Table of contents for 29 January 2016 in Farmer's Weekly

SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE SHOWN THEY CARE FOR THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS IN NEED The advent of a new year has done little to lift our spirits. South Africans are worried about our lacklustre economy, student protests and unabated crime. We see money disappearing into the black holes that are Eskom, SAA and the SABC. We see money being pumped into an education system that produces matriculants who need university bridging courses. And we see people taking what is not theirs out of need or greed. Although none of this is new, the prolonged drought seems to have sucked out our last bit of optimism. This is true especially of our farmers. The rain that finally came in mid-January brought welcome relief, but for many it will only postpone the inevitable. What…

While protests in general are expected to escalate over the next couple of years, protests on farms should decline. Frans Cronjé, CEO of the South African Institute of Race Relations, told Farmer’s Weekly there was a rising trend in annual protest actions, with the number of protests increasing from 947 in 2004/2005 to 1691 in 2013/2014, according to police statistics. Cronjé blamed this trend on South Africans developing greater aspirations for their future, and not on dissatisfaction with government and service delivery. “Service delivery has actually improved over the past few years in terms of the number of houses built and people gaining access to running water and electricity,” he said. “The problem is that people develop new aspirations as their living conditions improve, and the poor economic outlook means…

Of the thousands of investors in controversial moringa growing, processing and marketing company, People’s Bio Oil (PBO), many were left in financial straits after allegedly not being paid guaranteed returns on investment, according to personal reports that Farmer’s Weekly was able to obtain from some of the investors. PBO’s marketers and owners were able to secure millions of rands from optimistic individual investors who paid anything from R100 to thousands of rands for the guarantee of R500 annual return from each R25 moringa seedling they paid for. An anonymous source sent Farmer’s Weekly a 72-page list of investors, which gave the name of each investor, his or her identity number, cellphone number and postal address, the number of moringa seedlings bought and paid for, and on what date the transaction…

The Makerere University in Uganda has designed a low-cost multipurpose tractor in response to a growing need for affordable farming equipment in that country. The tractor was developed to improve the economic sustainability of poverty-stricken farmers in the country, according to Africanfarming.net. It was built by a team of researchers and scholars from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Makerere University. The MV Mulimi tractor could thresh maize, pump water from a depth of 7m to a height of 33m, and plough gardens. It could also transport 20 adults and their goods for a reasonable distance. The tractor is still in the developmental stage.…

Chances are slim that South Africa will hit a full recession in 2016, according to Ernst Janovsky, head of the Centre of Excellence at Absa AgriBusiness. Janovsky said economic growth could slow down to between 0,9% and 1% this year, but that the chances of a full economic recession were less than 25%. This was despite the country coming close to a recession in 2015, with economic growth of only 0,7% in the third quarter, following a 1,3% contraction in the second quarter. “It is true that the agricultural, manufacturing and mining sectors have been struggling significantly over the past year. The weakness of the rand is, however, buffering the impact of poor growth,” he said. According to the latest estimates from the Bureau for Food and Agriculture Policy (BFAP),…

Zimbabwean farmers have objected to a proposal by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) to increase power tariffs by 49%. Zesa and the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority earlier this month launched the first of nationwide consultative meetings to gather consumer views on the proposal. Although Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge recently approved the proposal, the charge could not come into effect until the consumer consultation was complete. According to Edward Tome, executive director of the Zimbabwe National Farmers’ Union, farmers would be unable to pay a higher fee. “Farmers will be unable to bear an additional cost of an input as critical as electricity. We are going to record higher consumer defaults, a development which will erode the utility’s credit rating. As it is, consumers are struggling with…

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7N8 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Dubois County, Indiana. The H7N8 strain is reported to be different to the strains that caused last year’s outbreak. Andrea McNally, of APHIS, answering questions via email, said all poultry species were susceptible to avian influenza. She did not know whether any SA chicken imports had originated from Indiana. The US is reputed to have the world’s most effective AI surveillance programme. The USDA scans for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and migratory wild bird populations. Compensation for affected producers encourages reporting. As part of USDA avian influenza response plans, federal and state partners and…

KwaZulu-Natal’s Swartberg Stock Theft Prevention Association (SSPA) hosted the 2015 Swartberg Fly Fishing Festival late last year. Income from this annual event contributes to funding the SSPA’s costly anti-stock theft initiatives in the area, including a 20km stretch along the Lesotho border. A statement released by the SSPA thanking sponsors said that without the support of the sponsors, farmers in the area would be hard-pressed to meet the rising costs of preventing stock theft. “The situation in the area would regress to the pre-1996 [situation] when [the region] was becoming unfarmable,” it said.…

US researchers have discovered a small protein that supports N-fixing bacteria inside lucerne plant root nodules but kills bacteria outside. Lucerne has evolved a process to accommodate nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia soil bacteria, so that they can work more efficiently, inside nodules which they form on plant roots. Such symbiotic N-fixing starts with transforming the bacteria into an N-fixing state. Enzymes then turn nitrogen into useful ammonia for the lucerne plant while the plant provides carbon from its photosynthetic sunlight captured energy to the bacteria. Thus, Rhizobia become workers for the plant and in return receive protected accommodation and carbon. Peptides are short, small proteins found exclusively in the nodules where they act on Rhizobia to elicit the differentiation process into N-fixing. Researchers investigated this interaction in a lucerne-related clover, Medicago truncatola,…

THE LOAD FACTOR CAN HELP YOU FIND OUT WHY YOUR BILL HAS SUDDENLY SOARED When the monthly bad news in the form of the utility account arrives, most of us check that it is indeed our bill and then pay the amount due, without giving consideration to the rest of the information captured on the invoice. Tools such as a smart meter can help you manage your energy expenditure better, and identify areas of waste or inefficiencies. If you don’t have a smart meter, there is valuable information on your bill that will help you save money and give you a better understanding of how energy is used on your farm. MONITORING RATIOS For connections exceeding 100 amperes (A), an electrical meter using current transformers is used. A current transformer…

Meat MEAT PRICES DOWN International: New Zealand steers traded 0,21% lower at NZ$469/head and cows traded the same at NZ$299/head. US beef traded mixed: topside traded lower at US$263,51/cwt, rump was lower at US$291,28/cwt, strip loin was lower at US$515,53/cwt, chuck was higher at US$268,24/cwt, and brisket was 1,05% higher at US$294,92/cwt. The US Department of Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report for January’s forecast for total meat production has been increased as higher pork, broiler, and turkey production is set to offset lower forecast for beef production. Domestic: Local prices declined slightly. Prices for the different meat classes were as follows: Class A prices were slightly lower at R36,03/kg and Class C also traded slightly lower at R29,79/kg. The worst drought in decades and rising grain prices will…

Healthy fruit trees with well-functioning root systems are more prone to withstand dieback. Prof Stassen gives the following tips for farmers to apply in their orchards to prevent the dieback of trees. • Ensure good drainage before planting new material. • Prepare the soil properly. Begin by analysing it. The pH should not be lower than 5,5. Rectify nutrient deficiencies and break any compact layers. Use organic material, especially on sandy soil. • Don’t plant in orchards where there are known problems. Fix these beforehand. Plant cover crops to help restore soil health and remove old plant material. Treat soil for ring nematodes and other nematodes before establishing new orchards. • Buy only healthy nursery trees with well-developed fine root systems. • Follow sound production practices that encourage growth and stimulate the development of fine…

As a disinfectant, tree tea oil was added to the first aid kit of every Australian soldier and sailor assigned to subtropical regions during the Second World War, hence the term ‘medicine chest in a bottle’. Field hospitals used bandages treated with it to reduce infection in wounds. Even today, it is used in some burn ointments and emergency gel packs to minimise the pain and infection from a serious burn. Tea tree harvesters were exempt from military service, as were the producers of tea tree oil. The oil was seen as an essential Australian commodity and production had to be maintained to supply the troops. It even found its place in machine shops and ammunition factories, where it was added (just 1% was used) to the cutting oil used…

DRY, WINDY CONDITIONS CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH MANY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Every year offers opportunities to gain more experience and understanding of how to improve production. But to do this, you need to keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary on your lands, regardless of how insignificant it may seem. All too often, a farmer will ignore an anomaly if it does not seem to affect his crop economically. In doing so, he loses the opportunity to get a better understanding of how to get the best out of the crop, or deal with a problem before it becomes a crisis. Whether you like it or not, your farm is effectively a ‘trial farm’ as irregularities will always occur even when you’re farming successfully. On a trial farm,…

DESIGNERS SELDOM GET THE CHANCE TO PLAN A COMPLETELY NEW CAR The engineers that design the functional components of a car usually study mechanical engineering for some years before specialising in automotive engineering. The design department is normally led by a chief engineer. In most European and Japanese companies, this person would also be on the board of directors, In fact, leading German motor manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW are typically led by engineers. This is in contrast to the US, where engineers tend to have a lower status. Little fundamental design work is conducted in South Africa, as our plants only assemble vehicles from imported and locally manufactured parts. But this does not mean they lack challenges. Some vehicles have locally styled and manufactured interiors, while tailoring the…

BECAUSE OF ITS ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES, IT IS USED TO TREAT ABRASIONS, CUTS AND SCRAPES Bees are of course renowned for their services as pollinators and honey producers. Not everyone knows, however, that the little insects also produce a sticky, greenish-brown substance called propolis. They do this by combining the sap of needle-leaved trees or evergreens with a discharge from worker bee glands and beeswax, and use it to coat their hives. They also use it to cover the carcass of a bee that dies inside the hive to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria. Because it is made from different sources, each batch of propolis will be slightly different. In general, it comprises 55% balsams, 30% wax, about 10% pollen and various other components, such as flavonoids, phenolics, aromatics and…

Dear Sarah and Gary Thank you for the informative afternoon on site and ideas for your new home. Attached here are the layout sketches for the ground and first-floor levels as well as the perspective. As per the site levels estimated, I’ve split-levelled the home to be more cost-effective. The fall of the site from back to front is 5,5m. The garage shown is at a level 500mm above that of the house. It may change to be level with the house when the driveway is excavated. With the house level at 3m, the rest, from the kitchen forward, is 1m lower. Between the two levels is a passage ramp at a slope of 1:6. The stairs are multi-purpose. They allow for the first floor to have a private entrance…

DJI, a Chinese-based company specialising in unmanned aerial vehicle technology, recently launched the crop-spraying Agras MG-1. This eight-rotor drone can fly for about 12 minutes on a single charge and spray up to 4ha/hour, depending on the terrain. Its short flying duration makes it unsuitable for large lands, but useful for small, awkward areas such as steep slopes that are difficult to reach with hand sprayers or crop-spraying aircraft. It could prove useful, for example, in spraying invader plant species in these areas. DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations Science and Technology), claims that the MG-1 is 40 times more efficient than conventional spraying methods. You can choose to fly the drone in automatic, semi-automatic or manual modes. Chemicals are fed from a 10kg payload tank through a pressurised spraying system. The MG-1…

I don’t believe in ghosts, fortune tellers, witchdoctors, mediums or any cults. Out of curiosity, I once went to a séance to watch the medium call up the spirit world and was amazed at how gullible some believers were. People, perhaps aided by chemical substances and drink, can convince themselves that they have seen something. But desperate times call for desperate measures. It hasn’t rained for months in our drought-stricken area. Dams are empty and there is simply no grazing left on the veld. Time to bring out the rain stick! Folk law has it that the Incas, Aztecs or Chilean Indians invented it to bring on rain. “I’m prepared to give anything a go,” said neighbour Jan over morning coffee on my stoep. My rain stick is a tourist…

“I believe that South Africans were, until early December last year, unaware of the seriousness and extent of the drought. The persistent heat waves in December and January, as well as a greater focus on the drought and related matters by the media, heightened the realisation that we have a climatic calamity on our hands. The first effects of the drought felt by consumers were the increasingly serious water shortages. Initially, these were more evident in rural areas, but they then became a reality in urban communities. The country had adequate food stocks up to December, but we shall start to experience limited shortages of fruit and vegetables in the near future. After April or May, maize and oilseed product prices will start to rise as more and more raw…

The wool market recorded its greatest increase from auction to auction in the last five seasons, when it traded 14,3% higher after the rand had weakened by 13% against the US dollar, pushing the Merino indicator to R161,61 clean. The Australian indicator gained 3,1%. Excellent competition among buying houses for all wool types in the 12 778-bale offering, combined with the plummeting rand and a firmer Australian market, fired the market. It was hoped that the high prices would help producers cope with the drought, according to Cape Wools. “This, the first auction of the year, was a great start, but the next auction [20 January] will be a good test for the sustainability of these market prices when some 17 000 bales come under the hammer,” said CMW’s James…

The latest monthly report on livestock disease trends, compiled by the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa, showed that the drought in South Africa was having a severe impact on animal health. According to the report, animals were dying due to a lack of grazing, as well as protein and energy deficiencies. Animals were also suffering from heat stress and eating poisonous plants due to a lack of suitable food. In some areas, vets had received reports of animals getting stuck in the mud in search of water. “As animals die in the veld, the risk of botulism is also increasing. The bacteria causing botulism grows in carcass material such as bones, where the botulism toxin is deposited,” the report said. Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic disease. Vets…

A legal dispute between the Bafokeng Land Buyers’ Association (BLBA) and a Bafokeng chief, dating back to 2008, will be heard in the North West High Court in early February this year. The community was claiming over 70% of the land also being claimed by the chief, according to Sayi Nindi from the Legal Resource Centre, which represents the community. Chief Leruo Molotlegi had applied to have the lands’ title deeds transferred to his name, she said. She said that according to apartheid law, black ownership of land was illegal and land was held in a trust by the government in the name of a chief. When Molotlegi applied to have the title deeds transferred to him, government stated that, should the court decide in his favour, it would comply,…

Malawi has implemented the country’s first solar-powered irrigation initiative along Lake Malawi, according to Allan Chiyembekeza, minister for agriculture, irrigation and water development. Quoted in Africanfarming.net, Chiyembekeza said the new system would enable more sustainable crop production in the area, which was characterised by hot weather. He said alternative forms of irrigation were crucial as farmers could no longer rely on the lake for irrigation. ”A rising concern is the drying up of the Malawi lake bed,” he said. Some farmers had already lost about 200ha of rice as a result of the Lufily River drying up. The main solar-powered schemes were constructed at US$93 million (R1,5 billion), with funding from the Climate Adaptation and Rural Livelihoods in Agriculture Project. Private sector investment was essential to expand the initiative.…

THE TREES REQUIRE LESS THINNING, ALLOWING PRODUCERS TO CUT DOWN ON LABOUR COSTS Farmers are earning up to twice as much for the new Carmingo range of blushed apricots as they were for traditional apricot varieties. Pierre Burger of Protea Farm in the Koo Valley, told Farmer’s Weekly that he had picked his last Cape Bebeco in the last week of December, while the Carmingo apricots ripened only about four weeks later. “The market is so empty that when the Carmingo varieties ripen, consumers are willing to spend a premium of 60% to 100% on this fruit,” Burger said. The range belongs to Stargrow and Fruits Unlimited and consists of 20 different varieties. These have been imported and subjected to trials for almost 10 years, and new varieties are steadily…

The R60 million drought relief funding that government distributed to KwaZulu-Natal’s livestock farmers has reportedly already been used up. The money, released in December 2015, was expected to last up to three months, until the end of February. The drought relief funding distribution had, according to the KZN Agricultural Union, been beset by numerous problems. These included money going to livestock owners who kept animals as a pastime and not as a livelihood, and the registration process of the province’s livestock owners often being disorganised and inefficient. Asked if drought conditions continued to prevail in the province, Kwanalu said the situation remained dire for KZN’s agriculture sector, not only due to low rainfall but also because of water restrictions, the weak rand against major international trading currencies, high input costs…

The Zimbabwean government has officially written off the bulk of its maize crop after the country received only 25% of its average annual rainfall. Traditional leaders in Matabeleland South, the country’s driest province, said their most vulnerable subjects were begging for food as aid had not reached them. Chief Bango of the Mangwe district said the weakening of the rand against the US dollar was worsening the plight of villagers in the region, where families depended on remittances from relatives working in South Africa. “The well-being of people has been severely compromised. We don’t have food, we don’t have water. It’s bad. Many of the people depend on money sent from South Africa, but with the weak rand, R1 000 does not buy much food here,” Bango said. The country…

To avoid an economic and humanitarian disaster, government needs to take urgent action and declare the drought a national disaster, according to Annette Steyn, DA MP and spokesperson for agriculture. “The current drought situation in South Africa has reached crisis point,” said Steyn at a recent media briefing on the national state of the drought. She said it was not the aim of the DA to go on an ANC ‘bashing’ spree. “They’re not responsible for the drought. What they are responsible for is to manage it, and that they haven’t done.” Declaring the drought a national disaster was one of a number of measures the DA believed should be taken. Steyn said that to set up a much-needed ad hoc committee to deal with drought alleviation would need about…

THE SUDDEN, BIZARRE SHUFFLE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S FINANCE MINISTERS SPOOKED THE MARKETS In 2015, the International Monetary Fund adjusted its estimate of global economic growth downwards three times. This year, the global economy is expected to do slightly better, growing by 3,6%. Developed economies such as the US and EU are still doing relatively better and seem to have recovered from the 2011/2012 crisis. Emerging markets are not doing as well. Chinese economic growth has slowed and commodity prices have dropped sharply. The prices of energy commodities such as oil and coal have decreased by 55% since 2011, metal and mineral prices by 43% and precious metal prices by 35%. This has resulted in lower export earnings for emerging markets and some of these economies moving into recession. The recovery…

‘IN THE REST OF AFRICA, VALUE CHAIN FINANCING IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL FINANCING’ Please explain the process and sources available for the financing of commercial grain and livestock farmers in South Africa. All agricultural financiers have to manage their credit risk. The four credit assessment criteria that financiers, especially commercial banks, usually apply when evaluating a farmer’s credit application are: • Financial history; • Management profile; • Cash repayment ability; • Collateral. A farmer’s credit application should centre on cash repayment ability; the other three criteria provide support to achieve the required cash repayment ability. A farmer’s financial history will be scrutinised by a financier to establish whether the projections in terms of the predicted revenue and expenses are realistic. A farmer’s management profile can be difficult to assess…

POOR FEEDING CAN HIDE GOOD GENETICS AND GOOD FEEDING CAN HIDE BAD GENETICS The days of buying bulls based purely on their functional appearance are over. Yes, of course functional efficiency is crucial, but what is equally important is a buyer’s knowledge of the genetic potential or merit of the bulls prior to the auction. This enables an informed decision to be made on auction day. For both commercial and stud breeders, auction catalogues are not always easy to interpret, especially at an auction amidst much activity and with limited time. Being well-informed on the interpretation of BLUP breeding values – which depict the genetic potential of an animal – can be highly advantageous in assisting breeders to meet their breeding objectives more quickly. The question is: do breeders really…

It would be difficult to find a more convenient portable power unit for outdoor activities than the Red-E RS70 Solar PowerBank. The device can be charged in two ways – electrically or via a solar panel. • Electrical charging Connect the micro USB input port on the Powerbank by cable to the USB port of a computer or any other suitable charger/ adaptor. This can include mains power or a USB charging adaptor plugged into a car’s cigarette lighter socket. • Solar panel charging An integral 5V-200mAh solar panel charges the Powerbank passively when exposed to direct sun by day, either replacing used power or topping up the existing charge. Four small LED lights indicate the current level of charge. As it can be charged from so many power sources, the PowerBank…

HAVE A POLICY FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING FAMILY The casual visitor won’t be aware of it, but for someone like me who is closely associated with markets it is amazing to see the number of people working as market agents who are related in some way or other. There’s nothing new about this. It has been happening since the earliest days of the market agency business. Some will say nepotism is not healthy for a business because decision-making can be compromised through family ties. This is true. Nepotism can also impede a firm’s growth if somebody outside the family who has the ability and experience is overlooked because a family member got the job. This has a ripple effect, affecting the morale of other employees. After all,…

The Claas Talos 230, rated at 65kW, is the second-most powerful of the six-model Talos 100 and 200 series, comprising tractors from 35kW to 70kW. Designed and built for all-year-round hard work, the simple operating concept makes it easy to handle. The Claas FL C-series front loaders, specifically made for Claas tractors, have mounting brackets that spread the load, while the design provides ideal crowding and dumping angles. A mechanical self-levelling linkage and a wide range of implements are available.…

EVEN IF A DOG SEEMS WELL AFTER A NEAR-DROWNING, TAKE IT TO A VET All dogs need to be closely watched when near open water such as rivers, the sea, dams and, particularly, swimming pools. It is not only puppies or dogs that fall into water by accident that can drown; dogs that are good swimmers and readily play in the water may find themselves in trouble if experiencing a seizure or epileptic fit while swimming. Start with carefully managed swimming lessons in a swimming pool – especially important if the dog has access to the pool when you are not around. When the animal is about 12 weeks old, enter your pool with it. Then, supporting it to ensure it remains buoyant and upright, show it where the steps…

‘IF YOU ARE SERVING THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, HE WILL ENSURE YOU COMPLETE THE JOB’ As we start off a new season and a new year, we need to keep in mind that it’s crucial for us as farmers to finish the job. Jesus says that before a man builds a house he must sit down and count the cost. If he does not do this, he might end up building only half of the house before running out of money. Over the years, I’ve known a number of farmers who are hardworking and have great ideas, but they’re unable to complete the tasks they’ve set themselves. This has sometimes been more detrimental to their reputation than if they had never started in the first place. A BUMPY…

POKE THE BOX  by Seth Godin (Portfolio, R195) Godin’s inspirational, often business-oriented blog is one of the hundred most popular in the world. This pep talk from him might be just what you need to get fired up at the beginning of the new year. Presented in easy-to-absorb, bite-sized units in a slim volume, Godin’s theme is striving for excellence through bypassing ego, fear of failure and limiting rules to test the bounds of idealism and great ideas. Yes, it sounds familiar but what has made Godin so successful is his knack of giving inspiring ideas a new twist. ICARUS by Deon Meyer (Hodder & Stoughton, R335) Internet entrepreneur Ernst Richter might have had a shady background – but did he deserve to die? And did the wine farmer do…

Anyone who has seen an overcrowded rural clinic or hospital will agree that there is a dire need for better health care for the poor in South Africa. That is why, rather than shooting down the government’s proposed national health insurance scheme as pie in the sky, it seems fair to give it a chance to produce the goods – in this case, in 14 years. The noble scheme, aimed at giving all South African citizens equal access to medical care, makes political as well as humanitarian sense. However, like the ideal of free education for all, it could have unintended consequences. This is particularly regrettable for rural patients who, according to doctors working in these areas, all too often present with so many maladies that it’s difficult to decide…

Potato prices have recovered to above R40/10kg bag since December. This is after farmers struggled to break even at prices of about R28/10kg last year. André Jooste, CEO of Potatoes South Africa (PSA), said the breakeven point for potato farmers was about R30/10kg bag, resulting in most farmers making a loss last year. The market was more promising now due to dry climatic conditions having a negative impact on production volumes and potato quality. “Heat waves generally have a negative impact on production volumes, potato sizes and the quality of the final product. It has been estimated that long periods of extreme heat could result in production declining by 10% to 15%,” Jooste said. Terence Brown, regional manager of PSA in the Sandveld, added that the heatwave in the Sandveld…

South Africa’s “extraordinary” imports of grains and other commodities from now to early 2017 would test the country’s transport infrastructure. They would also test how the public and private sectors worked together in facilitating and handling the massive volumes to be imported. An estimated five million tons of maize imports, two million tons of wheat and unknown volumes of other grains would be needed to meet the country’s shortfall as a result of the drought. “The last time South Africa had to import large volumes of grains was during the drought of 1992, and the volumes imported at that stage were not as large as they are anticipated to be for this season,” said Joel Amoils, managing director of Grains for Africa commodity brokers. While Agbiz said the Portnet and…

The table grape crop is expected to be between 1% and 4% lower than the actual exported crop size of 59,3 million cartons in 2014/2015, according to the South African Table Grape Industry (Sati). The latest Sati forecast for all South African table grape growing regions was for a total crop of between 56,8 and 58,7 million cartons – a three million carton decrease from the earlier forecast of 59,8 million cartons to 61,7 million cartons. A reduced crop in the Orange River Valley, Olifants River, Berg River and Hex River regions was anticipated. “Warm and dry conditions during the growing season in these regions resulted in smaller berry size at harvest,” said Sati. “In addition, water restrictions in the Olifants River region constrained berry size and bunch weights.” Due…

COMPANIES WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE 50% BLACK BOARD MEMBERS The new AgriBEE code will be compulsory for qualifying small enterprises (QSEs), exempt micro-enterprises (EMEs) and large-scale agribusiness enterprises – and place special focus on ownership, skills development and enterprise supplier development. According to Lindie Stroebel, manager of the agribusiness intelligence unit at Agbiz, about 80% of commercial farmers in South Africa fall within the QSE and EME categories and would therefore be expected to comply with the new AgriBEE sector code. Stroebel was speaking at a recent Agbiz workshop on the new code. Melcus Nel, director at Signa Advisors, said that the code would affect the entire agriculture value chain, including primary producers, processors, distributors and traders. One of the primary concerns for companies was whether changes would apply…

Farmer’s Weekly was a media partner at the inaugural Suffolk Northern Region Championship which took place recently near Bultfontein in the Free State. There were entries from seven top Suffolk breeders. The Farmer’s Weekly floating trophy for Supreme Champion Suffolk Ram was awarded to Carel Greyling, owner of the Carmar Suffolk Stud near Makwassie in North West.…

‘REGENERATIVE GRAZING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES INCREASE FORAGE PRODUCTION’ Soil is the terrestrial foundation on which people and animals depend for production and survival. In this ecosystem, microbes are key influencers, affecting about 90% of what happens beneath our feet. Dr Richard Teague, rangeland ecologist, says the amount of carbon in soil is directly related to the diversity and health of soil biota. Healthy ecosystems have high soil carbon and rangelands are important carbon sinks. “Because microbes depend on plants, how we treat the plants is critical to restoring soil carbon levels.” At the top of the input pile is solar energy which powers the ecosystem. Plants take in energy from the sun and convert it to produce carbohydrates; these feed soil microbes that, in turn, nourish the plants. In grassland areas,…

THE PARTIES MUST BE CONNECTED PERSONS FOR THE GAIN TO BE OFFSET AT A FUTURE DATE Since 2001, capital gains have been taxable in South Africa. Prior to that, capital, being essentially after-tax money, was untaxed. Of course, if the seller deals regularly in the type of assets sold, the transaction could be deemed income, but that’s another discussion entirely. Under normal circumstances, if you sell an asset at a loss, that loss can be used to offset capital gains made during the same tax year. Paragraph 7 of the Eighth Schedule of the Income Tax Act defines aggregate capital losses as the sum of losses exceeding any capital gains plus the annual exclusion allowed. It is a pity, though, that the paragraph does not make reference to the more…

Darling wines are unique. Grown on dry, unirrigated land, the bush vines that produce the grapes for these wines are low-yielding and have small berries that produce wines with intense flavour. It should come as no surprise then that Darling Wines of Origin have proven to be as popular locally as abroad. “We need to add value for our farmers,” says Darling Cellars CEO, Riaan de Waal. “This is done through bottling and building a brand with the intention of making higher payouts to the farmers.” Darling Cellars started off as the Mamre Road Co-op in 1947, producing bulk wine. In 1996, the board decided to change the focus to bottled wines, and Darling Cellars was born. “With the focus now on bottling, we installed the bottling line and an…

Dieback, the progressive death of fruit tree twigs and branches and even the complete death of the tree, is hardly a new phenomenon. The South African fruit industry has been battling it for years, according to Prof Piet Stassen. The first reference to it in the literature is in 1905 and it is prevalent in other countries. In South Carolina in the US, for example, farmers struggle with ‘peach short life’ syndrome – the sudden death of young peach trees three to six years after planting. US researchers associate cold damage, Pseudomonas, Cytospora canker, ring nematodes, replant disease and sandy soil with the syndrome. Bacterial canker complex is another form of dieback experienced by farmers in California, France and New Zealand. This is visible two to six years after planting.…

Tea tree oil, also called melaleuca oil, is an aromatic essential oil extracted from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a native tree of southeastern Queensland and the north-eastern coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a clear oil with a fresh, camphor-like scent and cleansing, healing and antiseptic properties. It is an effective treatment for fungal skin diseases including ringworm and athlete’s foot. Adding a few drops to shampoo kills head lice and helps control dandruff and dry scalp. It can also be used to help clear chest congestion – simply put two drops in a bowl of steaming water or in a vaporiser and inhale deeply. Tea tree oil is invaluable in skin care. A few drops added to oil-free skin moisturiser and dabbed onto the face treats…

Cowpeas are drought-tolerant and can be produced in areas where very few other crops would survive. Rainfall of 450mm/year will be sufficient to produce 1t seed/ha and 4t hay/ha. The soil can vary from sandy to clay, but easily waterlogged soil should be avoided. They inhibit nitrogen-fixing, a key characteristic of legumes such as cowpeas. Ideally, the soil should have a depth of at least 1m to ensure sufficient root development to maintain the plant during drought. The best vegetative growth occurs in temperatures between 21°C and 33°C. Higher temperatures can cause earlier flowering and flower abscission, resulting in poor pod set. • Cultivars Indeterminate cultivars such as Bechuana White, Chappy, Encore and Iron Grey are photo-sensitive – flowering is affected by day length and seed yield can be affected by…

EACH ROLLER HAS A SAW-TOOTH PROFILE AND ANNULAR SEGMENTS Claas won no fewer than five silver medals for innovation at Agritechnica. These were awarded for: the automatic press control system on the Quadrant baler; the Claas field route optimisation system; the multi-crop cracker on the Jaguar forage harvester; and two for new components on the Lexion 700 combine – 4D cleaning and an automatic crop flow system. Developed for the new higher-powered models in the 700 range, 4D cleaning consists of slope-dependent rotor cover plate control with automatic blower control. Active control of the rotor cover plates depends on the angle of the machine as well as the separating and cleaning output. The rotor cover plate segments facing the downward slope are automatically opened or closed as necessary. The automatic…

Resuscitation and CPR are undertaken together after laying the dog on its right side on a flat surface. • Smaller dogs (under 14kg): Perform CPR by using one cupped palm and apply about 100 pumps per minute, compressing the chest area around the heart by between 4cm and 5cm or a by third of the dog’s chest width (compress for a count of one and let go for a count of one). After every five pumps, close the dog’s mouth and exhale into the nostrils. If a second person is available, give oxygen through the nostrils after every third pump. • Larger dogs: Apply about 80 pumps per minute using two cupped palms on the chest area over the heart. Apply oxygen by exhaling into the nostrils at the same rate as…

To make stir-fried lamb with jeera for four diners, you will need: • 1kg lamb• 1 tablespoon whole jeera (cumin) seeds• 1 teaspoon sesame oil• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper• 1 teaspoon whole Sechuan pepper• 5 cloves garlic• 25mm fresh root ginger• 2 leeks• 2 tablespoons sunflower, peanut or canola oil• 2 tablespoons Old Brown sherry• 2 tablespoons heavy-duty cooking-strength soya sauce• 2 teaspoons Maizena We begin with the lamb. This is a serious meal, demanding the best part of the beast. Ideally it should be bone-free and from the leg. Cut it into strips of 5mm in thickness. The next item of note is the jeera – or cumin, as it is better known away from the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal. Fans of Middle Eastern food will already know about the historic relationship between cumin and lamb. The trick is to…

Normally, we can make enough glutamine for our regular needs from our diet, but during times of extreme stress (including intense emotional distress), we need a little extra. Those with painful gastrointestinal problems (IBS, leaky gut and ulcers) are likely to find a glutamine supplement especially beneficial. This is because it helps to rebuild and repair the mucosal barrier in the intestines. Clinical studies show that glutamine supplements strengthen the immune system and reduce infections, particularly those associated with surgery, as glutamine is an important detoxifier. It is also the major amino acid lost during any tissue injury and is believed to decrease healing time in burn patients. MUSCLE TISSUE A few studies have found that taking a glutamine supplement, along with other important nutrients, may increase weight gain in…