Table of contents for 04-Sep 2015 in Farmer's Weekly

The South African economy has seen better days. First, the rand nose-dived to a record low of R14/US$, which put a damper on cuts to local fuel prices for September (see page 20). Then, Statistics SA announced that the GDP had contracted by 1,3% in the second quarter (Q2) of 2015. Agriculture was the main culprit behind the quarter-on-quarter decrease in overall economic activity. Its contribution to GDP fell by 17,4% quarter-on-quarter. Statistics SA said this was due to the current drought, the country’s worst since 1992, which resulted in decreases in the production of field crops and horticultural products. Economists reacted by warning that the decline raised the risk of the economy tipping into a technical recession (defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth) in Q3 2015. The…

12 FEBRUARY 1913 Women’s interest supplement 102 YEARS AGO For 50 years during the past century, the women’s interest supplement Homestead was provided with every issue of Farmer’s Weekly. It first appeared in 1912 and was changed in the 1960s to For You. Throughout those decades, the contents covered a wide range of articles aimed at women on the farm. Fashion also featured, as the 1960s photograph opposite shows. It is the very early issues that are of more historical interest, though. The following household hints appeared in the above issue of 1913: “Old brass candlesticks may be cleaned and look like new by pouring a little ammonia on them, scrubbing with a scrubbing brush, and then rinsing in clear water. Other brass articles may be cleaned by rubbing with…

“Fresh produce markets are facing various challenges, but they won’t completely disappear over the next decade,” said Rob Newell, joint-CEO of the Cape Town Market, in response to a prediction by Mogala Mamabolo, director of marketing at the department of agriculture, that only five or six of the 23 national fresh produce markets would survive the next 10 years. Most of the markets were built in the 1960s – and their infrastructure and design were not always suited to modern-day business requirements, but government was doing much to upgrade them, said Newell. This meant that the markets would become even more functional in the future. “Markets create transparency in price-setting through supply and demand. Without them, producers would not have a fair gauge on what the prevailing prices should be…

Government should give greater financial support to small-scale farmers, while enabling commercial farmers to produce competitively. This was according to Johannes Möller, president of Agri SA, speaking at Agri Northern Cape’s congress in Kimberley. “Globally successful small-scale farmers earn 50% of their income through production and 50% through government support programmes. This is not the case in South Africa and if our government is serious about the establishment of small-scale farmers, it should look at this issue,” Möller said. Although commercial farmers would ensure food security for the 65% of the population who lived in cities, there was a strong need for small-scale farmers in South Africa. The country’s current workforce might be urbanising, but the majority did not have the necessary skills to find employment in an urban area.…

Retailers in France have expressed anger about a proposed new law that will ban supermarkets from destroying unsold food. Under the new law, shops that are more than 400m2 in size will have until July 2016 to sign contracts with charities and food banks. Retailers said that they did not want to be perceived as food wasters as they already had strategies to manage unsold food. The French Federation of Food Banks (FFBA) collected 35% of its donations from supermarkets. Charities welcomed the proposal. However, Jacques Bailet, president of the FFBA, said that food banks would need to raise funds for additional staff, transport and cold storage. About 7,1 million tons of food went to waste in France each year. The ministry of ecology’s figures showed that 67% was wasted…

The police service and the National Prosecuting Authority needed to up their game in combating crime targeted at farming communities. In addition, stereotypes about South Africa’s farming sector needed to be addressed in an awareness-raising campaign. These were some of the recommendations made to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), following its national investigative hearing into safety and security challenges in farming communities. The hearing, which started in September last year, concluded recently and saw farming stakeholders including Afasa, Agri SA, TAU SA, the Agricultural Research Council and the departments of justice and constitutional development and rural development and land reform, making submissions. “The police service needs to focus on developing additional policies to ensure that the Rural Safety Strategy is implemented successfully,” one of the recommendations read. “The…

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) seasonal climate watch predictions indicate the likelihood of an “El Niño episode” starting in the 2015 spring season and continuing throughout summer. According to a recent press release, SAWS also forecasted above-normal rainfall conditions over the north-eastern parts of South Africa during spring. Extreme warm and dry conditions over most of the country were likely to ensue as summer approached. Forecasting systems in other parts of the world also indicated a tendency toward drier and warmer conditions for South Africa toward the summer season, said the release. This might in turn promote regional or localised droughts. “We cannot say what the distribution of possible higher rainfall will be. It may be a once-off event in a specific region that a farmer cannot use, or…

Seven months have passed since the brucellosis outbreak on the farm Boeteka near Beaufort West in the Western Cape, and nothing has been resolved to date. Since notifying the authorities of the disease in February this year, production on Appie Viviers’ farm has come to a standstill. “My farm gates are closed for business. The farm will run out of food within the next four weeks if I am unable to reduce livestock numbers,” he told Farmer’s Weekly. Although the Western Cape Department of Agriculture had agreed to compensate Viviers for the slaughter and transport costs of his animals, he wanted to be compensated at the animals’ market value. “If I was compensated by the abattoir for the meat, I’d only make about R500 per goat, whereas I’d have made…

Crop quality surveys are important for wheat, maize, soya bean and sunflower producers, according to Jolanda Nortje, laboratory manager at the South African Grain Laboratory (SAGL). Speaking at the Agbiz Grain mini symposium in Pretoria recently, Nortje said that collecting data on a national level would highlight trends and allow for a focus on quality differences in commercial grain produced in different production regions and in different seasons. This data would also provide information on the quality of grain intended for export and compare the quality of locally produced grain with imported grain. “Answers obtained from data can influence decisions by breeders regarding the development of new cultivars and supply analytical data for research projects,” Nortje said. Dr Corinda Erasmus, freelance researcher for SAGL, said that a data mining project…

Professor Maryke Labuschagne, a plant breeding researcher from the University of the Free State, has received a national lifetime achiever award for Africa’s most influential women in business and government programmes. The award honours the lifelong efforts, achievements and contributions by individuals in their local communities. Labuschagne was recognised for her work in the genetic improvement of food security crops in Africa, including staples such as maize and cassava. Her research contributes towards the provision of better food for millions of people in Africa. She received the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Award for life and earth sciences for the continent in January 2012. She was named grain scientist of the year for 2012 by Grain SA, and in 2008 was elected as National Agriculturalist of South Africa by the Agricultural…

Aquaculture appeals to a wide range of people, and it’s easy to see why. It is highly rewarding to see a shoal of tiny fry grow into fat, healthy fish in a system that keeps the water pure. For many, keeping and rearing fish is simply a hobby, while for others it has potential commercial prospects. INTENSIVELY FARMED LIVESTOCK How does a novice start out in this industry, and what are the guidelines that should be followed? The first thing to understand is that aquaculture is simply intensive livestock rearing. To keep a large number of live animals in a small space, a thorough understanding of their environmental needs is essential and this must involve some biological research. The Internet is a good place to start, using ‘tilapia’ ‘biology’, ‘environmental…

During a presentation at the PMA Fresh Connections Conference in Cape Town, you specifically referred to the impact of millennials on the food chain in the US. Please tell us more about this group. The millennials are the generation born between 1982 and early 2003. They were the first generation to grow up with the Internet and are ‘clued up’ about digital communication. The Internet has allowed them to learn more about food and the food industry than previous generations. As a result, food is ‘trending’ – it’s a popular online conversation topic. Food is no longer just something you eat, it also has a ‘purpose’. Millennials trust their friends more than advertisements and are generally distrustful of large agricultural food companies. They believe that these companies are only out…

Prices for arable farms with high potential and a high water table in the Free State and North West have increased from R200/ha to as much as R50 000/ha over the past 50 years, according to Nico Coetzer, long-time attorney, auctioneer and professional valuer in Hoopstad in the Free State. Prices have fluctuated somewhat, depending on rainfall, but have continued a steady upward trend over the years. Arable land that went for R6 000/ha in 2001 sold for R50 000/ha in 2013. Grazing land prices increased during the same period from R50/ha five decades ago to R800/ha in 2001 and R5 000/ha in 2013. Coetzer warns against the purchase of low-potential farms for grain production in particular. The economy of grain production in South Africa is such that producers cannot…

Regina Harmse has a ready market as she delivers directly to Ermelo abattoir. She has also been supplying the traditional festival market for almost five years. Wilco transports the sheep to the abattoir. “Farming is the only business where you pay for transport to where the product is produced as well as to the market,” he quips. “We could market more sheep if we could produce more. We have a waiting list for registered and commercial ewes. We only sell a ewe when she is at least 12 months old and pregnant.” Their area has an Ile de France Club and its 12 members are keen to convert it to a study group. “We present combined club auctions and encourage new entrants into the market,” says Wilco. “I’m proud that…

At some time or another in many societies around the world, quality cattle have been seen as a symbol of wealth and status. In fact, the word ‘cattle’ is originally derived from the medieval Latin capitale – the same word which gives us ‘capital’. According to the Online Etymological Dictionary , ‘cattle’ was a variant of ‘chattel’ and used to describe movable personal property, especially livestock of any kind, as opposed to property in the sense of land, which also included wild or small free-roaming animals such as chickens, which were sold as part of the land.…

An agent on the Durban Market recently made an interesting remark to me. “To be a market agent you can’t be human,” he said. Of course, he had his tongue firmly in his cheek. But it set me thinking about market agents and the role they play. In my training classes, one of the subjects I cover is: ‘What is the perfect market agent, as seen by a producer?’ There’s a list of about 14 items defining what producers expect from their market agents. I won’t bore you with every item because what is not revealed are the many ‘characters’ you find among market agents. That is what my friend was alluding to. You’ll find them all under the roof of a market – the full spectrum of humanity. I…

Your horse’s hooves should be cleaned out daily and trimmed by you or a farrier every six weeks. If this is the case, your horse will be accustomed to having its legs ‘lifted’. Week-old foals can easily be taught as they are not strong or heavy enough to injure the handler. But many owners wait too long: they try to pick up their horse’s feet for the first time after a foal is already weaned and able to rear and kick if it feels threatened. Even more dangerous are horses that have grown up in the veld and are handled for the first time when they are three or four weeks old. To teach a horse to pick up a front foot, stroke or gently pat downwards from the shoulder…

Dear Gershom Thank you for the phone call and your requirements in the Estcourt area. You requested that you would like to build nine separate units on your property in honour of the departed, and want these to be traditional rondavels. In Zulu culture, as I understand, a rondavel honours the spirit of a departed close family member. Because the rondavels will be occupied by tenants, the local town planning department may consider these units a commercial enterprise if they are zoned for single-unit houses. I do, however, have a clever way around that problem. This sketch, one of many possible layouts, shows a family home with good living functionality. It could be even more useful if you raise the outer walls by a further 600mm in height and add…

Enrico and Erna Liebenberg’s new coffee-table book WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! (HPH, R690) is a homage to the role that trees play in our heritage – and to the authors’ ongoing passion for photography. The couple shared some highlights of their lives and interests with Farmer’s Weekly. “We’re living our dream at the moment. We both left lucrative IT careers six years ago – before we hit 50 – to travel and do as much photography as possible. We travel round South Africa, Namibia and Botswana to shoot pictures of the wonderful wildlife at least once a year. We travelled about 40 000km in the past two years just for this book.” GETTING THE PERFECT TREE SHOT “Some of our friends joke that trees must be easier to photograph than…

When the Boran breed was first introduced in South Africa, breeders faced considerable difficulty in accessing enough genetic lines to ensure sufficient variety in breeding material. But the hard work and determination of Boran enthusiasts has seen this breed thrive, establishing the Boran as a firm favourite amongst commercial cattle farmers. The breed’s popularity has also been confirmed in the auction ring with high-profile buyers paying exceptional prices for these animals. At one stage, the only way to grow a herd in South Africa was to transfer embryos from Boran females to surrogate cows. But flushing oocytes from ovaries, in vivo or in utero fertilisation, embryo transfer, specialist scientists and specialist equipment do not come cheap. Regulations banned the importation of semen, so to get the breed started, founder and…

“ Once common in Africa, the Middle East and India, the lion is now heading from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Vulnerable Red List to the Endangered List as numbers steadily plummet. Today, the SA lion population is secure only in large conservation areas such as large national parks (Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, for example) a few provincial game and some private nature reserves. Venturing outside such a conservation area is suicide for a lion. A large number of lions are in private hands in South Africa. These are purposefully bred for the ‘hunting’ industry. Breeders portray these animals as part of the species’ conservation, yet conservationists do not consider them to be of any value for the survival of the species. They do not contribute…

Farmer’s Weekly art director, Vian Roos, recently attained his BA Honours in Graphic Design cum laude, achieving 89% for his research paper. He studied through the IIE The Design School Southern Africa. The title of his paper was “Guidelines for a sustainable design strategy for a magazine brand”. According to Vian, the aim of his study was to develop a sustainable design strategy for Farmer’s Weekly. “As the print publication sector experiences a shift towards digital platforms, a balance between the two platforms needs to be achieved. In this regard, we need to start looking at a magazine as a brand and not just a product, to secure its future,” he says. Visit www.farmersweekly.co.za  and click on ‘Opinion’, then ‘Readers’ letters’ for more feedback on articles and current…

Concern is growing in all quarters that the country’s low growth rate and lack of job opportunities, particularly for the youth, is a time bomb waiting to explode. Farmers are reminded of this whenever they drive into town and have to weave through masses of children on the way to or from school. They see young pregnant girls, some already nursing babies. And they see unemployed men sitting on the pavement hoping to be picked up for a day job. Such scenes are common throughout the country, but the plight of the poor is often more visible in country towns where life is slower. One even has time to think about these problems. Some months ago, this column suggested that focusing on education without first creating jobs for graduates is…

The wool market steadied at the second auction of the season as the Merino indicator remained largely unchanged at R128,13 (clean), according to Cape Wools. Local traders attributed the steady market performance to the small amount of wool on offer (6 200 bales) and also to the continued healthy demand for good quality wool. BKB said the Merino indicator now stood at about 15,29% higher than a year ago. According to James de Jager of CMW, the price for wool of 19 microns and finer remained unchanged, while wool of 19,5 to 21 microns sold for 1% less. Wool of 22 to 23 microns, of which there was a limited quantity, went for 2,5% less. “Although the rand is weakening against the US dollar, the Australian market also traded somewhat…

Despite rising incomes, the lives of Northern Cape producers are being tormented by challenges such as drought due to mining, rising input costs and social issues, said Henk van Wyk, president of Agri Northern Cape. He was speaking at the organisation’s annual congress, held at the Horseshoe Inn in Kimberley from 19 to 20 August. “This has been one of the driest seasons in 20 years in nine of our Northern Cape districts,” Van Wyk said. Production prices were, however, high for commodities grown in the province. Therefore, farmers who had enough irrigation water available were rewarded well for their efforts. “In the Ghaap mountain region, iron mining has led to a declining water table, which has caused neighbouring farm’s animal watering holes to dry up,” Van Wyk said. This…

Farmers participating in the Grain SA Farmer Development programme had increased their maize yield to the extent that they were now able to enter the commercial market. Some 115 developing farmers each produced more than 250t of maize in the past season, said Wandile Sihlobo, an economist at Grain SA. Sihlobo was speaking at the African Farmers’ Workshop and Expo held in Gauteng recently. “This is good progress as it shows that our farmers are producing surpluses and are starting to generate an income,” he said. Farmers usually reserved 1t of maize/ year for their families, with the surplus sold to commercial outlets such as local millers in nearby towns.…

Petrol and diesel prices were expected to decrease by 56c/l and 53c/l respectively at the start of September. This would benefit grain producers, who were getting ready to prepare their lands for the 2015/2016 season, said Grain SA economist, Wandile Sihlobo. Fuel accounted for about 11% of the total variable costs of maize production, he said. Commenting on the unaudited mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund, he said domestic fuel prices were influenced by international product prices, as well as exchange rate movements. International product prices were currently the main contributing factor towards the expected decrease of domestic fuel prices. “If the value of the rand had not weakened, price decreases would have been even more significant,” said Sihlobo. He said analysts had attributed the rand’s…

Kolver Mülke has been named the Northern Cape Young Farmer of the Year for the second time in a row. Mülke, 35, farms on Tambile in the Douglas district near Kimberley in the Northern Cape, and has been running his own farming operation since 2003. He produces wheat, yellow maize, potatoes, onions, seed onions, seed potatoes and ground nuts in rotation. He also farms in a 50/50 trust with his father and runs the day-to-day activities on 440ha of the family’s combined 750ha. He urged farmers’ unions to help young farmers. “Find out who they are and help them. We need more entrants for this competition.” Mülke started farming in 2002 with his father, Willem, after completing a degree in agricultural management at the Free State’s Central University of Technology.…

The South African Meat Industry Company (SAMIC) held its annual national carcass competition prize-giving function at Vryburg High School in North West recently. The competition recognised cattle, pig and goat producers at the commercial, group and emerging levels. Carcass shows around the country were also recognised. The function ended with lamb, blesbok and kudu carcasses being auctioned. Funds raised were donated to the host school. 1) Winners in the category ‘Pig Commercial’ (single) From left: Nelie Delport, representing Teresa Stander (3rd place), and Steven Stander, representing Sybrand Stander (1st and 2nd place), all for Large White/ Landrace crossbreeds. 2) Winners in the category ‘Goat Emerging’ (single) From left: Steve Snyders (3rd place) with a Boer goat, and Kooitjie Cloete (1st and 2nd place), with two Boer goats. 3) Winners in…

Thousands of soil microbial species inhabit the space around plant roots. Researchers recently established how plant hormones attract beneficial bacteria and repel undesired ones. Until recently, the mechanism that enables plants to establish and maintain complex microbial communities around their roots was not understood. Now, researchers at the University of North Carolina in the US have determined that, when grown in the wild, hundreds of bacterial species live inside or on plant root surfaces of Arabidopsis, a standard model plant for testing genetics. Researchers also looked at changes in microbial communities when plants lack some of the natural defence hormones, including salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene. They are always present, but at different levels, and are activated when the plant’s immune system detects a pathogen. It has been difficult…

Over the past few years, the South African labour market has been plagued by violent strikes in the farming and mining industries. These have not only led to fatalities, but had a major impact on business profitability and the economy in general. The Labour Relations Act (LRA) defines a strike as the partial or complete refusal to work, or the retardation or obstruction of work by employees, for the purpose of remedying a grievance or resolving a dispute in respect of a matter of mutual interest. According to Department of Labour statistics, 114 strikes took place in 2013, which was more than the total number of strikes for the five previous years. COMMON QUESTIONS Employees generally have the following questions regarding striking employees. • Are employees allowed to strike? In terms…

Meat MEAT PRICES MIXED International: New Zealand steers and cows traded flat at NZ$583/head and NZ$412/head respectively. US beef traded as follows: topside lower at US$302,47/cwt, rump higher at US$457,73/cwt, strip loin higher at US$665,51/cwt, chuck slightly higher at US$305,29/cwt, and brisket slightly higher at US$260,35/cwt. The carcass price was US$367,38/cwt. Tightening meat supplies in top consuming nations such as the US and China are boosting the global outlook for beef. Domestic: Local prices increased. The different meat classes traded as follows: the Class A price increased 0,23% to R34,75/kg, Class B increased 4,11% to R31,13/kg, and Class C rose 3,21% to R29,30/kg. According to the Red Meat Abattoir Association, slaughtering numbers decreased. The weaner price was slightly higher at R20,21/kg. The hide price was lower at R12,29/kg as international…

Buying a farm can be a daunting experience, especially for the first-time buyer. There are many factors which must be taken into account – but which of these ultimately determines the monetary value of a farm? What will financiers regard as important when considering a loan application? VALUE AND PRICE Value and price are not the same thing. The value of a property may differ in the minds of the buyer and the seller and thus does not necessarily represent its price. The price is what is paid for the property; the value is the perceived worth of what has been received in exchange. Every farm property has its own profile. Natural resources, locality, rights, improvements, potential and extent all play a role. Every uniquely combined farm profile represents a…

Regina Harmse recently won the Pietermaritzburg Royal Show carcass competition with an Ile de France lamb carcass, becoming the first European breed to win overall in the show, which is usually dominated by Dorpers. It beat 97 competitors to win the European Genetics and Champion Carcass categories. The carcass had a 23,3kg cold mass and gained a 98,32% Samic score. It was sold for R1 100/kg (the second-highest price to be achieved for a lamb in South Africa) to Willowtown Meats. The rules allocate five points for weight (a carcass may not weigh more than 24kg), 10 points for fat grading, 20 for build and 65 for spread. The carcass is cut into three parts and measured to arrive at a total score. “The fact that buyers pay high prices…

Producers across the world are converting to high-density and even ultra-high-density apple tree plantings to improve production efficiency. In Australia and the US, farmers are making huge strides in this regard by spacing trees 0,5m apart and the rows 3,5m apart. Willie Kotze, research and development manager at Dutoit Group, says South Africa will take some time to catch up, because there are insufficient cold storage units available and the country has varying soil conditions and high summer temperatures. Farmers in the country are, however, starting to experiment with high-density plantings, in which trees are planted as close as 0,75m apart, compared with 1,25m apart in medium-density plantings. High-density planting enhances the quality of fruit if done correctly. It can boost production volume with up to 30t/ha, depending on factors…

Mascor has branches in most of the sugarcane-growing areas of South Africa. The company imports and distributes equipment specifically aimed at this market. 1 JOHN DEERE CH330 CANE HARVESTER: The 4WD JD CH 330’s unique 45° articulated frame steering system makes it practical for areas not fully prepared for mechanised harvesting: it can operate in small lands with heavy crops, narrow row spacing and limited headlands. In addition, the crop dividers and topper pivot with the front section, so that the CH330 does not have to be aligned like a conventional harvester and can be driven straight into the crop. It has a 148kW John Deere 6,8-litre Power Tech engine and the permanent 4WD ‘Shift on the go’ transmission has three speed ranges. The Doble TT Colosus 10.000 self-dumping cane…

The beneficial effect of effective micro-organisms (EM) on plant life is well-known throughout South Africa. But why is it so seldom used? Perhaps because it is not aggressively marketed or freely available. As a sideline, and based on research developed by the father of EM, Prof Teruo Higa from the island of Okinawa in Japan, Cullinan farmer, Louis Meintjies, produces EM on limited commercial scale. EM is a combination of beneficial effective micro-organisms including yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, phototropic and Actinomycetes micro-organisms, many of which occur naturally in healthy soil and water. Practical applications include compost-making, where a farmer can add 2% EM to water and wet compost material to 20% moisture content; soil improvement, where it can be diluted to 0,01% and sprayed in the garden weekly; and as…

The other day I watched the conclusion of the 2015 Tour de France on TV. It must be one of the most testing sporting events there is. To think that these men had been cycling every single day for almost three weeks, covering about 180km per day! They had cycled up and down mountains and across valleys, experiencing every kind of hardship. Chris Froome (who was born in Kenya, educated at St John’s College in Johannesburg, and rides for Great Britain) won the race for the second time. I listened to the commentators saying that he was by no means the most elegant of cyclists. Apparently, one trainer compared him to a bird flying with a broken wing. That trainer must have got quite a fright when he saw Froome…

WALLOP! by Toni Younghusband (Tafelberg, R325) This history of the ad agency Rightford, Searle-Tripp and Makin, (now part of Ogilvy & Mather), combines insights into the fast-paced business of advertising with a nostalgic look at some of South Africa’s best-loved commercials. The original agency was renowned for landing awards and many of its ads stole hearts and became part of our cultural heritage. Who can forget David Kramer for Volksie, the Dunlop staffie and the IBM elephants? CONRAN ON COLOUR by Terence Conran (Conran Octopus, R566) If spring is inspiring you to refresh your décor and add some fresh colour, you’ll do well by turning to design guru Conran for help. His new neutrals are shades of white, grey (one of the latest ‘in’ colours), black…

Video 9 September • VJ Angus 19th Annual Production Video Sale. On offer: 57 red bulls, 8 black bulls and 8 in-calf Senepol commercial heifers. Phone Brandon Leer on 082 570 5863 or Ian Sheard on 082 410 1712. North West 8 September • Considerata Droughtmasters 7th Annual Production Sale, Vryburg. On offer: 25 bulls, 20 cows and heifers and 50 embryos (semen from proven herd sires). Phone Johan van der Nest on 082 574 4220 or Chrisna van der Nest on 073 120 4736. Free State 3 September • LP Becker & Sons and Co-sellers 12th Production Sale, Warden. On offer: 32 registered SAMM rams and 12 registered Simbra bulls. Phone Bennie van der Merwe on 082 414 4228 or Henri de Jager on 083 532 3610. 3 September • 28th East Free…

• The caption of the cover photo on the 2015 ARC National Beef Performers Awards supplement (FW, 28 August) was incorrect. It should have read: Cattle from Rehan van Niekerk’s Eran Limousin Stud, Bothaville. Farmer’s Weekly apologises for any inconvenience caused. • The article on the South African Meat Industry Company’s (Samic) annual National Carcass Competition held in Vryburg recently was inadvertently omitted from the 28 August issue of Farmer’s Weekly. The article can be read on page 27 of the current issue. • Farmer’s Weekly has a high regard for factual accuracy and welcomes reader input.…

Devising a sustainable development strategy for South Africa’s agriculture sector would require a switch to a new supply chain model and creating value through closer cooperation. This was according to Gian Bagnara, owner of the Italian company Texere, who will be a participating in the South Africa-Italy Summit from 1 October to 2 October in Cape Town. After having created trust in its agricultural products, Italy used both small and big farming businesses to revolutionise its supply chain, said Bagnara. Small-scale farmers tended to be good producers, but were not always good managers, he said. On the other hand, large businesses were well-managed, but the benefits for the social economy could be limited. Italy did not only excel in offering technology for large farms and factories, said Bagnara. Instead, the…

The new Africa Business Connect (ABCONN) online business portal, initiated by the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut, was set to add a new dimension and add value to the business sector in Africa, according to Fanie du Plessis, ABCONN development manager. He said it was an online platform that facilitated the process of “match-making” and connecting businesses, including agribusinesses, to grow and develop trade relations within Africa. The ABCONN platform was available 24/7 and could be accessed from anywhere. Members could match their needs with credible solutions, allowing them to connect with other members to do business better. “It provides for governments, organisations such as chambers of commerce, corporates and small-to-medium businesses,” he said. ABCONN would allow business people to stay up to date with the latest business news and business events in…

In future, the controversial transport differential could be a saving grace for South African farmers, who struggle to compete with producers elsewhere in Africa. This is according to Ernst Janovsky, head agricultural economist at Absa Agribank. Some African countries have excellent economic growth and in coming years their fertile agricultural soil will be rapidly developed into commercial farms. “For the first time, South Africa has imported maize from Zambia and this will definitely be a growing trend,” Janovsky told Agri Northern Cape’s congress in Kimberley recently. Zambian farmers could compete with South African farmers for market share with relative ease, but the reverse was not true. “Our ability to compete on the Zambian market is hampered by things such as practical logistical issues,” Janovsky said. For example, a farmer or…

The minister of state for agriculture in Rwanda, Tony Nsanganira, has called on bee farmers in the country to improve the quality of their honey to meet export standards. If beekeepers could achieve this, they could also supply markets in the Arab world. Rwandan farmers were accredited to sell honey on the European Union market last year. There are approximately 90 000 beehives across Rwanda that produce more than 4 000t of honey per annum, but the main commodities are beeswax and propolis. Apiary Singapore and 12 bee farmers’ cooperatives in Rwanda have entered into a Rwf2,1 million (R38 million) partnership to improve the quality and marketing of the country’s honey.…

Northern Cape farmers who think they are experiencing a troublesome drought haven’t seen anything yet. This was according to Dr Andries Jordaan, director of the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre at the University of the Free State, who had just finalised a drought plan for the province. This was the first of its kind in the country. “Over the past 100 years, the province has had more rain, rather than less. The past 45 years, especially, were extremely wet. Farmers are currently experiencing the climate as dry, because it is drier than it has ever been in their time as farmers,” Jordaan said at the Agri Northern Cape congress in Kimberley. “The two driest years the province has ever seen were in 1922 and 1933. The wettest period was…

While international growth had slowed down significantly, Africa still represented good economic opportunities. Trade between the continent and other countries had increased by 200% over the past decade until 2011, said Dr Christo Wiese, chairperson of Shoprite Checkers and Pepkor, speaking at the PMA Fresh Connections conference held in Cape Town recently. Inflation had dropped from 22% to 8%, foreign debt had declined by a quarter and budget deficits had declined by two-thirds over the same period, according to him. He said the continent had shown the fastest growth of any economy in eight of the past ten years. Since 1989, there had been a significant increase in democratic elections with more than 35 changes of government in free and fair elections, he said. “All of this is revealing the…

Concerns that South Africa’s estimated 12 000ha of commercial banana plantations could be wiped out by the tropical race 4 (TR4) strain of the soil-borne fungal disease, Fusarium wilt (Panama disease), are unfounded. This is according to Jacolene Meyer, a plant disease expert at Du Roi QMS Laboratories in Limpopo. The concerns stemmed from a video clip attributed to CNN, which claimed that the TR4 strain could wipe out banana production around the world in a scenario similar to the disaster in the 1950s when the race 1 strain of Fusarium wilt wiped out approximately 40 000ha of the Gros Michel banana. This effectively put an end to the Gros Michel being grown commercially. The TR4 strain has reportedly surfaced in banana plantings in Mozambique. But Meyer told Farmer’s Weekly…

Strict selection, discipline and adherence to breed standards would determine the success of the Droughtmaster beef cattle breed in Africa, according to Ryno van der Merwe, Namibian Stud Breeders’ Association chairperson. Breeders should consider commercial cattle breeders as their ultimate clients, and should not take short cuts with breeding strategies, he said, speaking at the 2015 Africa Droughtmaster Breeders’ Society’s general meeting in Parys in the Free State recently. Beef cattle producers in Namibia, for example, farmed under extensive conditions, as did a large proportion of cattle breeders in Namibia’s neighbours. “Stud Droughtmaster breeders would be well-advised not to concentrate solely on their own profit margins,” Van der Merwe said. “It’s vital to provide cattle adapted to extensive conditions and add to increased productivity and profitability of the commercial beef…

Nine of the best female farmers in the country will be vying for top honours in the the national leg of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ female entrepreneur awards. Overall winners from the nine provinces were: Buyiswa Dyenga (Eastern Cape), Margaret Botha (Northern Cape), Hazel Mathelela (Mpumalanga), and Hlengiwe Hlophe (KwaZulu-Natal). The winner in the Western Cape was Ingrid de Waal of Canette Vallei in Stellenbosch. She is the only female lavender producer in the Western Cape, according to Browynne Jooste, spokesperson for Alan Winde, provincial minister for economic opportunities. “She produces lavender essential oil, lavender cut flowers, dried flowers and handmade soap. Ingrid is also the only person in South Africa to produce raw lavender honey,” Jooste said in a statement. Thato Moagi, a young livestock and…

Rotavirus is prevalent in many cattle herds, where it causes diarrhoea in calves between five and 14 days old. Infection is especially common in intensively reared cattle. Rotavirus is normally a serious disease with a very short incubation period. Acute clinical signs are rare in calves older than one month. An infected calf stops drinking and develops diarrhoea. In South Africa, the virus occurs in calves, piglets and goat kids. Rotavirus in combination with coronavirus can also cause diarrhoea in calves. INFECTION In calves, the infection usually occurs between two weeks and 11 weeks. Those younger than a month are especially susceptible and develop severe clinical signs. Infection occurs through ingesting dung or virus-contaminated feed. Infected carrier cows can infect calves through their faeces. Reinfected cows may excrete the virus…

In ‘Treat your client well, but with a little distrust!’, in a recent Wits Business School Journal, Douglas Bernhardt argues that personal interests always lead to a break in relationships – even those that are long-established and based on trust. To think otherwise is naive. This brings to mind Anton Rupert. He was lecturing at the University of Pretoria when he started a small dry-cleaning business. It was not a success, so he sold it and purchased a bottle store. It made money. In 1941 Rupert bought an insolvent tobacco company. By 1945 it had gone as far as it could on pipe tobacco and snuff. It needed to make cigarettes. Rupert telegraphed the legendary Sydney Rothman in London, and arranged an appointment. He took the BOAC flying boat service…

The producer price of milk has fallen by as much as R1/l over the past month or so. Some processors are already paying the reduced price to producers, while others will start soon. The milk price falls as seasonal pasture-based dairy producers come into peak milk. Because most of South Africa’s milk is seasonal, it makes sense that the price drops with high spring flow. In early June, farmers in the Eastern Cape’s Alexandria district were planning for the reduced milk price and budgeting accordingly, and there are certainly other dairy farmers who have done the same. Ernst Janovsky, chief agricultural economist at Absa Bank, says that to survive the squeeze, farmers must increase production and bring input costs down. “Don’t waste your energy fighting price,” he says. “Focus on…

Before signing a purchase agreement on agricultural land, a potential buyer must investigate aspects such as water-use authorisation, mineral rights, land claims and other restrictive conditions applicable to the property. ‘FARMERS MUST ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS UP FRONT’ WATER-USE AUTHORISATION Nic Opperman, director of natural resources at Agri SA, explains that the use of raw water such as ground, borehole and river water in South Africa is regulated by the National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998). This stipulates that farmers who obtained legal water-use rights under the previous act can continue using water. However, new water developments undertaken after 1998 are subject to a water-use licence. This applies to any water use that falls outside domestic use and stock watering. The licence guarantees that legal water users are able…

Regina Harmse and husband Wilco run a tight ship on their small farm, RCH Ile de France, near Ermelo, Mpumalanga. With about 1 000 Ile de France ewes split 50/50 between stud and commercial, they have to run an intensive hands-on operation to be profitable. Regina initially started crossbreeding Ile de France with Merino ewes about 20 years ago by borrowing rams from a friend. She soon realised that Ile de France was the “Rolls-Royce breed” for crossbreeding and later started retaining crossbred ewes as replacement ewes. Ten years ago, the couple moved to a smaller piece of land where Regina established a stud flock. As the land could support only a limited number of sheep, she had to maximise their value. “We selected for blockier, meatier carcasses,” she recalls.…

KZN HEREFORD CHAMPIONS KZN DORPER CHAMPIONS KZN RED BRAHMAN CHAMPIONS KZN GREY BRAHMAN CHAMPIONS CONTACTS Justin Philips 082 495 6097 Dr Carl Scholtz 083 305 0668 Gert Lötter 071 678 7431 Anton Rencken 083 806 3950 Tony Braithwaite 082 802 0049 Heinrich Maree 082 856 1254 Linde du Plessis 083 700 8592…

There are more than 45 known breeds of cattle in South Africa today. The country’s cattlemen have long been active in the development of productive cattle, both in the dairy and beef sectors, with breed societies helping them obtain the best results. Some 80% of all cattle breeds in South Africa have been affected in some way by direct imports of breeds from the UK or Central Europe, or through crossbreeding to create more adaptive synthetic breeds. MORE THAN 150 YEARS OF BREED IMPORTS The first breed to be imported was the Shorthorn from the UK, back in 1861. The latest (at the time of writing) was the Chianina (pronounced Key-a-neenah) from Italy, which gained recognition in 2014 after nearly two decades in the country. South Africa has only four…

Usually, a soil analysis gives the percentage of each cation as a measure of the total cations in the soil. If this is not the case, you can convert the amount yourself. To better illustrate the process, let’s look at an actual analysis of a soil sample from one of my clients. The values are in mg/kg: • Potassium (K) – 227• Calcium (Ca) – 1 591• Magnesium (Mg) – 375• Sodium (Na) – 28 Each figure is then divided by the element’s atomic weight (see the table alongside). With this calculation done for each element, the totals are added up. This amount (11,792) is then divided by each of the totals from the previous calculation. The new totals are then converted into percentages. (To check your calculations, add up the final percentages; the…

The Ford Transit range has been the best-selling light commercial vehicles in Europe for the past 40 years. Last year, the Transit Connect was voted the 2014 International Van of the Year in Europe. The range of models was initially aimed at the European market, but is now produced in Europe, Asia and North America for worldwide distribution. The latest versions have been on sale for some time in South Africa. In March this year, the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa released four new passenger versions under the Tourneo Connect name. Don’t confuse these with the larger and heavier Tourneo Custom models released last year. The two less expensive versions of the Connect range are the basic 1,0 Ambiente and the upmarket 1,0 EcoBoost Trend. Both have the same…

For the hardened sceptics who read this column, the question is this: why are we going to all this trouble? There are two powerful reasons: appearance and flavour. Golden-coloured caramelised onions add umami – the fifth flavour – to food, right in front of salt, sweet, bitter and sour. Of course, if you’re not careful, you may simply end up with burnt onions, a profoundly unwanted taste experience. For this alchemical event, you need only full consciousness and a large, heavy-based frying pan. The standard version needs no elaboration other than to warn against burning the butter, not to mention the onions. Let me restrict comment to the advanced version. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Crush, peel and finely mince the garlic. Finely chop the fresh thyme. Combine the…

When you mention healthy cooking oils, most people think of olive oil. But the flavour is not to everyone’s liking. Fortunately, there’s an alternative which is just as healthy, but with a milder, more buttery taste and a higher smoking point, which makes it more suited to light frying and baking. It’s also tasty in salad dressings and mayonnaise. I am, of course, referring to extra virgin cold-pressed macadamia nut oil. It has an excellent health pedigree, with the lowest levels of the less healthy Omega-6 fatty acids of all traditional oils, and is higher in the beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids than even olive oil. A LONG-LASTING OIL Macadamia oil is highly stable – kept in a cool, dark place, it can stay fresh for a long time, thanks to…

Produce traceability makes it possible to track produce from its point of origin to a retail location. Traceability is an important link in protecting the public as it allows health agencies to more quickly and accurately identify the source of contaminated fruit or vegetables, remove the produce from the marketplace, and communicate with the supply chain. Many processors are beginning to realise that traceability could soon be the minimum standard for doing business. Indeed, traceability systems have been obligatory for all businesses in the food chain in the EU since 2005. The EU directive requires businesses to be able to identify all suppliers of food, food products and feed, as well as all businesses to which they supply food or feed. The information must be systematically stored so that it…