Table of contents for 17 February 2017 in Farmer's Weekly

The campaign that flung President Donald Trump into the White House introduced the world to the concept of alternative facts. An alternative fact can be defined as one’s personal interpretation of events in any instance where the truth of a situation does not suit one’s own agenda or support one’s personal world view. But we shouldn’t be too quick to judge those who choose to see the world as they do, instead of as it is. I recently had a stark reminder of how our own experience of the world can skew our ability to develop a true impression of reality. A friend told me about a poll that was run on the Harvard Business Review’s website in 2007 about globalisation. Here are some of the questions: • Of all…

CONFERENCES & EXPOS 17 FEBRUARY Wheat Indaba, Pretoria. Phone Lizbé Esterhuizen on 012 807 3002, or email lizbe@agbizgrain.co.za. 21 FEBRUARY Wheat Indaba, Elsenburg. Phone Lizbé Esterhuizen on 012 807 3002, or email lizbe@agbizgrain.co.za. COURSES & TRAINING 14 TO 16 FEBRUARY Cheese Manufacturing, Irene. Phone Annetjie Loubser on 012 672 9153, or email aloubser@arc.agric.za. 15 TO 16 FEBRUARY Cattle Feed and Nutrition, George. Phone Di Rothman on 082 772 1208, or visit www.rltsafrica.com. 19 FEBRUARY The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of South Africa Reproduction, Rawsonville. Email Pauline Smith at pauline@equine.co.za. 20 TO 21 FEBRUARY Sheep and Goat Stockman's and Animal Husbandry Course, George. Phone Di Rothman on 082 772 1208, or visit www.rltsafrica.com. 20 FEBRUARY TO 3 MARCH Pig Production and Management, SA Pork Baynesfield Academy. Phone 076 430 6899/078 048 8073,…

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has been criticised by the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA) for its alleged failure to keep open lines of communication on its agri-parks programme. “The problem is DAFF, which continues to isolate farmers. No one understands what is happening with DAFF’s programmes, especially the planning, allocation of funds, and implementation of programmes, like the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP), which continue to happen in the dark,” said AFASA secretary-general Aggrey Mahanjana in a statement. Of particular concern was the fact that development of the agri-parks had only begun in some areas. “We could be faced with a possibility of these agri-parks turning into white elephants or being hijacked by private companies in future. The success of the agri-parks will depend…

The SA Competition Commission has recommended that the proposed merger between The Bruce Fruit (Pty) Ltd and JAB Dried Fruit Products (Pty) Ltd (JAB) be approved. The Bruce Fruit intended to acquire JAB Dried Fruit Products, according to a statement by the Competition Commission. The Bruce Fruit is a newly incorporated company and does not hold any investments or conduct any business activities. It is wholly owned and controlled by Sanlam Life Insurance Limited, acting through its Sanlam Private Equity division. The Sanlam Group is a leading financial services group and does not have any investments in firms active in the sale of dried fruit and nut products. According to the statement, JAB specialised in the procurement, processing, packaging and distribution of dried tropical fruit, stone fruit and nuts. Its…

Poultry imports, in combination with high feed costs, had a material impact on RCL Foods’ financial results for the six months ended 31 December 2016. Compared on a like-for-like basis with the corresponding six months in the prior year, the company predicted headline earnings per share to fall by at least 37% and as much as 54%, and earnings per share to fall by between 48% and 65,3%. RCL was diversifying its business model in an attempt to curb losses. “We’re moving towards a more balanced portfolio, which is positioning us as a stronger, more diversified business that is geared for growth. This is evident in the performance of the rest of our businesses, excluding chicken,” said CEO Miles Dally. The company’s chicken business unit has downsized its Hammarsdale operation…

• Grain SA “We expect some budget [allocation to go] towards infrastructure. Agriculture desperately needs improvement of the rural road network. Additional transport costs to get products to the market because of bad or non-existent roads have to be borne by farmers and affect our profitability,” said Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA. He added that ports needed to be upgraded to optimise imports and exports. “We expect an allocation for land reform and recapitalisation, but it will probably not be enough. Grain SA would love to see a bigger commitment in the budget to agriculture (read food security). In the past, requests for funding for disasters such as drought and pest outbreaks were mostly greeted with ‘there’s no budget for it’. “The developing agricultural sector needs access to finance…

The possible mining of uranium in the Karoo threatens the lives of people, animals and the environment, said Agri Eastern Cape president Douglas Stern, ahead of a court case that will be heard in the Western Cape High Court in late February. The case was brought by Earthlife Africa (ELA) and Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) against the minister of energy and others, with the aim of having allegedly unlawful decisions set aside. “SAFCEI and ELA are challenging the legality and constitutionality of the intergovernmental agreement on nuclear deals signed with Russia, including how this agreement was processed in Parliament without necessary approvals,” said SAFCEI energy advisor Liz McDaid. “The court case also challenges the minister of energy’s 2013 decision to procure nuclear power (called a Section 34…

Despite global feed production exceeding the billion metric ton barrier in 2016 (a 3,7% increase year-on-year), feed prices in general were 5% to 7% lower than the previous season, according to the latest Alltech Global Feed Survey. “The number of feed mills declined by 7% from 32 341 in 2015 to 30 090 this year, clearly indicating an improvement in the production efficiency of feed mills,” said Aidan Connolly, vice-president of corporate accounts for Alltech. “Feed mill efficiencies, in general, have increased by 15% to 60%. The trend was most notable in the largest producing country, China, where consolidation of feed mills last year resulted in a 30% decline in feed mills.” The survey was based on data from more than 30 000 feed mills in 141 countries. The number…

Plant breeding involves finding and describing genes that have the code for specific traits. Boosting natural gene mutations improves chances of discovering gene functions. Wheat, with its complex genetic composition derived from three ancient wild species, can tolerate mutations that occur naturally. Scientists can study the impact of these mutations on metabolic pathways and traits, and establish the genetic code of each mutated gene to see how it differs from the natural gene. This application is ‘reverse breeding’; a mutation renders the gene dysfunctional and shows up in a specific trait that becomes lost or ineffective. However, complex wheat genetics contain many duplicate copies of a gene: each bread wheat cell has three copies of the genetic system; pasta has two. Disable one and the others take over. Researchers at…

SMALLER FAMILIES MEAN LESS WELFARE, AND MORE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE Margaret Thatcher once said that the problem with socialism is that, sooner or later, you run out of other people’s money. It’s an observation that applies to South Africa, where the welfare recipient list seems to grow year-on-year and taxpayers are expected to foot the bill, while true development languishes. A lack of water and electricity, for example, hampers the kind of economic growth that will reduce the number of people dependent on government grants. Yet, instead of trying to resolve these issues, government seems content to ‘reward’ people who have children they cannot support. It sounds harsh, but there’s no point in talking about ‘saving the environment’ and ‘creating jobs’ if the country’s ‘carrying capacity’ (to use a…

DEMAND IS IN LINE WITH SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS MANGOES South African Mango Growers’ Association (SAMGA) Mangoes are a favourite of many consumers, with a combination of a distinctive scent and exotic flavour that makes them irresistible. They are often referred to as the ’King of Fruit’. Ensuring that mangoes arrive on the retail shelves in optimal condition is an annual challenge with which SAMGA and its members are tasked. I believe that most consumers would be amazed at the effort behind the scenes required to provide them with mangoes that are ‘just right’. To date this season, there has been slightly less consumer and retailer demand. However, this is in line with traditional seasonal fluctuations such as continued pressure on household budgets following the festive season and the start of the…

HIGH SUGAR CONTENT GRASSES HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE EFFICIENCY OF MILK PRODUCTION How can you tell when a fruit or vegetable crop is ripe? With enough experience, you can go by appearance, texture and even odour. But to be really sure, you should measure the sugar concentration in degrees Brix (°Bx). All you need is a small sample of sap and a hand-held refractometer. You then compare the results to a chart of standard readings. The optimal value will, of course, differ from crop to crop. Cabbage is ready for picking at 10°Bx to 12°Bx, lemons at 8°Bx to 12°Bx, onions at 8°Bx to 10°Bx, and so forth. Strictly speaking, degrees Brix (°B) is a measure of the sugar content of a watery solution, where 1°Bx = 1g…

We recently discussed how to identify mineral deficiencies and eelworm infestation. Many other problems can occur, of course. As already mentioned, the farmer is the best person to determine the causes because he has been with the crop from the start. Usually the problem does not occur uniformly throughout the land and this is the starting point of an investigation. Most crops are sprayed with herbicide, and a mistake is often made in the measurement or calibration. Sometimes, the wrong product is used. Few herbicides eliminate all weed species and leave the crop totally unaffected. Where an area has been overdosed or double-sprayed, the crop will not grow as well as elsewhere on the land. Compare the difference in weed suppression between the two areas. In the problem area, where…

Up to the end of the Second World War, most cars were rear-wheel driven, and most engineers could not see any advantage in having the same wheels steer and transmit power. In a previous article, I related how the Frenchman, Jean-Albert Grégoire, initiated a movement between 1925 and 1935 towards front-wheel drive, and that the popularity of the Mini persuaded many manufacturers to adopt this layout. REAR-WHEEL DRIVE (RWD) This layout, used on most commercial vehicles, is more robust than front-wheel drive (FWD). The long drive shaft, connecting the gearbox to the differential unit, ensures that the universal joints work at smaller angles than is the case for the short shafts required for FWD. The universal joints used in this application, therefore, tend to last longer than the constant velocity…

‘GOD IS PLEASED WITH GRATITUDE BECAUSE HE GETS SO LITTLE OF IT’ It’s early in the morning and I’m sitting in my prayer room gazing out of my window. It’s overcast and the rain that falls on the tin roof is music to my ears – heaven’s orchestra! As farmers, we are sometimes slow to thank God for bestowing His continued blessings upon us. For example, as you read my first paragraph, perhaps you thought to yourself, “But I haven’t had enough rain yet!” That might be true, but we need to be careful of negativity. Put another way, we should learn to be thankful for what we get. There once was a little boy walking barefoot with his mother and complaining because he never had shoes to wear. Then…

Willie de Lange (29), a Dorper sheep farmer in the Calvinia district in the Northern Cape, recently purchased a DJI Phantom 4 drone, and says that it has completely changed the way he manages his smallstock. De Lange’s farm is vast, arid and mountainous, with some of the larger camps measuring close to 1 000ha. Previously, his workers had to scale the hills to look for sheep when moving the flock from camp to camp. Often, they would reach the summit only to find that the sheep had moved on to the next hill! SAVING MANY HOURS OF EFFORT These days, De Lange sends up his Phantom 4 drone instead. This, he says, saves him hours of searching. He has even been able to use the drone to herd sheep…

“Government’s draft control measures to deal with damage-causing animals focus on regulation and control rather than taking an enabling approach. SA Hunters has a serious concern with this approach. It is common knowledge that government lacks resources, especially at provincial level, to implement the proposed control measures effectively. Secondly, these measures focus on individual incidents or single animals in conflict with landowners. Commercial farmers with sizeable areas under cash crops, or large rural settlements where residents plant subsistence crops, suffer considerable losses from birds and bush pigs that feed on and damage their crops. A piecemeal approach to dealing with individual damage-causing animals (DCAs) will not address these challenges. In some areas, rural communities have been unable to plant crops for two years due to damage caused by bush pigs,…

If Treasury’s proposed tax on the sugar content of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was implemented from April 2017, the SA sugar industry would have to start diverting 170 000t of its sugar production from the profitable domestic market to the loss-making international sugar market. This was according to the South African Sugar Association (SASA) at a public hearing on the proposed tax. SASA executive director Trix Trikam told the hearing that the loss of revenue would affect both the sugar cane growing and sugar milling sectors. “Small-scale growers, who lack economies of scale and are unable to diversify, will be hardest hit as they currently operate with the tightest margins,” said Trikam. The SA Canegrowers’ Association agreed, saying in their submission to the hearing that the approximately 20 000 smallholder and…

Sugar producers in France, including Tereos, Saint-Louis and Cristal Union, have asked sugar beet farmers to increase their output by about 20%, according to Bloomberg News. This is due to restrictions that have capped European Union (EU) sugar output since 2006 being lifted by October this year. With these removed, EU output could reach 20 million tons, an increase of about 20%, according to Rabobank International. French producers expect to add about one million tons to their annual production of 4,5 million tons, while domestic demand could increase to three million tons, driving producers to seek export markets outside the EU, the Bloomberg report said. French producers would be targeting markets in the UK, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Italy, as well as Africa and Central Asia. Trix Trikam, executive director…

A combination of drought, conversion to alternative crops, and restituted farms no longer being in production has resulted in a banana shortage in South Africa in the current season. According to Joachim Prinsloo, chairperson of the SA Banana Growers’ Association, production was linked to water availability. “About 80% of South Africa’s bananas come from the Onderberg area in Mpumalanga, as well as from Mozambique. For the past two years, these areas have received very little rain and have been hit by severe water restrictions that have led to a decline in production,” he said. In the Tzaneen and Levubu areas, many farms were not in production. “These farms were bought by government [to settle] land claims, but many of them are now in disuse. “It will take six to eight…

Future for red meat production positive, despite impact of drought While many of KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) red meat producers were still reeling from the effects of the drought, they were urged to persevere, as the odds would gradually turn in their favour. However, KZN RPO chairperson, Hendrik Botha, said that the impact of stock losses, water shortages, forced sales of breeding stock and reduced reproduction would be felt for some years to come. Adding to these challenges would be the availability of sufficient fodder over the coming winter months. “Donations of feed by many farmers to drought-stricken areas were an example of community support in a time of need,” he said. Rampant stock theft further compounded producers’ problems. On the positive side, Botha said that the KZN Stock Theft Forum had…

With environmental crime estimated at US$258 billion (about R3,5 trillion) annually, Interpol has launched a project to identify and bring down organised wildlife crime networks operating between Africa and Asia. The initiative aims to target high-profile wildlife product traffickers in Asia who are sourcing contraband from Africa. “The project will provide a strengthened law enforcement response in source, transit and destination countries, particularly those linked to the illicit trade in ivory and rhino horn, as well as Asian ‘big cat’ products,” an Interpol statement said. This initiative would be led by the organisation’s environmental security programme, drawing on the expertise of its anti-corruption and financial crime unit, digital forensics laboratory, firearms programme, and fugitive investigations unit. Funding and other support for the project would come from the US Agency for…

The avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak affecting Asia and Europe meant that Brazil would have to increase production as the major exporter of chicken globally, according to a Bloomberg report. Brazil was expected to see even more demand for its poultry products, after some key importing nations banned poultry from infected countries. Brazil had not yet been exposed to the virus. South Korea, by contrast, had been hardest hit, and had culled about one-fifth of its chickens. European nations had culled more than 1,5 million birds since 19 October, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Even without the current crisis, Brazil’s chicken exports would be likely to climb by as much as 5% to 4,6 million tons this year, the Brazil Animal Protein Association told Bloomberg. Poultry SA…

Plants require oxygen (O2) for respiration 24 hours a day, and carbon dioxide (CO2) for photosynthesis during daylight hours or when exposed to light from other sources. If the airflow in a tunnel is inadequate, plants will not have enough CO2 to produce the glucose they use as food to grow. It is vital, therefore, to introduce fresh air into tunnels or greenhouses, and to circulate that air around the plants. Moisture released from leaves through transpiration leads to saturation, which blocks further transpiration if the moist air is not replaced by drier air. It is also essential to replace the oxygen-rich air around plants – a result of photosynthesis – with air that contains the required levels of CO2 for continued photosynthesis. Air circulation in the vicinity of plant…

During the 1980s, the rams Staples and Dikkop bred impressive offspring with strong legs, good depth of body, long free-growing fine wool and impressive under-lines. The selection of these two Fairworld sires was in part motivated by the visit of Australian farmers to Cookhouse. When Willem discovered his guests smelling his wool, he was surprised to discover how important they regarded the wax:suint ratio. Willem promptly sampled the wool of 35 Fairworld rams and asked the Australians to test them back home. Staples and Dikkop proved to have the most favourable ratio and Willem prioritised their genetics. Willem explains that Australian sires often come with genetic ‘baggage’ and therefore have to be used with great care. Nevertheless, although their genetic contribution might often only be appreciated generations later, their impact…

The pepper is a flowering perennial vine that grows in hot humid areas such as the Lowveld and along the northern coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal. It cannot tolerate frost and will not grow where the temperature drops below 12°C. THE IMPORTANCE OF PRUNING ON YIELD Pepper plants are pruned to increase their strength, reduce wild growth of the runners, keep the plants at a certain height, and stimulate the growth of lateral fruit-bearing branches. Not pruning the plant will affect its yield. Allow young plants only three main runners, pruned back to seven internodes to keep them growing vigorously. Every year, prune the long secondary runners hanging from the top. The berries ripen over a period of two to three months. They are green at first, then turn yellow and…

The daily sales process is like a finely-tuned machine, and like any machine, it needs oil. In this case, that oil is communication. It all starts when the market agent calls selected buyers the night before to prime them on what fresh produce is expected the following morning. The agent is competing with others, after all, and cannot afford to be left behind. Early in the morning, when the agent arrives on the floor, his first task is to check which loads came in overnight and ensure that everything is correct. Discrepancies are recorded and adjustments made on the computer. If the produce is of poor quality or the containers damaged, the agent sends photographs of this to the farmer, following up with a phone call. All of this takes…

DOGS SMELL THE CHANGE IN THE AIR LONG BEFORE WE SEE THE CLOUDS In this article, I discuss certain aspects of canine behaviour and how you can learn to interpret these. Understanding your dog better is the first step towards more responsible, more enjoyable pet ownership. • Out and about When walking your dog, be as relaxed as possible. Dogs can very easily sense emotions in a person and this can change their demeanour from being docile pets to wanting to pick fights with other dogs, or people, during exercise. • Human language/hand signs While their obedience to commands is largely due to repetition during training, dogs also have the ability to decipher the meaning of certain words and hand signals. Indeed, they are believed to have the cognitive ability of a…

Let’s begin. Peel, chop or finely grate the ginger, then crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Top and tail the spring onions, then cut them into 10mm sections on the diagonal. Cut a few green cabbage leaves and the optional bok choy leaves vertically into thin strips. Grate the carrots. Slice the button mushrooms. Now for the sauce and related flavouring agents. Light soya sauce means light in colour and density, in contrast to dark soya sauce, which tends to dominate the flavour and colour of the meal. Old Brown Sherry is not widely known in the Far East, where Mirin or Chinese wines would be the first choice. But this is Africa, where a cook’s gotta do what a cook’s gotta…

My previous article emphasised the importance of glutathione. This week, we look at how to restore depleted glutathione levels. Let’s start with N-acetylcysteine. Available in effervescent tablets, it’s commonly used as an over-the-counter mucus thinner. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation Studies has found that it also plays a vital role in keeping the glutathione system functioning properly by improving the immune system. Next are the liver-restoring herb milk thistle and L-glutamine powder, sold in the bodybuilding section of chemists. These are compounds that the body turns into glutathione. Another remedy is MSM, a naturally occurring compound and a donor of the sulphur needed for manufacturing alpha-lipoic acid and Vitamin B1, both important for restoring glutathione levels. DIETARY SOURCES Vitamin B6 is crucial for converting harmful…

I’ve owned many dogs in my lifetime. First came Sheeba, a black Labrador that we had while living temporarily in then Salisbury. She grew up with our son, guarding him in his pram as she would have done her own puppy. On our return to Cape Town, Wifey Dear took her on trains and trams and walks in the city’s gardens. Swimming in the sea was one of her favourite activities. Bathers would watch her in amazement as she swam out, waited for a wave, then reversed towards the shore and paddled furiously with it to the beach, like a human surfer. Loving, gentle and highly intelligent, she epitomised every characteristic of her breed. When we moved to Johannesburg, a guard dog was considered a wise choice. Enter Leica, a…

Obituary: Manny da Costa The Farmer’s Weekly team extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of farming industry leader, Manny da Costa, who passed away in a vehicle accident on 25 January. Manny owned the Manjoh Ranch farming concern with his brother Johnny, which they built up over decades. The business includes grain production, a feedlot and the Manjoh Beefmaster stud. Manny was also well-known in organised agriculture circles and served in Grain SA’s management structures for many years. Matter of fact In the ‘Good bedding equals happy chickens’ article (FW, 3 February), the following was incorrectly stated: “... says Kobus Visser, managing partner of Mabron Broilers on Löttershof Farm near Caledon in the Western Cape. He owns the business with partner Grant Harper.” It should have read:…

FOR SA TO COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL MARKET, IT WILL HAVE TO PRODUCE GREATER VOLUMES Recent data from the National Crop Estimates Committee painted a troubling picture of the South African sorghum industry. This is a crop that was once seen as key to the development of the biofuel industry in South Africa and, in turn, possibly be responsible for job creation in rural areas. The data shows that farmers increased the area planted to almost all grains and oilseeds over the past year with the exception of sorghum, which declined 24% year-on-year (y/y) to 36 800ha. In fact, looking at the database, which dates back to 1936, South Africa planted the smallest sorghum crop ever this year. ONCE A PROMISING CROP In 2014, sorghum was one of the most…

South African maize producers need to approach the 2016/2017 production season creatively in the wake of the drought that started during 2012. This is according to agricultural economist Dr Kobus Laubscher. White maize prices have declined by about 26% from 10 January, while yellow maize prices have fallen by about 14%. South Africa should accept the fact that the markets react solely to supply and demand realities, said Laubscher. The reality in this instance was that the latest Crop Estimate Committee (CEC) estimate had shown an increase of nearly 31% in overall maize production. “This had a negative impact on maize prices, and producers need to act creatively and get their crops on the market as soon as possible,” he said. According to Grain SA economist Luan van der Walt,…

The first cotton production estimate for the 2016/2017 production year showed a total projected crop of 74 670 lint bales (200kg bales), up 48% from the 50 821 lint bales ginned in the previous season, according to a Cotton SA report. A total of 72 670 lint bales were expected to be produced from locally grown seed cotton, up 44% from the previous season. The balance of 2 000 lint bales would be produced by Swaziland and ginned there. Hannes Schlesinger, accountant at Loskop Katoen cotton gin in Marble Hall, Limpopo, told Farmer’s Weekly that farmers in the Loskop area had planted 6 735ha more than they had in the 2015/2016 season. Altogether, 8 332ha had been planted to the crop already, with dryland cotton making up 5 400ha and…

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has announced a ban on lion bone exports until a quota has been established and communicated to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat. As a result, breeders have been forced to stockpile lion carcasses since the start of January, said Carla van der Vyver, CEO of the South African Predator Association (SAPA). Van der Vyver said SAPA was not against the implementation of a quota as it would help to promote transparency in the industry and hamper illegal trade; however, it should be realistic. The 17th Conference of Parties to CITES held in Johannesburg in September last year agreed to a zero quota on the export of bones derived from wild lion specimens, and a quota…

UK citizens Max MacGillvray and Gareth Jones have embarked on ‘The Great Fruit Adventure’, a three-month-long motorcycle trip from London to Cape Town, intended to educate children and their families about the origins of their fresh food. MacGillvray launched the initiative after learning that six out of 10 children in the UK had no idea where the fruit and vegetables they ate came from. “We aim to tackle this ignorance and teach children that fruit doesn’t simply grow on trees,” he said. The bikers reached South Africa in mid-January and visited places such as Modjadjiskloof, Tzaneen, Letsitele, Hoedspruit, Nelspruit, Hazyview, Bethlehem, Harrismith, Durban and the Sunday’s River. At the time of writing, they were headed for Kareedouw. The team’s progress was being followed by more than 20 schools in the…

PROBLEMS ARISE WHEN FARMERS GET BIGGER WITHOUT GETTING BETTER According to the most recent DAFF figures, there were 39 966 commercial farmers in South Africa in 2007, down from 45 518 in 2002. Assuming that the 2007 figure is correct, and using 2015 survey data from Stats SA, the average commercial farmer’s income and cost statement and balance sheet are shown in the table. These figures show that the average South African farmer did not make a huge profit in 2015. The return on assets looks good, but the average farmer had a negative net disposable income of R68 000, once again clearly illustrating that agriculture is not the lucrative utopia some think it is. Total liabilities, estimated by assuming a 10% interest rate, is at 40% of total assets.…

The South African broiler industry’s profit margins are expected to remain under pressure for the next four months. This is as a result of feed costs increasing due to prevailing old-season maize prices. (Broiler feed contains about 70% maize.) At the same time, broiler prices are low and this cost squeeze will push margins into negative territory. However, there have been ongoing outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu) in the European Union (EU), and local producers may enjoy some price support due to the ban of imports of broiler meat from several countries in the EU. EU BIRD FLU OUTBREAKS Bird flu is spread by wild birds, and commercial poultry farms provide a constant supply of thousands of potential new hosts for infection. In the EU, bird flu threatens the…

Five years ago, many people thought that it was only a matter of time before urban encroachment would lead to the decline of agricultural production in Philippi near Cape Town. Today, however, farming in the area is livelier than ever. “Agricultural production has greatly expanded over the past five years, despite developers buying vast tracks of land in and around Philippi. Dunes that have been mined out for sand have been levelled, which made way for farming activities. As a result, the area under production now stretches almost all the way from Landsdowne Road to Strandfontein on the coast,” says local farmer, Leon Rix. The expansion has been driven largely by farmers wanting to achieve greater economy of scale to remain competitive and meet increased land requirements for mechanisation. The…

The main problem with the cultivation of pepper is root rot, caused by Phytophthora. Symptoms are wilting of the leaves and discoloration of the stem bark. Phytophthora is a soil fungus that flourishes in wet, poorly-drained soils. It will attack the roots, leaves, branches and the berries of the plant. Affected plants usually die off within 10 days. Pepper is also vulnerable to root damage caused by several plant parasitic nematodes. The most important of these are the burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis), the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.), the spiral nematode (Helicotylenchus spp.), the ring and the dagger nematode. Nematode control should start in the nursery, and cuttings should only be rooted and transplanted into nematode-free soil.…

Available in three models, with power outputs of 190kW, 199kW and 221kW respectively, the McCormick X8 VT Drive takes this well-known brand into new territory. These big tractors are ideal for ploughing, cultivating and powering heavy mowers and other harvesting machinery. Their size and weight also make them suitable for road work, pulling large-capacity slurry tankers, muck spreaders and trailers. Key features include a heavy-duty constant velocity transmission providing precise speed control and different operating modes for optimum performance and fuel efficiency. Also part of the package are electronically controlled hydraulics with 157l/min or 212l/min load-sensing pumps with 115l/min dedicated to the steering and ancillary systems. An integral front three-point linkage and PTO assembly on the cast steel load-bearing chassis complements the 12t-capacity rear linkage, while rear tyres up to…

CONTROLLING EAR TICKS CAN PREVENT AN OUTBREAK OF EAR MAGGOTS Flystrike (myiasis) in horses is poorly described in the scientific literature. The blowfly that lays its eggs in the damaged ear canals of horses is probably either Lucilia cuprina or L. serratia, both of which cause flystrike in sheep. L. cuprina feeds on rotting carcasses and vegetable matter, as well as the flesh of living humans and animals. It is famous for its role in forensics; the life-cycle intervals of the four stages – egg to larvae (maggots) and pupa to adult – are used to estimate the time of death in a decomposing corpse. In South Africa, the causes and signs of flystrike are well described in Merino sheep. Adult females lay eggs in batches of between 50 and…

Dear Cassie Thanks for meeting with me; a face-to-face discussion is always the best way to establish all the requirements for a new home. Based on what we said, I’ve conceptualised an A-frame home to suit the site conditions. The rooms are of average size and will be adequate and functional, allowing you to accommodate all your furnishings. I think your suggestion of a corrugated metal roof over the A-frame would look out of place for this roof styling, so I’ve shown a mock-thatch slate roof. This is a tried-and-tested material that is readily available from building merchants. As you are allergic to thatch, the open-beamed inner ceiling could be clad with any of a number of wood board or planking products. I’ve shown the stonework outer walls that you…

HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST MILLION by Warren Ingram (Zebra, R220) Ingram urges readers to make their first million in savings – not turnover – as a means to financial freedom. He believes this is possible in 10 years and sets out the common-sense, though sometimes courageous, decisions that you should make to achieve this goal. GUIDE TO BIRDS OF THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK by Warwick Tarboton & Peter Ryan (Struik Nature, R250) The Kruger National Park, famously as large as Switzerland, has a healthy share of South Africa’s 800-plus bird species. These include some of the most colourful and dramatic birds in the region, as well as a number of the most elusive of visitors from afar. Kruger’s geographical position also makes it an interesting…