Table of contents for 02 October 2020 in Farmer's Weekly

Scientists have recently observed signs of possible life in the thick cloud cover that envelopes our neighbouring planet, Venus. They saw the fingerprints of a rare molecule that could be produced by living organisms. After having read two reports published in September detailing the decline of Earth’s natural biodiversity, I cannot help but fear that we too might be headed in a direction where the only indication of life on this planet will be chemical compounds and single-cell organisms that settle in dust clouds in our atmosphere. You don’t even have to believe in climate change (but you should!) to acknowledge that the effect humans have had on the planet has been disastrous. We have burnt, chopped down, slaughtered and polluted the natural resources that we depend on to sustain…

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic pushing South Africa’s economy to the steepest contraction since the early 1990s, 2020 may be remembered as one of the best years for the farming sector. South Africa’s GDP contracted 51% in the second quarter of 2020, with every sector of the economy except agriculture contracting quite significantly. This was the worst contraction in more than 25 years, as the pandemic compressed consumer demand and private investment, Statistics South Africa data showed. Just to put things into perspective, the construction sector took a hit of 76,6%, as mining output struggled at -74.3%, and electricity, gas and water dipped 36,4%. Trade, catering and accommodation took a 67,6% knock, while manufacturing recorded a contraction of 74,9%. These sectors (including finance and personal services, which also contracted by double…

The latest Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) has indicated that agribusinesses are only marginally optimistic about business conditions in South Africa. The index went up to 51 in the third quarter of 2020, after deteriorating from the 50-point mark to 39 in the second quarter. A level just above the neutral 50-point mark implied a minor increase in confidence levels, according to a statement by Agbiz. This rating underscored the resilience of the agriculture sector and the fact that confidence in the industry was increasing, said agricultural economist Dr Kobus Laubscher. He made it clear that the sector did not perform well in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in spite of it. Laubscher said agriculture was the star player in the South African national economy, and needed to…

Imports and exports in Kenya rose significantly in July, as various countries eased COVID-19 restrictions, boosting trade activity. Month-on-month imports increased to about US$1,26 billion (about R21 billion) in July, up from US$1,1 billion (R18,33 billion) in June, and US$1 billion (R16,66 billion) in May, the latest economic data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showed. At the same time, exports rose to US$481 million (just over R8 billion) in July, up from a low of US$398 million (R6,6 billion) in April when the COVID-19 pandemic hit many countries, KNBS said in a statement. The bulk of Kenya’s imports during the period included industrial supplies, fuel and lubricants, machinery and consumer goods, while exports mainly consisted of food and beverages, such as tea and coffee, as well as…

The Grain Research Programme was established to directly engage with grain stakeholders to initiate research that will support this sector by identifying future challenges to the industry, and exploring solutions to these challenges, including extension and disease/pest diagnostic services. It was hoped that the programme would empower South African seed breeding companies to continue their breeding programmes and come up with new seed varieties, said Magdeleen Cilliers, research and policy officer at the South African National Seed Organisation (SANSOR). She was speaking during the first series of Agri In Motion panel discussions at the inaugural Nampo Virtual event, held from 9 to 12 September and hosted by Grain SA. The panel also included Prof Bernard Slippers, director of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria;…

Farmers must become more involved in organised agriculture structures so that they can ensure the future existence of farming in South Africa. This was the message from the outgoing president of TAU SA, Louis Meintjies, during the organisation’s first virtual annual congress. Henry Geldenhuys, former deputy president of TAU SA, was elected as the new president of the organisation. The main focus of the congress was the fact that South African, as well as global, agriculture was on the verge of a new era in which it faced many challenges. Prof André Duvenhage, research director of social transformation at North-West University, added: “The situation will probably only become worse going forward. The farming community is dependent on itself, and self-help and management looks like the best solution.” ‘ADJUST TO CHANGING…

Only 75% of the 180 890kg on offer at the second sale of the 2020 mohair summer season was sold, partly due to seed-contaminated mohair, and higher reserve prices. Although the offering consisted of some good individual clips, the average market indicator decreased 1% in rand and US dollar terms from the previous sale to close on R222,88/kg, according to Mohair South Africa. There was good competition for responsible wool standard-certified (RMS) mohair, which resulted in a better sales percentage and higher prices. A highest price of R560/kg was paid for a bale of 24/25-micron kids’ mohair. Compared with the previous sale, prices were as follows: kids’ mohair was down 2% due to shorter lengths; young goats’ mohair (winter) was up 1%; and all adult mohair remained unchanged. “It is…

At Pienaarsrivier, a grain and sheep farm near Riversdale in the Southern Cape, farm owner Kobus Horne and his sheep production manager, Dirk Liebenberg, have significantly improved production efficiency and reduced costs through their use of technology and a carefully planned management system. One of the most noticeable features of the farm is the careful way in which the production facilities have been positioned and structured for the animals’ comfort and for ease of movement and management. The handling facility, shearing shed, feedlot, lambing shed, feed mill and camps for rams, in-lamb ewes, and ewes with lambs are all set within a radius of a few hundred metres. COMPUTERISED SCALE SYSTEM At the handling facility, which is set out in the shape of a wagon wheel, Liebenberg and his team…

Because it is a stimulant and helps us stay alert and focused, caffeine is extremely popular. But if overdone or taken too late in the day, it can interfere with sleep. One cup of strong coffee, for example, contains about 100mg of caffeine and has a half-life of six hours. So if you’re struggling with sleep, it may be better to drink (hot) water, non-stimulating herbal tea or a nourishing soup instead. Bone broth is rich in glycine, an amino acid that may improve the quality of sleep. L-theanine, a natural calming amino acid from tea, also helps calm mental activity, while helping with sleep. GABA, another calming amino acid, pairs well with L-theanine at bedtime. Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body to aid sleep. It can…

“Global economic growth over the past half-century has changed our world unrecognisably, driving exponential improvements in health, knowledge and standards of living. Yet this has come at a huge cost to nature and the stability of Earth’s operating systems that sustain us. Since 1970, global GDP has increased four times, the extraction of living materials from nature has tripled and the world’s human population has doubled, along with an enormous trend towards urbanisation. People living in cities now account for 50% of the global population. Trade has exploded; the value of exports rose 200-fold from 1970 to 2017, with the largest increases in developed countries. This boom has enabled higher-income countries to increase their consumption even though nature, within their own boundaries, is relatively well protected; much of the added…

The Western Cape currently produces approximately 14% of the national beef output. The contribution by smallholder producers is relatively small and the animals used for production are from many and varied breeds. The aim of the Bull Project of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture is to make top beef breed genetics available to smallholder farmers to increase the volume and quality they offer to the market. Stud bulls are generally very expensive, and it’s thus difficult for these farmers to afford top-quality genetics. This project addresses this barrier. Results from the first bulls that have been distributed to smallholders have already shown that these beef producers are getting better prices on the market, and are selling heavier weaners to feedlots. SINCE 2016, TOP BULLS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO 26…

The production and marketing of South Africa’s cut flowers are struggling to recover from the negative impact of the COVID-19-related national and international lockdowns. According to industry insiders, while there had been some recovery since lockdown restrictions were eased, the local cut flower primary value chain was currently operating at 30% to 40% below its pre-pandemic productivity. André de Wit, managing director of Multiflora in Johannesburg, one of Africa’s largest flower auction houses, said both supply of, and demand for, South Africa’s cut flowers were currently weak. “Many [cut flower] growers have either stopped growing, or have diversified into vegetable growing. They are definitely not operating as profitably as before lockdown, [and] are under severe pressure.” James Kingsley, owner of The Flower Company cut flower exporting business in Cape Town,…

A naturally occurring virus will be distributed across Africa in a bid to fight fall armyworm, which has spread to 44 countries on the continent since arriving here in 2016. An agreement has been signed to combat the pest that is decimating crops across Africa, by infecting the caterpillars with a virus to control populations. A product called Fawligen contained the virus that would be applied in the affected countries, with the exception of Nigeria, by an Indian agrochemicals company, UPL, according to a report by Bloomberg. UPL signed the agreement with Australia’s AgBiTech, which developed the product. If the pest was not drastically curbed, it would result in maize production on the continent falling by 17,7 million tons a year, causing US$4,8 billion (almost R80 billion) in economic losses,…

Using gene editing, scientists in the US and the UK have created pigs, goats and cattle that produce sperm with traits such as disease resistance and higher meat quality. The researchers used a gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9, and said animals could be used as “surrogate sires, essentially sterile blank slates” that could then be transplanted with stem cells to produce the desired sperm. According to Reuters, the process could help farmers rear healthier, more productive animals using fewer resources such as feed, medicine and water. It could also give breeders in remote regions of the world better access to genetic material from elsewhere, allowing for “precision breeding”. “With this technology, we can get better dissemination of desirable traits and improve the efficiency of food production,” said Jon Oatley, a reproductive…

In future, economies should be more decentralised, and governance should rest to a larger extent in the hands of communities or the business sector, rather than in a central government. This was according to Piet le Roux, CEO of Sakeliga, speaking during a series of Agri Xtra panel discussions at Nampo Virtual, which was held from 9 to 12 September and hosted by Grain SA. Dawie Roodt, chief economist of the Efficient Group, facilitated the discussion that looked into a futuristic economy. The panel also included Russell Lamberti, founder of investment advisory firm ETM Macro Advisors and Chris Becker, blockchain technologies specialist at Investec. Lamberti said he believed that centralisation was the defining political battle of the 21st century. “Last century we saw the outright victory of centralisation that has…

Government’s response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agriculture sector, and the measures implemented to cushion these effects, came under the spotlight during an Agri in Motion session at Nampo Virtual, which was held from 9 to 12 September and hosted by Grain SA. Prof Johann Kirsten, director of the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University, and Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, were in conversation with political analyst Mpumelelo Mkhabela, and unpacked the impact of the pandemic on agriculture. The pair made suggestions for an alternative relief programme, designed according to the “damage” caused by the lockdown regulations. With regard to disaster relief funds, Sihlobo suggested that a clear analysis should have been conducted prior to implementing the funding programme, in order to better understand…

The South African wool market performed better during the second sale of September, with a 1,1% increase in rand terms compared with the previous sale. A total of 6 881 bales were offered, of which 28% consisted of Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified wools, and an improved overall sales clearance of 93,27% was achieved. The Cape Wools Merino indicator closed at a price of R119,91/kg (clean). Improved market sentiment and good participation from all buying houses resulted in the market performing better, according to Cape Wools. While certain broader micron categories came under pressure, sustainable, fine Merino fleece outperformed the market. The major buyers were Lempriere SA (1 502 bales), Tianyu SA (1 259), Modiano SA (1 237), and Standard Wool SA (1 134). The largest increase of 2,9% was…

Despite an anticipated record harvest this season, the barley industry could face reduced demand, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the August forecast by the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC), the malting barley crop was estimated to reach about 505 215t, which was a 46,44% or 160 215t increase on the previous season’s crop of 345 000t. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, said South Africa could remain a net exporter of barley with key export markets primarily being Uganda, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho and Togo. He added that the 2020/2021 marketing season had been severely affected by the lockdown regulations and the resultant ban on alcohol sales. “This could lead to a lower intake of barley by the domestic beer industry. The irony of a historically…

A successful business turnaround strategy being implemented by the management of Omnia has resulted in the credit ratings service provider, GCR, recently upgrading the company’s national long- and short-term issuer ratings, which reflect Omnia’s ability to meet its financial obligations. GCR also revised Omnia’s financial performance outlook from negative to stable. Omnia took a beating during its financial year ended 31 March 2019. For that period the company, which also manufactured agricultural fertilisers, reported income before tax of -R414 million (2018: R886 million) and profit for the year of -R407 million (2018: R664 million). However, for its financial year ended 31 March 2020, Omnia had been able to recover its income before tax to R332 million and its profit for the year to R129 million. A statement by GCR explained…

Agriculture in South Africa outperformed other sectors in the first half of 2020. The sector grew by an annualised 11,1% in the first half of 2020 and by 15% in the second quarter of 2020 from the same periods last year. In contrast, the country’s GDP decreased 16% from the first to the second quarter of 2020. If annualised, this is a record 51% decrease. If you compare the first half of 2020 with the same period in 2019, the economy shrank by 7,8%. The expenditure side of the economy also performed badly in the first half of 2020. Household consumption expenditure decreased 7,5%. Retail sales in the second quarter of 2020 are 28% lower than during the same period last year. The economy was already in a recession when…

Tebogo Ditsebe’s introduction to farming was a remarkable combination of accident, luck and passion. As a consultant in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, agriculture was the last thing on her mind. In 2001, however, she needed a place of quiet and calm to clear her mind after experiencing some personal hardship. A friend, the late Herman Galaman, invited her and her children to stay on his plot in the Bloemfontein district. This was home to a few animals and Ditsebe undertook a few light duties on the farm. “This is where my interest in agriculture was ignited,” she recalls. THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME In 2011, seeing her growing interest, Galaman offered to sell her his 48ha wine farm in Jacobsdal in the Free State. “At that stage, my consultancy…

A 100g serving of avocado is moderate to rich in several B vitamins and vitamin K, with good content of vitamins C and E and potassium. The human body requires vitamin K for complete synthesis of certain proteins needed for blood coagulation (hence the designation ‘K’, from koagulation, Danish for ‘coagulation’) or for controlling binding of calcium in bones and other tissues. About 75% of an avocado’s energy comes from fat, most of which (67% of total fat) is monounsaturated fat as oleic acid. Avocado leaves, bark, skin and pit are harmful to cats, dogs, cattle, goats, rabbits, rats, birds and horses.…

There were a number of articles in the 14 August issue of Farmer’s Weekly dealing with the role of women in agriculture. This is rightly so; women play a pivotal part in the sector. Do I have to remind readers that the editor of this magazine is a woman, as are the majority of the editorial staff and many of the contributors? The articles prompted me to narrow my focus this week to women in agriculture, particularly those on fresh produce markets. LEADERSHIP POSITIONS As my thoughts navigated through the multitude of jobs and responsibilities in fresh produce that are held by women, I realised, as many others do, that women are often seriously underestimated in this industry. A large number of women head up national and fresh produce-related organisations,…

Dear Jonno, I am on a 3ha farm in Botswana and am looking to build a conference centre to accommodate 100 people. In the main building, I would like four rooms that could accommodate meetings for groups of four to six. I also need five single bedrooms, three two-bed bedrooms, and two three-bed bedrooms. All must be en suite. I would like everything to be constructed of wood and logs. I also require a restaurant attached to the centre. The site is 130m x 40m. Kind regards, Adam Dear Adam, Thank you for the informative phone call. I have designed the centre to accommodate weddings as well as conferences. Added to the main hall is a facility for local friends and families, so they can enjoy the great outdoors, away…

When Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte’s naked body was found by a British relief party in Zululand on 2 June 1879, it had 17 assegai wounds in it. The reasons for the 23-year-old’s violent death in Africa can be traced to the fall of the Second French Empire and to poor military decisions on the day he was killed. THE PRINCE LEAPT UP AND FACED HIS ENEMY, FIRING A FEW SHOTS BEFORE BEING KILLED The Franco-Prussian War (1870 to 1871) led to the collapse of the Second Empire and the exile of Prince Louis and his parents, Eugénie and Napoléon III, to England. Here the couple worked on maintaining political legitimacy in exile while Louis joined the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1872. Although his father’s death in…

MIRACLE MEN by Lloyd Burnard (Jonathan Ball, R275) It is almost a year since the Springbok rugby team overwhelmed the nation and the world by winning the Rugby World Cup, making accomplished sports writer Burnard’s tribute timely and unexpectedly refreshing. His thoughtful but lively account reminds us just how far the Boks had sunk and how low they were rated going into the competition. He depicts their growth from underdogs to top dogs, showing how player-turned-coach Rassie Erasmus combined computer-aided analyses of plays with instinctive understanding of the emotional ebb and flow of training and matches. A great sporting read that speaks to team motivation in many fields. FIREWATCHING by Russ Thomas (Simon & Schuster, R315) In a long, hot summer, buildings are going up in…

Thanks to Reach Publishers, three Farmer’s Weekly readers will each win a set of all four George titles – a wonderful gift for the young book fan in your life! TO ENTER: Email the word GEORGE and your name, physical address and ID number to farmersweekly@caxton.co.za with the subject line ‘Win a Book’. Competition opens on 25 September 2020 and runs until 30 October 2020. Visit farmersweekly.co.za for full competition details and rules. Terms and conditions apply.…

If you were given R30 million to invest in agriculture, either in new or existing farming activities or in the agriculture value chain, how would you spend it? I would invest in our family farming enterprise, specifically in on-farm storage dams, drought and other risk mitigation strategies, and crop diversification. I’d also invest in employee training and wellbeing programmes, and in diversifying the business to include a value addition or an agritourism component. As farmers in the region, we could collectively carry out due diligence of the potential of projects to deliver return on investment and benefit the broader community, then invest in value-adding activities such as processing, packaging, refining, branding of products, and establishing an export business. What is the best advice you have ever been given, and who…

CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 29 OCTOBER AgriAllAfrica Agribusiness Conference, CSIR, Pretoria. Email Marianna du Plessis at marianna.duplessis@gmail.com, or phone her on 063 076 9135. 6 TO 7 NOVEMBER Environmental Waste and Landfill Management, Emperors Palace, Johannesburg.Email admin@maphosam.co.za. COURSES & TRAINING 28 SEPTEMBER TO 2 OCTOBER Handyman Course, Agri Skills Cullinan Farm Training Centre. Email Agri Skills Transfer at admin@agriskills.net, or phone 012460 9585. 5 TO 9 OCTOBER Beef Cattle Management, Agricultural Research Council, Irene Campus, Pretoria. Email Mpho Makhanya at makhanyam@arc.agric.za, or phone her on 012 672 9153. 5 TO 9 OCTOBER Tractor Operation and Maintenance, Buhle Farmers’ Academy, Delmas Campus.Email info@buhle.org.za. 8 TO 9 OCTOBER Cattle Nutrition Management, George. Visit rltsafrica. com/product/nutrition-management. 12 TO 16 OCTOBER Veld Management, Modimolle. Email Frits van Oudtshoorn at courses@alut.co.za, or phone him on…

Analysts are increasingly convinced that the recent unfavourable weather conditions in parts of Europe, Asia and the US will not have a severe adverse effect on global grain and oilseed production estimates. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its monthly update of World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates recently, which painted a similar picture of abundant supplies as that of the International Grains Council (IGC). The 2020/2021 global maize harvest was revised down marginally by 1% from last month to 1,16 billion tons, primarily on expectations of lower yields in the US, Ukraine, EU and Russia, among others. Nonetheless, the total projected output is still 4% higher than the previous season. INCREASED PRICES OF SOYA PRODUCTS RESULT IN HIGHER COSTS FOR ANIMAL FEED These slight reductions in monthly production…

South African authorities have decided to suspend exports of certain citrus types from some of the country’s production areas to the EU market. “The objective has been to exclude potential interceptions of citrus black spot (CBS) symptomatic fruit at the tail end of the season, [thereby protecting] the long-term sustainability of the EU market. Experience has shown that the prevalence of CBS interceptions increases during this period, particularly in late Valencia [oranges],” explained Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA). He stressed that CBS-free regions in the Western and Northern Cape, and the low-risk Gamtoos and Kat River production regions, were exempted from early closure, along with exports of Mandarin oranges. Meanwhile, after 11 years of negotiations, South African citrus would soon be exported to…

While demand for dairy products increased significantly during the first half of the year despite strained economic conditions, the South African Milk Processors’ Organisation has warned that this good fortune is not likely to continue. Alwyn Kraamwinkel, CEO of SAMPRO, said that while the international supply of, and demand for, dairy products were fairly in balance, the unfolding negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economic activity could disrupt this balance in the immediate future. This would result in higher supply than demand of dairy products, as well as increased costs due to the measures implemented to curb the spread of the virus. “In the quarter ending in June 2020, the performance in the South African retail market of UHT milk, yoghurt, pre-packaged cheese, cream cheese, butter and cream…

Roads linking vegetable farms to markets in the Pusiga District of Ghana’s Upper East Region have been washed away following torrential rain, as well as the overflowing of the Bagre and Kompienga dams in Burkina Faso. According to the Freshplaza.com website, several communities in the area were cut off from the district’s capital, and other districts in the Bawku enclave, due to the poor road network, making it difficult for growers to access their farms and transport their produce to the market centres. As a result of the widespread downpours, Ghana’s White Volta River and its tributaries overflowed their banks, which resulted in flooding that washed away roads, making it difficult for growers who had been able to harvest their vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, onions, cabbage, cucumbers and okra, among…

RUSSIA Five years of oversupply has resulted in adequate volumes of sugar for Russian consumers as well as exports, despite lower output in the 2020/2021 season, estimated at between five million tons and 5,4 million tons, the IKAR agricultural consultancy said. Farmers in Russia reduced the area planted to sugar beet by 18% this year, due to pressure on profitability as a result of weak domestic sugar prices. Annual consumption was about six million tons, with production sharply down from the previous season’s 7,9 million tons. EUROPEAN UNION The European Court of Justice has struck down a Belgian law requiring all animals be stunned prior to death, which effectively outlawed slaughter according to Jewish and Muslim rites, an EU court adviser said recently. The case came before the EU court…

South African grain farmers will have to pay closer attention to their competitiveness on the global market. This was according to Divan van der Westhuizen, a farm and research analyst at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP). He was speaking during a panel discussion at the inaugural Nampo Virtual trade show, held from 9 to 12 September and hosted by Grain SA, which focused on how producers could produce more with fewer inputs and expenses, to remain internationally competitive and profitable. “If we compare yields with countries such as the US and Brazil, South Africa’s yields are about 30% to 40% lower than these countries. In addition, our cost per ton produced is between 30% and 40% higher. If you look at it from a competitiveness perspective, we…

The agriculture sector will play a prominent role in the recovery of the South African economy, and a collaborative effort between stakeholders will be the driving force to create an effective environment. This was according to Frans Weilbach, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) South Africa’s Africa agribusiness industry leader, who was facilitating a panel discussion that looked at unlocking the potential of agriculture in South Africa’s economic recovery at the inaugural Nampo Virtual held from 9 to 12 September and hosted by Grain SA. Panellists included Jonathan Cawood, PwC South Africa’s Africa strategy leader; Lullu Krugel, PwC South Africa chief economist; John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz; Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz; and Evert de Ruiter, Transnet general manager for operations transformation. Sihlobo said the agriculture sector still expected 10% growth for 2020,…

Exporting companies, Unlimited Group and Cape Fresh Produce, recently launched a joint venture called Icon Fruit, aimed at boosting South Africa’s stone fruit exports. Stefan du Plessis, farmer and co-owner of Cape Fresh Produce, who would be heading Icon Fruit, said the joint venture was “a match made in heaven”. “Our stone fruit ranges beautifully complement one another, and will allow Cape Fresh Produce to gain access to new, exotic stone fruit material. It will also bring economies of scale that will help to reduce operational costs and bring [producers] better negotiation power.” More than 60 farmers had so far committed to exporting their stone fruit through Icon Fruit. The company primarily targeted the UK, with 45% of the fruit aimed at this market. The second-biggest destinations were the EU…

The potato industry in South Africa is under threat from “cheap European imports”, and the Potato and Vegetable Processors’ Forum has been lobbying government for a temporary ban on imports of frozen potato chips. This was due to the market conditions caused by COVID-19-related trade restrictions, according to André Jooste, CEO of Potatoes South Africa (PSA). He said the local potato industry had already suffered significantly from a decrease in demand as a result of COVID-19 regulations, such as the closure of restaurants and fast food outlets, as well as restricted trade and the limitations on the movement of informal traders. “The result was a significant drop in prices, far below break-even prices for producers, and a build-up of stock levels in the processing sector. A further blow due to…

The Land and Accountability Research Centre (LARC) at the University Cape Town has warned against using the Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Act amendments to advance ‘elite’ capture. This warning was made by Nokwanda Sihlali, research officer at LARC during a webinar hosted by the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS). The webinar also included Dr Rosalie Kingwill, research associate at PLAAS, and Mlungisi Khanyeza from the KwaDinabakubo community in KwaZulu-Natal, and was chaired by Nkanyiso Gumede, a researcher at PLAAS. The Act was passed in 1991 to allow for the “upgrade” of semi-formal and informal land rights to ownership through registration in the Deeds Registry. The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development recently released the Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Amendment Bill (ULTRA), and…

Grapes can be grown quite easily from vine trimmings, and this succulent and nutritious fruit is not only a benefit to people (particularly growing children), but can also be used to feed a wide variety of animals such as chickens and goats. Planting and caring for a grapevine is also a worthwhile (and easy) initiative for a rural school. Grapevines are usually pruned in late winter or spring, and the offcuts need not go to waste. Unlike many fruit tree trimmings that have to be grafted carefully to bear fruit, grapevines can grow successfully by merely planting the trimmings in the correct manner. This means planting them the right way up; if you plant the top end into the ground, the cutting will not form roots! To make sure you…

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown regulations left huge numbers of South Africans unemployed, as businesses were forced to downscale or even shut down. Numerous families found themselves destitute, and food security and nutrition suddenly became priorities. Seeing the increasing hunger amongst their fellow citizens, many farmers, agricultural organisations and communities made a commitment to do something about it. One such person was Rossouw Cillié of Laastedrif farm in Ceres, who plants 1 200ha to fruit and vegetables all year round, and supplies markets and retailers. HOW IT STARTED Cillié says he has a passion for helping people. “It’s something I inherited from my mother, Irene. She was an incredibly caring person.” He explains that the initiative started when the national lockdown coincided with his apple and pear harvest coming…

The Tractor of the Year awards, a prestigious and highly competitive event that has been running since 1998, will move online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, the judges, who include machinery experts and journalists, travel around Europe to test-drive tractors of different brands to determine the winners of each category. This year, however, participating tractor brands will present their latest prototypes and products to the jury through the online platform totydigital.com, which includes field test videos of the finalists in the respective categories. Because the judging will take place online, members of the public will be able to follow the entire process for the very first time. THE SAME CATEGORIES The four categories remain the same as in previous years. They are Best Utility, Best of Specialised,…

With the launch of his new book, Farmer’s Weekly asked geologist Nick Norman for a few highlights on his busy life. Norman in turn revealed he had sought help from the magazine in the past; he used it to find a farm in Franschhoek and even to search for the family dogs. Norman hit the bestseller lists with his two books on roadside journeys. His latest offering is a memoir of his time as an exploration geologist, amongst other roles. 1. Farming: I was brought up on a timber farm in KwaZulu-Natal and was delighted to be able to try fruit farming myself later. I soon found the land that had been cheap enough for my budget was difficult to scratch a living from! 2. Adventure: As a boy, I…

A business idea can grow in all sorts of ways. For Claire Tucker, the stories she told her children about a neighbour’s easily spooked Friesian horse, George, morphed into first one and then a series of four vividly illustrated children’s books. Told in bouncing rhyme with bonus colouring-in pages, GORGEOUS GEORGE, GEORGE FINDS A FRIEND, GEORGE AND THE DRAGON and now GEORGE AND THE STORM are all a lively way of sharing books and a rural lifestyle with readers of four and upwards (Reach Publishing, R135 each; gorgeousgeorgebooks.co.za).…

COVID-19 restrictions have sparked a digital revolution among livestock auctioneers worldwide, with some believing there has been a permanent shift away from traditional animal auctions. “We’ve seen the popularity of online selling peak almost overnight,” says Chanel Gallen of Farmgate Auctions Australia. Closer to home, well-known auctioneer Brandon Leer (brandonleer.co.za) has released a ‘live auction’ app. Available on iTunes and Google Play, it is called simply ‘Brandon Leer’. If you are the holder of a South African or Namibian ID, you can sign up and apply for registration for a specific auction. The app will email you a one-time pin number to ensure that the process is secure, and a successful registration will be highlighted in green. Participants in any live game auction have to comply with local and international…