Sommaire pour 31 March 2023 de Farmer's Weekly

In this issue of Farmer's Weekly, our focus is on intensive agriculture and the technology available to help farmers produce more with less water and fewer inputs and on smaller areas of land. As the global population continues to grow at a rapid pace, so too will the demand for food, which means farmers will find themselves under increasing pressure to meet this demand. Objectively speaking, of course, the best way to meet said demand is through increased production and, in turn, the best way to boost production is through the use of technology and machine learning. In our feature on page 44, we take a look at the latest irrigation technology available to farmers. While they differ in terms of application and use, they all have one thing in…

In the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 2023 State of the Nation Address in early February, “Millions of South Africans are unable to provide for themselves and their families.” While taking action against loadshedding and rising inflation are top priorities in the country, food insecurity and hunger remain a major ongoing crisis, with an estimated 20 million people going to bed hungry every night in South Africa. Organisations like Chefs with Compassion (CWC) play a vital role in the fight against hunger, and yet they fight a daily battle to fund their efforts. In the case of CWC, these efforts are aimed not just at hunger relief in the most vulnerable communities across Johannesburg, Gauteng, but also at rescuing nutritious, edible food that would otherwise go to waste.…

On 1 March 2023, a new national minimum wage (NMW) of R25,42/hour came into effect for the 2023/24 financial year. While labour is an important production input, it differs from other inputs, as it provides families with the means to earn a living. The NMW must strike a delicate balance between the human factor and economic reality. This year, however, the announcement of a 9,6% increase came as a shock, as it really was an outlier. Let me explain. CPI + 2 The National Minimum Wage Commission's majority report recommended an increase of consumer price index (CPI) + 2%. Putting the legitimate affordability considerations aside, an increase of CPI + 2% is largely in line with the commission's previous recommendations. CPI announcements are always retrospective. As such, the NMW Commission's…

President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent Cabinet reshuffle has sparked criticism from opposition parties and agricultural role players. The reshuffle included the appointment of two new ministers, namely Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, as the minister of electricity, to address the energy crisis, and Maropene Ramokgopa, as the minister of planning, monitoring and evaluation, to focus on the performance of government. John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance, said the changes were “less a reshuffle” and more of a “gratuitous bloating” that went against the president's 2019 commitment to reduce the number of ministries. The president had shown no “bravery and backbone to rid his Cabinet of ministers who have repeatedly plunged South Africans into disaster”. Mkhuleko Hlengwa, national spokesperson for the Inkatha Freedom Party, said the changes revealed that internal ANC political considerations…

Farmers in Uganda have launched a presidium (committee) aimed at the protection of an indigenous banana variety known locally as the Ndaiga Ndiizi banana. The presidium, launched earlier in March, seeks to reverse the threat that the variety has faced since 2000 as a result of several banana diseases, including black leaf streak, Fusarium wilt, and banana Xanthomonas wilt transmitted by insects attracted to the nectar produced by the plant's flowers. These diseases have forced local scientists to developing high-yielding and disease-resistant hybrids such as Narita and Kabana. In Uganda, bananas are produced as a staple food for domestic consumption. Different banana varieties are used for different purposes in Ugandan cuisine. According to John Wanyu, coordinator of Slow Food Uganda, the presidium had been formed in “recognition of the fact…

AUSTRALIA Agricultural exports in Australia are forecast to hit a record A$75 billion (R915 billion) (in the year to the end of June), the BBC reported, citing latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES). The Russia-Ukraine War had pushed up the price of goods,including wheat, Australia's biggest agricultural export. “We have been incredibly lucky. That high level of production is certainly due to rains, but also having rains at the right time,” Tony Bacic, director of the La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food in Melbourne, told the BBC. “The stars were aligned. If the rains had come a bit later or hadn't dried out in time, we could have lost a major crop,” he added. UNITED STATES Chevron Corp has announced a collaboration with…

South African grain producers should give themselves a pat on the back after the excellent harvest of the 2021/22 season. This was according to Dr Pieter Taljaard, CEO of Grain SA, who added that the country's maize producers delivered 15,3 million tons of grain during the season, the third-largest harvest ever produced in South Africa. Speaking at the recent 2023 Grain SA Congress, Taljaard said that the past year was characterised by the effects of the ongoing RussiaUkraine war and its negative impact on grain producers worldwide. Despite this and the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic however, he said that South African grain producers had shown true grit and achieved outstanding harvests. “Sunflower producers delivered 845 550t, the biggest harvest since the 2017/18 season. We also realised a record soya…

At the 23rd wool sale of the 2022/23 season, 9 125 bales were on offer. All micron categories experienced downward pressure, but the mixed-length nonMerino wools dragged the market down further, as well as lowering the overall sales clearance to 842%, according to Cape Wools SA. Only 42% of the Merino wools on offer were Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)-certified. The non-RWS certified indicator dropped by 1,8% to close at R171,80/kg, with the certified indicator easing 1,2% to close at R185,09/kg. While the rand traded weaker against the US dollar than in the previous sale, this did not support price levels. The market followed the softer trend seen on the Australian market, which saw significant downward pressure in US dollar terms compared with the previous sale. Major buyers were G Modiano…

Arriving at gym and looking forward to my exercise session, I found a group of fellow members standing around staring in disbelief at a ‘Closed until further notice’ sign on the locked door. LeisureNet, holding company of the prestigious Health & Racquet Club with 85 gyms across the country, a million members and 5 400 employees, was bankrupt. President Nelson Mandela had to use his charm to persuade Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Active Group, to come to the rescue! But that's another story. In December 1999, the company had reported an after-tax profit of R115 million. The financial statements were audited by Deloitte and approved by LeisureNet's board, which included no fewer than six chartered accountants. Nine months later, the liquidators established that the company had liabilities of…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly. Dr Elizabeth Mkandawire is a research assistant at the University of Pretoria's (UP) Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being. She is also the network and research manager for the Food Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNet-Africa), a collaborative project between the UP, the University of Leeds in the UK, and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network. Dr Selorm Dorvlo is a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Ghana and a fellow in the FSNet-Africa project. “The world is beginning to recognise that the face of African farming is female. In some parts of Africa and Asia, women constitute up to 60% of the agricultural labour force.…

The Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index dropped five points to 44 in the first quarter of 2023, taking it to its lowest level since the second quarter of 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions were first implemented. Amongst the sub-indices measured, debtor provision for bad debt increased by two points to 36, signalling growing worries about worsening financial conditions in the sector, while financing costs fell marginally by one point to three, revealing continued concerns over relatively high interest rates, according to Agbiz. The turnover sub-index remained above the long-term average, even though it declined by nine points to 69, signalling that many farmers continued to benefit from relatively high crop prices. The market share of the agribusiness sub-index dropped by 10 points to 58, driven mainly by a decline within the horticulture…

Argentina#39;s worst drought in more than 60 years looks set to exacerbate the country's looming recession, with economic growth now forecast to shrink by as much as 3% in 2023. According to a report by Bloomberg, previous forecasts had predicted a contraction of 1,5%. “It's really bad,” Andres Borenstein, chief economist at EconViews was quoted as saying. The Rosario Board of Trade cut its soya bean production estimate this month by another 22%, and warned of further cuts, according to Bloomberg. It said the new figure of 27 million tons would be the smallest harvest in 15 years. Bloomberg said soya beans and maize plants on the Pampas crop belt were in yield-defining growth stages, a time when they most needed water, but dry conditions persisted, a situation made worse…

The increased drive in the South African grain industry to work together for future growth bodes well for the future, according to Derek Mathews, chairperson of Grain SA. He said at the recent 2023 Grain SA congress held at Nampo Park near Bothaville that the organisation had succeeded in fostering excellent relationships down the agricultural value chain as well as with political functionaries. Mathews expressed optimism that the industry would, through co-operation, collaboration and teamwork, find solutions to issues that faced the industry. “Weve found many solutions to the challenges that faced us over the years. The question, however, is to what extent government will [stand in our way, preventing us from implementing them]. “For instance, the problem in South Africa is not that we don't have electricity The problem…

Heavy rain is better than drought. But heavy rain can also create a number of problems for livestock farmers. One of these is footrot (infectious pododermatitis), which is an infection of the hoof. This condition occurs mainly when the soil is wet for a long time. The hoof tissue softens and often cracks, enabling bacteria to enter the internal parts of the hoof area and injure the structure of the hoof. While some farmers don't regard footrot as a serious disease (and indeed, it is seldom fatal), it can affect production. For one thing, if left untreated, footrot can lead to secondary infection. Trials in feedlots show that footrot causes not only higher temperatures in animals, but pain. As a result, the infected animals tend to consume less feed. This…

How and why was Orange River Cellars established? Orange River Cellars (ORC) was launched in 1965 as a co-operative to create an outlet for wine grapes produced in the region once the Orange River Irrigation Scheme took effect in 1966. ORC's Upington Cellar was built in 1967 and had its first harvest the following year. At the time, it produced only three types of wine: a dry white, a semi-sweet and a sweet. From the 1970s onwards, production increased substantially, leading to the establishment of wine cellars in Keimoes, Grootdrink, Groblershoop and Kakamas, as well as juice cellars in Kanoneiland and Grootdrink. Its product range also expanded to include a wide variety of single-cultivar and blended still wines, brandies, fortified wines, and even gin. How was the co-operative structured? Each…

In a recent study led by Peter Ibsen, a researcher at the US Geological Survey, it was found that trees that are regularly irrigated show less drought tolerance. The study aimed to understand how artificial irrigation affected trees' carbon and water use, the ScienceDaily website reported. To do this, the researchers studied 30 tree species across urban Southern California. These trees were then compared with their counterparts growing in the wild. “We found that, particularly as you move towards the desert regions, the same species of urban trees use much more water than their natural counterparts,” said Ibsen. The trees studied included Eucalyptus, live oak (Quercus virginiana), ficus tree (Ficus benjamina) and Jacaranda spp. Drought-tolerant trees often restrict water use to protect themselves during times of limited water, but the…

Over the coming months, we will receive various data releases to help guide our thinking about South Africa's agricultural growth prospects in 2023. The available soft insights suggest that near-term growth prospects of South Africa's agricultural economy look weak after subdued growth of 0,3% y/y in 2022. For example, the livestock and poultry industries, which account for roughly half of the agriculture sector's value, are under pressure amid relatively muted cattle and beef prices while farmers also continue to face higher input costs for maize and soya beans. The ongoing load-shedding is particularly challenging for the poultry industry, with the unreliable electricity supply causing significant production interruptions. As various energy solutions are explored on some farms, the financial costs will persist over the coming months. Similarly, the red meat industry…

Bayer has announced a partnership with Microsoft, through which farmers could use cloud-based solutions for smart agriculture. Bayer's newly launched AgPowered Services provided cloud-based solutions in combination with the Microsoft Azure Data Manager for Agriculture. “Only innovation can ensure global food security while protecting the planet. Modern agriculture and food production generate a tremendous amount of valuable data that can drive productivity and sustainability,” Robert Reiter, head of R&D for Bayer's Crop Science Division, said in a statement. He added that customers could use the capabilities provided by AgPowered Services to build digital solutions and products on top of the world's most robust collection of ag-data to drive positive agriculture outcomes. Ralph Haupter, president of Microsoft EMEA, said in a statement: “To enable a more sustainable future in agriculture, we…

Water users in the Western Cape should not “panic” over dwindling dam levels, Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa, head of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Western Cape, said during a recent media briefing. She confirmed that dam levels in the province were down to 55% compared with 77% at the same time last season, but said the situation was being closely monitored and that the DWS would take urgent measures to safeguard water security should the need arise. Local authorities, she pointed out, had the discretion to impose water restrictions at any time, based on their water security dynamics. Bila-Mupariwa highlighted steps taken by the DWS to improve water security in the province. The DWS had committed R3 billion to infrastructure maintenance and development over the next three years,…

South Africa's agriculture sector has been hailed for its resilience against the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the July 2021 riots and the Russia-Ukraine War. Throughout these events, our agriculture sector succeeded in increasing production and exports. In fact, South Africa's agricultural exports reached US$12,4 billion (about R228 billion) in 2021. Statistics South Africa reported that the sector grew by 0,3% year-on-year in 2022, coming on the back of an 8,8% year-on-year increase in 2021. The electricity crisis, however, has had a major impact on the agriculture sector. The majority of farmers are small and medium-sized, with limited means to cushion themselves against the effects of the crisis. A survey undertaken by Agbiz indicates that, on average, small- and medium-scale farmers spend between RIO 000 and R25 000 a month…

According to the Maximum Yield website, closed systems may seem preferable when it comes to hydroponics, as water and fertilisers are recycled and reused. However, it says that closed systems may be more complicated to run, as solution management requires careful attention. “The ratio of individual elements can change over time without the grower being aware of problems developing. “For example, if the nutrient product or formulation used is not precisely matched to plant uptake of each element, accumulation and depletion can occur over time in the nutrient solution. This most commonly occurs with macro-elements such as nitrogen or potassium, and it is possible for a rapidly growing crop to completely strip these elements from a recirculating nutrient solution if monitoring is not regularly carried out,” says Maximum Yield. It…

SERVES FOUR 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 large brown onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 2 Tbsp curry paste 400g tomato passata or smooth tomato purée 400ml can coconut milk 8 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled Salt and pepper, to taste Fresh coriander, chopped, to garnish Lemon wedges, to serve Roti or rice, to serve • Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion slices and sauté until softened, adding a splash of water if necessary to prevent them from catching on the pan. Continue to fry the onions for about 10 minutes or until lightly caramelised. • Add the garlic and ginger and cook for two minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for another two to three minutes.…

The BEE Billionaires by Chris Bishop (Penguin, R260) Award-winning financial journalist Bishop has tracked the rise of Africa's new billionaires through Forbes Africa and Billionaire Tomorrow, the latter of which he is founding editor. In this volume, he tracks the genesis of the BEE policy from Robben Island, through Mandela's outreach to business thinkers such as Clem Sunter, the landmark meeting between South African businessmen and the ANC in Zambia, to Mandela's immersive experience at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in 1992. Along the way, Bishop drops in vivid profiles of important figures in this socio-economic revolution, positioning them along the route of BEE's establishment. He illustrates the Darwinian ‘survival of the fittest’ in action as BEE beneficiaries wrestle for financial and political preferment. He also looks ahead…

Dear Prof McCrindle, We would like to import a registered warmblood from Europe. However, this is apparently impossible at present due to an outbreak of surra in Europe. The horse is ready to go into quarantine. What exactly is this disease and why have they banned importation of horses from Europe? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, All importation of horses from Europe to South Africa have indeed been halted due to an outbreak of surra and the difficulty of diagnosing this parasitic disease. Surra is a chronic and fatal form of equine trypanosomiasis typically found in horses, donkeys and camels. The disease is not currently present in South Africa, and if it were to enter the country, the effects would be devastating, as it is virtually incurable and there is…