Table of contents for 11 August 2017 in Farmer's Weekly

There is something about the utter absurdity of watching President Jacob Zuma stand in front of an audience of honest, hard-working South Africans, saying things like, “Funds that are allocated for public services must be used for public services and nothing else”, and “Nobody is above the law in our country” that deepens the frown lines on my forehead and causes me to exhale uneasily. Speaking at the gala dinner of the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa’s (AFASA) recent conference in Johannesburg, Zuma stood behind the podium, saying all the right things. “We do not want to destroy commercial agriculture. We fully support all our farmers, black, white, commercial and emerging,” and more in the same line. He spoke about preferential access for emerging farmers to supply food to…

CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 15 AUGUST Agbiz Grain Mini-Symposium, CSIR, Pretoria. For more information, email mariana.purnell@agbizgrain.co.za. 16 TO 17 AUGUST PMA Fresh Connections Southern Africa Conference and Trade Show, CTICC, Cape Town. Visit pma.com/events/fresh-connections-southern-africa. 23 AUGUST Waste-to-Energy Technologies Summit, Emperors Palace Convention Centre, Johannesburg. For more information, email chris@maphosam.co.za. 23 AUGUST Fertilizer Association of Southern Africa (FERTASA) Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition Symposium, CSIR, Pretoria. Email Candice van der Walt at candice@fertasa.co.za. 29 TO 31 AUGUST Agro-processing Investment & Technology Summit, Premier Hotel, OR Tambo International Airport, Rhodesfield. For more information, visit agbiz.co.za/uploads/AgbizNews17/170621_Agro-processing+Investment+and+Technology+Summit.pdf. 31 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER Skills Development Summit, CSIR, Pretoria. Visit skillssummit.co.za. COURSES & TRAINING 14 TO 16 AUGUST Artificial Insemination in Cattle, Elsenburg. Phone Lily Isidoro on 078 546 7985, or visit rltsafrica.com. 14 TO 25…

Wandile Sihlobo is head of economic and agribusiness intelligence at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz). Email him at wandile@agbiz.co.za. The South African Weather Service has brought a bit of good news. In its Seasonal Climate Watch report for August 2017, the bureau noted that there was a possibility of wet weather in the south-western parts of the country between August and October 2017. This would be welcome relief after the weeks of dryness in the Western Cape during the first half of its traditional rainy season. Also encouraging is that other climate observers, such as the US-based George Mason University Weather and Climate data team, have predicted possible showers across the Western Cape in the first two weeks of August. The dam level update for the week ending 24 July…

“Climate change is just like land reform. It’s one of those complex and difficult challenges, which we just can’t tackle and deal with based on emotions and fear.” This was said by climate change researcher and consultant, Prof Stephanie Midgley, at the Agri Western Cape’s annual congress at Goudini Spa, near Rawsonville. Midgley went on to outline a probable future for agriculture in the province within the context of climate change. According to her, Western Cape farmers needed to prepare themselves for increasingly drier conditions. She added, however, that when it came to rainfall, the data was less clear. “What we do see is that generally across the Western Cape, there’s a reduction in the rainy days in the late summer, autumn, and August as well, but an increase in…

Green Farms Nut Company (GFNC) is building South Africa’s largest macadamia nut processing facility, with the first of two phases due to be completed in early 2018, according to a company statement. The plant is an expansion of its current facility near White River in Mpumalanga. On the completion of phase one, processing capacity for the season would increase 40%, from 5 500t to 8 000t in-shell, while the drying bin storage capability would increase 250t, from 550t to 800t. On completion of phase two, the plant’s capacity would increase to 15 000t, while the factory ground space would more than triple in size, from the current 3 000m² to 10 000m². “State-of-the-art optic sorters that will drive efficiency through increased processing speed, the latest sterilisation techniques to meet stringent…

Cheese consumption was expected to increase 42%, or 40 000t, by 2026, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) “Agricultural outlook 2017-2026” report, recently launched in Pretoria. Growth was, however, slowing down compared with the previous decade, which had seen an almost 100% increase in cheese consumption worldwide, due to rising income levels and swift urbanisation, the report said. Butter was also becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to vegetable spreads. Consumption for this product was expected to grow 27%, or 5 000t, over the next decade, at an annual average of more than 2%, relative to the 2014 to 2016 baseline period. Meanwhile, both global and local milk production was sensitive to climatic fluctuations. As a result of the drought in 2015 and 2016, local milk…

Facilitated approval of genetically modified (GM) genes and their traits by the EU, has seen recent approval of stacked herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant GM traits, expressed by various combinations of existent and new modified genes. COTTON Two approved, stacked genes provide resistance to certain cotton insect pests, and another two stacked genes give tolerance to glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides. A second stacked trait renders cotton resistant to insects, and tolerant to glufosinate. Combined, these traits give double protection against specified insects and stronger tolerance to two herbicides. MAIZE Seven genes, some existent, some modified, provide resistance to specified insect pests like stalk borer, and tolerance to herbicides. Traits expressed by two genes give resistance to coleopteran larvae of the maize rootworm, two other modified genes confer resistance to insect pests such…

Wessel Lemmer is a senior economist at Absa AgriBusiness. Email him at wessel.lemmer@absa.co.za. Lamb and mutton prices have continued to show steady increases, with an upward trend in recent weeks across the classes. During the same period, maize prices have been on a downward trend. High meat prices with lower maize prices are good for the industry. Feeder lamb prices have also shown strength over the past few months, but have not increased as much as meat prices. If feeder lamb prices (input) increase more than sheep meat prices (output), the industry’s profit margins would come under pressure. As at July 2017, the national average lamb prices were trading at around R75/?kg, the highest on record. Prices have been following an upward trend since December 2016, and showed strong gains…

Anastasia Smith ventured into agricultural production after losing her job as an office manager at an air conditioning company in Cape Town in 2011. Despite little exposure to agriculture, farming was in her blood: her great-grandfather, Dirk Gysbert van Breda, once farmed near Bredasdorp in the Western Cape. “My great-grandad desperately wanted his children to farm, but none of them was interested,” Anastasia explains. “I bought the farm in 2011 for almost half the asking price, after it had been on the market for almost a year. My mother always tells me how proud he would have been to see what I’ve accomplished, not only because I manage to make a living off the land, but because of the way in which this new role has helped me to help…

The UCL Company in Dalton, KwaZulu-Natal, diversified into commercial sugar cane milling in the 1960s. Later, UCL purchased four farms to grow its own timber and sugar cane. Harden Heights, where the cane would be grown, was bought in 1983. In the early 2000s, the company expanded Harden Heights’ production, purchasing three plots of land adjoining the farm. UCL’s total farmland area is now 9 000ha, with most of this planted to wattle and pine plantations, and Harden Heights has 690ha of dryland sugar cane fields. SUGAR CANE SOIL SCIENCE UCL’s resident agronomist, Bruno Eggers, and the company’s agricultural manager, Sven Klusener, soon discovered that while timber grew well on the land adjoining Harden Heights, sugar cane did not. “While there had been previous cane production on our newly acquired…

Look after your bones By looking after your bones, you will help ensure that you remain mobile and independent into old age. Take the following supplements for healthy bones: Chelated or calcium citrate This is better than a calcium carbonate supplement. You need about 600mg/day. Vitamin D Take 2 000 IU of this vitamin daily to help your body absorb calcium and strengthen your bones. Vitamin K2 This assists with bone formation. While a K2 supplement is quite expensive, a good probiotic will help you produce K2 in your intestines. Studies link a higher intake of Vitamin K2 to fewer fractures. If you’ve been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, take 1mg per day, with a meal containing fat. Magnesium Take 400mg to 800mg of chelated or magnesium citrate daily to…

The Blinkmeneer Beefmasters stud in the Eastern Free State started out as a part-time operation, but soon developed into a tightly run business driven by passion and pride. This is according to the owners, husband-and-wife team, Dirco and Robyn Swart, Dirco’s father, Manie Swart, and business partner, Etienne Barnard. “While working as auditors and bankers in Johannesburg, we realised that our natural inclination for numbers could be combined with our passion for cattle farming,” recalls Dirco. “If numbers and innovation could drive corporate institutions, why couldn’t they be used for stud purposes?” GREAT EFFORT WAS SPENT ON BUILDING A SUPERIOR FEMALE FOUNDATION Their strategy involved a threepoint plan: building a foundation of female animals, seeking out the right breeders, and finding ways of improving the herd by using the latest…

Dr Jan Venter is a political analyst at Aginfo. Email him at aginfo@amtrends.co.za. The Corruption Perception Index (CPI), first launched in 1995, has been widely credited with putting corruption on the international policy agenda. CORRUPTION IN SOUTH AFRICA Each year, Transparency International scores countries on how corrupt their public sectors are seen to be. In 2016, more than two-thirds of the 176 countries and territories on the index scored below the midpoint on the scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The lower-ranked countries in the index are characterised by untrustworthy and poorly functioning public institutions. “People frequently face situations of bribery and extortion, rely on basic services that have been undermined by the misappropriation of funds, and confront official indifference when seeking redress from authorities that are…

The African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA) in the Free State has said that it will continue to foster partnerships in order to help develop emerging farmers into commercial farmers. The organisation recently held its provincial AGM and conference in Bethlehem, and focused on how to assist in the commercialising of emerging farmers. Chairperson, Shadrack Mbele, said they had discussed initiatives that would enable emerging farmers to meet the produce volumes required to operate feasibly in a commercial market. He referred to discussions held with the SA National Defence Force prior to the conference. These had focused on procurement contracts for products including meat, eggs, and milk, among others. “But we are equally aware that the majority of our farmers have volumes that are quite low. So we discussed…

Silos were adding additional storage space to cope with the daily delivery of the local bumper maize crop. Ignasius Voort, a grain grader at VKB Reitz silo, said that the company’s silo capacity was 90 000t, and that it had needed to add two extra bunkers, each with a 7 000t capacity, to handle the grain being delivered. According to a Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) statement, the size of the expected commercial maize crop had been adjusted to 15,97 million tons, 2,16% (338?250t) more than the previous forecast of 15,63 million tons. “It’s the largest maize crop produced in the history of SA. The area estimate for maize is 2,63 million hectares, while the expected yield is 6,08t/ha, also the highest yield ever,” the CEC said. The production forecast for…

A much-derided forecast by the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO), issued a year ago, that anticipated a doubling of beef weaner prices in the foreseeable future, is close to being realised. In July 2016, weaners traded at between R19,50/kg and R20/?kg; by the week ending 14 July, the price had reached R37,72/?kg, and is expected to continue increasing. RPO CEO, Gerhard Schutte, told Farmer’s Weekly that the lasting effects of the devastating drought were the main drivers of the rising weaner price. “Between 12% and 15% of the [national beef] female herd was taken out by the drought by way of slaughtering and even mortalities, especially in the emerging sector,” he said. Schutte’s view was echoed by Wessel Lemmer, senior economist at Absa Agribusiness, who added that rebuilding the national…

Increasing inflation rates meant that the poorest 40% to 50% of South Africa’s population would have to cut back on diversity in their food purchases and buy more staple foods, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) “Agricultural outlook 2017-2026” report. Over the past few years, BFAP had developed a range of ‘balanced food basket’ options for low-income consumers. These took into account the nutritional serving recommendations of the Department of Health and included all food groups. The ‘thrifty basket’ had proportionally more staple foods, while the ‘moderate-cost basket’ contained more diverse foods, said the BFAP report. “In April 2017, the cost of the thrifty basket amounted to R3 461/household/month, and R4 912/ household/month for the moderate-cost basket option [thus 42% higher than the cost of the…

After being declared foot-and-?mouth disease free, South Africa has experienced rapid growth in the export volumes of red meat. This has helped sustain beef markets during the drought, according to the report, “Agricultural outlook 2017- 2026”, compiled by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), recently launched in Pretoria. The report said that firm demand for high-value cuts in premium markets in the Middle East had supported red meat prices, despite increased slaughter, and, contrary to usual expectations during drought periods, prices had increased during 2015 and 2016. “While rapid growth in exports have created a structural shift in beef markets, it has also resulted in SA markets trading closer to global trends,” the report said. As a result, SA producers would be exposed to the global decline of…

With officials in the Free State gearing up for the 2017 fire season, the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA) has announced that the annual burning ban will come into effect in the province on 1 August. FSUFPA chairperson, Thinus Steenkamp, said that no controlled burning would be permitted unless the landowner had obtained a permit from the Fire Protection Association (FPA) in the area. The granting of the permit would be subject to whether it was safe to burn in terms of the Fire Danger Index, amongst other conditions. According to a notice, burning prohibitions were instituted in the Free State in terms of Chapter?2 of the National Forest and Veld Fire Act?101 of 1998. Open-air fires were no longer permitted, and there was an onus on putting…

Dr Koos Coetzee is an agricultural economist at the MPO. All opinions expressed are his own and do not reflect MPO policy. Email him at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Global Farming. The International Monetary Fund’s July 2017 ‘Update on the world economic outlook’ shows that the economies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have grown faster than expected, as have those of developing countries such as Brazil, China and Mexico. Growth is expected to accelerate to 3,5% in 2017, and to 3,6% in 2018. Thanks to a more accommodating fiscal policy in China, developing and emerging economies are expected to grow by 4,6% in 2017 and 4,8% in 2018. In advanced economies, growth will reach 2% in 2017, then slow down slightly to 1,9% in 2018, due to the expectation…

UCL has increasingly moved towards planting break crops between ploughing out old ratoon sugar cane crops and planting cane. Bruno and Sven explain that historical monocropping of sugar cane in South Africa was found to have severely damaged the soil health where it had been practised. Monocropping also led to smaller harvests, decreased sucrose content, and an increase in pests, diseases, and weeds. The break crop at Harden Heights is black oats, planted at a seeding rate of 50kg/ha. It is planted in April, and then ploughed into the soil, when the first spring rains arrive and cane planting begins on the farm. “Black oats provide organic matter for the soil. It discourages damage-causing soil nematodes, and its allelopathic characteristics inhibit the growth of weeds such as water grasses and…

Dear Jonno, We own property on the KZN north coast and are keen to build ourselves an inexpensive twobedroom cottage. The site is level with north-facing views. We have pines and gums on the property and would love to build our home out of timber. Whole logs would be ideal, but this is a specialised technique. Do you have any other wood-construction options? There is a sawmill close by. The home should not be larger than 150m², and we would like the garage to be on the south side. We look forward to seeing what you come up with. Kind regards, Bill and Maaike Dear Bill and Maaike, It has been some time since I had a request for a wooden home. Here is a layout that is highly functional,…

OPTION B by Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant (WH Allen, R340) As its title and subtitle imply, this book sets out coping strategies for a broad range of life issues, from dealing with the death of a loved one, retrenchment and being forced to lower one’s standard of living, to facing serious personal health problems. Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, gained renown two years ago for her heartbreaking yet life-affirming Facebook post describing her reaction to the recent loss of her husband. The post went viral and touched many people; it also showed her the value of Facebook as an online support group. In Option B, Sandberg and psychologist, Grant, share stories and studies showing what it takes to rebuild lives and move forward after expectations and hopes…

More questions for Gwede Mantashe The editor’s letter, “Coffee with Mantashe”, (FW, 28 April) refers. Dear Editor, Why does Mr Mantashe not: Teach would-be emerging farmers? Finance them? Transfer vacant state land, rather than land under production? Work with the many commercial farmers who are so willing to help, teach and share, bearing in mind that the more commercial farmers there are, the more jobs there are? Commit to stop the murder and attacks of farmers and their people? Stop the rampant stock theft? Give title deeds for land and farms to emerging farmers? Provide drought relief to farmers, who need R120 billion to stay on the land, instead of channelling it towards corruption? We must speak up and comment on government’s actions, or lack thereof. Mantashe must please visit…

A wheat blast fungus that has devastated wheat crops in South America since the mid-1980s, and recently caused heavy yield losses in Asia, may soon pose a threat to farmers in Africa. The fungus requires heat and humidity to grow, and experts predicted it may spread to Africa, in areas where conditions are favourable. All wheat varieties are susceptible to the fungus, which can spread through air currents. Fungicides are ineffective. It is caused by a subgroup of a filamentous fungus known as Pyricularia oryzae, also called Magnaporthe oryzae, and emerged through host jumps from a weed pathogen. Researchers at Japan’s Kobe University, found that a close relative of the wheat blast fungus, the ryegrass pathogen, cannot parasitise wheat due to recognition of the avirulence gene, PWT3, in the ryegrass…

The National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) was worried about the wellbeing of horses entered into endurance races in South Africa. The organisation said that the sport was not conducive to the health and safety of the animals. This was according to SPCA inspector, Jacques van der Merwe. Following the 2017 Fauresmith endurance race, the NSPCA issued a statement, detailing its concerns in this regard: “We are working on a comprehensive report pertaining to the treatment of horses during the Fauresmith race. “Our intention is not to alienate the endurance race fraternity, but to work together to ensure the safety of the horses.” The Endurance Ride Association of South Africa (Erasa) said in a statement that the NSPCA’s complaints were unwarranted and unfair.…

The expected increase in the minimum wage for farmworkers, along with pricing pressure, was becoming a problem for labour-intensive commodities, such as the potato industry. According to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s (BFAP) “Agricultural outlook 2017-2026” report, the expected increase in labour costs, together with lower price projections, could have a negative impact on the financial viability of the potato industry. Given a possible 17% increase in the minimum wage, as proposed by government, labour expenditure could increase by an average of R150 000/farm from 2016 to 2017, and a further R360 000 per farm from 2017 to 2018, according to financial simulation results from typical potato farms in Limpopo, KwaZulu-?Natal and the Free State. Over the next nine years, potato production was expected to increase to just…

Advocate Peter O’Halloran is a tax specialist. Email him at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Tax. The main dispute in Pienaar Brothers v the Commissioner, SARS, heard in the North Gauteng High Court earlier this year, related to Section 34?(2) of the Taxation Laws Amendment Act 8 of 2007. Specifically, the fact that Section 44 (9) (a) of the Income Tax Act, introduced by virtue of Section 34 (1) (C) of the Amending Act, was deemed to come into operation on 21 February 2007. In a BEE deal in which the original company was liquidated, the applicant distributed a large sum from its share premium account to shareholders in May 2007. This was to avoid exposing the new shareholders to any historical risks in the company. At the time (prior to the…

The Steytlerville Karoo receives an average rainfall of only 230mm to 250mm, but the veld is known for its wide variety of nutritious dwarf Karoo shrubs and succulents that maintain their grazing value even during normal dry conditions. But according to Emilize Vögel, below-average rainfall over the past two years has made supplementary feeding essential for maintaining the condition and health of both sheep and game. “The worst thing you can do is allow your animals to lose too much weight before giving them extra feed,” she says. “Feed is expensive, so you have to do your sums, but at current prices for lamb of more than R70/kg, a well-planned feeding programme focused on reproduction and weaning weights should pay dividends.” However, while it is always safe to feed lucerne…

Free State Limousin Champions Simmentaler Champions Contacts: Angie Malherbe: 082 774 8863 | Carl le Roux: 074 465 6451 | John and Tracey Devonport: 083 454 3095 Rehan van Niekerk: 073 324 6336 | Andrew Masterson: 082 321 1462 | Werner Stander: 082 777 0250 National Red Angus Champions Contacts: Loutjie Campher: 082 255 3037 | Gert, RC and André Malherbe: 082 807 9216 or 084 851 8262 | Kobus and Louise Delport: 083 627 8131 André Markgraaf/Stoffel Wiese (manager) : 082 797 4366 | Piet Delport: 082 550 7847 or Hendrick Delport: 082 222 4269 National Black Angus Champions Contacts: Jannie and Annie Kotze: 083 651 9262 Fredericksburg Angus Stud (Stefan Terblanche – herd manager): 082 557 5519 | Louren Campher: 082 926 3418…

A crucial component in the debate on upgrading the markets is the list of specific items requiring urgent attention. The Project Rebirth Steering Committee (PRSC) has set out the most important requirements for each market and sent this information to the municipalities and market managements concerned. Despite the details differing slightly from one market to another, the overall theme is much the same. The PRSC wants to see improvements in aspects such as cleanliness, food safety, infrastructure maintenance, and security, amongst others. EAST LONDON MARKET A market that has responded particularly well to the Project Rebirth initiative is the East London (Buffalo City) Market (ELM). On a recent visit there, I was struck by the improvements made. ELM was the first market targeted by Project Rebirth. This took place about…

We begin with the pasta. Fill a large ????????? lightly salted water, and bring to a rolling boil. Pour in the raw macaroni, drop the heat and let it simmer until done to your liking. Drain and chill with fresh cold water. Reserve for later in the proceedings. Next, chop the onion, celery, peeled garlic and half the sweet pepper. Fry these in olive oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring a couple of times to avoid adhesions. Break up the minced beef with your fingers and add it to the frying pan with a scattering of black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Stir until the meat turns brown. Blanch the tomatoes for 60 seconds in boiling water, and peel and…

Respect God and others My wife and I have just returned from a very restful holiday in the Kruger National Park, where I learnt many lessons watching the wild animals, particularly the lions. While in the area, we had the privilege of being taken to a private game park where we saw two lions and two lionesses that the owner had raised from cubs. IF YOU DON’T RESPECT THE LION, YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF IN TROUBLE The game ranger there gave us a demonstration. He placed his hand through the fence and stroked the lions, which purred and looked peaceful. He then lay down alongside the fence. As he did so, the cats changed their attitude instantly. This, he explained, was because they now regarded him as prey. GOD IS…

Livestock Manager (bit.ly/Lvmanag) is an app developed by Capture Solutions, based in Belgium, Kenya and Tanzania. It is compatible with radio frequency identification (RFID) and works in conjunction with the BioControl HHR 3000 scanner. This offers a variety of interchangeable antennas that fit comfortably in your hands. The air coil antenna ensures a useful range, an important factor for reading transponders attached to cattle. The 45cm antenna extension enables you to approach the animal closely without scaring it. The large battery allows for a full day’s work. It can be recharged through a normal mains socket or via a vehicle’s cigarette lighter. A handy thermal printer, which prints via Bluetooth, can import data from leading weighing equipment, such as Gallagher, Iconix or Tru Test (visit bit.ly/hhr3000 for more on the…