Table of contents for 02-Oct 2015 in Farmer's Weekly

Never before in the 21 years since South Africa’s transition to a democracy has the ruling party placed so much faith in the contribution that agriculture can make to the country. The farming sector must get its house in order or run the risk of letting this opportunity to grow the sector slowly fade from the national agenda. The ANC’s economic policy head, Enoch Godongwana, said that agriculture’s development plans would be discussed at the ANC’s upcoming National General Council in October. In an interview with Farmer’s Weekly, he said in no uncertain terms that the ANC wanted to see agriculture’s contribution to the economy grow (story on page 15). But it is also clear that the ANC does not quite know how to achieve this and needs guidance and…

South Africa’s evaporation rate is four times greater than the average annual rainfall of 500mm. Put another way, only one raindrop in every four is potentially available for use. Over the years, instead of focusing on saving water and storing and using it more efficiently, grand schemes have been devised to meet the country’s water needs. Pumping water from the Congo River sounds like a good job-creation project, on a par with building the ancient pyramids, but perhaps an improvement on an earlier plan to ship in water using tankers. It also sounds more feasible than towing icebergs from the South Pole and anchoring them on sandbanks near the coast. Neither international laws nor the ‘green’ movement would, of course, allow this today – even if the many practical challenges…

In order to meet the rising demand for electricity, South Africa must build seven more power stations the same size as Medupi. This was according to Prof Wikus van Niekerk, director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University, speaking at a Nedbank-sponsored talk on renewable energy held at Agri Mega Week in Bredasdorp. As a result, SA had no choice but to incorporate alternative energies to reduce pressure on the national grid. Van Niekerk said energy consumption had remained relatively stable at around 250TW/hour per year over the past eight years “not because demand is not growing, but because Eskom has been unable to supply more electricity”. He said that load-shedding at the beginning of the year would have been more disruptive if renewable energies…

Severe prolonged dry weather associated with the El Niño phenomenon has devastated this year’s maize harvest in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, El Salvador’s losses stood at $28 million (R374 million). Farmers in Honduras had lost 80% of their bean crop and 80% of crops were lost in Guatemala. while estimates showed that 50% of Nicaragua’s total planted area had been damaged. The Central American Agricultural Council had declared a state of alert. A statement said that governments of these countries were distributing agricultural aid packages.…

The government has allocated R450 million for the development of 10 agri-parks to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This would make KZN the province with the most rural development facilities in the country. According to a statement by the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZN DARD), the establishment of these parks, with an additional 17 across the country, would “serve as a catalyst around which rural industrialisation would take place”. “Agri-parks serve to provide a network of contacts between producers, markets and processors while also providing physical infrastructure required for the processing of agricultural products. The agri-park approach includes the selection and training of smallholder farmers as well as the selection of farms for placement, incubation and training of unemployed graduates and other agro-entrepreneurs,” the statement said. It also said that…

The isolated showers that occurred in the Free State and North West on the weekend of 19 September would not mitigate the effects of the past three years’ drought, according to Johan van den Berg, Santam Agriculture weather expert. Showers of 9mm were reported in Bothaville, 10mm in Wesselsbron, between 14mm and 20mm in Vryburg, 30mm in Stella and 10mm in Delareyville. Good rains of between 35mm and 40mm were reported in the Lichtenburg district. The soil moisture levels in the grain production areas had been virtually depleted owing to the past years’ droughts. Considerably more rain was needed to make a real difference to grain lands, Van den Berg said. There was still time before planting in the summer grain area started because the rainy season usually began between…

Oupa Khoabane was recently appointed the new MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Free State. Formerly a spokesperson for Free State Premier Ace Magashule, Khoabane is the third MEC for the portfolio in less than a year, replacing Mosebenzi Zwane who was sworn in as a Member of the Parliamentary Legislature recently. Zwane was appointed in May after his predecessor Mamiki Qabathe was reportedly elected as Speaker for the provincial legislature earlier this year. Free State Agriculture issued a statement saying it welcomed Khoabane to the industry.…

Sixteen Farmer’s Weekly readers recently spent a week exploring Zambia’s commercial agriculture sector. They also learned about opportunities and challenges to agricultural investment in that country. During the first half of the six-day tour, the group visited a Santa Gertrudis stud enterprise, Zambeef’s dairy and beef feedlotting enterprises, a modern, progressive and highly diversified farming business, the 29 000ha Zambezi Ranching and Cropping business as well as a specialist game breeding enterprise – all in the Chisamba area. In the second half, the group visited the Mkushi farming block, one of Zambia’s largest commercial farming areas. In the Mkushi area, they first visited an evicted Zimbabwean farming family that built a successful business in Zambia after arriving with almost no funds. The group was then hosted to a tour of…

To farm successfully, smallholder farmers in South Africa needed to be disciplined and committed, according to Miriam Cheregony, rural finance specialist and knowledge management coordinator at the African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association in Kenya. Cheregony, who spoke at the recent Nerpo AGM and conference, said South Africa had more farmer support programmes and grants than many other African countries. “South Africa has so many grants and agricultural programmes, which makes it impossible to believe that it could struggle. In many African countries, farmer support is almost nonexistent,” she said. The biggest challenge that SA farmers faced was not funding, but technical support. “Access to information is a challenge and farmers must equip themselves with information.” That farmers were quick to opt for loans instead of using available resources was…

Over the past few months, the South African government has been involved in a lengthy consultative process to find a much-needed solution to the land reform system. Although the system has been in existence for 20 years, it does not seem to be producing the desired results. The process of land reform has been frustrated by various issues coming from several different directions, and it appears that government did not anticipate them. There are currently three main groups of role players influencing land reform policy in South Africa. ORGANISED AGRICULTURE The first are these groups who drive land reform for commercial interest and through the ideology of a free-market economy. They include: • Agribusinesses, represented by Agbiz; • Commercial farmers, represented by Agri SA and TAU SA; • Independent mega-farmers;…

Farmers are unique in the support they give one another. There is no farmer worth his salt who would not immediately offer help to a new neighbour settling in or fail to give support and assistance to a fellow farmer who suffers a setback. As a result, mentoring new farmers comes quite naturally. It’s something we grow up with and understand completely. I have yet to find a commercial farmer who does not appreciate the critical importance of correcting the skewed land ownership situation in South Africa – and who is not prepared to mentor new farmers. Yet why do we see so many failed agricultural land reform projects? In seeking some answers, I came across a study by the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development at the…

The Predation Management Forum (PMF) represents the red meat, wool, mohair and wildlife industries at national level. Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as those from the Department of Environmental Affairs – both national and provincial – are invited to promote liaison on legislative matters. An agreement between the NWGA and the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) provides a framework for wool growers to be responsible for predation matters and the RPO to attend to stock theft matters. For this reason, the chairmanship of the PMF lies within the NWGA. Where do you farm? On the farm Witfontein in the Fraserburg district in the Northern Cape. I farm mainly Merinos. What impact does the PMF have on the ongoing fight against predators? It’s difficult to…

Meat MEAT PRICES MIXED International: New Zealand steers traded flat at NZ$583/head and cows traded slightly higher at NZ$383/head.US beef traded mostly lower: topside traded lower at US$253,60/cwt, rump traded lower at US$445,42/cwt, strip loin traded lower at US$582,36/cwt, chuck traded slightly lower at US$278,83/cwt, brisket traded slightly lower at US$254,13/cwt, and the carcass price was US$335,97/cwt. Domestic: Local prices increased. The various meat classes traded as follows: Class A prices increased 0,20% to 35,20/kg, Class B traded flat at R30,88/kg, and Class C increased 1,08% to R29,07/kg. Weaner prices were flat at R20,11/kg. According to the Red Meat Abattoir Association, slaughter numbers decreased. Hide prices were slightly higher at R12,23/kg, due to global prices remaining generally low as supply continues to outstrip demand. Outlook: International prices are expected to…

To make sugardine, you will need 10% povidone-iodine (obtainable from your pharmacist) or Betadine solution (obtainable from your vet). Mix one part of either to two parts sugar. So if you have 100ml of iodine (a small bottle), you can add to it about 200ml of sugar (about two-thirds of a standard coffee mug). Mix thoroughly until it forms a paste; this can be stored in a sealed glass bottle and will remain effective for a long time. Sugardine can be used as an ointment on deep or superficial wounds. You may need to add a little warm water to make the wound more sticky beforehand. It is also a remedy for thrush in the hoof. To apply it, pick up the foot, pack sugardine deep into the grooves on…

As I write, the markets are awash with produce. Prices have tumbled in many cases. Our mild winter has resulted in extended production periods for some crops, which has meant an oversupply. In addition, spring has come early, which means even more produce entering the pipeline. Market agents are reporting difficult sales, with the attendant slowing of business. It has happened before and it will happen again. This might be difficult to accept when things seem so bleak, but the pendulum will swing and good times will return. Right now, though, as I walk the floor in different markets, I’m in awe of the huge volumes of produce on offer. SLOWLY BUT SURELY “How on earth will they ever sell all this?” I ask myself. And yet, the market agents…

ABE Provonite is a multi-purpose, paint-on solvent-borne coal tar black protective coating that retards the rusting of metal and the degradation of wood. After decades on the market, it is still unsurpassed for protecting structural steel, water tank and fences from the sun, wind and rain. However, being solvent-based, it is not suitable for use on equipment in the food industry and must not come into contact with drinking water. Provonite draws into and protects wood from the elements as well as wood-boring insects, bacteria and fungi. It is economical, easy to apply and can simply be brushed on. Surfaces to be painted must be clean, dry and sound. No primer is required, but at least two coats of Provonite should be applied. It should be stirred well beforehand and,…

BUYING SECONDHAND Q I’m farming in the Eastern Cape and would appreciate help with choosing a bakkie. I realise you can’t side with any manufacturer. My farm is in rugged bushveld and has steep, rocky roads. I’m after a used bakkie that can cope with these conditions while carrying heavy loads. My 2,4-litre 4x4 Toyota Hilux is very slow and by now somewhat unreliable, but has done 450 000km and does not use oil. I’ve been trying to find a secondhand Nissan Patrol or Toyota Land Cruiser but they’re very expensive and with a budget of R200 000 I’ll have to buy a high-mileage vehicle. What would you suggest and which models (turbo or non-turbo) would you recommend? John, Eastern Cape A You’re correct. I cannot show bias,…

Dear Arnold Here is the sketch of the layout for the retirement home you are planning in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. I’ve made the sizes of the rooms as close as possible to your rough sketch. The house itself is 8m x 21,3m in size; the veranda and laundry are additional to the width of the house. You asked for the home to be cost-effective, so I’ve kept the roofing simple, with a low-pitched roof over the veranda areas. I’ve also shown the garage and staff quarters with a flat concrete roof, which is where the solar components can be mounted. This will ensure that the house’s roof is not too long and remains aesthetically pleasing. I hope this plan and explanation will give you some idea of cost and style.…

The next best thing to doing a road trip with cook, writer and entertainer extraordinaire Justin Bonello is to share the experience with him and the gang through his latest book ROAD TRIPPING (Penguin, R290). • Exploring We chose the West Coast and Namibia because we were looking for places off the beaten track, and we found hidden gems. • People In the circus crew, we put together for our road trips, we meet fascinating people and make some amazing friends. • Memories A friend taught me that sometimes you should keep your memories close – you don’t have to share everything. • Documents A tip for travel prep is to check your documents – we once got to the Namibian border only to find that one guy had brought his old…

“Three hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the US, said: “There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did in plundering their conquered neighbours. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favour, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.” These words were spoken hundreds of years ago, but essentially nothing has changed and it is important that we remind ourselves how important our sector is to the country. We…

The construction of two wind farms in the Northern Cape, which will add more than 1 000 000MWh of clean, renewable energy to the national grid annually, is underway. The farms formed part of the SA government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme and would be managed by Mainstream Renewable Power SA, according to a press release by TM Communications. The Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farms will each consist of 61 wind turbines with a combined output of 280MW, generating enough electricity to power 240 000 households. They would also create jobs and foster economic development, Tina Meier, communication and public relations consultant at TM Communications, said in the press release. The area covered by the wind farms – 6 653ha – was being leased from farmers and would…

The goals set out by the National Development Plan “were built on dated business principles”, according to Dawie Roodt, director of Efficient Group, who was speaking at a presentation on South Africa’s economic outlook at Agri Mega Week in Bredasdorp. This criticism came directly after minister of agriculture, Senzeni Zokwana, encouraged white commercial farmers to join hands with government to reach these goals. “Where there is a global trend for farms to become more mechanised, bigger and corporate, South Africa is going against the grain by trying to keep small farms alive,” Roodt said. He said that government had to revisit the way in which it supported ailing farms and industries. Instead of focusing on farmers’ income, it should look at ways to reduce production costs by, for example, ensuring…

British cattle could now be bred to yield more sirloin steaks by using new video image analysis (VIA) technology to select the best animals, according to the The Telegraph. A report by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that VIA was part of a government-backed plan to make farming more efficient and lucrative by making better use of genetics. Through VIA, farmers could receive data about the volume and quality of meat. Dr Mary Vickers, senior beef and sheep scientist at industry organisation AHDB Beef and Lamb, said that traditionally, farmers bred animals with “very big back ends”. This was because the old industry payment system rewarded the shape of the animal and the overall meat yield, based on assessment by eye. However, VIA involved taking 3D…

Growing national and international demand for guar gum has prompted the African Guar Gum Corporation (AGGC) to call for Southern African farmers to begin growing guar crops for processing. The AGGC said that it already had an offtake agreement with South African and Canadian companies to supply it with more than 50 000t of guar gum powder a year by 2019. The AGGC needed to grow its existing guar bean production footprint in Southern Africa to 12 500ha over the 2015/2016 summer season, and to more than 50 000ha in the 2017/2018 summer season. “To achieve this, the company is looking for many new farmers who [might] be interested in joining the guar-growing programme,” said AGGC managing director, David Wolstenholme. “AGGC is looking for farmers in the Northern Cape, Sandveld,…

Thirty-two municipalities are being placed under the administration of the Department of Water and Sanitation due to the poor state of these services, according to Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane. The first interventions were made at North West’s Ngaka Modiri Molema and Madibeng municipalities, according to Mokonyane, who spoke on Power FM recently. “We’ve got 27 district municipalities that we’ve intervened in,” she said, adding that five additional municipalities in the Free State where water and sanitation services were problematic were also being targeted. “We’re now sitting on Mangaung. We had to intervene there because the situation regarding management of sanitation is not impressive for a metropolitan municipality.” Drought in the Free State last year had necessitated “diverting water that was coming to Gauteng into the Free State”,…

Black participation in the agriculture value chain is under the spotlight, with Black Business Council saying that it leaves much to be desired. Sandile Zungu, a prominent businessman and the deputy-president of the Council, bemoaned the fact that there were few to none black farmers who farmed wheat and owned milling companies. Addressing the council’s economic policy engagement indaba in Midrand near Johannesburg recently, he said that black farmers were “nowhere in the value chain of feeding our people on a daily basis”. “We must disrupt the pattern that continues to block black participation in the economy in a meaningful way,” he added. To achieve the objective, he called on fellow business leaders to embrace education as a “tool for a sustainable change” and become thought leaders. Livhuwani Ngwekhulu, transformation…

The National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation’s (Nerpo) 18th AGM and conference was held from 20 September to 22 September. More than 350 delegates attended. The event is an important platform where the organisation expresses and demonstrates its strategies for contributing to the country’s agricultural transformation, land reform and rural development. At the conference, Nerpo made several resolutions which were unanimously adopted and will be prioritised in the coming season. SYNDICATES Literature and international experience show that the success of smallholder farmers can only be achieved through cooperation. In order for SA smallholder farmers to negotiate effectively in input and output markets and own facilities in the red meat value chain, the Nerpo Livestock Syndicate Scheme has been put forward as the ideal model for such cooperation. • Resolution All farmer…

Cooperation between Nerpo, the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort Biological Products and the Agricultural Research Council’s Ondersterpoort Veterinary Institute could be a solution to South Africa’s lack of rural veterinary services. This was concluded at a recent meeting called by UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science Dean, Prof Darell Abernethy, to strengthen working relations with Nerpo. The shortage of rural veterinary services was, among others, due to the low number of veterinary science graduates, the low intake of black veterinary students, and the export of veterinary scientists. However, current statistics showed a decline in the export of SA veterinarians to places such as Europe, owing to stricter rules imposed by European countries as well as an increase in veterinarians in those countries, according to Abernethy. He said…

Bovine coronavirus infection occurs worldwide and infects cattle as well as grazing ruminants. In the UK it is responsible for an estimated 15% to 30% of digestive tract infections in cattle. It results in neonatal (just after birth) digestive tract infection (enteritis), with diarrhoea in calves. It can also infect the upper respiratory system, leading to enzootic pneumonia. It causes winter diarrhoea in adult dairy cattle and contributes to respiratory diseases in cattle. INFECTION The virus can enter the body faecal-orally (pathogens in faeces pass from one host to another via the oral cavity) or via the respiratory tract. Carrier individuals, although exhibiting no disease signs, may distribute the virus throughout a farm. Infected adult animals generally secrete a low level of virus while pregnant animals secrete a higher level.…

In the last two articles, we examined the road to be taken by starter fish farmers with little or no experience. We have acquainted ourselves with the basics of tilapia biology, looked at system design options that are relevant to the site under consideration, and understood the fact that marketing is, in fact, not a major stumbling block. Now, where to from here? The desired scale of any project has to be in proportion to the likely funding available and the skills on hand – and whether these are actually or theoretically available. It is a misconception to believe that skilled, practical fish farmers can simply be hired through an employment agency, to run a project from inception to production stage. Whilst universities and colleges do indeed produce numbers of…

Xolani Ndzaba, owner of Lethabo Milling, still remembers the day his father Victor brought him a bag of oranges. “I owned my first business when I was eight years old. I sold those oranges at school and later progressed to selling peanuts and apples,” says the 50-year-old businessman from Emdeni in Soweto. The entrepreneurial bug had hit Ndzaba and he soon moved on to sell perfumes on trains around Soweto. When his father passed away in 1977, he was sent to live with relatives at Lady Frere in the Eastern Cape for a year. “This is where I fell in love with ukungqusha [a traditional maize milling process]. I herded cattle, milked cows and ploughed the fields during my twelve months there.” Ndzaba returned to Soweto and matriculated from Emdeni…

Raka Wines, a family-owned farming enterprise near Caledon, is celebrating a considerable achievement. Although its vineyards form the backbone of the business, earning 80% of the income, the farm emerged as the winner in the Protein Research Foundation’s (PRF) canola yield competition during the difficult 2014 season. A 33ha land planted to the 45Y86 canola cultivar was entered into the competition. The land ultimately achieved a yield of 2,16t/ha. This achievement should be seen in context. After the relatively cool production years of 2011 to 2013, which saw industry average yields of 1,4t/ha to 1,8t/ha, the industry’s average yield for 2014 was only 1,31t/ha. The latter was due to warmer weather during the flowering stage, which is detrimental to pod development. Canola plants tend to wean themselves when flowering during…

Agritechnica is the world’s leading trade expo for farm machinery. For this year’s show, to be held in Hanover from 10 to 14 November, no fewer than 311 innovations have been registered with the Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft (German Agricultural Society), which organises the expo. John Deere is to be awarded three gold medals and 10 silver medals for, inter alia: • Spraying operation support Crop treatment requires farmers to look at a wide range of information in order to decide on a specific treatment. The growing complexity of this information and the statutory requirements that have to be considered can lead to mistakes with application and the risk of spraying non-target areas. The combination of two features – the Connected Crop Protection and the Chemical Application Manager – helps users to make…

In 1 Kings 5:1, we read: “Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always loved David.” It is a tremendous start for a man when his father leaves behind the legacy of a good reputation. King Hiram of Tyre was prepared to give Solomon whatever he wanted, because of his love for Solomon’s father, the late King David. People are greatly influenced by where you come from – who your father is, for example, and what your background is. I remember very distinctly that when we arrived in South Africa from Zambia 40 years ago, friends were very few and far between. People would visit us, not so much to…

SOUTH AFRICA’S RUGBY LEGENDS (Zebra, R230) At the time of writing, nobody knows whether RWC 2015 will bring glory or grief to the Springboks… Whether you’ll need consoling when the rugby is over, or just consoling, Chris Schoeman’s selection of SA’s rugby legends will intrigue and stir you. He starts with 1891 Bok Barry (Fairy) Heatlie and diplomatically ends with Uli Schmidt, who made his Bok debut in 1986. The tough, earnest young faces depicted in photographs from all eras are evocative and stirring enough but the memorabilia, such as the music sheet of The Springbokken Waltz from 1906, are also fascinating, A must for fans and a great book for the Christmas gift list.…

On 26 August this year, GroCapital, part of Afgri and a provider of specialised financial solutions to the agriculture sector, announced the launch of a new app that can be downloaded from Google Play and iTunes for Android and iOS smartphones respectively. GroCapital Trader enables users to access local and international commodity prices, as well as various currency rates. “Apps such as these are essential to our clients, the majority of whom are well-informed businesspeople who like to be up to date with market price movements at any given time of the day or night,” says Praveen Dwarika, head of GroCapital. Chris Roets from Carolina Roller Meule echoes this view, emphasising that the app is a useful and practical tool that updates Safex prices as they change – there is…

5 MAY 1940 War hits citrus prices hard 75 YEARS AGO The year after the outbreak of the Second World War, costs for marketing South African citrus fruit overseas increased to such an alarming extent that the livelihood of most citrus growers in the country became seriously threatened. This forced them to appeal to the government for financial aid. Here are some of the comments made by Archibald Cramer, chairperson of the Citrus Exchange, on behalf of the export arm of 36 citrus co-operatives, in a report in our issue of the above date. He outlines some of the difficulties the industry has experienced as a result of the war. “Our growers faced the opening of last year’s export season with a great deal of confidence because they knew that…

More details of the conditions that animals were kept in on the farm of one of the winners in the 2015 Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) Female Entrepreneur of the Year awards have emerged. In its previous issue, Farmer’s Weekly reported that the National Council of SPCA’s (NSPCA) was investigating Hlengiwe Hlophe, winner of the top female entrepreneur in the commercial sector category, for contravening the animal protection act. Hlophe farms on Ukwanda in KwaZulu-Natal. NSPCA senior inspector Nazareth Applesamy said the farm had been inspected again since the recent accusations. “We were initially denied access and had to get a court order. The SAPS accompanied us to the farm,” she said. Stocking densities for chickens were too high and there was no lighting programme for layer hens;…

The Zimbabwean government has drafted a new law that will empower it to repossess farms from farmers who default on payment of land rentals. According to the new Finance Bill gazetted on 28 August, defaulters would also be blacklisted from accessing government funding for their farms. Farmers who were allocated commercial farms under the A2 model during the land redistribution exercise, which started in July 2000, would pay annual rent of US$3/ha (R40,37/ha) and a US$2 (R26,90) developmental levy. Those who were resettled under the villagised phase (A1 model) would pay US$10 (R134,57) per annum, regardless of the size of the property and a US$5 (R67,29) developmental levy annually. The government expected to raise US$100 million (R13 billion) through the tax. Part of the money would be used to compensate…

Africa’s largest sugar company, the Illovo Sugar Group, said that it was waiting for the outcome of a police investigation into a protest that turned deadly and destructive at its Noodsberg Sugar Mill in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Local media had reported that members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had allegedly been behind the unprotected protest action. KZN newspaper, The Witness, reported that the motive for the protest was the result of some allegedly long-time casual employees at the mill demanding permanent-employee status. Illovo spokesperson, Chris Fitz-Gerald, confirmed to Farmer’s Weekly that the protest had taken place and that the protesters had “threatened the safety and security of the company’s employees at the mill”. “We were fortunate that the police responded quickly and took control of the situation to disperse the…

Afasa is giving you a final chance to submit your land reform story to win a prize. The South African government, through the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, has been involved in redistributing agricultural land to its citizens for farming purposes since the mid-1990s. Throughout this time, there have been various land redistribution programmes, such as the Settlement/Land Acquisition Grant, the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development and the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy. The process of land reform has met with challenges, but has also had some success stories. Afasa would like to invite farmers who have acquired agricultural land through any of the abovementioned land reform programmes, as well as those who have tried to acquire land but were unsuccessful, to share their good or bad experiences in…

Regardless of the resistance breeding technique used, history has shown that targeted pests and diseases become tolerant of pesticides over time. They also become tolerant of or resistant to biological pesticides. The US is taking proactive measures against maize rootworm becoming tolerant. Three species occur in the Diabrotica genus: Northern, Southern and Western. The larval form feeds on roots, damaging maize uptake of water and nutrients. The adult form feeds on maize leaves, silks and pollen. Some 80% of maize planting has Bt genes (Cry3Bb1 and modified mCry3A) from the Bacillus bacterium. Rootworm resistance has developed to Bt in two US states and another seven states have been designated as ‘red’, implying a risk to new outbreaks. The American Environmental Protection Agency has drafted a set of strategies to minimise…

Farmers are often confronted with a situation in which a farm worker is absent and the employer has no knowledge of his or her whereabouts. This has a significant impact on a farming business’s normal operations and bottom line, as few employers have the luxury of spare capacity in their workforce. Absence from the workplace must therefore be addressed effectively to ensure continued productivity. The Labour Relations Act’s Code of Good Practice provides guidelines to ensure fair labour practice in matters where dismissal is an option. This includes desertion. A deserter is an employee who is absent from work for more than five days without notifying the employer and has no intention of returning to the workplace. Absence where the employee does not turn up for work at all can…

Head of supplier development at Massmart, Sherry-Lee Singh, talks about how Massmart is supporting entrepreneurs such as Xolani Ndzaba through the company’s supplier development programme and other development initiatives. What kind of programme does Massmart have in place to deal with previously disadvantaged businesspeople like Xolani Ndzaba? Massmart runs a supplier development programme backed by a fund of R242 million to improve procurement linkages for new and existing small businesses to trade sustainably with Massmart. The fund gives preference to women-owned and black-owned enterprises. What other support does Massmart offer to Ndzaba, besides opening up the market for him? In 2014 Lethabo Milling received a grant of R1,6 million to assist with its factory compliance requirements. Massmart also provided a R4,2 million loan guarantee to support the business’s factory acquisition…

SA MUTTON MERINO SECTION MERINO STUD SECTION CONTACTS Piet Strydom 045 942 1022 Vanaardt Greyling 082 782 7674 Ras and Niel van Pletzen 082 301 9061 Jannie and Herman de Villiers 082 417 9543 Pat Vorster 082 561 9842…

Each group of organisms living in the soil has a different function and these organisims’ interaction with one another should create a balance that benefits plants. Bacteria are an important part of the soil ecosystem. They reproduce extremely rapidly – approximately every 30 minutes – and their numbers are usually more than 1 000 times greater in the rhizosphere (the area close to root zone). This is because the plant feeds them through the roots, enabling the bacteria to perform various functions that help the plant. Bacteria make unavailable minerals available to the plant and produce substances that stimulate plant growth. This is apart from breaking down organic matter. They also break down toxins. In fact, if the same chemicals are used for nematode and weed control on a constant…

The Fendt VarioGrip Pro uses a high-pressure tyre inside a newly developed tyre. This internal tyre serves as an accumulator which allows the inflation pressure to be altered rapidly. The air is pumped into the internal tyre through a simple sealed rotary union. The valves and pressure sensors are powered through inductive transmission inside the axle. The same applies to the control signals. Dispensing with extra compressors, pressure tanks and control lines, this technology can increase inflation pressure from 0,8 to 1,8 bars within 30 seconds by exchanging the pressure directly and without changing engine speed.…

In 1927, Dr EA Caslick, a vet trained at Cornell University in the US, realised that stitching up the vulva of racing mares increased their fertility. He had noticed that, in most cases of infertility, air was being sucked into the reproductive system of mares as they walked. This was due to poor conformation or injuries that had occurred when the mares gave birth. Faeces, dust and bacteria were drawn in with the air, resulting in infections (vaginitis, cervicitis and metritis) that prevented conception. Unless they had the operation, treating the infection with medication did not work and these mares, many of which had top racing bloodlines, were put down. Mares with pneumovagina (vaginal windsucking) often make a peculiar gurgling or sucking sound as they walk. The interior of the…

To make roasted prawns with two dipping sauces for four diners, you will need: • 1kg prawns in the shell, heads on• 30ml extra virgin olive oil• 3g coarse salt• 3g black pepper Sauce #1: Aioli • 4 cloves garlic• 1 yolk• 175ml extra virgin olive oil• Salt, pepper to taste Sauce #2: Kinda, sorta, Thai • 2 cloves garlic• 6 leaves fresh dhania• 2 spring onion leaves• 1 big red chilli• 5g brown sugar• 15ml Thai orVietnamese fish sauce• 30ml fresh lime juice Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the colon (the ‘vein’) of each prawn. Arrange the prawns in one layer on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper. Stick them in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Take out, and remove the shell from each prawn. You can, if you wish, leave the…

Sutherlandia, also known as kankerbossie, is a wonderful indigenous plant with many health benefits. It is particularly useful as a tonic to help you regain health if you are emotionally and physically run-down and tend to catch colds and flu as a result. Sutherlandia is an example of an ‘adaptogen’, a plant that can restore balance to the body while calming the mind. In this case, it acts as a potent immune booster while also increasing a sense of emotional well-being and energy. HOW THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS WORK Four of the active ingredients in Sutherlandia that contribute to its potency are the amino acids L-canavanine and gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA), as well as pinitol – a type of plant sugar with a blood sugar-lowering effect – and asparagine. The latter…