Table of contents for 23 June 2017 in Farmer's Weekly

A survey by Agri SA and its provincial affiliates has started to lift the lid on the extent of corruption that occurred during the allocation and spending of money intended to support drought relief efforts. Out of about R212 million allocated for drought aid via the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and R463?million by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Agri SA’s preliminary finding suggests underspending of R210 million. But this is not the only problem; the bigger issue is figuring out what happened to the R465 million that was spent, because it sure as hell was not all spent on buying feed. As one of Argi SA’s representatives from the Northern Cape remarked, “Some people did benefit from drought aid that was distributed, but it was…

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) recently released the Draft Drought Scheme Report for 2016/2017. According to the report, a total of 246?425 farmers were reportedly affected by the drought, while 252?884 livestock died due to a lack of water and fodder. Approximately 6,2 million people were affected by the drought. However, with the R212 million made available by Treasury to the various provinces, the assistance that farmers received assisted in mitigating drought-induced risks. Of great concern to commercial agriculture, though, is that some provinces chose not to assist commercial and smallholder farmers. In Limpopo, all government funding was allocated to 13?265 subsistence farmers. The Mpumalanga provincial department channelled all funding to 15?277 subsistence farmers. In the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, not a single cent was allocated to…

Mohair prices experienced downward pressure at the final summer sale, according to Deon Saayman, general manager at Mohair South Africa. Of the 144 585kg on offer, 93% had been sold. “The stronger rand made trading difficult, while the quality of the hair was not as good as at the previous sale. The better quality individual clips did, however, attract better competition,” he said. Although the market had closed 4% lower at R189,37/?kg, the average market indicator for the 2017 summer season was still high at R190,30/?kg, despite auction volumes showing a downward trend. “The negative results of the sale and disappointing competition were overshadowed by the new world record price of R896/?kg for super style 25 micron kid hair achieved by Gay and Jordi van Hasselt of Van Hasselt Farming,…

According to an analysis of farm attack statistics in KwaZulu- Natal in 2016, compiled by the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu), politics, race and land issues were not the cause of the 34 farm attacks, in which seven murders occurred, in the province last year. Rather, socio-economic challenges were the primary cause. Kwanalu CEO, Sandy la?Marque, told Farmer’s Weekly that the report had been based on facts and not perceptions to ensure that the analysis was independent and informed. The socio-economic factors that led to farm attacks included: “high levels of unemployment, poverty, lack of morals and education, and opportunistic crime,” she said. The report showed that farm residents were vulnerable to attacks during the day or night. Kwanalu was particularly concerned that adequate security measures had been in place in…

The pace and manner of land reform in KwaZulu-Natal is “highly disappointing”, said the KZN Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) after a recent media briefing in Durban by the KZN Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (KZN DRDLR) and the province’s Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (KZN CRLR). At the briefing, both highlighted the progress they had made towards land reform in KZN, and indicated what their plans were going forward. Between 2009 and 31 March 2017, a total of 328 KZN farms totalling 216 807ha had been redistributed to 9 346 land reform beneficiaries, said Nlanhla Mndaweni, chief director of land reform in KZN. The KZN DRDLR would now be focusing on re-capitalising struggling land reform farms, strengthening the rights of people working and living on commercial farms through…

The price of fruit destined for canning is set to plunge should the current harvest be at normal levels. Wiehahn Victor, CEO of the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association (CFPA), said at an information day in Worcester that the drought had resulted in smaller fruit sizes, and the industry had had to divert many smaller peaches and pears to the juice and pulp processing industry due to an oversupply in the international canning fruit market. “In November last year, we were still anticipating promising prices due to supply and demand looking wellbalanced, but there was a total turnaround in the situation by December, causing a downward trend in prices,” he said. Cling peach volumes for the canning industry had declined from 105 614t during the 2015/2016 season to 96 003t in…

“Farmers need to diversify during prosperous years and be in a position to expand production during the tough years. It is the basics of economic trade; you buy when others sell and sell when others buy.” This was the message from Hein Kruger, CEO of Kruger International, speaking at the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association (CFPA) information day recently held in Worcester. Diversification should not only take place into non-agriculturerelated fields, but also beyond the country’s borders. Kruger warned that the weak exchange rate helped buffer export farmers from poor local economic conditions, but cautioned that businesses should not be built on a weak currency. A portion of the foreign income generated through exports should be kept offshore to help diversify risk. Farmers should also not become confused by supply and…

Breeding for disease resistance involves conventional and biotechnology breeding. Breeding for multiple disease resistance in plants is difficult; activating the plant gene for defence even more so. However, a natural ‘tuneable’ gene can do it. Rice is susceptible to various disease attacks from bacterial and fungal pathogens. Bacterial Xanthomonas strains cause rice blight and leaf streak. The Magnaporthe fungus causes rice blast that destroys an estimated 30% of rice crops worldwide. A researcher discovered an intricate systemactivating protein, designated TBF 1, in the model plant, Arabidopsis, which has had its genetic system studied to identify and isolate novel genetic systems. Its protein system is governed by RNA messenger molecules that instigate a range of immune responses in which proteins are active. Plants react to pathogen infestation through sensor receptors on…

Dawie Maree is head of Information and Marketing for Agriculture at FNB Business. For any queries, email fnbagricomms@fnb.co.za, or visit fnbagricomms.co.za. There is an old saying that goes: “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. Why? Because if you fall, you might risk not having eggs for breakfast. That is true as well, but the actual meaning as we all know, is that you must not risk everything on the success of one venture. This is the same reason why economists and financial planners advise farmers to diversify, since it will spread their risk. Traditionally, diversification meant adding a livestock component to the existing grain enterprise of a farm, for example, and farmers did not consider off-farm investments. It is important to have a look at the definition of…

The FAW exhibition stand at this year’s Nampo Harvest Day was a frontrunner in terms of best automotive industry stands. It maintained its stand size, vehicle representation and engagement with the public. The Nampo Harvest Day held in Bothaville in the Free State, attracts not only local agricultural role players, but also many visitors with an agricultural interest from across the entire continent and the globe, specifically stakeholders from South America and Asia. Nampo is reportedly the largest collection of agricultural exhibits under private ownership in the southern hemisphere. According to its website, Nampo enables the agricultural industry to experience the latest technology and products on offer in the farming industry first-hand, and on one terrain. Not to be outdone by other brands, FAW vehicles are renowned for their strong…

One would think that the main reason for a good, well-organised homestead garden is to save money on vegetables. This is perhaps the least important incentive; the main reasons are convenience and freshness. Being able to decide what to prepare for dinner and then going to the backyard and selecting the appropriate vegetables, which can’t come any fresher, makes so much sense. Freshness affects taste. Many of the phytonutrients that make vegetables so good for us deteriorate over time after harvesting. You also have control over what is sprayed on the vegetables, as well as getting the soil into a state that provides the most minerals the plants can absorb. For example, communities that drink and irrigate their crops with glacial meltwater are well known for their longevity and health,…

THE BIG CAT MAN by Jonathan Scott (Bradt, R350) Scott, an award-winning photographer, arrived in Africa from the UK in 1974, armed with a zoology degree and the idea of becoming a wildlife artist. Working at safari camps gave him a start and he added photography as a lucrative sideline. He has now been tracing the development, activities and relationships of the Mara Marsh pride of lions for 40 years. Too many wildlife autobiographies are too wordy, overwritten or just wooden. Instead, Scott’s writing is a candid, considered and well-told narrative of his personal and professional adventures and misadventures. YOU LOST ME by Marita van der Vyver (Penguin, R250) After the November 2015 terror attacks, Van der Vyver, now a long-term French resident, wrote this novel powerfully evoking the disruption,…

DAY 1 - WEDNESDAY 4 JULY 8:00 TO 17:45 SESSION 1: Preparing for the next drought In this session, speakers and panellists will look at how farmers and agribusinesses can adapt to, and mitigate the impact of, climate change on primary production. Some topics to be discussed include: what the future looks like for crop insurance and production financing; and how financial institutions will prepare to offer financial services to farmers in a time of greater uncertainty and volatility. Speakers and panellists for this session include: • Prof Johan van Rooyen, director of the Standard Bank Centre for Agribusiness, and professor of agricultural economics at Stellenbosch University (moderator) • Mike Bosch, farmer and managing director of Boschveld Chickens • Antonie Delport, CEO of Syngenta Southern Africa • Antois van der…

CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 23 JUNE Simthu Animal Nutrition, Tsomo Town Hall, Eastern Cape. Phone Mthunzi Ntutela on 082 854 1261. 26 TO 30 JUNE World Aquaculture 2017 Conference, CTICC, Cape Town. For more information, visit was.org. COURSES & TRAINING 19 TO 30 JUNE Pig Production and Management, Baynesfield Academy, KZN. Phone 076 430 6899, or email gm.bta@w2k.co.za. 20 TO 23 JUNE Introduction to Beef Cattle Management, ARC - AP, Irene. Email Aloubser@arc.agric.za, or PhashaT@arc.agric.za. 22 TO 23 JUNE Commercial Gourmet Mushroom Cultivation, East London. Phone Adriaan Smit on 082 749 8553, or visit mushroomacademy.com. 26 TO 27 JUNE Cattle Stockman’s Course, Krugersdorp. Phone Lily Isidoro on 078 546 7985, or visit rltsafrica.com. 28 TO 29 JUNE Cattle Nutrition, Krugersdorp. Phone Lily Isidoro on 078 546 7985, or visit rltsafrica.com.…

Wandile Sihlobo is head of economic and agribusiness intelligence at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz). Email him at wandile@agbiz.co.za. The recent Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index results for the second quarter of 2017 underlined agriculture’s tendency to move independently of other sectors. While confidence and growth continue to dwindle in many sectors of the economy, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index declined only marginally by one index point, to 56 points. This means that the sector remains in expansionary territory, as any point above 50 indicates expansion in agribusiness activity. This is the fourth consecutive expansionary reading, indicating that agricultural activity continues to stabilise following the damage from the drought. Among other things, the Agribusiness Confidence Index projects how South Africa’s agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) could perform in succeeding quarters. Broadly,…

An artificial intelligence (AI) system that uses five different facial expressions to tell if a sheep is in pain, and then estimate the severity of that pain, debuted at the recent International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition in Washington DC in the US. Early tests using photographs showed the system, which was developed by the University of Cambridge in the UK, could estimate pain levels with about 80% accuracy. The next step was to train the AI to detect pain in moving images, as well as when the sheep was not looking directly at the camera. According to Prof Peter Robinson, research leader, a camera could then be positioned at a water trough or other place where sheep congregate, and the system would be able to ‘spot’ if…

A research project aimed at addressing the lack of scientific data available on the status of leopards in South Africa, was launched by the Limpopo Hunters’ Liaison Forum (LHLF), and is headed by predator behaviour specialist, Dr Nkabeng Maruping-Mzileni, in association with the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). According to Phillip Bronkhorst, chairperson of LHLF, as it was impossible to collect sufficient data across the entire country with only a handful of scientists, it was agreed with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) that besides using masters and honours students, ‘citizen scientists’ could be included in the study. “Anyone with a camera or cellphone may load photos onto the CatSpotter website. The photos must be accompanied by a date and GPS coordinates, and must be clear enough to enable…

Langeberg & Ashton Foods, a division of the Tiger Brands Group, suspended contracts, that in some cases had been in place for almost 20 years, during the past canning season. Anthony Dicey, chairperson of the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association (CFPA), said the season would be remembered as one in which the healthy relationships between farmers and processors broke down due to the suspension of peach contracts, forcing farmers to divert some of their higher grade fruit to juice and puree production. Reduced quotas resulted in producers of later varieties, in particular, ending up without a market for their fruit. “The processors seemed to have forgotten that we are dealing with a long-term crop that cannot be switched on and off as one pleases. Processors and farmers are interdependent and therefore…

A video on social media has once again focused attention on the condition of Hartbeespoort Dam in North West, where nearly 600ha of the surface is covered by a mat of common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). The video is part of an awareness campaign by the Hartbeespoort Dam Rehabilitation Steering Committee. According to the chairperson, Graeme Peplar, the committee was established following a meeting in February attended by more than 200 concerned people. The dam has a long history of problems, including recurring bouts of water hyacinth infestation, algae growth and pollution. Peplar said that the hyacinth covered between 570ha and 580ha of the dam’s surface, with the plant mass estimated at around 200 000t. It had to be removed as it had an impact on natural fauna and flora,…

An international livestock sustainability consultant has called for improved consumer education around the world regarding the proliferation of plant-based products labelled as ‘milk’. Dr Jude Capper, of UK-based Livestock Sustainability Consultancy, said that most consumers did not have the time to research the nutritional contents of mammal-based milk versus plant-based ‘milk’ and could be misled by current labelling of the latter products. She told Farmer’s Weekly at the recent Large Herds Conference that these products were often displayed next to, or even within, a supermarket’s dairy section, giving the consumer the impression that they were “nutritionally equivalent to dairy products”. According to Capper, the term ‘milk’ referred to “an opaque white fluid rich in fat and protein, secreted by female mammals for the nourishment of their young. “Unless we assume…

Nicholas James is an ichthyologist and hatchery owner. Email him at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Aquaculture. The only fundamental difference between intensive broiler production and intensive fish-rearing in terms of livestock production practices, is that the latter takes place in water. Apart from that, the basic concepts of breeding, rearing, harvesting and marketing are all very similar. Therefore, because chicken production is considered to be ‘agriculture’, so should aquaculture. However, aquaculture, a relatively new branch of agriculture, especially in South Africa, is regulated to a far greater extent than any other part of the industry. Despite aquaculture being a potential source of employment, as was an originally stated goal of government’s policy with regard to the sector, the state burdens aquaculture with a vast amount of legislation. The number of state…

Clement Tshuma, who produces bird’s eye chillies, spinach, sweet piquant peppers, parsley, onions, serrano chillies and habanero chillies on a 2,5ha agricultural holding near Kempton Park in Gauteng, became a vegetable producer almost by chance. In short, while working as an air steward for South African Airways, he woke up one morning to find he had been robbed by his gardener. “He stripped me clean, but left a bottle of chillies. I took the bottle, looked at it, and decided I would start a business with chillies,” Clement says. He left the airline and began tilling the land on the smallholding. Luck was on his side, he says: “chillies grow like wildfire. You can’t get rid of them even if you try”. Although Clement has use of the land, he…

As long as you follow the instructions, the same recipe will produce the same cake no matter where you do your baking. As I’ve noted before, this does not apply to fertilisation programmes: there are simply too many variables, and coming up with a single recipe for each crop is impossible. For one, soils differ widely in nutrient and organic content. Also consider the prevailing local climate. Going the hydroponic route can bring you closer to a single ‘recipe’, but even here there are variables. One is the irrigation water used: some minerals can accumulate in the growing medium and may cause imbalance problems. This is important as producing tomatoes is expensive. Do not take unnecessary risks. Start by having the soil analysed. The results will show what to add…

Be a prayer warrior As I write this column, I’m still dazed and stunned when I think about the national prayer meeting we held on 22 April at Wilde Als Farm in the Free State. I’ve always been a farmer who prays for everything. Whether it be for rain, or for God to undertake in the case of pestilence and economic shortfall, or for good labour relations, I’ve always been a prayer warrior. ‘WE DESPERATELY NEED FAITH IN SOUTH AFRICA RIGHT NOW’ But never in my life have I realised the power of prayer as I did that day, when about a million people came together, including politicians, businesspeople and numerous farmers and their families, to seek the face of God. And then to see the results a week after…

Google Chromecast is a device that you plug into your TV’s HDMI port with a USB cable (included). Using your smartphone or computer as a remote control, you can enable Chromecast to access video content from Netflix, YouTube, the Google Play Store and other services. It sells for about R900. Once you have purchased the Chromecast dongle, there are no monthly fees and it may be used indefinitely to stream to your TV. (Find the best price at pricecheck.co.za.) ‘Casting’ is a technology that allows you to display whatever is visible on your device’s screen on another screen, usually via WiFi. Chromecast offers two methods to stream content: the first employs mobile and web apps that support the Google Cast technology; the second allows mirroring of content from the web…

Dr Jan Venter is a political analyst at Aginfo. Email him at aginfo@amtrends.co.za. In my previous article, I discussed President Jacob Zuma, the EFF and Black First Land First’s views on radical economic transformation. It was made clear that Zuma’s ideas differ from those of the ANC. These entities, as well as some trade unions and the South African Communist Party (SACP), do not agree on what, exactly, radical economic transformation means. In this article, I will explain the position of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who may be elected president of the ANC at the party’s national conference at the end of the year. I will also explain the ANC’s position on radical economic transformation as a divided political party. A STARK DIFFERENCE Ramaphosa’s ideas regarding radical economic transformation deviate…

A report on the controversial Vrede Dairy Project in the Free State by the SA Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, is expected by the end of June 2017. DA leader in the Free State, Roy Jankielsohn, said he had received a confirmation letter to this effect from Mkhwebane. He added that his query followed the publication of emails confirming that the controversial Gupta family had been involved in the R570 million dairy project. “We look forward to this report. It has been many years in the making,” said Jankielsohn. Reports that the Guptas were involved first surfaced in 2013, but were denied by the Free State government at the time. In 2014, Farmers’ Weekly reported that the Free State provincial government had agreed to fund 60% of the project’s cost…

Agriculture showed a 22% growth from the last quarter of 2016 to the end of the second quarter this year. This was despite South Africa entering a technical recession after its gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 0,7% in the first quarter of 2017, following a decrease of 0,3% in the fourth quarter of 2016. (Two consecutive quarter growth contractions constitute a technical recession.) Agriculture had contributed 0,4% to the country’s GDP, said Hamlet Hlomendlini, chief economist at Agri SA. He told Farmer’s Weekly that summer grains and oilseeds had made a distinct contribution to agriculture’s growth. Fruit, meanwhile, was not affected as much by the drought, while horticulture exports performed well, thanks to the weaker exchange rate, which earned significant foreign currency. A number of factors were taken into account…

Agricultural company, TWK, has listed on ZAR X, a new South African stock exchange. ZAR X began trading in February 2017. Etienne Nel, co-founder and CEO of ZAR X, told Farmer’s Weekly that agricultural companies had traditionally been underrepresented on stock exchanges. “With climate change being topical, food security is a big theme for investment managers, especially in the global environment. Food security is becoming a critical element of portfolios, and ZAR X tries to give fund managers access to food security listings. Other stock exchanges list processors, but we list agricultural companies,” Nel said. Tinus Potgieter, executive manager for business development at TWK Agri, told Farmer’s Weekly that TWK Investments Ltd had previosuly traded on an over-the-counter (OTC) platform, but could not continue with this after the Financial Services…

The lappet-faced vulture is easy to recognise by its pink face and fleshy folds, and is a sought-after species in the bird-watching world. The possibility of sighting the bird – which features on the Big Six bird list – often draws twitchers to the national parks, reserves, and natural areas where they are still present. In many parts of Africa, however, numbers have dwindled drastically, and if this continues, there may be a void on this list in the near future. Historically, the lappet-faced vulture occurred in habitats from Cape Town to the south of the Mediterranean. Now they are extinct in a number of territories, including Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Numbers are extremely low in Egypt and major decreases have been recorded in Nigeria. Just recently, the…

Peter Hughes is a business and management consultant with 30 years’ farming experience. Email him at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Managing for Profit. Stereotyping is perhaps the most destructive human bias of all. Apart from the negative impact it can have on interpersonal relationships, it often leads to a serious misjudgment of an individual’s values and competence. In business, it can result in missed opportunities. It nearly did this to me. I was looking for land to expand our broiler operation, and by chance saw some dilapidated chicken houses on a plot on the outskirts of own. I learnt they belonged to a Mrs Vilakati, and was able to get her telephone number from one of the shack dwellers. I doubted there was any chance of doing business with her, but…

What is the FairPlay movement, and why was it founded? The FairPlay anti-dumping movement was founded in 2016 to combat dumping in South Africa and globally. It advocates an end to the illegal and immoral trade practice of dumping, worldwide and in all industries. We believe in free trade and the rule of law. FairPlay was established because dumping is pernicious and evil; it is an illegal trade practice that kills local jobs and cripples local industries by importing products at prices way below cost. This happens worldwide. ‘FOR EVERY 1 000 JOBS LOST, 10 000 PEOPLE ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED’ The EU, which dumps chicken in South Africa, has just taken action to protect its steel producers against dumped imports. FairPlay’s first project is to tackle the chicken dumping threatening…

Lichtenburg Limousin Champions Breedplan Bulls Contacts: John and Tracey Devonport: 083 454 3095 | Carl le Roux: 074 465 6451 | Dr Obakeng Mfikwe: 082 354 2402 | Pieter Steinman: 082 877 9954 Simmentaler National Champions Contacts: Gert Nienaber: 082 808 6390 | Jamie Berger: 084 416 3703 or Marius Nel: 083 983 7280 | Danie Erasmus: 083 297 6165 André Ellis and Ivan Veldsman: 083 284 9209 | Erich Schullenburg: 083 388 0518 | Roland Mahne: 079 508 4806 | Johan and Annamarie Styger: 082 460 8443. North West Regional Grey Brahman Champions North West Regional Red Brahman Champions Contacts: Willie Jacobs: 083 631 6373 | Johann Vos Snr: 083 583 4455 | Pieter Steinman: 082 877 9954 | Johan Gouws: 083 779 0601 (José Maciel) Andries Marx and…

One of the things I enjoy about visiting a market, especially a large one, is the wide range of offerings from producers. The wonderful selection of fruit and vegetables, not to mention the creative packaging, must surely cater to buyers’ every requirement. These many different products and their packaging are there because of one, simple reason: competition. Every producer is vying for the buyer’s attention, and to do that means trying to offer something better and more attractive, or delivering something entirely different. There are numerous cases of farmers supplying products in a different way or format. Rugani Carrots, for example, not only supplies carrots in a selection of packaging, but offers 100% pure carrot juice. ZZ2 retails its tomatoes in a wide range of packs, shapes, sizes and varieties.…

The hock is found between the tarsal bones and tibia of the hind leg. It’s made up of three joints: the tibiotarsal, a large hinge-like joint, does nearly all the flexion or bending. Below this are the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal. Movement of these joints is restricted; generally, they’re involved in twisting actions. Horses started too early or asked to perform at a level their bodies aren’t strong enough for usually develop hock problems. THE JOINT SHOULD FUSE WITHIN THREE TO SIX MONTHS A bone spavin will develop in the lower, inner side of the hock; look for a hard bony enlargement. In turn, the horse will show signs of lameness and have a shorter stride. Often a horse with a bone spavin is ‘worse’ when its body is cold…

Dealing with arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease, and many people find the pain and stiffness come and go over time. Too much acidity in the body and uric acid deposits in the joints are thought to be major contributing factors. In the 2001 book, 500 Health Tips, Hazel Courtenay says that certain foods seem to contribute to this condition more than others. The most common culprits are foods and drinks that contain cow’s milk. RA sufferers also seem to be deficient in the major antioxidant nutrients, primarily vitamins A, C and especially E. Vitamin E is found in avocados, as well as almonds, while sardines are high in selenium, which is also good for RA. The majority of sufferers also seem to have low levels of stomach…

Making biltong is a culinary art. If you’ve ever tried to make your own, you know what I mean. It starts with the choice of meat. Game is best if you’re lucky enough to have it. Neighbour Jan is very protective of his supply, culling selectively once a year during hunting season. Sable is prized for its flavour, but strictly confined to a single animal per year. Takbok and kudu are prolific on his farm, and provide the bulk of his meat choice. His son is tasked with the hunting, as he’s an excellent shot. Jan has a butchery on his farm where carcasses are skinned and hung to mature for a week or two in a walk-in cooler. Selected cuts are then cut into strips in preparation for curing.…