Table of contents for 11-Dec 2015 in Farmer's Weekly

The global population hit the seven billion mark in October 2011, and with it came greater public awareness of food security. How would food production keep up with a rapidly growing population without depleting the planet’s natural resources? Several years later, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation dropped the food wastage bomb, estimating that a third of all food goes to waste. According to the National Agricultural Marketing Council’s 2014 Food Cost Review (see page 6), the four billion tons of food produced annually is one-and-a-half times more than what we need. So, our worries about feeding the world are unfounded. Even if we don’t increase food production, we’ll still be able to feed the world’s population in 2057. For me, food wastage conjures up a picture of a well-off…

Few things upset farmers more than incorrect weather forecasts, especially when a promised thunderstorm vanishes into thin air. Farmers are now spending even more time than usual checking the weather on Internet sites, hoping that at least one will indicate signs of rain. But many wonder how a weather station in Europe can predict the weather for Pofadder up to 14 days in advance without having enough up-to-date data for the area. As the chances of receiving bad weather is only 30%, one can be right 70% of the time, simply by predicting fine weather every day. Accurate weather forecasting depends on scientific meteorological information. The more information weather forecasters have available and the more they know about local conditions’ impact on computer model predictions, the better they become. Respectable…

Although Tiger Brands delivered satisfactory results this year, the company was inhibited by the poor performance of its Nigerian-based investment. Turnover increased by 5%, from R30,1 billion to R31,6 billion, with group operating income increasing by 3%, to R3,7 billion, according to a company press release. Profit before tax decreased by 20% to R2,1 billion. This was mostly influenced by abnormal charges of R1,7 billion relating to the impairment of the group’s investment in Tiger Branded Consumer Goods (TBCG) of Nigeria, according to the release. Following a sharp drop in the price of crude oil, Nigeria’s main export commodity, the Nigerian naira was devalued, drastically affecting the country’s macroeconomic environment. This had resulted in Tiger Brands’ operations in Nigeria being particularly hard hit, the company said. Continued losses at TBCG,…

The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) has lashed out at a “weasel clause” which would allow the state to effectively expropriate land without compensation. The clause, in the latest version of the Expropriation Bill of 2015, defined expropriation as meaning “the compulsory acquisition of property by an expropriating authority”, and the SAIRR was not happy with this definition, it said. Dr Anthea Jeffery, head of policy research at the SAIRR, argued in a recent report that this wording had its origins in a contentious 2013 Constitutional Court judgement between Agri SA and the minerals and energy minister. The judgement ruled that there was no compensation to be paid in a case where government had acquired unused mining rights under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Act. “There was no…

South Australian farmers struggling to cope with a drought have criticised the government for plans to increase national resource management water levies. The levy is paid by citizens to encourage sustainable use of natural resources and fund environmental protection activities. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that farmers were angry because this would nullify the drought relief assistance recently announced by government. Defending the move, environment minister Ian Hunter said that the government had protected the public from water management costs for five years and it was time to charge consumers. He said the government had spent A$43 million (R439 million) a year on water management services and South Australians were paying less for water than some eastern states. Last week, Primary Producers SA (a South Australian farmers’ organisation), called on…

A respected South African safety and security analyst has expressed support for TAU SA’s recent submission to the United Nations’ Human Rights Commission’s Forum on Minority Rights about farm attacks. However, Dr Johan Burger, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), did not support the union’s view that white Afrikaans farmers were being specifically targeted by farm attackers. Burger said that while TAU SA’s farm attack figures showed SA farmers and other farm residents were almost two-and-a-half times more likely to be murdered than the country’s police officers, farmers and farm workers of all races were at risk. “Yes, it’s a demographic fact that most commercial farmers in South Africa are white and Afrikaans. It’s also a demographic fact that most farm workers in South Africa are…

The drought in Namibia has reached a critical stage, affecting the entire country and resulting in a marked drop in weaner prices, among others, according to Sakkie Coetzee, CEO of the Namibian Agricultural Union. The price had dropped between R3/kg and R4/kg in recent weeks, and was at R14/kg on 30 November. Red meat producers had cut their herds down to the bare minimum, and weaner demand had waned to virtually nothing. “The feedlots are overstocked and the declining water supply in the country makes it impossible to take in more animals,” Coetzee said. Grain producers in the Namibian grain triangle between Otavi, Tsumeb and Grootfontein had so far received no rain in the 2015/2016 production season, according to him. There was also a shortage of animal feed, with waiting…

State-owned parastatal Botswana Horticultural Market (BHM) is preparing to regulate fruit and vegetable prices to protect local farmers from unfair competition from cheap horticultural imports. BHM raised concern that vegetables and fruits in Botswana were not affordable to most consumers. In a recent interview with Farmer’s Weekly, BHM officer Topoyame Ebineng said that BHM was implementing a transformation process expected to enable it to play a regulatory function in the supply and pricing of horticultural products. Consumers were not protected from fluctuating prices while local farmers were not protected from cheap imported products, particularly from South Africa. “The prices of some fruits and vegetables are fluctuating excessively due to changes in supply, but if all of them pass through BHM before being sold to retailers and consumers, we would control…

Zimbabwe has banned the importation of a range of agricultural products, a decision the government said was meant to protect local farmers. The prohibition followed months of intense pressure from farmers and agro-processors who complained of losing business to imported sugar, flour, maize meal, potatoes and tomatoes, mainly from South Africa as well as Malawi, Swaziland and Zambia. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Davison Marapira said in southern Masvingo that his ministry had started revoking import permits. “We have a responsibility to protect local farmers and processors,” he said. “We no longer allow the importation of mealie meal, flour, sugar, tomatoes and potatoes. Our farmers are suffering.” Since the economic crisis started in 2000, Zimbabwe had been importing more than it exported, resulting in the widening of its trade deficit. Unveiling…

Witchweed (Striga spp.) is a major plant parasite problem in Africa. Twenty-four of the 30 Striga species occur in Africa’s mostly dry and semitropical regions. Research on S. asiatica by J Visser in 1985 showed that it reduces maize and sorghum yield by 20% to 30% in South Africa. Subsequently, Israeli and other researchers have provided new insight into the major witchweed species in East Africa, S. hermonthica, which devastates sorghum, maize, millet and rice. Their studies have focused on chemical signals between the host plant and parasite, and the results can now help to combat the witchweed. Each small parasitic plant produces 100 000 microscopic seeds that may lie dormant for decades. The seeds react to strigolactones, natural plant-signalling chemicals that affect fungi-plant interactions and parasitic infestations. Strigolactones attach…

Aquaponics, a mutually beneficial system, is the combined culture of fish and plants. In short, vegetables and herbs are grown organically in a system where the nutrients are supplied by fish waste. It is a hot topic at the moment and is likely to stay popular at a hobbyist or small commercial level. However, the traditional aquaponics system has flaws that can negatively affect either the fish or the plants. Chief amongst these is that the growing medium for plants, usually gravel, is also the filtration medium for the fish-culture water, with the water continuously circulating between the systems. A frequent problem is that the filtration is often too rapid to break down the ammonia, retarding growth of fish and plants. Secondly, warm-water fish – tilapia or carp – need…

Are you perhaps unknowingly acting as an agent and unaware of the legal requirements pertaining to agents? The Agricultural Produce Agents Act (No. 12 of 1992) states that no person may act as an agent unless he or she is registered with the Agricultural Produce Agents’ Council (APAC). It is a criminal offence to ignore the requirements of the act. An agent does not pay for the commodity (fresh produce or livestock). No change in ownership takes place, and the risk remains with the owner until the agent has sold the product. Agents charge a fee for their services. This can be in the form of a commission (a percentage of sale), a rebate or a sliding scale. Here are examples of people deemed to be acting as agents: •…

The development of tissue culture (TC) in plant breeding is a relatively new science. In South Africa, horticultural company Du Roi Laboratory, near Letsitele in Limpopo, has been the country’s leader in TC for over 25 years. Du Roi has taken banana TC to a level where it is the largest supplier of banana plants in Africa. Over 90% of all bananas grown in South Africa are of TC origin. Du Roi also supplies plants and consults to clients throughout Africa, as well as the Middle East and other countries. More recently, the company has introduced TC seed sugarcane plants, a move that could see a revolution in sugarcane production. This new project is being undertaken in close cooperation with the South African Sugar Research Institute (SASRI) and is known…

Hopefully, the drought will be broken by the time you read this. But it certainly won’t be the last dry spell we face, so I’ll devote the next few columns to guidelines for growing vegetables under drought conditions. Clearly, farmers using drip irrigation have an advantage when water is in short supply. But they can face problems with a heat-sensitive crop when it’s this hot and dry. The reason is that overhead irrigation is also required for its cooling effect, and a heat wave is often accompanied by strong, dry wind. This combination makes for inefficient water use when irrigating during the day because a high percentage of the water evaporates before reaching the soil. This means you’re wetting less deeply than you think you are, and are wasting water…

Differing gradients on a land can lead to ponding. Effective management eliminates these factors and leads to a higher yield. In the past, this was achieved by ‘land levelling’ to a uniform set grade. But the process is extremely costly due to the large volume of soil moved. ‘Land forming’ is more cost-effective. It uses software to create a design to achieve the same results while moving just a small amount of the soil. Infiltration rate tests determine water flow to enable more accurate planning.…

When the Western Cape Racing Pigeon Confederation hosted the Hanover Combined Classic Race on 12 September 2015, Albert Lingenfelder decided to test the ability of his pigeons. He ended up winning the event and had three birds in the top 100 in a field of almost 16 000 pigeons. Albert is a member of the Villiersdorp Racing Pigeon Club, part of the North Boland Homing Union. His pigeon racing career began in 2000 on his farm in Villiersdorp, where he is a third-generation apple farmer. The winner of the Western Cape Classic was ZA NBHU 12645-14 BB C. The sire of this bird is ZA THU 17408-09. In 2008, the same year that the famous Birdy (DV 6503-07-900) scored at the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race, Albert met Cape…

To make oven-baked cauliflower, broccoli, olives and cheese for six dazed and confused diners, you will need: • 700g cauliflower• 700g broccoli• 14 black olives• 1 onion• 3 cloves garlic• Extra virgin olive oil on demand• Coarsely ground black pepper• Salt to taste• ½ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus ¼ cup grated Pecorino cheese or ½ cup feta cheese SERVE THIS DISH TO CRIES OF AMAZEMENT AND APPLAUSE First, an incontrovertible truth: this variation on cauliflower cheese knocks that tiresome old staple right back into the previous century, and maybe even the latter phase of the one before that. On with the show. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Crush, peel and mince the garlic. Rinse the brine from the olives, cut each in half and…

Gelatine, the protein-rich substance made from boiling animal bones, skins and tendons, is a natural source of glycine, an amino acid. This increases the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and food is digested more completely in a higher-acid environment. According to Dr David Williams, author of Reversing Digestive Misery, digestive and food allergy problems can be relieved by adding bone broth to our diets. BONE BROTH RECIPE • Place raw or cooked bones from fish, poultry, beef, lamb or pork into a large stainless steel or porcelain pot. The bones can be stripped of meat or still contain meat remnants and skin. • Cover with water and add a few tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice. • Gently stir and let it sit for about 30 minutes to…

Terrorism has reared its ugly head in Paris, Brussels and Mali, killing scores of innocent victims and injuring hundreds more. The media has reported the tragic details, with world leaders vowing reprisals on how to eradicate ISIS, from dropping bombs and rockets on the organisation’s strongholds to an all-out attack with boots on the ground. Declaring outright war on radicals might eradicate terrorism, albeit temporarily, but how does one differentiate between peaceful Muslims and maniacal killers? Only an infinitesimal number of the world’s 1,6 billion Muslims are lured into terrorism. So, of the hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees who now seek asylum in the West from their oppressive homelands, just a handful are likely to be, or become, radicalised by the ISIS doctrine. Giving them safe haven in the…

Farmer’s Weekly’s regular contributors often receive questions from our readers. In this column, we publish those questions and answers likely to be of general interest to our readers. Horse Talk Q Dear Dr Mac The land where my horses stay has been planted to rye pasture. The horses have previously been on a mix of veld grass and kikuyu. How will they cope on rye grass, since they have never been on a rye pasture? Should I just introduce it to them slowly (one hour per day) for a while? Thank you, and looking forward to hearing back from you. Kind regards Megan A Dear Megan Rye pastures are dangerous for horses. I advise you to do some research into this as it requires a lot of explanation.…

The Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) total revenue has dropped slightly to about R1,36 billion. This was according to the state-owned entity’s annual report for 2014/2015, released recently at the ARC-Roodeplaat site in Pretoria. Research and development by the private sector had been on the decline for a number of years, Gabriel Maluleke, the ARC’s chief financial officer, said in the report. The ARC received its revenue from a parliamentary grant from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Department of Science and Technology, and “contract research and development income from both the public and private sectors, locally and internationally”, Maluleke said. However, cash flow increased to R508 million on 31 March 2015, from an opening balance of R480 million at the beginning of the financial year. “Personnel costs increased…

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) says the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) will not visit South Africa to inspect government’s veterinary health services and effectiveness. The Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) had been expecting the visit. The RPO and DAFF were responding to queries by Farmer’s Weekly to determine whether they were satisfied with the standard and effectiveness of government veterinary health services ahead of the prospective OIE inspection. South Africa’s veterinary services and the red meat industry were recently on tenterhooks after foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was discovered in two of South Africa’s neighbouring countries, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. South Africa only regained its FMD-free status in February 2014 after losing it in January 2011, following antibodies of the disease being found in northern Zululand livestock. The…

Policy uncertainty, the high cost of doing business, declining competitiveness and a poor outlook for economic growth were some of the constraints that counted against South Africa in the global agricultural value chain, according to an Agbiz presentation at a recent national agro-processing forum meeting. An Agbiz trade competitiveness report showed that the local primary and secondary agricultural industries’ competitiveness had been in a downward trend since 2001. Palm oil, soya bean oil-cake and whisky were ranked first, second and third respectively in the top 10 list of agro-processing imports in 2014. Local agro-processing exports as a share of total exports had increased since 2011. Wine and raw cane sugar were at the top of SA agro-processing exports in 2014. The top 10 agro-processed exports constitute 40% of total agroprocessing…

The Western Cape government would need at least R60 million to assist farmers with drought relief, especially those on the West Coast and in the Central Karoo. The province’s departments of agriculture and environmental affairs had submitted a request for provincial disaster classification for the Western Cape. “The decision follows input from the provincial disaster management authority with regard to the provincial water situation,” Anton Bredell, local government, environmental affairs and development planning MEC, said. “Our assessments of the provincial water situation found that more than one region or district municipality in the province is experiencing very dry and water-stressed conditions. This led to the request to the provincial cabinet for a disaster classification.” Economic opportunities MEC, Alan Winde, said if the national government approved the provincial cabinet’s request, farmers…

South Africa recently welcomed the largest-ever Dutch trade mission to the African continent. More than 75 Dutch companies in the fields of agriculture, food, water, health, as well as transport and logistics accompanied Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte and minister of agriculture, Martijn van Dam, on a trade mission to Gauteng and the Western Cape. At events hosted in Johannesburg and Cape Town, several longterm agreements were signed between Dutch and South African role players to foster cooperation between the two countries. Among other industries, the horticulture, grain and wine sectors were set to benefit. Dutch companies will also be assisting emerging farmers with establishing food gardens and to set up and run a co-op in conjunction with a commercial farming enterprise. According to a statement, the delegation’s visit follows…

The South African division of international paper and packaging group, Mondi, has denied forcefully evicting tenants with the right to live on its land in the Mkhondo Local Municipality (MLM) in Mpumalanga. This followed allegations to the contrary by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). Mondi SA was responding to news that DAFF’s deputy minister, Bheki Cele, was to meet with 62 communities that had complained of being evicted from land on which they had legal rights. “[The] communities were subjected to forceful removals from Mondi forestry plantations to agrivillages as identified by Mondi. “Several houses were badly demolished in communities that refused to relocate. Furthermore, the communities are deprived of basic services unless they relocate to agrivillages,” a DAFF statement said. It added that “the affected communities…

Water, soil and climate are three primary natural resources that determine the potential of a farm. Water is the heart of irrigation, playing a primary role in the production of crops and livestock farming. Unsurprisingly therefore, its availability increases the value of the land. The management of water is a complex topic, with a multitude of variables. I shall discuss water over two articles and focus on the basics as applicable to farming. WATER SCARCITY South Africa is a relatively dry country where water usage is strictly regulated by law. The National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998) is the main regulating force of water use in South Africa and replaces any previous law dealing with water rights. Its purpose is to ensure that the nation’s water resources are protected,…

CENTRAL DEXTER CHAMPIONS AFRIKANER CHAMPIONS CONTACTS Jankie Jankowitz +264 81 128 1912 Danie and Carina Jansen van Vuuren +264 81 255 7554 Christo Mouton +264 81 298 8814 NATIONAL BRAUNVIEH CHAMPIONS CONTACTS William Versfeld Jnr +264 62 563 679 Desmond and Ulrike Hart +264 81 124 2397 Lourens and Henriette le Grange +264 81 127 9170…

Instead of leaving land fallow for a season, follow a cash crop – cover crop – cash crop rotation, and use a variety of cover crops. This yields long-term benefits. So advises Pieter-Hopkins Uys, one of the speakers at the recent Conservation Agriculture Western Cape (CAWC) conference. Pieter-Hopkins obtained his BCom (logistics) at Stellenbosch University and then worked on a citrus farm in the Eastern Cape for two years. For the past three years he has been farming with his father Pietie on their 705ha family farm Kliprivier near Swellendam. They run 140 Jersey cows in milk at any one time, along with 400 Dohne Merino ewes. They also produce wheat on 200ha, oats on 140ha, canola on 50ha and lucerne on 110ha. The farm derives 70% of its income…

Even if the climate is right for growing litchis, you should still take a soil sample for analysis. If there are colour or texture differences in the soil, subdivide the land and separate samples taken from the different parts. Using a spade, take samples from up to 300mm below the soil surface, and subsoil samples from 300mm to 500mm below the soil surface. A single sample should consist of at least 10 sub-samples taken evenly over the entire area, which should not exceed 3ha. Mix the subsamples of a land thoroughly in a clean container. Keep the topsoil separate from the subsoil. Then pack a 2kg sample of each mixture into a clean plastic bag or suitable container. Use separate containers for the top and subsoil. The results will provide…

I’ve often written in this column about how stimulating the fresh produce sector can be. Consider the ongoing drought. In the southern Western Cape they’ve had wonderful rains and dams are overflowing. But not long ago they were battling severe drought conditions. KwaZulu-Natal, meanwhile, is experiencing a crippling drought in some parts of the province. It’s a crazy world. On the one hand, the extended hot weather following a mild winter has brought extra crop production into play, while on the other, some farmers have not planted their normal summer crops due to a lack of water. SKY-HIGH PRICES On the markets, we’ve witnessed for some considerable time a roller coaster of prices with highs reaching levels never seen before. Recently, red peppers were selling for around R280 per 5kg…

Sappi Birds of South Africa by Saartjie Kidson and Herman van Niekerk includes a unique portable device – the Callfinder – which enables the reader to hear the call of a bird. Simply pointing the device at a photograph of the bird in the book automatically produces the sound. It is a boon for all birders, especially the beginner, as it helps to quickly build up basic ornithological knowledge. It is compact, rugged, requires no batteries or recharging, and displays birds optimally for quick, easy reference. Yet new digital technology offers the advantage of having bird calls in the field. Sappi Birds of South Africa combines the practicality of a field guide and the ease of new portable digital technology. Innovative printing technology has overlain an invisible grid, similar to…

Rats are as much of a nuisance in horse stables as in any other farming operation. They eat horse feed, contaminating it with faeces and urine, and chew on tack and saddles. Yet a powerful weapon to control rats has been available for thousands of years: barn cats. They hunt and kill the rodents as well as frighten them away. Cats are a great deal more environmentally acceptable for rodent control in stables than poisons and, in my experience, are much more successful than traps. Barn cats are not just feral house cats or pets. On many farms, they go back generations and those that run in front of tractors, kill young chickens or caterwaul all night have been eliminated from the breeding stock. FINDING SUITABLE BARN CATS The domestic…

Good day Jonno We are keen to proceed with the development of our property at a mountain estate in North West. We have draft plans and have attached a picture of roughly what we have in mind. However, we are open to suggestions for improvement. We want a small house with two bedrooms, built of a face brick and stone combination for the walls and aluminium for the doors and windows. We would like a proper thatch roof covered with metal or slate tiles to offer protection from lightning strikes, fire and baboon damage, but at the same time allowing for the temperature control that thatch is renowned for, as well as that lovely holiday feel. We would like the garage roof to be constructed in the same manner as…

“Very few parents use parental controls on Internet-enabled devices bought for their children, leaving youngsters potentially exposed to online threats,” says Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO at virus protection company ESET. This is the case despite many parents being aware that their children “may be hiding aspects of their Internet activity from them”. Online pornography is an obvious problem, but there are several other serious threats. These include cyber bullies, online scammers, and the fact that strangers can gain access to your family’s data if you click on the wrong link by mistake. All of these make online protection a must. ESET’s Parental Control for Android app enables you to be sure that your children can enjoy online information and entertainment safely. ADVANCED VERSION As is the case with most apps,…

I am British but have spent a great deal of time in South Africa since 1996. We usually spend December somewhere along the Garden Route, and as a result we invariably spend Christmas in the country. At this time, we always buy one or more turkeys. After many years, I have observed that: • One can only buy frozen turkeys in South Africa; • The turkeys are imported, mainly from Brazil and Ireland; • They are only available for about four weeks, and disappear come January. Why is this so? Various members of my family have bred and butchered turkeys for the UK Christmas market with some success – despite the climate. The South African climate seems perfect for turkey farming, and there is a massive demand for chicken in…

The wool market dropped by 0,3%, pushing down Cape Wools’ Merino indicator by 41 points to R135,40 (clean) due mostly to a stronger rand. In essence, however, wool prices remained largely unchanged, with stronger and less sought-after wool trading slightly lower. “The Italian market seems to be on the up, which should benefit demand for the finer end of the clip,” CMW’s James de Jager said. “Rising costs of manufacturing in China and a [weaker euro] are driving the interest for Italian woollen wear.” Apart from several economic factors, an increasing demand for quality wool was encouraging buyers to source garments and fabrics from Europe. Designers were now flocking back to the sleeker, smarter look in suiting from natural wool, with impressive fabric innovations, designs and weaves reaching the markets.…

The government hopes to grow the marine aquaculture sector by 400% from 4 000t to 20 000t within five years, according to Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana. The drafting of an Aquaculture Bill for South Africa was at an advanced stage, with the aim of encouraging growth in inland aquaculture by utilising the more than 300 state-owned dams. Work had already begun at the Mthatha dam, Zokwana said. Speaking at a recent event in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape to celebrate World Fisheries’ Day, Zokwana said that government’s aim was to increase the contribution of aquaculture to the GDP to R3 billion and create 15 000 jobs. According to Zokwana, a strategic environmental assessment aimed at identifying suitable land and sea areas in South Africa’s coastal provinces…

Transformation of the apple farming industry in the eastern Free State is set to receive a considerable boost in 2016. This is after a group of apple farmers in the province, under the umbrella of Maluti Fruit and eastern Free State Apple Development (Remmoho), the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR), came together to transform apple production in the area. “We want to approach production in two ways. The first will be a 50:50 approach where existing white commercial farmers transfer 50% of their farms to a farm workers’ committee. The farmer will then have a management agreement with the committee where he will manage production,” said Hein Punt, Maluti Fruit packhouse manager and member of the Remmoho project.…

Syria’s livestock sector has declined significantly in the past five years as a result of the ongoing civil war. Some of the challenges faced by farmers include a shortage of feed, vaccines and pastureland. According to a recent Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Food Programme (WFP) report, Syria has lost 40% of its sheep and goats, 30% of its cattle, and 50% of its chickens. Globalmeatnews.com reports that the scarcity of safe pastureland has increased the risk of disease as animals have to live in close quarters. The state-run General Organisation for Poultry has warned that if the situation does not improve, more people will go hungry as a result of food shortages.…

As world leaders converged in Paris at the start of November for the first session of this year’s COP21, the UN conference on climate change, a confederation of agricultural unions called on negotiators to include agriculture in agreements on climate change. Demonstrations were held worldwide – including in Johannesburg – in the days leading up to the conference. Environmental activists told world leaders that there was no ‘Planet B’ to which humanity could flee, and called for the use of renewable energies and an end to fossil fuels and fracking. The Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) said in a statement that farmers were the “most vulnerable” to climate change and that it was shocked by the absence of a “clear and solid proposal” on agriculture in the draft…

Severe drought conditions in SA’s sugarcane production areas resulted in a 10% drop in total sugar production for Africa’s largest sugar company, Illovo Sugar, for the six months ended 30 September 2015. Other factors, such as sustained pressure on export sugar prices and floods in Mozambique, also contributed to the 37% decrease in Illovo’s operating profit and the 58% drop in its headline earnings per share for the period. “Cost-reduction, efficiency improvement and the culture of doing more with less has become further embedded in the business,” Illovo’s managing director, Gavin Dalgleish said, in the company’s financial results for the reporting period. Illovo’s operating profit declined to R881 million from the R1,392 billion figure for the six months ended 30 September 2014. Drought conditions resulted in Illovo’s sugar production dropping…

Sunday, 9 October 2011, was a day of tears for SA rugby fanatics. Do you remember? The Aussies beat us by two points in the quarter-finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC). The Boks were completely dominant, with a 76% territory advantage and 56% possession, yet we went down 11-9. Cut to Sunday, 24 October and the 2015 RWC. And we lose to the All Blacks by two points. Only this time, our opponents dominated territory (67%) and possession (57%) for a final score of 20-18. And you have to wonder why the gap wasn’t greater! Both matches hold key lessons for managers. Lesson 1 is ‘Defence is what matters most’. The Wallabies’ iron defence in 2011 kept us away from their try line, while in 2015 it was…

Please explain what a water footprint is. A water footprint is an indicator of the degree of sustainability with which freshwater is used for economic activities, such as food production. It provides information on two aspects of water use: • The total volume of fresh water used to produce the food product and deliver it to the end-consumer, measured along the entire supply chain of the product; • The degree of sustainability with which the fresh water was used. The volume of water used to produce the product – for example, the litres used to produce 1kg of beef – is referred to as the volumetric water footprint indicator. Importantly, in order to judge this indicator as good or bad, it is important to assess the degree of its sustainability.…

The impact of livestock theft in the Free State is more severe than reflected by official statistics, according to a recent study conducted by the University of the Free State (UFS). The research showed that over a three-year period (2011 to 2013), livestock to the value of about R247 million were lost to theft (stolen and not recovered) each year on average. Official statistics over the same period show that 19 772 sheep were lost to theft in the Free State each year, but the UFS study found this figure to be 329% higher – 84 995 sheep. Livestock represented in the data accounts for 3,31%, 3,48% and 3,61% of the sheep, cattle and goats in the province respectively. The average age of respondents was 51, with 24,5 years’ farming…

At Nampo this year, Agri Drainage used one of its three Case IH Quadtrac and tile plow combinations to demonstrate the fact that the company had installed more than one million metres of subsurface drainage pipes in South Africa to date. Farmers Jaro and Stephan Geldenhuys noticed a substantial increase in yield after installing subsurface drainage in certain of their lands. As the cost of installing such a system with the method then in use in South Africa was prohibitively high, they travelled to the US to find a more cost-effective system. The result was the Agri Drainage Company. The latest model Tile Plow works on a Trimble RTK GPS control system to an accuracy of less than 20mm, while modern design technology ensures a customised solution and an effective…

I am a 51-year-old single, Afrikaans-speaking white male. I do not smoke nor drink. I am a Christian and would like to meet a God-fearing lady who loves the Lord. I like hiking, nature, woodwork and the beach. Please write with a photo. ONLY YOU, 1734 Ek is ’n 62-jarige blanke man, saggeaard, wedergebore en ’n ‘eenvrou-man’. Ek is opsoek na ’n dame tussen 60 en 62 jaar oud, wie nie ’n roker, drinker, vloeker, of ‘bedspringer’ is nie. Sy moet wedergebore wees, ’n ‘een-man-vrou’ wees, saggeaard, met streng sedelike norme, en rein voor God wil lewe. KEN JY JESUS, VAN KZN I am a young Christian lady aged 71. I am looking to meet a white, established gentleman between the ages of 70 and 80. He must not drink…

Farming offers one of the greatest lifestyles in the world today (and I am not being biased when I say this). However, with this lifestyle comes tests, and one of them is to learn how to handle relationships. On the farm there is no knockoff time. When a cow decides to calve down after 5pm, we need to help her immediately. As a result, the family – often three generations – live and work very closely together. We live as a community and with that goes the responsibility of working things out together. HONOUR YOUR PARENTS The fifth commandment, in Exodus 20:12, states: “Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” This is not optional.…

BLACKOUT by James-Brent Styan (Jonathan Ball, R200) Journalists can find it difficult to let go of a story – and Styan has tenaciously followed one of South Africa’s greatest controversies since 2008. The government was warned in 1998 that national electricity demand would outstrip generation capacity. It downplayed the threat and Eskom was even named Power Company of the Year in the 2001 Financial Times Global Energy Awards. The dramatic decline of the utility via the first major outages in 2007 to today’s load-shedding problems has significantly affected South Africa’s productivity and international credit ratings. Styan argues that current renovations will keep the country ticking over but not growing. BRAIN MAKER by Dr David Perlmutter and Kristin Loberg (Yellow Kite, R300) How can your gut microbes…