apple. At the time of writing, the company had banned apps containing the names ‘COVID-19’ and ‘Coronavirus’ from search results on the App store and instead created a special page dedicated to apps developed by reliable sources. Nonetheless, there are still many dodgy apps out there, such as the one from South Korea that claims to alert users if they get closer than 100m to a coronavirus patient! Quite how it is meant to do this is anyone’s guess. And, of course, it doesn’t need to ‘work’; it can simply send off random alerts when…

If you were given R30 million to invest in agriculture, either in new or existing farming activities or in the agriculture value chain, how would you spend it? If the R30 million were for myself, I’d buy back the farm where I grew up and expand it to farm more cattle and sheep. I’d love to give my children the exposure to farm life that I was privileged to have. What is the best advice you have ever been given, and who gave it to you? My father gave me the best advice. Before an exam, he would always tell me: “Read three times, think twice and write only once.” Now I pass on this advice to my twins. If you were given carte blanche to effect one major change…

Agricultural companies and entities in South Africa and other parts of the world are repurposing parts of their operations to manufacture products to bolster the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. In South Africa, Illovo Sugar SA, which produces over 50 million litres of ethanol annually, issued a statement saying that its operations were carrying on within the health and safety regulations imposed by the national lockdown. Managing director, Mamongae Mahlare, said in the statement that “we have refocused our business plans in order to quickly respond to sanitiser-producing companies [that] are calling for growing volumes of ethanol for use in their products”. Likewise, South African Breweries (SAB), owned by international beer brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), said in a statement that it had adapted its manufacturing processes…

The cessation of the transportation of wine for export purposes as part of amendments to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown regulations, will put the livelihood and longterm future of the wine industry in grave danger. ‘RELATIONSHIPS HAVE BEEN BUILT UP OVER YEARS’ This was according to Vinpro, responding to the announcement by the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula, in the second week of April, that the transportation of wine from cellars to ports was being banned. The decision followed the earlier exemption of the wine industry from the strict lockdown rules for a period of nine days. “Post the implementation of this directive, concern was raised about the unintended consequences of allowing transportation of wines in the light of the fact that movement of alcohol remained prohibited. These include the…

The lockdowns in many countries around the world, due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, have seen consumer demand for certain commodities increase sharply. Łukasz Ostrowicz, a member of the board at Polish potato trading company Bugaj, told Freshplaza: “[As] one of the major suppliers of fresh potatoes to Polish retailers, we’ve observed a significant increase in demand for fresh potatoes since the lockdown measures were announced.” Meanwhile, an unexpected increase in baking ingredients had been reported in the UK. “We have seen a clear increase in food ingredients for bakery products, both [from] existing customers ordering in larger quantities, and new customers looking for supplies,” said Tasneem Alonzo, managing director of the Lähde brand produced by EHL Ingredients, in a report on the FoodIngredientsFirst website. Another interesting development had…

Businesses often operate in an extremely challenging environment. Sometimes, external forces can leave management with little choice but to realign, restructure or reorganise the operation to become more competitive, or simply to maintain the company’s existing position on the market. The process can be daunting, but operational changes can create opportunities for employees’ professional growth, leading to more efficient use of human resources, and ultimately improving the company’s efficiency and profitability. Restructuring commonly takes place in cases of operational change. Examples of this are changes in technology, structure (ownership, management or departments), goals and vision, and financial position (caused by the economy, amended legislation, a competitive threat, minimum wage, drought or other factors). KEEP IT LEGAL It is imperative that your employees are treated in the correct manner during the…

CP Kriek and his wife Gerda swapped their industrial engineering careers for farm life in 2012 with the purchase of Bloubank Estates, the holding company for Taaibosch Piggery. “As engineers, we love challenges and taking things that aren’t working optimally and making them better,” says Kriek, who grew up on a farm. The Krieks have worked hard to bring their farm up to European standards, implementing group housing and an electronic sow feeding system. This has dramatically improved animal and herd welfare on the farm, and has also resulted in improved productivity. Taaibosch Piggery, near Fochville in Gauteng, comprises four sections: a 2 200-commercial sow breeding and nursery unit; a weaning unit; a growing and finishing unit; and a genetic nucleus. An on-farm gene transfer centre provides fresh semen to…

SAVOURY Bobotie in pastry Bobotie is a classic South African dish of spiced minced meat and an egg-based topping. This twist on the traditional recipe is a must-try, especially as winter creeps nearer. Serves six A small quantity of oil 1 onion, chopped 5ml (1 tsp) fresh garlic, chopped 2,5ml (½ tsp) dry parsley 800g beef mince 20ml (4 tsp) curry powder 5ml (1 tsp) salt 1ml black pepper 30ml (2 Tbsp) chutney 15ml (1 Tbsp) fine apricot jam 15ml (1 Tbsp) Worcestershire sauce 5ml (1 tsp) turmeric 15ml (1 Tbsp) brown vinegar 125ml (½ cup) sultanas 3 slices of fresh white bread 125ml (½ cup) full-cream milk 400g puff pastry dough A small quantity of extra milk 1 egg 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2. Heat the oil…

With the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), immune system health has come to the fore. Our amazingly complex immune systems keep our bodies functioning in the face of constant threats, but they may require some assistance from us from time to time. Try to avoid stress, anxiety and panic, as these trigger the nervous system and stress hormones. The adrenal glands then produce more adrenaline and cortisol. In experiments, adrenaline given intravenously to subjects was shown to lower magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium levels in the body. Magnesium has a strong relationship with the immune system, and the body’s magnesium level should be restored to keep the immune system working properly. Yeast overgrowth is a major immune suppressant. Yeast produces 178 separate toxins that, once released, have to be…

BETTING ON A DARKIE by Mteto Nyati (Kwela, R280) Nyati, who is CEO of Altron, grew up in Mthatha, and was determined to beat the harsh Eastern Cape odds against getting a sound education and building a good career. He flourished as a mechanical engineering student and went on to win a Rhodes scholarship, which he had the confidence and drive to turn down in favour of launching his career as a graduate trainee at Afrox. Not every venture of Nyati’s has been crowned with success, but his razor-sharp vision of how to navigate business has served him, his colleagues and company shareholders well. HITLER’S SECRET by Rory Clements (Zaffre, R260) Clements’s series character, Prof Tom Wilde, is an unpredictable person out of place, useful for…

Due to the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, South Africa’s National Coronavirus Command Council has announced a nationwide lockdown until 30 April, resulting in many events in the Farmer’s Diary being cancelled or postponed. At the time of going to print, Farmer’s Weekly could not confirm whether some of the listed events had been officially cancelled. However, most of the organisations hosting these events are due to make announcements in this regard shortly. Readers will be kept up to date. Farmer’s Weekly urges its readers to contact the relevant organising body before attending any course or event to confirm whether the event has been cancelled or postponed. CANCELLED EVENTS 25 TO 27 APRIL South African Cheese Festival, Sandringham. Email Agri-Expo at admin@agriexpo.co.za. 24 APRIL TO 2 MAY Bloem Show, Bloemfontein.Visit…

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis has triggered an uncoordinated global response, with various countries implementing different measures to address the pandemic. However, some trends and indications provide fundamental insights that can help to anticipate likely outcomes. These include experiences in other parts of the world, where countries are already opening up their economies, as well as evolving trends in South Africa’s national markets. In the US, for example, farmers have been forced to discard or destroy large volumes of commodities such as milk, eggs and vegetables. This resulted in some food shortages in supermarkets, which are partly due to suppliers to the industrial and hospitality industries not being able to easily switch from bulk packaged products to retail consumer units that can be supplied to supermarkets for household consumption. These…

The heatwaves experienced in the Tzaneen and Levubu areas in Limpopo during October to December last year have had a negative effect on avocado fruit sizes in the region. In addition, the rainy conditions experienced in the production region recently resulted in the estimate for South Africa’s avocado crop being below average. This was according to Bram Snijder, technical and production director at Lombard Spies Avocado, who said that despite these challenges, the external fruit quality was still good. “Rain is our main challenge, as well as the fact that the overseas wholesale markets are closed. This poses some challenges with regard to marketing of green skin [avocados]. [But, because] supermarkets are still open, this helps with the sale of black skin varieties.” He added that the industry was now…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned reports of corruption in the distribution of food parcels during the lockdown period to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Outlining a R500 billion economic stimulus package to address the impact of the pandemic in the third week of April, he said government was “deeply disturbed” by reports of people abusing the distribution of food or other assistance for “corrupt ends”. “We will not hesitate to ensure that those involved in such activities face the full might of the law.” Ramaphosa said the Department of Social Development had partnered with the Solidarity Fund, NGOs and community-based organisations to distribute 250 000 food parcels across the country to address immediate needs. At the time, allegations had also emerged that councillors in multiple provinces were…

Stakeholders in the agriculture sector have expressed concern about the increase in theft of agricultural commodities during the lockdown period for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic, which is resulting in millions of rand in losses. Tommie Esterhuyse, chairperson of Agri SA’s Centre of Excellence for Rural Safety, told Farmer’s Weekly that there had been an increase in the theft of agricultural produce in particular, such as maize in the Free State, oranges in Limpopo, and grapes in the Western Cape. He attributed this to a reduction in the movement of farm patrols, brought on by the lockdown, which “created a climate for crime to occur”. “Bakkie loads of produce are being stolen, which gives us an indication that the theft is not due to hunger, but rather [for] trade,”…

URBAN FARMING Lockdown restrictions in many countries around the world due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic have resulted in the growing trend of people growing fruit and vegetables at home. This trend could provide a potentially lasting boost to the global urban farming movement. Commenting on this shift in consumer behaviour, landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom, who designed Asia’s largest urban rooftop farm in Bangkok, Thailand, said: “More people are thinking about where their food comes from, how easily it can be disrupted, and how to reduce disruptions.” – Elizabeth Schroeder WHEAT AND RICE Countries rallying to ensure local food supply are restricting exports amid uncertainty over how long the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic will last and continue to affect trade. Rice and wheat were some of the…

A cow’s stomach has four parts. The rumen, described above, is by far the largest. The other three, although smaller, also have crucial roles to play. • Reticulum Making up 5% of the ruminant’s stomach, this is a tube-like compartment, with the inner wall having a honeycomb appearance. Contractions of the reticulum wall initiate the regurgitation of coarse feed back into the mouth for chewing the cud. It also acts as a safety net for catching foreign objects in feed. • Omasum Comprising 8% of the stomach, the omasum consists of many folds. Water is absorbed through these, while the folds press food into finer particles. • Abomasum This makes up 7% of the stomach, and is a true, glandular stomach producing digestive juices and acid. The juices contain enzymes, such as pepsin…

A recent in-house celebration at Freshmark Systems’ (FMS) head office in East London marked the 30-year involvement of Dave Larkin and Dot Bailey, the two principals of that company. But the event was more than that; it was a salute to the contributions of all FMS staff and their close and active association with fresh produce markets and market agents around Southern Africa. PIONEERS IN FRESH PRODUCE SOFTWARE It is no exaggeration to say that FMS pioneered, developed and refined IT software for fresh produce markets. It is a system unique in the world and the envy of many employees in the fresh market sector abroad. Predictably, there have been attempts elsewhere to develop similar software. However, apart from the significant cost implications, they floundered as they were unable to…

Dear Jonno, We saw a home you designed some years back in Farmer’s Weekly that we like. On the sketch we’re sending, we’ve changed the room sizes to what we need and to be more affordable to build. The site is in Kloof Falls in KwaZulu-Natal. The slope is about 3m. The garages and shed/toilet will be at the back of the house. We’ll leave it up to you to place the buildings conveniently and cost-effectively. Our property is about 3ha in size, and we will be farming free-range poultry and growing most of their feed. Kind regards, Robert and Cindy Dear Robert and Cindy, Thank you for your email. With the slope of your chosen site having a 3m fall from the rear to the front, I’ve terraced the…

In the foyer of the University of the Witwatersrand’s William Cullen Library is Bartolomeu Dias’s Padrão de São Gregorio, named in honour of Saint Gregory. More than 530 years old, the almost 2m-tall structure is testimony not only to a historic voyage of discovery, but to the perservance of a remarkable academic, Dr Eric Axelson of the university’s Department of History. EN ROUTE TO THE EAST From the early 1480s to the late 1490s, three Portuguese seafarers, Diogo Cão, Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama, sailing their small, swift, lateen-rigged caravels, forged a route from Europe to India around Southern Africa. During this period, they erected more than 10 padrãos along the West, Southern and East African coasts. These inscribed limestone structures, each comprising a small cross atop a tall…

Elise Buitendag recently received the Botanical Society’s Cythna Letty medal for her contribution to promoting South African plants through published botanical illustrations. You can see why in her most recent publication, GENESIS OF A GARDEN (R550; order from wendy.sippel@ gmail.com), a memoir of her time as founding botanist at the Lowveld National Botanical Garden in Mbombela. It is, of course, gloriously illustrated, but her account of what it takes to establish a new botanical garden is intriguing and would make a great gift for plant enthusiasts.…