Table of contents for 22 April 2016 in Farmer's Weekly

Every farmer can tell you where the best place is to get good mobile phone reception on his or her farm. This is usually half way up the koppie behind the house, on the dam wall or by the kitchen’s back door. And even then you’d be lucky to get a steady two-bar signal! Apart from the obvious frustration this lack of connectivity can cause, it is also one of the many symptoms of poorly developed rural infrastructure – and one of the main reasons cited by a new generation of young people for opting out of a career in farming. Young Africans were “looking at everything but farming,” according to Dalitso Mbewe, a Zambian farmer and representative on the PAN African Youth Council. Mbewe participated in a discussion on…

CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 21 APRIL Crop Estimates Liaison Committee Seminar, Centurion. Phone Lizbé Esterhuizen on 012 807 3002 or email lizbe@agbizgrain.co.za. 21 APRIL Free State Agriculture – Young Farmer Conference and Young Farmer of the Year, Bloemfontein. Visit www.vrystaatlandbou.co.za. COURSES & TRAINING 18 TO 20 APRIL Artificial Insemination, Bloemfontein. Phone Di Rothman on 082 772 1208 or visit www.rltsafrica.com. 18 TO 22 APRIL Veld Management (accredited), Pretoria National Botanical Garden. Email info@alut.co.za or visit www.alut.co.za. 18 TO 24 APRIL Savory Training, Holistic Management, Rockford Farm, Cathcart. Phone 087 550 0803 or email southafrica@savoryinstitute.org. 21 APRIL Pregnancy Awareness in Cattle, Bloemfontein. Phone Di Rothman on 082 772 1208 or visit www.rltsafrica.com. 19 TO 21 APRIL Three-Day Basic Conservation, Beula Park, Meadowdale. Phone Neill Jackson on 082 407 6774 or email…

Glyphosate, a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide commonly used in crop production, could be harmful to human health, according to a recent report. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has released a question and answer (Q&A) brochure to complement its 2015 report on glyphosate. The 2015 IARC report classified glyphosate as a Group 2A agent, defined as “probably carcinogenic [directly causing cancer] to humans”. In the Q&A, the IARC affirms the 2015 finding that there was “strong” evidence for genotoxicity, both for “pure” glyphosate and for glyphosate formulations. “The IARC evaluation was based on the systematic assembly and review of all publicly available and pertinent studies by independent experts, free from vested interests. The IARC reviewed about 1 000 studies. Some of the studies looked at people exposed through their…

Recently, Zimbabwe’s interior ministry announced that Botswana will adopt a shoot-to-kill approach to cattle that stray into its territory, to prevent the spread of diseases. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Obedingwa Mguni, told cattle owners at Halisupi near the Zimbabwe-Botswana border that Gaborone had given a three-month grace period, after which all Zimbabwean cattle would be shot on sight if caught wandering into Botswana. “They told us [Zimbabwe] that they have been giving [us] foot-and-mouth (FMD) vaccines for the past five years, so that we [could] vaccinate our cattle to stop the spread of FMD. However, they have now advised us that enough was enough, and have given us a three-month grace period, after which they will start shooting any cattle [that] stray [in]to [Botswana],” he said. Mguni added that…

According to the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), many of the province’s farmers and other rural landowners were positively contributing towards wildlife and ecosystem conservation. This followed a public outcry after the recent attack of two young children by a wild baboon on a farm near KZN’s Richmond. The attack left both children severely injured and hospitalised. In November 2013, CROW was given permission by the provincial conservation organisation, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, to release 14 rehabilitated baboons onto David Aadnesgaard’s game farm, Naauwpoort. The release of the baboons was permitted only after KZN Wildlife had conducted a site inspection of Naauwpoort, and Aadnesgaard had, reportedly, notified the surrounding communities of CROW’s intention to release the baboons. Following the attack, the Emasosheni community, one of the surrounding…

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has issued a warning to farmers about a fraudulent scheme in which producers have been promised drought-relief assistance in the form of a R270 000 DAFF grant. An alleged fraudster had been approaching farmers asking for a R20 000 payment in return for a cash grant, according to Steve Galane, DAFF director of communications. Galane said the alleged fraudster is reportedly operating from Johannesburg. It was suspected that he obtained information from farmer unions about the specific needs of farmers in a particular region with regard to drought assistance and then contacted them, Galane said. Three victims of this illegal scam had approached DAFF and Galane advised them to report the incidents to the police. “We are not getting in the middle…

The Joburg Market generated a turnover of R5,3 billion for the 2014/2015 financial year. Addressing delegates at the Joburg Market Day event on 6 April 2016, Executive Mayor Cllr Parks Tau said that the Joburg Market had created opportunities for growth and jobs. “Our market agents and tenants have created employment for over 6 000 people and 1,3 million tons of fruit and vegetables are sold annually. I’m happy to announce the market yielded R5,3 billion turnover for 2014/2015 financial year.” ‘’Entrepreneurship development in agriculture and agro-processing will bring about work opportunities in Johannesburg: for example our city has more than 4 000 agroprocessing companies in the areas of fresh food, processed food, fine foods and beverages. Let us help support entrepreneurs in the agro-processing sector,’’ he said. Morongoe Tladinyane,…

The Western Cape department of agriculture confirmed that there has been an African horse sickness (AHS) outbreak in its AHS control area. Dr Gininda Msiza, chief director of veterinary services in the Western Cape, said the outbreak was a severe setback, as it occurred in the surveillance area of the control zone. “African horse sickness has resulted in a two-year ban of direct exports to Europe in 2014, which would have come to an end in June this year. With the recent outbreak, producers would have to wait another two years before they’d be able to export horses directly to Europe again,” Msiza said. Producers are still able to export horses to Europe, but cannot do so directly. Exports must be done through other countries, like Mauritius, which doubles the…

Less than 45 000ha of arable land has been planted during the current growing season in Botswana, compared with 300 000ha planted last year. Similarly, less than 5 000 farmers planted, compared with 110 000 farmers during the 2014/2015 planting season, according to figures recently released by that country’s Ministry of Agriculture. This drastic decline in planted land followed the occurrence of El Niño, which led to low rainfall and dry spells, according to the ministry. In an interview with Farmer’s Weekly, Minister of Agriculture Patrick Ralotsia said both the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 planting seasons had been affected, resulting in huge crop losses and demoralisation of the country’s farmers. According to Botswana’s Department of Meteorological Services’ meteorologist, John Steglin, changes in rainfall patterns had resulted in increased crop failures, forcing…

Single mother Fezeka Majiki (29) is the first isiXhosa woman to graduate with an MTech degree in Agricultural Research from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). Majiki hails from the dusty roads of Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape, where many villages have no electricity or running water. Her humble upbringing thus emphasises the importance and enormity of her achievement. Majiki desires to use her qualification to make a significant difference to farming efforts in her poverty-stricken area, and hopes that her degree will inspire her son, Elam (9), to achieve even more than she has. “I decided to study agriculture as subsistence farming is a way of life in Mount Frere, and that’s what I grew-up doing. I hope to find an opportunity [where I can] implement some of…

Researchers at Purdue University in the US investigated the potential impact of growing only non-GM crops. They found that maize, soya beans and cotton yields would be reduced by 11,2%, 5,2% and 18,6% respectively. Compensating these losses would require the conversion of an additional 102 000ha of forest area to crop land, to increase food production. This conversion would be greater than the present conversion for bioethanol, and would increase greenhouse gas emissions. Commodity grain prices, like maize and soya beans, would increase by 28% and 22% respectively, thus increasing US consumer prices by an estimated US$14 billion/year (R217 billion) to $24 billion/year (R372 billion). Some 90% of South Africa’s maize, 95% of soya bean and 100% of cotton are genetically modified. GM crops demonstrate resistance to stalk-borer and bollworm,…

Awesome Eyewear’s sunglass clip-ons have polarised filter lenses that offer the unique ability to selectively absorb horizontally-reflected glare. This provides contrast improvement and more accurate colour rendition of the scene by removing blinding glare light from highly reflective areas. This is especially effective because it occurs instantly and automatically. Shatter-resistant cushion elements are laminated to either side of the ultraviolet (UV) absorbers. The lens material is lightweight and flexible, yet highly functional. Excessive scratching caused by everyday use of lenses can compromise your vision and detract from your appearance. Scratch-resistant coatings (also known as a ‘hard coat’) are added to the front and back surfaces of the lenses to increase their scratch resistance and durability and so protect the investment you’ve made in your eyewear. UV rays from the sun…

The first rule of running a meeting is to tell those who will be attending the date, time and place it will be held. This might seem obvious, but mistakes can happen, leading to unpleasantness. Notices can be posted, emailed or sent via SMS – the main thing is to have the details in writing. Ask the recipients to respond whether they can attend or not. Supply a summary of the meeting’s agenda (list of matters to be discussed) at the same time. CHAIRPERSON A chairperson must be chosen to lead every meeting. If the chairperson is not present, the vice-chairperson or secretary can lead the meeting. The person who stands in for the chairperson may remain chairperson throughout the meeting, even if the chairperson arrives later. Some organisations make…

US-based Great Plains Manufacturing and UK-based Simba International joined forces in 2011, and Great Plains has been gaining strength ever since. The company’s latest offerings include the following: 1 THE COMPLETE PACKAGE The 8.0 TM Turbo-Max, the latest version of Great Plains’ most successful vertical tillage implement, has a working width of 8m and a transport width of 3m. Used primarily as a seedbed preparation tool ahead of planting or drilling, it has two gangs of 510mm coulter blades with a patented, hydraulically adjustable gang angle system and a choice of rear roller options. Great Plains describes the Turbo-Max as “a complete vertical tillage package designed to solve the problem of uneven fields caused by sprayers, combines and other heavy machinery”. It leaves a level sub-surface, eliminating planter bounce, a…

WE MUST LEARN TO BE GRATEFUL FOR GOD’S MANY BLESSINGS We have endured possibly the worst drought that any of us can remember. Many of us are not through it yet, but most of us can say that we have had some rain. We need to say thank you to God for that rain. I remember how, in times of drought many years ago, all the different denominations and ministers would gather in the city hall, and we would pray to the Rainmaker, Jesus Christ, to send us lifegiving rain. And every single time He answered our prayers. What I found so sad was that when we held a thanksgiving service for the rain that had fallen, only a few people would attend. We need to get into the habit…

As I’ve noted before, drones are growing in popularity amongst farmers. It’s no wonder; they have highly capable photographic and video capabilities, are easy to fly, have a host of potential uses on a farm, and are becoming much more affordable. One of the top manufacturers of commercial drones is DJI, a Chinese company founded in 2006 (dii1.com). “They are successful because they were first to market, their quality is good, and their product has a zero learning curve,” says Jasmine Adamson of the Arizona Aerial Film Agency. “Many people love the idea of flying a radio-controlled aircraft, but don’t want to put in the effort to learn that skill. DJI has created a platform that gives people that.” Having purchased a DJI Phantom 3 Pro, I have been highly…

The Constitutional Court made its landmark ruling on the Nkandla debacle on Thursday 31 March, stating in no uncertain terms that President Jacob Zuma had failed to uphold his oath to protect the Constitution. The ANC immediately went into damage-control mode and paraded the president in front of the country the following evening. Here, he proceeded not to announce his resignation, as widely expected, but lamely claimed that it had always been his intention to repay the money! Well, if the president intended making April Fools out of us, it appears the plan has backfired. At the time of writing, calls are being made by people within the ANC, from retired ANC stalwarts and from civil society leaders of every description, for Zuma to step down. This, combined with the…

“This year’s budget speech was particularly interesting for me as I was in a workshop with farmers at the time, and the budget gave me the opportunity to relay to them – in layman’s terms – what they could expect from government. In conversations with these farmers, their serious concern for the state of our economy struck me deeply, particularly because, for many of them, and for many other farmers in South Africa, the financial assistance offered by government could make or break their agricultural businesses in coping with the detrimental effects of the current drought. In the morning leading up to the budget speech, I was upbeat that there might be significant increases in allocation for agricultural financial institutions, such as the Land Bank, to assist farmers during this…

On Monday, 11 April, Farmer’s Weekly’s editorial intern, Pieter Dempsey, graduated from the University of Johannesburg with a BA degree in journalism. Before completing his journalism degree, Pieter studied music performance at the Campus of the Performing Arts. His writing career began with writing online sports’ articles, which was followed by an internship at Beeld. Pieter hopes to one day become a copy editor. In his spare time, he enjoys performing, writing music and exercising.…

23 DECEMBER 1981 Biblical beasts in peril 30 YEARS AGO Conservation activities in Israel’s Negev desert sought to preserve the ancient region’s game species. “Decimated by wars, and the modern firearm, the game species of the biblical lands have virtually been wiped out, but a concerted effort is now being made to preserve their future. The Middle East is constantly in the news, with one war sliding into another, but few people outside scientific circles know that another war is being waged at Ghé Bar in Israel’s Negev Desert, to which area species that have survived are taken to increase their numbers. “The larger predators have suffered much the same fate as the herbivores and although some striped hyenas, wolves and leopards have managed to survive in the more inhospitable…

The reopening of the European Union (EU) market to South African fresh ostrich meat came just in time, said Francois de Wet, managing director of Mossel Bay abattoir, Mosstrich. During the ban, the ostrich sector managed to survive due to an increased demand, as well as price, for ostrich leather. However, in 2015 this demand declined. But since the ban was lifted in August 2015, ostrich producers have breathed a sigh of relief. “It enabled them to realise a better price for their carcasses, while experiencing a decrease in the price for their ostrich skins,” said De Wet. Although initial demand for raw ostrich meat had been very high, the five-year absence had a bigger effect on consumption than the industry had originally thought. According to De Wet, the consumption…

With freshwater being a scarce resource in South Africa at the best of times, the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) has confirmed its support for the lawful water use survey currently being conducted in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is currently conducting a Validation and Verification Project (V&VP) of lawful water use in the province, and the agricultural sector is one of the focus areas of the project. DWS announced that a series of stakeholder engagement processes would be conducted across KZN’s major water catchment areas, and called on all registered water users to participate in the process, in terms of existing lawful water use authorisations. “This allows people or organisations that were using raw water for commercial purposes before the new [National Water Act 36 of…

Losses of R50 million are expected to hit South African organic citrus growers, after they voluntarily chose to suspend all exports of organic lemons to the EU for the 2016 season. The decision followed meetings during which the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA), organic growers and stakeholders in the citrus industry looked at the information gathered from last year’s citrus black spot disease (CBS) finds. Of 15 interceptions, four came from organic citrus, three of which were organic lemons. “Suspending the export for their produce will allow [organic growers] to further work on risk-mitigating measures of CBS in their product range, while significantly reducing the risk of South African CBS interceptions in Europe during 2016,” said Deon Joubert, Special CGA Envoy for Market Access and EU Matters, in a weekly newsletter…

The veld fire season in the Free State was expected to start earlier this year than in 2015, and landowners would be well advised to start planning now for the 2016 wildfire season, according to Thinus Steenkamp, Free State Umbrella Fire Association manager. “We lost about 200 000ha to veld fires in the 2015/2016 season. All role players, including local municipalities, need to start planning for the 2016/2017 season in an effort to curb the number of valuable grazing hectares lost to fires annually,” he said. The possible early advent of wildfires was ascribed to the flammable fuel load because of the drought, and frost that had already occurred in the province. Steenkamp said frost was reported in March and April in, among others, Warden and Clocolan. “The frost caused…

South Africa’s small-scale livestock sector needs increased investment in research and development to lift it to the same high standard as commercial farmers. At the third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development held in Johannesburg recently, Agricultural Research Council (ARC) scientist Dr Giel Scholtz, said that 40% of the national herd was owned by small-scale farmers. Research to help support these farmers to improve their production was critical to grow the sector, he said. The ARC cattle improvement programme, known as KyD, has brought about improvements to the national herd. Since 2010, farmers participating in the programme have received higher prices for their cattle. “On average the calving percentage in the smallholder sector is below 40%, but in 2010 approximately 1 200 KyD farmers recorded a 53% calving rate.…

Rat populations were increasing at an alarming rate, potentially presenting serious health and economic risks, according to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre. Recently, bubonic plague antibodies were discovered in a rat carcass found in Johannesburg. “The ever-growing rat numbers call for [a national] intensive and well-coordinated rodent management [system]. Rat infestation is a reality, and the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] now estimates that up to 20% of all grain produced in Africa is lost to rats,” Verdoorn said. According to Verdoorn, Pikitup’s recent strike, and poor rodent and waste management in urban areas, resulted in epidemic rodent populations that may, if left uncontrolled, develop into conditions conducive to a bubonic plague outbreak. “We are inundated with reports of rat outbreaks on farms and in…

The finalists for the Agri Western Cape Young Farmer of Year for 2016 have been announced. The provincial winner will be announced on May 25 and will advance to the national Toyota Agri SA Young Farmer of the Year competition which will be decided in October. CHRIS ORFFER (33), BLOUBANK 1, TULBAGH For 13 years, Orffer has been farming pome fruit, vegetables, grains, dried fruit, stone fruit and vineyards. He compared the role of young farmers in the economy with the importance of new fine roots on young trees. “It is the young farmers who are important for the survival of agriculture and all its aspects.” Orffer and his wife, Elmien, have two daughters and a son. JACQUES BEUKES (35), MODDERDRIFT, HEX RIVER VALLEY For ten years Jacques has been…

IF YOU HEAR SOMEONE SAYING, ‘THAT’S NOT MY JOB’, IT’S A SIGN OF BAD MANAGEMENT In my last article, I wrote about the importance of having a clear chain of command in a business, where every employee knows who he or she reports to. As I said, it’s amazing how many employees are vague about this – and when this clarity is lacking, it’s usually mirrored by the poor performance of the organisation. Another ominous omen is disagreement on who is responsible for what. If you ever hear someone saying, “That’s not my job” or “Stop interfering in my area”, it’s a sign of bad management, and you can be sure that bad business performance follows close behind. A good business team must operate like a great rugby team. While…

Production conditions such as those experienced during the 2015 season have again confirmed that planting a package of wheat cultivars reduces environmental risk in irrigated wheat production. The correct choice, location and management of cultivars in the package offers a producer the opportunity to optimise yield potential at farm level. Cultivars differ from one another in important attributes, such as adaptability to extreme climatic conditions, yield potential and yield stability. Cultivar characteristics such as disease resistance, tolerance of environmental conditions including heat and moisture stress, and resistance to lodging and bird damage, can contribute to a producer’s success in wheat cultivation (see Table 1). The ‘ideal’ wheat cultivar, encompassing all the desirable characteristics needed for simpler and more successful wheat production, unfortunately does not exist. For this reason, the correct…

USE SYSTEMIC PRODUCTS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS ONLY The following fungal diseases are fairly common in lettuce. Books will describe many others, but they are of little or no consequence here. • Sclerotinia This disease is easy to identify. When the plant is removed from the soil, a white cottony fungus will be seen on its underside. When the disease is advanced, dark, hard structures (sclerotia) are evident. There are two species. The sclerotia of Sclerotinia minor resemble mouse droppings a few millimetres in length. Those of S. sclerotiorum are larger (up to 12mm) and more irregular in shape. The sclerotia remain in the soil and produce small mushrooms during cool, wet weather. These release millions of spores which disperse and infect plants they land on. Crop chemicals are not particularly effective…

‘WE ALL HAVE TO AGREE THAT OUR THEORIES AND IDEAS DO NOT MATCH REALITY VERY OFTEN’ Few controversies polarise the sport of racing pigeons more than the ‘eye-sign’ theory. Briefly, this holds that the ‘look’ or structure of a pigeon’s eye will help to determine if the pigeon will be a great racer or breeder. Adherents use a jeweller’s loupe to examine the iris, the ‘circle of correlation’ between the iris and the pupil, the pupil, and the ‘inner muscle’ inside the outer rim of the pupil. Many racing pigeon champions around the world attribute their success largely to studying the eyes of their birds. But just as many champions scoff at the theory. “I think a vet would be highly amused to hear a big champion say you should…

To make cabbage and potatobake with thyme and twocheeses for six people, youwill need: 1kg cabbage 500g potatoes A little butter to grease the dish 400ml milk 120ml crème fraîche or plain yoghurt 120g strong cheddar 30g Parmesan cheese 3 cloves garlic Freshly ground black pepper Salt 1 level tablespoon fresh thyme This dish works like magic as a side-dish for a braai or, for example, kitchen-grilled rare sirloin steaks. Weigh the cabbage after discarding discoloured leaves and removing the core. Crush, peel and mince the garlic. Peel the potatoes and cut them into uniform slices (medallions). Coarsely grate the cheddar and finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Now for the thyme. Ideally use the fresh stuff, spending a little time getting it right. Separate the tiny aromatic leaves from the…

Just like herbs, many spices have outstanding medicinal qualities: • Ginger An excellent remedy for nausea, ginger can also thin the blood and stimulate circulation, but it won’t irritate the stomach lining or cause gastric bleeding, which aspirin often does. • Cayenne pepper This helps for health problems related to blood circulation, such as high blood pressure. • Cloves Add a quarter of a teaspoon of clove powder to a teaspoon of honey and take it at lunch, supper and bedtime for intestinal parasites such as worms. • Chillies Use them to make a massage oil to treat someone suffering from sciatica, rheumatism, sprains, muscle pains, arthritis or lumbago. Mix or pound one teaspoonful of dried chilli with four teaspoonfuls of vegetable oil, and massage vigorously. Afterwards, keep the area warm and covered. Be…

WITH THE CONSENT OF CETSHWAYO, HE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE CATTLE – AND ZULU WIVES John Dunn’s father, Robert, was born in Inverness, Scotland, in 1795. During his mid-20s he worked his passage to the Cape Colony and settled in the Eastern Cape in 1824. He married Anne Biggar, the daughter of Alexander Biggar, an ex-military man of dubious reputation. He was reputed to have embezzled regimental funds – a crime on a par with murder at the time; an officer and a gentleman just didn’t behave in such a caddish way – and suffered the indignity of being cashiered out of the army. The Dunn family, which consisted of three daughters and John, were joined by the Biggars on their trek to Port Natal. After passing through the Transkei with…

South Africa has several conservation groups that strive to protect SA’s indigenous flora, fauna, marine life and heritage sites. Farmer’s Weekly encourages its readers to become involved in these important projects. This week’s project discusses the partnership between the Overberg Crane Group (OCG) and the Overberg Lowlands Conservation Trust (OLCT). Together, these organisations aim to protect threatened big birds living in the Overberg, and the habitat on which they rely. The OCG and the OLCT work together to reduce human-wildlife conflict through supporting land users and other stakeholders where cases of conflict occur. As habitat loss is a major threat to endangered and/or vulnerable big birds like Blue Cranes, Black Harriers and Korhaans, OCG and OLCT are raising awareness of the necessity of protecting the Overberg’s diverse ecosystems, which, in…

MILK PRICE INCREASE Farmer’s Weekly recently posted an article on its Facebook page about the expected milk price increase taking effect in May. FW’s Facebook followers responded. Geoffrey Grundlingh says: Just a small profit would be nice for a change. Farmers are price takers, not price makers. Parmalat, Pick n Pay et al decide what farmers are worth. The real price of this practice lies ahead. Magasha Monyepao: I have said it before, our dairy farming is collapsing, and this price hike will have little effect in saving farmers. Patricia Foxcroft: In January, there was no rain, and farmers need rain to keep pastures growing. There is a shortage of feed for dairy cows, and the prices of available feed have increased. So, all-round, the farmer is the one carrying…

A marine protected area (MPA) aims to conserve marine life, and promotes the conservation and effective management of a biodiverse marine area. CapeNature currently manages six MPAs on behalf of the Department of Environmental Affairs. These include, Robberg, Goukamma, Stillbaai, De Hoop, Betty’s Bay and Rocherpan. • Stilbaai MPA Declared an MPA in 2008, Stilbaai MPA is protected to allow the restoration of overexploited marine life, particularly reef and line fish. It also prevents habitat degradation and preserves archeologically and culturally important visvwyers (fish traps). It is connected to the land-based Geelkrans Nature Reserve, ensuring good protection. • Goukamma MPA Only 10km west of Knysna, Goukamma MPA comprises the 14km coastal line from Buffels Bay to Platbank, and stretches 1,85km into the ocean. It offers protection to endangered sea turtles, including loggerhead,…

AFGRI aims to lift new smallholder farmers out of poverty and place them in a position to feed themselves and sell their produce, Chris Venter, CEO of the agricultural services and processing company, said at a recent press conference in Pretoria. According to Venter, AFGRI’s training and mentorship programme for emerging farmers in South Africa and across the continent, initiated in 2014, had to date been very successful. The programme was implemented following an agreement with the Economic development department, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. In terms of the agreement, the company pledged R90 million over a four-year period for the development of emerging farmers and other projects focussing on community and rural…

Kenya has launched a National Agricultural Insurance and Risk Management Programme to help farmers cope with droughts and floods. The programme is a partnership between the government and private sector and will focus on livestock, maize and wheat insurance. According to the World Bank, satellite imagery would track pasture availability for livestock farmers and when grazing declines pastoralists would receive payouts. Wheat and maize farming areas would be divided into insurance units. If average production in one unit fell below a threshold, all insured farmers in the unit would receive payment. Panos Varangis, global solutions lead: agricultural finance and agricultural insurance at the World Bank, told Farmer’s Weekly that innovation in insurance was critical for farmers. “As climate change risks increase, affecting the productivity and reliability of agriculture, another 100…

The export volume estimate for 2016 from the Citrus Marketing Forum is within expectations, despite some production regions suffering significant losses due to the drought and hail damage. According to John Edmonds, information manager at the Citrus Growers’ Association, growers estimate that the Valencia crop would decrease by 12% from the record 52,7 million cartons (15kg cartons) harvested in 2015, to 46,4 million in 2016. Growers from the Letsitele, Senwes and Hoedspruit areas, who jointly produce almost 50% of all Valencia oranges in Southern Africa, confirmed that drought and hail were the main factors affecting volumes. “The drought affected fruit size in certain areas and hail caused scarring to fruit. Hail-damaged fruit can’t be exported, but can be used in the local market for processing,” Edmonds said. The industry expected…

Smallholder farmers have to achieve economies of scale to create competitive farming enterprises. Jethro Greene, chief coordinator of the Caribbean Farmers Network, said ‘farming clusters’ were an effective strategy to improve production and market access. Farmers share labour, machinery or processing facilities which enables producers to consistently supply better quality products to markets. At the third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development held in Johannesburg, Greene spoke about the successes of agribusiness cluster models in the Caribbean. The model could assist Africa’s smallholder farmers to increase productivity and adopt mechanisation. “Clustering lowers the intensity of management and farmers gain greater ownership of the value chain,” he said. This model works because it does not remove individual ownership of farming units. Dr Wole Fatunbi from the Forum for Agricultural Research…

The Cold Storage Company (CSC), Zimbabwe’s beef processing parastatal, has had 38 000ha of its farms attached over debts amounting to US$30,9 million (R494 million). In addition, dozens of houses and movable properties have been seized, CSC acting board chairperson Peter Nyoni told Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko during his tour of the parastatal’s Bulawayo headquarters last week. The debt is owed to various creditors and service providers as well as its 413 workers. The latter, by June last year, were owed US$3,5 million (R56 million) in salary arrears. Nyoni blamed the ongoing attachments of the state entity’s properties on the delay by the government to approve a turnaround plan submitted in 2014. “We have lost at least 400 cattle, various residential properties and a cumulative 38 000ha of our land. All…

In any re-circulating-type system, the method of water quality control – filtration – is a key aspect. Poor water quality will make any system, no matter how good, with even the best performing species, uneconomic and unviable. Tilapia in South Africa require elevated water temperature, and must be grown at high densities in tunnel-based systems. Stocking rates of up to 30kg/m3 of water means that at near-harvest mass (400g to 500g) the demands on filtration are very high. Ammonia levels have to be kept low and oxygen saturation high, preferably over 6mg/l, to avoid stress and to sustain maximum growth. There are four stages of filtration which are non-negotiables: • sedimentation; • mechanical filtration; • biological filtration; • nitrate dilution. It is in designing these stages that shortcomings arise for…

Contacts: Clive, Brett and Grant Puttergill: 083 320 6153 Edmund Els and Brady Dabner: 083 287 8042 Rubie Redelinghuys: 083 535 7163…

THE MARKETING AGENT CAN OFFER CRUCIAL ADVICE – ESTABLISH A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP EARLY ON Recently, we ran a series for farmers interested in growing papayas. In this article, we take a brief look at harvesting and marketing the crop. Papayas should be harvested at the ‘yellow break’ stage. This is when the first streak of yellow appears – a good sign that the fruit is mature and will ripen soon. In the peak season, papayas should be harvested about three times a week. During the rest of the season, mature fruit can be identified by regular scouting. Handle the fruit with great care throughout harvesting and packing to prevent cuts and bruises. Harvest it with a 20mm portion of stem attached and pack it carefully in a single layer…

When a market agent is caught defrauding a farmer, a long and complex legal process is put in motion. Yet often it seems as if nothing is being achieved. Ask senior managers at the Agricultural Produce Agents Council for an update on a specific case and they’ll say, “No comment. The matter is still under investigation.” I understand their position and the frustrations they must go through in guiding a complaint from a farmer through ‘the system’. There have been successes as well as failures over the years, but the most recent ‘success’ is worth noting. FRAUDSTER It seems that a market agent – call him X – used to work on the Port Elizabeth Market, until his fraudulent actions caught up with him and he lost his licence. But…

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU USE A WHIP OR SHOUT Horses are prey animals – they have survived by being wary of situations they do not understand. When you lead or ride a horse through water for the first time, the horse has no way of knowing how deep or dangerous the obstacle is. Only a horse that has learnt to trust its rider will approach a scary situation with confidence. When doing ground work on a young horse, it’s a good idea to get it used to walking through water. This is fairly easy if you live in a wet part of the country, but on the Highveld horses and their owners are not likely to see puddles on the ground between May and September. However, building confidence in…

Dear Jonno I have a farm outside Ficksburg in the eastern Free State on which I would like to construct a small, open-plan cottage. It would be located up against the mountainside, so I would also like to capitalise on the beautiful mountain-facing views. I am currently single, so need little space for now, but the design must be such that the cottage can be expanded into a lodge/ mansion over time. The building will be built directly on top of sandstone, so there is, of course, a gradient. Kind regards Thomas Dear Thomas With your available budget and the requirement for future expansion in mind, I’ve designed the layout illustrated above. While the cottage blends with the setting, it also curves around 90°, thus allowing you to take full…

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? by Andrew Bradley, Arun Abey & Andrew Ford (Zebra, R220) These well-established financial planners ask two key questions: do you know how much you might need to survive retirement comfortably, and how much risk are you comfortable with? They emphasise that many people try to make up for lost investing time by choosing high-risk investments, hoping for high returns. Others simply love the thought of a big payout. They show that, oddly, we are hot-wired to be far more careful with small investments than with large ones. They suggest, finally, that the individual investor cannot hope to beat a well-informed, cool-headed team of professional investment analysts. MANAGING DIABETES AND RELATED HEALTH CHALLENGES by Dr Arien van der Merwe (Human & Rousseau, R225)…