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

THE ERROR IN PRESIDENT ZUMA’S STATEMENT IS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS The new year has started in much the same way as 2015 ended – on a spectacular low, with the rand weakening to historic levels against major currencies, little relief from what is fast turning into a catastrophic drought, and the downgrade of South Africa’s credit rating to just one level above junk status. We are in real trouble, but hopefully this perfect storm will force our leaders to take a hard and honest look at how we got here. The drought might be exacerbating our economic problems, but it is not solely to blame for the position we find ourselves in – much the same way as we cannot continue to blame the wrongs of the past for the faults…

A precedent that has been set by the conclusion of a six-year legal battle between former Zimbabwean farmers and the government may see new avenues opening for those who have had land dispossed by President Robert Mugabe’s controversial land policies. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Afriforum lawyer Willie Spies said: “It is important that the principle is laid down that a country can be punished in this way.” Farmers Louis Fick, Ben Freeth, Wynand Hart and Deon Theron approached Afriforum in 2009 to assist them to enforce an order of the SADC Tribunal against Zimbabwe, an Afriforum press release said. According to the release in November 2008, the tribunal ruled that Mugabe’s land grab policies were illegal and racist, and that they had to be stopped and reversed. However, the release…

Agriculture role players foresee that 2016 will be a tough ride due to local government elections. Emotions were already running high after President Jacob Zuma identified skewed land ownership patterns as being at the core of inequality, unemployment and poverty in South Africa. “The challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment have their roots in the vast tracks of land that were stolen from the indigenous people of South Africa. The speed of land reform and levels of support for emerging farmers must be radically accelerated,” Zuma said at the ANC’s 104th anniversary held in Rustenburg recently. “When we slept we had land and when we woke up we had nothing. We were worse than slaves. [Even so] the government of the people has to buy it back as if it…

Despite most parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) receiving rainfall over the period of 1 December 2015 to 5 January 2016, the province reportedly remains in an extreme drought situation. “The underground, surface and soil moisture have been depleted,” Lelethu Manentsa, spokesperson for the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZN DARD), said. Predictions of below-average rainfall until March/April this year posed a threat to fodder and crop production, according to him. Richard Nicholson, economic research manager at SA Canegrowers, said that while some of KZN’s sugarcane-growing areas had received good rains over the festive season, others had received below-average rainfall. “Due to the long periods of dry and hot weather before any decent rain fell, the lands are still recovering and, at this point, it’s too early to tell how…

Russian consumer organisations have raised concerns about the increase in counterfeit meat production in that country. About 67% of all canned meat and a large percentage of dairy products in the Russian market were fake, according to a study conducted by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. In addition, Global Meat News reported that labels did not accurately reflect ingredients. Several Russian consumer organisations revealed that to reduce production expenses, a number of food manufactures had replaced traditional ingredients with cheaper substitutes. As much as 75% of cheese in grocery stores was allegedly produced with some content of palm oil to replace milk fat. According to Russian agricultural analyst Eugene Gerden, sausage and canned meat producers cut costs by replacing more expensive cuts with cheaper meat. Sausage manufacturers replaced…

Drought conditions across most of South Africa are likely to benefit some agricultural input suppliers while severely prejudicing others. The drought has negatively affected input suppliers to the grain and livestock industries. According to Agbiz CEO, Dr John Purchase, input suppliers to these sectors would most likely continue to experience a challenging 2016, as sales would fall from previous levels. “However, high-value products produced under irrigation for the export market – fruit and nuts especially – will benefit enormously from the strongly depreciating rand, and will endeavour to optimise and grow production,” he said. “This will in all probability stimulate further purchases of intermediate goods from input companies servicing this particular subsector. This development is, however, also subject to water availability in those specific irrigation production areas.” Fertiliser, seed and…

Dam levels in South Africa have continued to fall, according to a weekly report from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). Farmer’s Weekly reported in December last year that dam levels stood at 76,8%, in the Eastern Cape, 63% in the Free State, 56% in KwaZulu-Natal, 68,1% in Limpopo, 66,2% in Mpumalanga, 69,2% in the Northern Cape, 49% in North West, and 64,5% in the Western Cape. According to the DWS, all levels had since dropped. Eastern Cape dam levels currently stand at 72,8%, Free State at 56,6%, KwaZulu-Natal at 55,1%, Limpopo at 64,5%, Mpumalanga at 61,7%, Northern Cape at 63%, North West at 42,4%, and Western Cape at 52,8%. Current levels are at least 18% lower than during the corresponding period in 2015. The country’s largest dams are…

The Botswana parliament is supporting a motion that calls for the repossession of farms around the country’s cities and towns. During a recent parliamentary debate, Ignatius Moswaane, MP for the Botswana Democratic Party, said that the country’s government should negotiate with the relevant farm owners to pave the way for the expansion of cities and towns. He raised concerns that cities and towns could not expand due to farmlands. “There is rapid growth of the urban population, generally attributed to rural-urban migration due to rural poverty,” he said. Botswana’s urban population currently stood at approximately 877 000 people and accounted for about 50% of the entire population, according to him. “This has resulted in increased demand for land and housing in urban areas. The infrastructural developments and industrialisation necessary for…

I have often commented on the contrast between South Africa’s red tape-strangled aquaculture industry and the success stories in our neighbouring countries. This scenario continued to play out for much of 2015. The year began on a relatively positive note, with several new and established farmers finally obtaining Nile tilapia operating permits. The trouble is that most of these were for Gauteng, with a scattering of others in the Western Cape, North West and Eastern Cape. None was issued for Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal or Mpumalanga, where the culture of this species is most climatically suitable. As Nile tilapia is already extant in many parts of the Limpopo River and other northern catchments, it is hard to understand the rationale behind this. The industry will pursue the matter in 2016. Following the…

AVOCADOS (South African Avocado Growers’ Association – SAAGA) The season has not started yet. To set the scene, a report will be featured in the next article (FW, 19 February). LITCHIS (South African Litchi Growers’ Association – SALGA) The current season is drawing to a close. A report will appear in the next article. MACADAMIAS (South African Macadamia Growers’ Association – SAMAC) The past year or so has seen the South African macadamia industry enjoying substantial growth and becoming the world’s number one supplier. This does not imply that it has all been plain sailing. On balance, however, Mother Nature has treated macadamia growers well. By contrast, the upcoming season looks set to be a challenge for growers, processors and handlers. The severe summer weather with high temperatures and little…

NATIONAL KALAHARI RED CHAMPIONS NATIONAL DAMARA CHAMPIONS CENTRAL VELDMASTER CHAMPIONS CONTACTS: Piet Coetzee: +264 81 124 2242 | Edmond Beukes: +264 81 333 2470 CONTACTS: Danie Jansen van Vuuren: +264 81 245 7239 Zirk Coetzee: +264 81 200 3542 | MJ Garbers: +264 81 263 1523…

Agricultural lime is calcium carbonate, while dolomitic lime is a compound of roughly equal quantities of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. Dolomitic lime should be used on acid soil where a magnesium deficiency also occurs. Dolomitic lime is slightly less soluble than agricultural lime, but its neutralising effect is about 10% more effective. This means the amount required can be reduced by 10% to achieve similar results to agricultural lime. Slaked or building lime can be cheaper, but it absorbs moisture and is caustic and unpleasant to handle. It could also delay germination.…

CHECK WHICH APPS ARE USING THE MOST DATA AND TURN THEM OFF Aren’t Facebook videos annoying? Worse, they eat into your precious data allowance. Apparently, Facebook introduced autoplay videos two years ago. Now all Facebook videos (including commercials) play automatically as you scroll down the page. You don’t have to interact with or click on them – they launch themselves. Here’s how to turn off Facebook’s autoplay facility. • On a laptop or PC: – Go to Facebook and click on ‘Settings’; – Select ‘Videos’ from the dropdown menu; – Select ‘Auto-Play Videos’ and click ‘Off’ to change the default setting. • If you access Facebook via an iOS/iPhone: – Click on the Facebook app; – Go to ‘Settings’ (usually found on the bottom right of your screen and sometimes under the…

NEW HORSE EXERCISERS ALLOW AN ANIMAL TO CANTER TOO Horse walkers have been used for many years to exercise horses or cool them down after training (the so-called hot walker). They are based on the old horse-powered mill, where one to four horses were hitched to poles and driven in a circle round a central axis to grind flour. The term ‘hot walker’ was originally coined to describe a groom employed to walk a horse after a race in order to cool it down. The groom would lead a horse slowly in circles, often pausing to sponge off sweat, until the horse was dry. Trainers who had to exercise many young racehorses eventually realised that a mechanical device could walk four horses dry at the same time. Early models consisted…

GAME DRIVE BIRDS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA by Philip van den Berg (HPH, R490) Combining his scientific background with his passion for photography, Van den Berg has produced this photographic guide for savannah and grassland game drives, with well-written introductions to common birds, their families, behaviour and lifestyle. The large photographs offer birding novices much better bird portraits than in most photographic guides. A short section of birding tips also assists beginners. MARIANA’S COUNTRY KITCHEN by Mariana Esterhuizen (Human & Rousseau, R350) It is 15 years since Esterhuizen and her husband Peter moved to Stanford in the Overberg, pioneering the dorp’s foodie revolution. Their award-winning restaurant is renowned for using local produce, and here Mariana shares many of her recipes, such as waterblommetjies with garlic and lemon…

Dallas Kemp, one of the country’s top livestock auctioneers for more than 50 years, died suddenly at his home in Stutterheim on 7 January. He retired to Stutterheim about three years ago but was still officiating regularly at auctions. Born in Queenstown and educated at Dale College in King William’s Town, Dallas became an auctioneer in 1963, conducting his first cattle sale in Cathcart. He later became head auctioneer of Stockowners Co-operative in KwaZulu-Natal and in 1990 was the auctioneer at the first historic game sale held by the Natal Parks Board. He is survived by his wife Rae and three children, Donald, Dalene and Robert.…

Scientific arguments about whether or not humans can slow down climate change by cutting their carbon footprint are too complicated for the layman. Satellite images clearly show that polar ice and mountain glaciers are quickly melting. But does one believe the alarmists who insist this is mainly because of the increasing levels of carbon dioxide generated by man since the industrial revolution? Or does one side with the deniers who say that climate change, just like the shrinking and expanding ozone hole, is cyclical and controlled more by volcanic eruptions and other natural phenomena that are not yet clearly understood? Anyway, who says that the Earth won’t start cooling down again soon, all by itself? Climate alarmism is also in question because data has been collected for such a relatively…

Concerns have been raised about the “drastic increase” in farm attacks across South Africa during the festive season – 1 December 2015 to 5 January 2016. The Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU SA) reported that seven farm murders had been committed in about 52 attacks during this period. The union said that for the period 1 December 2013 to 5 January 2014, it recorded five murders in approximately 13 attacks while for the period 1 December 2014 to 5 January 2015, it recorded 11 murders in 22 attacks. “According to statistics available to TAU SA, the latest figures indicate a drastic increase in criminal activity [on farms],” said Chris van Zyl, the union’s assistant general manager for policy liaison. Van Zyl said that while factual confirmation was lacking…

Dry climatic conditions in the Ceres Valley in the Western Cape are expected to take their toll on the coming harvest, should the region not receive rain over the next two to three months. Water levels were critically low, with many farms becoming dependent on borehole water, according to Hannes Hanekom, who farms on Welgemeen in the Witzenberg Valley. However, the water status of boreholes was uncertain, and it was possible that they could dry up at any time. Several of Hanekom’s boreholes had already run dry. “When this happens you have to make a plan, such as reverting water from another borehole or dam to the area that needs to be irrigated. This, however, usually results in higher pumping costs. Some boreholes also become clogged up and need to…

National tractor and combine harvester sales for the 2015 calendar year were respectively 12,2% and 36,6% down on sales of the 2014 calendar year. This, with ongoing drought across most of the country and the recent fall of the rand to record lows against major trading currencies, has reportedly placed a heavy burden on South Africa’s agricultural machinery supply sector. The South African Agricultural Machinery Association (SAAMA) reported that December 2015 new tractor sales of 246 units were 28,5% down on the 344 units sold in December 2014. Year-to-date December 2015 new tractor sales were 5 673 units compared with the 6 460 units sold in the previous year. Five new combine harvesters were sold in December 2015, which was 37,5% lower than the eight units sold in December 2014.…

Farmers have started picking wine grapes seven to 10 days earlier than usual this season, due to warm climatic conditions. Conditions had been considerably warmer and drier than usual in large parts of the Western Cape since August 2015, resulting in early ripening in the Olifants River, Swartland and Breede River Valley areas, according to Francois Viljoen, consultation service manager at VinPro. In the Northern Cape the situation was similar, according to Henning Burger, manager of viticulture services at Orange River Cellars. Harvesting of wine grapes had started about a week earlier than usual. “The Orange River has also experienced warmer than usual climatic conditions since October [2015], and the heat wave experienced at the start of January has exacerbated the situation,” Burger said. There was a possibility that the…

Trade conflicts between industrial countries, such as the ongoing GMO/biotech crops dispute, at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) can have serious ramifications. South Africa needs to monitor the impact of these on its trade with the EU. Initially, the European Community approved certain GM crops, then froze approvals in 1998 and allowed some member states to ban GM crops. This led to a WTO dispute between the US and 17 third parties against the EU. The EU followed up with two regulations in 2003. The one set standards for assessing GM crop safety, the other provided for mandatory labelling of GM crops and the GM process used to ensure traceability. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was established to assess GMO safety but despite positive findings only a few crops…

‘THE COMMISSION WILL MEET ITS DUTY TO PROVIDE REDRESS FOR THE VICTIMS OF LAND DISPOSSESSION’ How did the Land Claims Commission fare in 2015 compared with previous years? The commission has consistently performed well. Looking at the three previous annual reports, all targets were achieved. Although the commission had a shaky start to the financial year, the organisation has made up ground and is currently poised for delivery on all its targets. How many land restitution claims were processed in 2015? From 1995 to 31 March 2015, the commission had settled more than 80% of the claims lodged prior to the 1998 cut-off date for the lodgement of land claims. For the current financial year, the commission has so far settled 81% of its annual target – 374 claims against…

The development of insects over vast swathes of time has always fascinated Ernest Pringle and he uses the humble cockroach to illustrate this. “Cockroaches have been taken out of fossil deposits 375 million years old – that’s four times older than the dinosaurs,’’ he explains. What’s more, he says, these insects look more or less like today’s cockroaches around our homes. “You therefore have to ask yourself: how old would the ancestor of the cockroach be? The age of insects as a collective is something that goes back to the dawn of time.’’…

Born and bred in Zimbabwe, Alexious Shoko was fortunate to grow up with parents who had a love for agriculture and taught him the importance of the industry. “Both my parents worked for the department of agriculture in Zimbabwe, where they also owned a few hectares of land. They fuelled my passion for agriculture,” he recalls. Alexious enrolled at the Kushinga Phikelela Agriculture Institute in Masvingo after completing school. After receiving a certificate in agriculture, he started his professional career as a science and agriculture teacher at local secondary schools. Two years later he enrolled at Harare Polytechnic, where he received a diploma in horticulture. The next step, Alexious decided, was to study for a degree in agriculture. But in 2005, after a year of study, he became a victim…

USE THE SAME METHOD OF PLANNING FOR SEED, SEEDLINGS, PESTICIDES, FUEL AND PACKING MATERIAL Growing vegetables involves multitasking. I covered the importance of getting the timing right in my previous article. This week, I want to look at another neglected aspect – planning. Many farmers have only a rough plan of what to grow in the coming season; they rarely go into the details. Most plant several different crops. This may be for crop rotation, to spread the risk of a low price on one commodity, or some other consideration, such as making more productive use of farm workers. Let’s look at labour. Because of the cost of wages, many farmers today are keen to reduce the need for labour as far as possible. However, to do so requires careful…

MCCORMICK’S ENTIRE TRACTOR RANGE HAS BEEN OVERHAULED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS Agritechnica saw the launch of the long-awaited McCormick X8 series, a milestone in the development by Argo of the McCormick brand. The X8 series has three models rated at 198kW, 214kW and 232kW. All are powered by the fuel-efficient BetaPower 6,7-litre six-cylinder engine driving the proven four-range ZF continuously-variable transmission. The cab is claimed to be the best in its class with a quiet, air-conditioned environment and ergonomic controls. McCormick’s entire tractor range has been overhauled over the past two years with the introduction of new technology for improved reliability and efficiency. Agritechnica also saw the launch of the new 112,5kW McCormick X7.650, powered by the six-cylinder BetaPower Fuel Efficiency engine. It has ergonomically-arranged controls for optimal control…

Don’t be fooled by its compact size and light weight (considerably less than a kilogram). The Japanese-made Silky Ono hatchet is ideal for cutting branches, splitting wood and chopping up firewood. The Ono is forged from a single billet of alloy steel. The handle is a continuation of the blade. A one-piece Genki rubber grip over the handle absorbs most of the shock of chopping, preventing this from being transferred to the hand. Its total length is 300mm, the blade length is 120mm and the cutting edge length is 130mm. The steel is of excellent quality; theoretically, the blade edge can be sharpened enough to shave with. The Silky Ono hatchet comes with a strong purpose-made nylon sheath with a strong belt loop. It can be carried easily and comfortably…

GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS, BUT HIS PLAN FOR OUR LIVES IS PERFECT In 1 Kings 21:1-7, we read a story that is disturbing because we see a grown man acting like a child. Ahab, king of Israel, tried to buy a field from his neighbour, Naboth. Ahab wanted to grow vegetables in the field, but Naboth refused to sell the land as it was part of his inheritance. The Bible then tells us how Ahab returned to his house and acted like a spoilt child. He lay in his bed, wouldn’t eat any food and turned his face away from everybody until his wife Jezebel, queen of Israel, came to see him. “What’s wrong with you, and why are you acting like a spoilt child?” she asked. “Naboth…

The recent onslaught on rhino has had the unintended consequence of causing the plight of elephant to slip into the background. But Bob Preller helps redress this with the publication of the fifth edition of his widely researched handbook, The Silent Giants of Southern Africa (Silent Giants, R360). Preller was an honorary game ranger for many years and his enthusiasm for creatures and tales of the bush shines through here. Alongside accounts of the elephant’s life cycle and behaviour, he features summaries of interesting research, extracts from renowned writers on elephants, unusual tales of elephant behaviour and discussions of how their habits might be harnessed to protect them and other wildlife. The Silent Giants of Southern Africa is a fascinating read. 5 COPIES OF…

US President Barack Obama has again given an extension – to 15 March – for South Africa to comply with AGOA requirements and will suspend duty-free imports of all agricultural goods if the deadline is not met, according to agoa.info. The website stated that Obama said requirements for South Africa would be deemed to have been met only once chicken imports were on the country’s shelves. This followed an announcement by Minister of Trade and industry Rob Davies on Monday that an agreement on AGOA had been reached. If South Africa met the deadline, agriculture could benefit from AGOA trade in the long term, said Prof Nick Vink, chairperson of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University. He added that in the short term the exchange rate protected South…

Genomic data company, NRGene, has succeeded in assembling the bread wheat genome for the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC). The IWGSC announced the production of a whole genome assembly of bread wheat early in January 2016. Bread wheat is the most widely grown grain in the world and the genome assembly will significantly accelerate global research into crop improvement. The project consisted of producing an entire genome assembly of the bread wheat variety Chinese Spring, according to a NRGene statement. The collaborative project was coordinated by the IWGSC and included, among other institutions, the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre in Canada, the Global Institute for Food Security in Canada, and Kansas State University in the US. Tel Aviv University in Israel and the French National Institute for Agricultural…

South Africa’s fledgling commercial freshwater aquaculture sector is reportedly growing increasingly frustrated at incidents where government officials delayed, confiscated or even destroyed, expensive and vulnerable imports of live fish. Allegations have emerged of cases where the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’s (DAFF) quarantine station officials at OR Tambo International Airport had seemingly maliciously caused delays to these imported animals, confiscated and even destroyed them, for allegedly minor reasons. Nicholas James, owner of Rivendell Hatchery in the Eastern Cape, said his and two other businesses had been negatively affected by DAFF quarantine officials at the airport in separate incidents in 2015. According to James, in the first incident, Integrated Aquaculture of Hekpoort in Gauteng had imported live Nile tilapia from the UK valued at about R40 000. Company owner Lance…

The EU is helping Kenya to improve the competitiveness of its export products, including coffee, through disease control and research. Phil Hogan, EU commissioner for agriculture and rural development, said that the availability of new coffee varieties had already increased production and improved productivity, according to CAJ News. The EU is the primary market for Kenyan coffee beans, which grew by 17% in 2014 to U$254,2 million (R40,2 billion). Farmers earned US$145 million (R2,3 billion) at an average price of US$212 (R3 350) per 50kg bag. In 2013 the Coffee Research Institute received EU funding of €2 million (R32 million) through the Kenya Rural Development Programme to promote capacity building for coffee growing in 32 Kenyan regions.…

Only about half of the four million hectares earmarked for grain production in South Africa, indicated in the October 2015 Crop Estimate Committee’s report, had been planted so far, according to the latest Grain SA survey. Hannes Haasbroek, who grows maize in Bothaville, planted less than half of his usual maize crop. Although some rain had been received throughout the year it was not enough and he did not expect a full yield from the 1 000ha maize planted, he said. “Small maize cobs have already experienced some damage due to the scorching heat,” he said, adding that fixed costs would be a major challenge for farmers. Pasture and feed would be another difficulty, especially for stock farmers. Prices for yellow maize, used mostly for animal feed, were at record…

Cape Town’s nature reserves are experiencing an increase in the poaching of wild animals, particularly the Cape grysbok, porcupine and Cape hare. In a recent statement by the City of Cape Town, it was estimated that dozens of animals were poached from the city’s nature reserves each month. Although an exact figure was not available, a notable decrease or even absence of particular animals at some sites was evidence of the impact of poaching, Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Johan van der Merwe, said. While some of the poaching was for meat, the primary reason for much of this illegal hunting was for gambling purposes, as bets are placed on dogs involved in the hunt. According to the statement, several groups are currently hunting with large…

Botswana’s ambitious plan to increase the agricultural sector’s contribution to GDP from 2% to 6% by 2020 could remain a pipe dream, according to Econsult Botswana’s managing director, Dr Keith Jefferis. The agricultural sector contributed approximately P2,6 billion (R3,7 billion) to the country’s GDP annually, and the sector’s contribution had been declining over the years, Jefferis said. While the rest of the economy had grown steadily, sector output had failed to grow, and the government had recently revealed its plan to stimulate the sector and improve its contribution to the economy by commercialising the grain and livestock subsectors. Jefferis, former deputy governor of the Bank of Botswana, said that the target could fail due to low productivity across the sector. To reach the target, there needed to be a dramatic…

THEY PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES Did you ever watch the show MegaBoere on kykNET, presented by Piet Croucamp? The good news is that it continues this month, and it should be mandatory viewing for every farmer in Africa. What these visionary mega farmers have achieved with their businesses is truly inspiring. It is also remarkable how fast some of them have built their businesses. Take Piet Karstens, for instance. He started in 1968 on 6ha, and has built Karsten Boerdery into an international fruit giant. Charl Senekal is another example. Today the biggest private cane grower in the country, he began his working life as a lab technician in the Pongola sugar mill. These men and women, and many others like them, give credence to Walt Disney’s…

Meat MEAT PRICES MIXED International: New Zealand steers traded 1,05% lower at NZ$470/head and cows traded 1,32% lower at NZ$299/head. US beef traded mostly higher: topside was higher at US$268,32/cwt, rump higher at US$339,95/cwt, strip loin higher at US$529,19/cwt, chuck higher at US$248,49/cwt, brisket higher at US$291,86/cwt. Prices were stable in the US during the festive season and this trend seems to be continuing into 2016, despite reduced confidence in the market following the Chinese share market crash. Domestic: Local prices have remained very firm, in line with international trends, and are expected to trade flat in the short term. Class A and Class C prices were flat at R36,40/kg and R29,80/kg respectively. Supplies of C-grade beef seem to be lower as producers are expecting good rain, but lack of…

Although common in cattle stud breeding, carefully recorded production data has generally not been a requirement for extensive goat farming. Eighteen months ago, Johan Boshoff of the farm Elandsdrift near Marble Hall in Mpumalanga, decided that it was time to change this state of affairs – and his decision looks set to have long-term benefits, not just for him, but the industry as a whole. Johan and a shareholder, Cheem Prinsloo, run 220 Boer goat ewes on Elandsdrift. In 2014, Johan decided to establish the Innibos Boerbokgroep with five other breeders to focus on recording production figures that could serve as basis for their breeding operations. FOLLOWING DAIRY FARMERS’ EXAMPLE Recording mating, lambing, weight and weaning data provides the raw information used to calculate milk production, inter-lambing period indices, and…

Since the Western Cape Farm Worker of the Year competition began in 2002, more than 6 000 people have entered. Last year, a record number of farm workers – 1 247 – entered the competition, a 20% increase from the previous year. The competition comprises a selection process where entrants are interviewed by a panel of agricultural experts on a range of issues including transformation and their vision for the future of the sector. Winners are chosen in 11 categories, including best irrigation specialist, agri-processing specialist and technical operator. Regional winners and runners-up receive cash prizes and shopping vouchers from Shoprite. Last year, at a gala event to announce the winners, the nearly 700 guests voted for their favourite word describing a farm worker as well as a new name…

TO SUCCESSFULLY RUN SUCH AN UNDERTAKING TAKES A SPECIAL BREED OF PEOPLE The name of this column, ‘On the Market Floor’, was chosen for a good reason: the market floor is exactly where you’ll hear all the news in the fresh produce industry. Not all of this gossip on the floor will be true, but you can be sure it will be scathing, juicy, derogatory or even uplifting. In short, it will certainly be intriguing. With this in mind, I offer what I heard recently about Cape Town Market (CTM) from what I consider reliable sources. According to them, CTM has been sold to a consortium of buyers from the fresh produce sector consisting of producers, market agents and producer organisations. Apparently, the current management will continue for two years.…

To make New York-style Italian-American meatballs and spaghetti for four, you will need: For the meatballs • 600g minced beef• 500g minced pork• 2 slices white bread• 3 cloves garlic• 1 egg• Extra virgin olive oil• 1 heaped tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese• ¼ teaspoon black pepper• ¼ teaspoon coarse salt• ½ cup plain flour For the tomato sauce • 2 cans of tomatoes (400g per can)• 2 large onions• 1 bay leaf (for traditionalists)• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves• 5 cloves garlic• Salt and black pepper to taste• Extra virgin olive oil on demand Pasta • 500g spaghetti or ribbon-cut pasta We start with the tomato sauce. Peel and thinly slice the onions; crush, peel and mince the garlic. Finely chop the basil. Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a saucepan and bring this up to medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until the…

Bones are often cooked in broth and it may seem logical that the calcium drawn from them, which helps to reduce osteoporosis, is the main benefit of such a broth. But there is more to bones than just calcium. Bones contain other essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous, sulphur and silicon. Certain amino acids can also help with a number of serious health issues. Two non-essential amino acids in particular – proline and glycine – have been shown to be vital for the health of some organs. They are found in the gelatine formed naturally when bone broth cools off and solidifies into a jelly. People who suffer from a malfunctioning digestive system due to inflammatory bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease or a ‘leaky’ gut can benefit from these amino acids.…