Table of contents for 9 September 2016 in Farmer's Weekly

In 2016, Earth Overshoot Day, also known as Ecological Debt Day, fell on 8 August. This is the day of the year when human demand for natural resources surpasses what the Earth can annually replenish. In the early 1970s, humans were able to make it to Christmas before their resource use exceeded what the planet could restock, but since then, Earth Overshoot Day has arrived earlier and earlier every year, as we increasingly start living on resources borrowed or stolen from future generations. The current rate at which we consume ecological resources is, to put it plainly, putting life on Earth at risk. According to the Global Footprint Network (the think-tank behind Earth Overshoot Day), we needed the equivalent of 1,6 Earths this year to sustain our current level of…

Thousands of Eastern Cape seasonal workers’ jobs are in jeopardy as a result of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality not adhering to water restrictions. “Port Elizabeth has expanded greatly in recent years, but the water infrastructure has not,” according to Pierre Joubert, CEO of the Gamtoos Irrigation Board (GIB). “Along with bad management, the current [water] resources aren’t enough for Port Elizabeth.” In addition, the Nooitgedacht Low Level Scheme, which is intended to supply water to Port Elizabeth from the Gariep Dam, has not been completed. It should have been completed in 2013, Joubert said. The illegal overuse of water had a negative impact on agricultural irrigation schemes in the area, with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality simply ignoring a 15% water usage restriction implemented in 2015, he said. According…

The NSPCA is investigating various cases involving the theft and abuse of donkeys. Senior inspector, Grace de Lange, said that incidents were occurring across South Africa, as well as in other parts of the continent. Recently, the export unit of the Lagos International Airport was closed following reports of donkey skins being smuggled out of the country. In South Africa, incidents were primarily centred in the Northern and Eastern Cape. Since some cases were still under investigation, De Lange could not divulge all information, but confirmed that one particular case involved the theft of 42 donkeys in the North West village of Mmaku. “The Chinese owner of the property where the carcasses were found has admitted to stealing and skinning the donkeys, claiming ‘they make good medicine’,” De Lange said.…

The economic and social realities of SA’s agriculture sector called for brave leadership based on a common vision for the future, said Grain SA CEO Jannie de Villiers at the congress. Achieving unity based on a shared vision could be a tough process. Producers’ vision, for instance, was profit-driven, while government’s vision for the future was driven by social issues. “The time has come for brave leaders in the agricultural value chain to step up and initiate collaboration,” said De Villiers. Any shared agricultural vision should be based on sustainability, people and the environment. Profitable commercial agriculture ensured sustainable food security and poverty alleviation through job creation. To that effect commercial agriculture has formed private and public partnerships to facilitate research, among others, because of the state’s dwindling research capacity.…

Consumers’ demand for the use of fewer chemicals in pest control have influenced the strategies used by farmers in the apple and pear growing regions of South Africa. Today, growers for Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, South Africa’s largest apple and pear marketing company, achieve some of the lowest Minimum Residue Levels (MRL) in the country, and exceed the EU’s (European Union) standard. “Our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme was developed as a response to the need to find ways to successfully manage pests and diseases that impact apple and pear crops in a way that has the least impact on the environment,” says De Kock Hamman, technical advisor at Ceres Fruit Growers, one of Tru-Cape’s grower-owned packhouses. “In 2011, we detected between 27 and 30 active chemicals to manage pests. This…

‘HE WAS VERY STRONG AND HE MADE ME STRONG’ “I sat in this house crying, I did not know what to do,’’ recalls Tembeka Mbeshu (44) of the farm, Eensaam, near Elliot in the Eastern Cape. After the death of her husband Joseph in 2012, Tembeka became solely responsible for the farming operation. day becoming a fully-fledged commercial beef farmer. “I will never run away from the farm; I have big dreams,’’ she says. RISING OUT OF POVERTY After losing her mother to cancer in 1987, Tembeka lived “Suddenly I had to do everything myself.’’ However, Tembeka committed herself to not only farm the 265ha farm to secure the future of her son (Masande) and two daughters (Lilitha and Nosisa), but also to reach her goal of one with her…

• Quality comes first, and price will follow: Efficient production should never be at the expense of quality. If farmers deliver a quality crop, they can expect to receive a good price. • Quality is attractive: A quality product will have a longer shelf life. This is important to the end-consumer and leads to brand loyalty. • Don’t take shortcuts: This will hurt your brand’s reputation and create opportunities for the competition. • Invest in the cold chain: Peter says that as farmers spend so much money on producing their produce, it makes sense to ensure that it reaches buyers in top condition. When Da Rocha Bros transports produce to the national fresh produce markets, it keeps produce fresh by using refrigerated trucks. “It costs us more, but the investment is worth it,” he…

THIS SYSTEM MAKES PERFECT ‘FLAKES’, WITH EVEN DENSITY The MF 2200 series with the new ProCut system combines a huge increase in capacity with a finer, uniform chop. “We know, from customer experience, that chopped silage bales can reduce mixing times in feeder wagons by up to half while saving power,” says MF product marketing manager (harvesting) Mark Grigson. “Chopped straw bales are now becoming more widely used not only for bedding, but also as part of total mixed rations. Users are looking for a finer chop.” New quad augers on each side provide a consistent feed to the rotor, increasing capacity and ensuring unrestricted, uniform feeding. The 650mm diameter ProCut rotor has 26mm-wide hard-faced, cast steel fingers arranged in a spiral ‘V’ formation. Rotor fingers are made in three…

UPON ENTRY THE PIGEONS BECOME THE PROPERTY OF THE SAPIR LOFT The final of the 2016 SAPIR will be held on 25 September from Colesburg (a distance of about 570km). Prime bred young racing pigeons are entered, homed and trained to compete against each other from the same loft. Whether a business executive who doesn’t have time to compete from a home loft or a specialist breeder, you can test the quality of your pigeon stock at the SAPIR loft east of Johannesburg, where all the work is done for you. these three can earn prize money on the Hot Spots. • One main pigeon must be nominated from these three for the final race prior to the auction. • SAPIR Loft will auction off all the birds just prior…

Why “twice-cooked vegetables” I hear you ask? Simple. The first cooking involves half the vegetables under the roasted fowl, while the second consists of the other half roasted alone at relatively high heat. The big deal for the diners is the contrast in texture and flavour. Believe me, this matters. The chicken you choose for this meal should not be one of those post-dinosaur, multicoloured giants patrolling the roadside, intimidating free-range dogs and migrant goats. Get the freshest broiler fowl you can find. Coarsely chop the garlic head into fragments, with peel. Stuff it into the body cavity of the fowl and do this amazing thing without fear. Contrary to all expectations, this garlic will just be an accent to the flavour. Next, remove the zest of the lemon. Bursting…

“The soya bean, a relatively simple and low-cost crop, has a short growing season, and because of its high nutritive value for both humans and livestock, demand for the crop is increasing. Production at scale would enable value-added processing opportunities for key soya growing countries like Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This is particularly significant, as agriculture-led development has been identified by African heads of government as key to achieving food security and stimulating rural development in sub-Saharan Africa. Increasing regional soya trade and production will also improve the production of other commodities, such as maize, rice and wheat. When rotated with maize for example, a soya bean crop improves maize yields by 10% to 20% through replenishing nitrogen in the soil. This could drastically change the continent’s food security narrative.…

CONFERENCES & EXPOS 6 TO 8 SEPTEMBER No-till Club's Conservation Agriculture Conference 2016, ATKV Drakensville. Phone Sandra on 033 330 2062, or email ntcsandra@gmail.com. 9 TO 11 SEPTEMBER National Orchid Show and Conference, Pietermaritzburg. Phone Alison Young on 082 406 5638, or email Saoc2016show@gmail.com. 13 TO 16 SEPTEMBER The Land Rehabilitation Society of Southern Africa's (LaRSSA) 4th Annual Conference, Kimberley. Phone Glaudin Kruger on 028 316 2905, or email kruger@krugerassociate.com. 14 TO 15 SEPTEMBER Food and Drink Technology Africa Expo, Midrand. Visit www.fdt-africa.com. 18 TO 21 SEPTEMBER Tropentag International Conference on Research in Food Security, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development, Vienna, Austria. Visit www.tropentag.de. 20 TO 22 SEPTEMBER The Silo Expo, Lesotho National Wool and Mohair Growers' Association Convention Centre, Lesotho. Email expo@thesilo.co.ls, or visit www.thesilo.co.ls. 28 SEPTEMBER AMT…

GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO REACT TO A CRISIS THAT MANY HAVE FORESEEN FOR A LONG TIME Southern Africa used to be the bread basket of the continent. As TK Naliaka writes in Iron Mixed with Sand Salt without Memory: “Green meant water, green patches meant farmers and farmers meant agriculture. Agriculture meant food to eat and food to sell, which meant towns and transport. They had reached civilization.” Persistent droughts and Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s land reforms have, however, decimated food security for some Southern African countries. Several sub-Saharan African countries rank amongst the least food secure in the world. Unfortunately, the wonderfully simple, yet incredibly important description of the role of agriculture supplied by Naliaka is under severe strain even in South Africa. In the early 1990s, maize had to…

Many female farmers in South Africa struggle to achieve food security, escape poverty and participate in irrigation agriculture because they do not have secure access to water or land. Women are also less likely to own land or livestock, adopt new technologies, or have access to agricultural extension advice. These were some of the findings of a new Water Research Commission (WRC) report on the empowerment of women in Limpopo through water and land use security. Author of the report, Dr Joyce Chitja, an agricultural scientist at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, recently presented the findings at an event in Pretoria. Chitja said that according to traditional customs in patriarchal communities, men were often awarded land rights, and this prevented certain categories of women from accessing land. “Marriage is an important…

Argentina’s ministry of agriculture has forecast that in 2016/2017 the country will have 5,2 million hectares under wheat, 18% higher than the previous season. This was according to a market report by Wandile Sihlobo, head: economic and agribusiness intelligence at Agbiz. Sihlobo said Argentina’s agriculture sector had experienced significant reforms since President Mauricio Macri was elected in December 2015. For one, Macri removed taxes on grain exports, stimulating growth in Argentina’s wheat sector. “This was an incentive for farmers to plant more and become active participants in the global market,” said Sihlobo. However, this led to an oversupply of wheat and, as a result, global prices should remain depressed. Wheat prices are at a six-year low of about US$192/t (R2 724). According to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy…

Livestock is responsible for 21% of man-made methane production and contributed to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to Prof Michiel Scholtz, specialist researcher at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) speaking at the recent Afrikaner World Expo symposium at the Jacaranda Show in Pretoria. “Extensively produced beef cattle is a major contributor. Methane has an atmospheric lifetime of 12 years, with carbon dioxide having a 120-year lifetime,” said Scholtz. Selecting animals with a lower residual feed intake (RFI) meant choosing animals that grew more on less feed. This in turn meant cattle producing less methane, he said. Local smaller framed breeds, such as the Afrikaner or Nguni, had better RFI than some large-framed European breeds that needed more feed, said Scholtz. The ARC was working on identifying the genes that made…

Partnerships between all the role players in SA’s agriculture value chain were vital to ensure long term sustainability and profitability, said Agri SA president Johannes Möller at the 2016 Agri Northern Cape congress in Kimberley. Furthermore, the recent municipal election results showed that the people of SA were increasingly moving to common ground, said Möller. The shift away from radical politics made it markedly easier for commercial producers to form strategic partnerships with government, he said. “We cannot walk away from government. It does not mean that we always agree with the policy-makers, but we have to work in cooperation with the state to prevent a Zimbabwe-like situation,” said Möller. He blamed recent job losses in agriculture to the implementation of a minimum wage. “What happened was that the sector…

SA’s commercial farming sector needed to pursue new and more affordable avenues for funding. It could no longer depend on the state for financial assistance, said Agri Northern Cape president, Henk van Wyk. Policy uncertainty about land reform and restitution had resulted in financial institutions becoming increasingly hesitant to fund farmers. “Poor political leadership” also contributed markedly to the “dire financial situation of commercial farmers, particularly the lack of sufficient state drought support,” said Van Wyk. He advocated a land reform process based on the Australian model, in which the state helped land claimants to buy land legally on the open market. Those who preferred to be paid out for land were required by law to buy alternative land. The system provided for full ownership of land. “The problem in…

Stellenbosch is not realising its full potential as a wine destination due to a lack of investment. “You have the wine, the people and the natural beauty to rival any wine tourism destination in the world, but South Africa first needs to spend more on marketing and getting the region to the top of travellers’ minds,” said Clay Gregory, president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley, who will be one of the speakers at the Business of Food and Wine Tourism Conference to be held in Stellenbosch on 1 and 2 November. Market research by Destination Analysts in San Francisco, on behalf of Visit Napa Valley, showed that 3,3 million tourists visited Napa Valley in 2014, an increase of 11% on the prior year, spending US$1,63 billion (R22,82 billion), of…

Photosynthesis in plants captures and stores sunlight energy, which is then used to capture atmospheric CO2 , with the rubisco enzyme acting as driver to synthesise carbohydrates. Boosting rubisco can increase crop production efficiency. Rubisco is the most abundant enzyme and the key chemical in capturing carbon from the atmosphere. Scientists at Lancaster University in the UK, targeted rubisco enzymes in crop plants to raise food production efficiency and reduce the need for chemical fertilisers. They investigated rubisco’s efficiency in 75 plant species, which included major food crops. The team identified a number of superior rubiscos that could be used to boost photosynthetic performance in lower yielding crops such as wheat and soya beans. The highest carbon dioxide affinity was found in Asian rice grown at 25°C and the highest…

AGRITOURISM IS DESPERATELY NEEDED IN SOUTH AFRICA I recently went on a trip along the West Coast to meet agritourism service providers, and noticed that the region’s window for business is limited to the flower season. While flowers are indeed the primary attraction that entice tourists to the region, many visitors are interested in more than simply enjoying the beauty of the flowers. Furthermore, tourists often have to travel lengthy distances to reach this destination, and may be disappointed when they arrive on a weekend to discover that stores and restaurants are closed. As many farmers are struggling financially, agritourism should be included in every farming business plan. Capitalising on the agritourism opportunities along the West Coast can assist regional farmers in generating more income, and can become a lifeline…

Today, mobile technology is integral to the way we communicate and conduct business, streamlining operations in ways previously unimagined. Mobile and cloud technologies already play a vital role in agriculture, and now offer exciting opportunities for small-scale farmers, who traditionally struggle to gain access to formal markets. Paltrack, a subsidiary of Imperial Group company Resolve Solution Partners, has partnered with Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture to bring Farmforce to Southern Africa. Farmforce is a cloud-based platform that manages farming activities, establishes traceability and ensures compliance, redefining the relationship between growers, manufacturers and markets. Paltrack focuses on supply chain visibility from producer to port, and builds and sources software solutions in the fruit and aquaculture industries. The application offers advanced, yet easy-to-operate, features, such as: • GAP compliance requirements for growers;…

Da Rocha Bros only supplies South Africa’s national fresh produce markets. About 70% of its vegetables go to the Joburg Market, and approximately 30% is sold at the Tshwane Market. “We believe that the [fresh produce] market is still the best system because supply and demand determines price,” Peter says. He adds that supplying directly to supermarkets has disadvantages. “You have to supply on contract and accept a fixed price. The implication of this is that you can’t get a higher price for your product. I believe that the fresh produce market system has not become obsolete as many retailers still buy produce from the markets,” he says.…

A SLIGHT LACK OF NITROGEN WILL SPEED UP BULBING AND PRODUCE THIN NECKS You can trick onions into providing an out-of-season crop ready for market when the price is just about at its peak by planting small bulbs called ‘sets’. As explained previously, when days get longer the onion starts bulbing – so you plant as early as it’s safe to prevent bolting. If you plant later, the sunlight ‘signal’ will stimulate the onion to start forming a bulb when it is still young and small. We use this knowledge to produce small bulbs for re-planting or for making pickling onions. To make onion sets, sow the seed in August/September at the same density as you would with seedbeds (discussed in previous issue). Because you’ve sowed so late, it won’t…

DOURINE CAN RESULT IN STUD ANIMALS BEING CULLED If you are considering buying a broodmare or bringing in a visiting mare, and using a stallion as live cover, you are strongly advised to arrange for a complete breeding soundness examination. An equine practitioner experienced in stud management is your best choice for conducting this examination. Large stud farms in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal usually work through the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, and specialist vets visit the farms on a rotational basis to evaluate mares prior to the breeding season. A large stud of another popular breed, such as the Arabian, Boerperd, Warmblood, Friesian or American Saddler, might be able to arrange for a vet to check your broodmare. Alternatively, you can insist that owners wanting to bring mares…

Dear Jonno I regularly read your column in Farmer’s Weekly and like your work. I farm near Komga in the Eastern Cape and there is a habitable structure on the farm that I find difficult to call a house. I am now raising funds to build a home for five adults, and would greatly appreciate your help. I have a budget of approximately R500 000. Do you think I could build a five-bedroom house on this budget? I would also appreciate it if you could work out the building costs per square metre. If you can supply me with any other information or advice that you think I may need for this building project, I would be very grateful. Regards Thami Dear Thami Further to your letter and our phone…

In The Doctors’ Book of Food Remedies, the authors write that, in addition to its high protein content, chicken is a very good source of the B complex vitamins (niacin, vitamins B6 and B12). These are very important for heart health and keeping our bodies and minds working smoothly. For health and weight reasons, skinless chicken is recommended. This can end up dry, however, so prepare the chicken with its skin on to make the meat juicier, then remove the skin before eating. The dogs and cats will love it! Bear in mind the dangers of eating raw and under-cooked chicken. When shopping, choose packages at the back of the fridge that feel cool and show no signs of leaked blood, and check the sell-by date. Buy poultry last and…

According to Absa’s senior agricultural economists Wessel Lemmer and Ernst Janovsky, who recently addressed the Absa Agribusiness round table in Centurion, technology will play an increasing role in food production as the world races to feed its growing population. Lemmer and Janovsky believe new agricultural technologies are already improving productivity. These include precision tillage, better ways of selecting animals with superior genetics and the use of drones to determine crop yield, identify diseased plants and even the leaf area index of a tree in an orchard. Commodities and inputs as we know them are increasingly being produced ever more efficiently, say Lemmer and Janovsky. Producers who will benefit are those who capitalise on the alternative production of food with the support of technological developments. Lemmer and Janovsky also predict a…

Scientists, vets, medical doctors and laboratories use many ways to detect diseases and various other health conditions, and more and more of these tests are becoming available. Rapid result tests have also been available for some time. Rapid result tests for pregnancy diagnosis in humans are probably the most well-known. However, all these tests contain a caution, that the result should be discussed and confirmed with a medical or veterinary practitioner. Other rapid result tests need to be performed in a laboratory, using simple equipment and by minimally trained staff. Yet, others are very complicated, require the input of highly trained staff, but have the advantage of providing a quick result. Kits are available for many common diseases such as avian influenza, Newcastle disease, contagious abortion (Brucellosis), tuberculosis in cattle,…

1 FEBRUARY 1978 Sultanas as table grapes 38 YEARS AGO A Potgietersrus farmer made good profits from his remarkable sultana ‘sideline’. The following is an edited version of an article that appeared in our issue of the same date. “A ‘sideline’ requiring only six weeks of concentrated labour and a maximum expenditure of about R1 700 a year, brings in a profit of well over R8 000 annually to a Potgietersrus farmer. ‘“The beauty about it,’ says Mr Flippie Schoeman of Uitloop, ‘is that I receive payment over a period of one month at a time when a little cash comes in handy. The whole venture fits in well with my two main lines of tobacco and cotton.’ “The story of Mr Schoeman’s sideline – growing and marketing sultanas as…

‘POOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR AFRICA’S LOWER AGRICULTURAL PERFORMANCE’ As paradoxical as it might sound, the cure for higher food prices is – more often than not – higher food prices. This is, of course, based on the assumption that higher food prices incentivise farmers to increase food production, which will eventually lead to lower agricultural commodity prices due to increased supply, and therefore affordable food prices. It also assumes market forces are allowed to play out without state intervention and control. The temptation to regulate markets has, however, proved too strong an urge for many developing nations. On 24 August, Zambia’s government announced that it would maintain the existing maize exports ban – to safeguard national food security. On the one hand, government’s intervention in the maize…

The wool market continued its good run with a relatively small auction of 6 808 bales well supported by a weaker rand. The merino indicator increased by 4,7% to close at R153,70 (clean) while the Australian market was up by 1,1%. According to Cape Wools, prices for 18,7-micron (µm) wool gained 4%, while 19µm to 20µm, and 22µm to 23µm gained 6%. Prices for 21µm increased by as much as 7,5%. Although long wool was most in demand, demand for all good, long, medium and short wool was excellent. According to James de Jager, fibre manager for the OVK/CMW Group, the rand’s sudden drop to a three month low increased the rand value of wool significantly. “With the European summer holiday season having run its course, manufacturers are now faced…

An organic fresh produce distributor in the Netherlands has developed a fruit wrapper that encourages children to learn about the role of insects in organic agriculture. The wrappers are used to package organic oranges grown in the Eastern Cape for the European market. “It is in the interest of children that we look at sustainable ways of food production so that the planet is still a great place to live when they have children,” Michaël Wilde, spokesperson and sustainability manager at Nature & More, told Farmer’s Weekly. The fruit wrapper, known as the ‘BUG’, has a colourful beetle printed on one side. Once the wrapper is removed, children can place it loosely on top of the fruit and twist the four corners into ‘legs’. When the orange is rolled around…

Locally adapted cattle breeds will fare better in the changing climate than breeds from northern climates. “Global warming will bring more threats of disease and unpredictable, dry and wet seasons,” said Prof Connie McManus from the University of Brazilia, discussing the adaptation of cattle to stressful environments, at the recent Afrikaner World Expo symposium at the Jacaranda Show in Pretoria. Local breeders had to look at the conditions that cattle were bred in and define breeding objectives for expected climate changes, said McManus. “Food, temperature and water are limiting factors in SA,” he said. “Bos indicus animals are better adapted to local environments with traits such as tolerance to lack of water. One has to start breeding with animals that are adapted to stressful environments.” According to McManus, dry matter…

SA’s commercial farmers are on the right continent for long-term sustainable and prolonged food and fibre production, Absa’s senior agricultural economist Wessel Lemmer told the congress. Africa was the only continent that had sufficient agricultural land left to produce enough food for the planet’s growing population. SA’s agriculture sector needed to become export driven to increase its competitive edge, and this increasingly depended on the implementation of technology such as stem cell beef production and vertical farming. Lemmer said the first beef hamburger patties were recently created with stem cell technology – a 142g cultured beef patty was grown in a laboratory. The technology could be commercially available within the next five to seven years. “Vertical farms where grains, for instance, are grown in warehouses with a vastly shortened production…

Agri Northern Cape recently held its annual congress in Kimberley. During the event, Vickie Bruwer from Douglas was named the 2016 Agri Northern Cape Young Farmer of the Year, and Northern Cape farmer, Piet Karstens – the SA Agricultural Writers’ 2015 Commercial Farmer of the Year – received a special award for his service to agriculture in the province.…

The area under citrus production has expanded significantly over the past couple of years, especially in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. John Edmonds, information manager at the Citrus Growers Association, said expansion was driven by lucrative prices received as a result of growing international demand for soft citrus and lemons. “As consumers are becoming more affluent, the demand for soft citrus is growing. People today rather want to put soft citrus into their children’s lunch boxes than oranges.” The demand for lemons and limes was growing, as these fruit varieties were used in many different products, ranging from soft drinks to perfume and confectionery. “People won’t substitute lemons even when prices are high, for example, if they want to use it in a cake. On the downside, people are…

DON’T DISREGARD THE ROLE YOU CAN PLAY IN BUILDING UP TRUST OUTSIDE THE BUSINESS I have a number of friends involved in retail. Whenever we meet and the talk turns to business, the word ‘growth’ is not far behind. “Hardly any sales growth so far this year,” says one in the grocery trade. “It’s a blood bath for us,” mutters a friend in the motor trade. “New car sales are down nearly 20% on last year, so we’re struggling.” The business press, meanwhile, bulges with reports like ‘Economic growth in China set to edge down to 6,2% by 2017’, ‘With the economic growth rate forecast at less than 1%, unemployment in South Africa set to grow’ and ‘Malaysia GDP growth slows for 5th straight quarter’. Whether it relates to small-town…

GOOD CULTIVAR SELECTION IS ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESSFUL VEGETABLE PRODUCTION Peter Da Rocha, his father Luiz, uncle Joe, and cousin Roger, farm broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce near Delmas in Mpumalanga. The Da Rocha Bros family farming business started in the 1920s, when Peter’s grandparents were farmers in Portugal. “My grandfather had a small vegetable farm on the island of Madeira, but when the recession hit Europe, the farm didn’t make money anymore,” he says. His grandparents left Madeira, and decided to make South Africa their new home. In 1998, in an effort to expand the business initiated by their parents, Luiz and Joe used their savings to buy another small plot of land near Delmas. Thereafter, at the end of every season, Luiz and Joe invested a percentage of their profits…

“The future of produce is ugly. Twisted, blemished, mutated and deformed, to be specific,” says a Washington Post article featured in the PMA Smartbrief (29 July). ‘Ugly produce’, it seems, is finding its way onto retail shelves around the world. Previously, I’ve derided EU officialdom for over-regulation of fresh produce. I’ve also criticised supermarkets for setting unrealistic standards for fresh produce. Neither take into account the vicissitudes of nature. Everything must look exactly the same! Now Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, seems to be setting the pace with ‘ugly produce’. Apparently it has started with ‘less-than-pretty apples’ in 300 stores in Florida. This follows on from its UK programme, which placed ‘ugly potatoes’ on retail shelves earlier this year. Some might baulk at the use of the term…

MOST MODERN BRAKE PADS GENERATE DUST AND HAVE A SHORT LIFE Friction arises when one body slides over another. In a tyre, this friction is crucial for grip and safety. How, then, can there be enough friction when a tyre simply rolls on a surface? In the case of pure rolling – that is, without torque being transmitted – the line of contact kisses the road in such a way that there appears to be no sliding, but the deformation of the rubber supplies a small relative movement. Imagine a rubber wheel rolling on a rubber surface. The wheel will deflect at the contact surface and the contact surface will be indented. A slight movement will occur between the wheel bulge and the contact surface and this will account for…

 In Acts 27, we read how Paul the apostle got caught in a tremendous storm at sea on the way to Rome. An angel reassured Paul that the ship would not sink, because Paul had a meeting to attend in Rome. ‘YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET AND A LIGHT TO MY PATH’ The first thing Paul did was to encourage the sailors and the soldiers on board. “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me,” he said (Acts 27:25). He told them to eat the food they had and then throw overboard all the excess tackle, baggage and merchandise to lighten the boat. As it turned out, they were shipwrecked off the coast of Malta, but all…

A MANIFESTO FOR SOCIAL CHANGE by Moeletsi Mbeki & Nobantu Mbeki (Picador Africa, R160) Journalist, political commentator and part-time farmer Moeletsi Mbeki is joined here by his niece, Dr Nobantu Mbeki, an economics lecturer at Wits. The historical, political and economic understanding they cram into just a little more than 100 pages provides a succinct view of why SA’s municipal elections turned out as they did and what needs to be done to make the Rainbow Nation glow again. The authors also show how and why fundamental shifts at the top of SA society haven’t translated into the greater equality which democracy should have brought the country. In the process, they draw on a wide range of statistics that rarely see the light of day. THE SPRINGBOK COACHES…

The Rio Olympics are over and our gallant medal winners are back home. Heroes have been created, and aspiring Olympians in our community are already emulating them. Our dirt road into the village has become a training track as hopefuls compete on its half-marathon route. Driving into town has become a hazardous journey, with runners and cyclists clogging the road. Neighbour Jan’s dam is still empty, but when the rain eventually comes, the dam will provide a training pool for swimmers. Even archery with home-made bows and arrows has gained in popularity. We’ve been asked to provide rifles for target practice, but that’s pushing it! With all this renewed enthusiasm for sport and the next Olympics only in four years’ time, will all the fervour remain? It’s unlikely. But success…