Table of contents for 1 December 2017 in Farmer's Weekly

As the political situation in Zimbabwe started heating up in mid-November, Farmer’s Weekly published a news story on its website (farmersweekly.co.za) about how the departure of President Robert Mugabe may affect the future of farming in that country. Some readers responded to the article by asking Farmer’s Weekly to refrain from writing about politics, and focus instead on farming. This is not the first time the magazine has received criticism for reporting on political matters and how they affect farmers and the agricultural sector. I understand that farmers in South Africa can become fed up with politics, but it would be a mistake to deny the impact that the political environment has on farming, even at ground level. Let’s take Zimbabwe for example: the near total collapse of the farming…

Building Blocks to Beekeeping 9 TO 10 DECEMBER THE IDEAL BEGINNER’S COURSE, WHICH COVERS THE HISTORY OF BEEKEEPING, HIVE MANAGEMENT, LEGISLATION, AND HANDS-ON TRAINING AT AN APIARY. BEE SUITS AVAILABLE FOR HIRE. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 28 TO 30 NOVEMBER 4th Global Science Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture, Johannesburg. For more information, visit nepad.org/content/4nepad.org/content/4th-global-science-conference-climate-smart-agricultureth-global-science-conference-climate-smart-agriculture. 30 NOVEMBER TO 1 DECEMBER BFAP ReNAPRI Stakeholder Conference, Lagoon Beach Hotel, Cape Town. For more information, email invitesrenapri@gmail.com. 3 TO 6 DECEMBER International Conference on Global Food Security, Cape Town International Convention Centre. For more information, visit globalfoodsecurityconference.com. COURSES & TRAINING 27 TO 29 NOVEMBER Cattle: Artificial Insemination, Krugersdorp. Phone Lily Rothman on 078 546 7985, or visit rltsafrica.com. 29 NOVEMBER Profitable Boer Goat Farming, Potchefstroom. Phone Johan Steyn on 072 594 4626, or visit…

SOUTH AFRICA’S SUNFLOWER SEED PRODUCTION COULD INCREASE TO 900 000 TONS Recent estimates from Sunseedman, a Turkey-based consulting group, suggests that 2017/2018 global sunflower seed production could decline 2% year-on-year (y/y) to 49 million tons. This comes on the back of a decrease in plantings in the Black Sea region (Russia and Ukraine), as well as expectations of relatively lower yields in other key sunflower seed-producing countries such as Hungary, the US, Kazakhstan and Spain. The Black Sea region remains the heart of global sunflower seed production, particularly Ukraine and Russia, despite the expected decline in production this season. Ukraine alone accounts for 29% of the global sunflower seed crop. Its 2017/2018 crop is set to fall 7% from the previous season to 14 million tons, partially driven by a…

Widespread rain was needed in South Africa’s summer grain production regions so that producers could begin or complete planting for next season. According to a statement released by Grain SA, planting in the eastern parts of the summer rainfall region came to a halt because of a lack of rain. “Soil moisture levels in the North West are looking good, but more rain is urgently needed in the northwestern Free State to allow producers in that area to start planting,” said Grain SA economist, Petru Fourie. John Rankin, a grain producer from Lichtenburg in North West, said that very little planting had taken place in the province by mid-November. “I’ll be surprised if more than 3% of the lands have been planted so far. However, our optimum planting window only…

Cargill, the largest beef processor in Canada, is launching a pilot programme to enable the tracing of Canadian beef from ‘birth to burger’. The programme, which would make use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, builds on McDonald’s pioneering Canadian beef sustainability effort completed in 2016, in which nearly 9 000 cattle were tracked throughout the supply chain. The programme is also designed to test, for the first time, the standards and guidance developed by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Using the existing RFID tag system, cattle would be tracked by the Beef Info-Exchange System from the time cattle producers tagged them to processing at the Cargill plant. Verified Beef Production Plus, overseen by the Beef Cattle Research Council and operated in conjunction with provincial cattle organisations, will be the…

After having to deal with the severe negative effects of what many described as the worst drought in 100 years, South Africa’s sugar cane growers are struggling with a number of other challenges threatening the financial viability of their operations. A number of sugar cane growers have suffered more than 50% yield losses as a result of the drought, especially in dryland production areas, according to SA Cane Growers’ Association spokesperson, Ronda Naidu. “This put growers under significant strain, and total revenue loss to growers was estimated at R2 billion over the drought period from the end of the 2014/2015 season to the beginning of the 2016/2017 season,” she said. The drought’s effects meant that most of South Africa’s cane growers were currently focused on recovering existing production, instead of…

The Free State department of agriculture has expressed an interest in replicating a food security initiative that has been running for more than a decade in Rwanda. In November, the province’s MEC for agriculture, Oupa Khoabane, met with his counterpart in Rwanda to learn more about that country’s ‘one cow per poor household’ Girinka programme, which was launched in 2006. As the name suggests, the idea was to give one milk cow to every poor family with the aim of addressing problems of malnutrition. In addition to nutrition and sustenance, the Rwandan Agriculture Ministry said the initiative was intended to create employment and provide a stable income for poor families. Rwanda’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Vincent Karega, told Farmer’s Weekly that the programme enabled poor families to produce milk…

A call has been issued for foresters and concerned citizens to keep an eye out for specimens of the shell lerp psyllid (Spondyliaspis spp.) and the eucalyptus gall wasp (Ophelimus maskelli), and to urgently notify forestry scientists if any are spotted. Izette Greyling, a forest entomology extension officer with the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), said that early detection of these potential pests in new areas would greatly assist in monitoring their spread and developing appropriate management strategies for them. Greyling said that the shell lerp psyllid was a sap-sucking insect whose presence in South Africa was first reported in 2014 in the Pretoria area. It was subsequently identified in non-commercial eucalyptus trees in parts of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Western Cape, as well as in a commercial eucalyptus…

Role players in South Africa’s cattle and sheep industries gathered in Bloemfontein recently to celebrate the farmers in these industries who distinguished themselves as among the best in the country during 2017. Bertus Burgers, who farms Bovelder cattle near Utrecht in KwaZulu-Natal, was named National Cattle Farmer of the Year for 2017. Burgers told Farmer’s Weekly that it was all quite overwhelming. “We don’t farm with the aim of getting awards,” he said, adding it was a tremendous honour. He added that farming was no longer the romanticised way of life that so many people pictured. Apart from challenges such as safety and security and climate change, it was also a business. “You must make money out of it,” he said. The National Sheep Farmer of the Year was Frans…

DO NOT TRANSLATE THE CURRENT HIGH FOOD PRICES INTO HIGHER LAND VALUES When economists tell us that the demand for basic food products is ‘inelastic’, this is frequently misunderstood to mean that demand will not decrease if food prices are increased. In reality, it only means that the quantity demanded will decrease by a smaller percentage than the increase in prices. In addition to the response of demand to price changes (price elasticity), changes in income affect the quantities demanded (income elasticity). If demand decreases by a higher percentage than the increase in prices (elastic demand), gross income will decrease; if the quantity demand decreases by a lower percentage, gross income will increase. A recent report by the US Department of Agriculture analyses the effect of changes in income and…

Some estimates put the number of communal farmers in South Africa at almost three million. In all, the former homelands comprise about 15 million hectares, most of which is communal land (or commonage) owned by government and under the custodianship of traditional leaders. According to my own research, former homeland-based communal farmers have access to a land asset base worth about R75 billion (at R5 000/ha) and a livestock asset base worth another R75 billion. This could offer numerous opportunities, but the first step is to address the infrastructure and knowledge shortfalls that bedevil the communal farming sector. These include unplanned lambing/calving seasons (leading to high animal mortality rates and marketing constraints), a lack of water reticulation for livestock drinking water, inadequate fencing, management inefficiencies, and a generally poor knowledge…

ANTIFREEZE IS ESSENTIAL ALL YEAR ROUND, NOT ONLY IN WINTER Overheating is a common reason for a vehicle breakdown, and is more likely to occur during an annual holiday trip than at any other time. If your vehicle is used mainly for short trips, the components will seldom operate at full capacity. If you then cruise on the open road for hours, these components could fail. If your car is more than seven years old, there’s a good chance the radiator, heater hoses and radiator cap seal have deteriorated to the extent that they could fail. Pressure builds up in the radiator and this puts extra strain on these components. You can gauge the condition of the hoses by squeezing them. If they offer little resistance, they are likely to…

As discussed previously, multitasking is often associated with ‘winners’. The reality, though, is that it leads to inefficiency. If you try to do two things at once, you will take longer than if you focus on each task separately. Multitasking slows you down and increases the number of mistakes. Interrupting one task to focus on another disrupts short-term memory. The more you multitask, the less you are able to learn. Multitasking has been found to hinder creative thinking and problem-solving. Researchers have even found that heavy multitaskers have less density in the brain area responsible for empathy and emotional control! And, just as drinking too much alcohol may make some feel more attractive socially, so serious multitaskers overestimate their skills and have trouble organising their thoughts. Multitasking can also be…

“The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), in collaboration with the South African Society for Agricultural Extension and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, recently hosted the 3rd African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services Extension. According to a 19 October Cabinet statement, the main objective of the conference was to promote professionalism, enhance the image of public extension services in the country, and to recognise excellence in the agricultural sector through the establishing of the inaugural National Extension and Advisory Services Awards (NEASA). This is an especially convenient time for an increased focus on creating a more professional extension service because of the significant role agriculture must play in transforming the economy and society. Thus, extension and advisory practitioners form a part of the agricultural value chain, with…

7 JULY 1989 Breeding stately peafowl 28 YEARS AGO Peafowl are not only beautiful, they also make good eating. In this article, Roy Billett explains how to raise your own peafowl, from hatching chicks to feeding your cocks and hens. “Before you go ahead and buy chicks, contact your nearest nature-conservation authority to find out what are the regulations on keeping the birds. They should certainly not be allowed to roam the veld where they will be easy prey for predators. Some pointers on hatching and raising the birds come from a book Pea Fowl Breeding And Management by Loyl Stromberg and published by the Stromberg Company, of Pine River, Minnesota. “There are several ways of incubating peafowl eggs. First, natural incubation in which the peahen will lay six to…

MNANGAGWA IS RUMOURED TO BE JUST AS CORRUPT AS ROBERT MUGABE Women have played a remarkable role, both good and bad, in politics over the centuries. An example of the latter is Grace Mugabe, the wife of Robert Mugabe and once presidential hopeful, who has earned herself the nicknames ‘Gucci-Grace’ or ‘Dis-Grace’, as a result of buying expensive designer clothes and accessories, mansions worth millions in South Africa, and expensive cars for her sons, while many Zimbabweans continue to suffer due to the country’s economic collapse. After marrying Robert Mugabe in 1996, her prominence in politics and within ZANU-PF grew. Then, in recent years, as her husband started to suffer the effects of old age, she began exercising an unusual degree of influence over him. When it appeared that former…

The South African business operations of the Tongaat Hulett group took a substantial knock to its operating profit over the half-year ended 30 September 2017. Figures released by the agriculture and agri-processing business, which operates in six Southern African Development Community countries, showed that its SA sugar business had dropped from an operating profit of R306 million for the six months ended 30 September 2016 to the current R211 million. Tongaat Hulett’s latest financial report attributed this decrease primarily to a combination of high imports of cheaper sugar into South Africa over the latest reported period, and the gradual recovery from the severe drought conditions that had negatively affected sugar cane production in recent years. By contrast, Tongaat Hulett’s Zimbabwe sugar business grew its operating profit from R251 million to…

According to new research conducted by Stellenbosch University and the City of Cape Town, landowners that were considering restoring fynbos in old pine plantations needed to do so sooner rather than later. In ‘The impact of pine plantations on fynbos above-ground vegetation and soil seed bank composition’, published in the South African Journal of Botany, Alistair Galloway of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology took soil samples to determine whether any viable fynbos seeds were left in former plantation sites at Helderberg Nature Reserve near Somerset West in the Western Cape. He found a high number of seeds from a variety of fynbos species in the soils where 30-year-old pines had been removed. The fynbos plants also regrew at a similar density to that of undisturbed fynbos areas.…

INSTEAD OF BEING LAUDED FOR THE REVELATIONS MADE IN HIS BOOK, PAUW IS BEING PERSECUTED In South Africa, one cannot separate the rule of law from the constitutional state. No one is above the law, because the Constitution is the supreme law. Yet the rule of law is under severe threat in South Africa. Property rights are threatened directly as politicians jockey for favour. Despite our much-lauded Constitution, readers were no doubt shocked at the recent revelations made by Jacques Pauw in The President’s Keepers. Those in power appear to act with impunity. The Constitution does not seem to hinder them in acting contrary to the rule of law. How, the reader might ask, are the powerful acting contrary to the rule of law, and what exactly is that anyway?…

BEEF, LAMB AND MUTTON PRICES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN HIGH, AND WILL BE FURTHER SUPPORTED BY DEMAND OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON The drought of the past two years is behind us, or so we thought. For the consumer, the ramifications are still very much in evidence. The country experienced good weather conditions at the beginning of the year, which resulted in a recovery in grazing conditions, allowing farmers to rebuild their herds. In addition, the major grain and oilseed production regions experienced good harvests, as are evident in the estimates for surplus maize and oilseed in the latest Crop Estimates Committee report. Due to an increase in grain production, maize prices fell significantly year-on-year. A decline in maize export activity further burdened the local market with increased levels of carry-over…

MULTIPLE-BIRTH EWES ARE KEPT IN LAMBING PENS AND GIVEN COMPLETE FEED RATIONS The Bergplaas Merino Stud near Barkly East was established 81 years ago by Frikkie Nel and is managed today by his grandson, Stefan. Frikkie amazed the industry in 1975 when he bought a stud ram for R8 000 (about R361 000) at the SA National Merino Ram Sale in Bloemfontein; this was the second-highest price ever paid for a Merino stud ram at that point. Stefan has a passion for Merinos. He started farming with his father Dawie on their farm, Bergplaas, in 1986. In 1990, his father gave him 200 ewes to start his own farming operation. The original family farm, Prospect, has been in the Nel family since 1885. This and another farm, Upper Prospect, total…

MARKETS GIVE DEVELOPING FARMERS THE SAFEST MARKETING OPTION It’s no secret that change in South Africa’s fresh produce markets sector is continuous. This can be tiresome, to say the least, but change is not always a bad thing. In fact, it is often good for the greater whole. I think back to the days of the marketing boards and how, over time, they steadily became bloated, inefficient and unable to function as intended. They lost direction and fell out of step with new developments, until eventually they disappeared from the scene like the dinosaurs. Are fresh produce markets facing a similar fate? Are they becoming redundant in a new marketing order? Or can they adapt to meet the new challenges? Some say that markets are no longer relevant. Others, lurking…

For a wound to heal, the opposite edges have to grow together, thereby closing the sore. Stitching will, of course, speed up the process. At the same time, granulation tissue (new connective tissue and microscopic blood vessels) grows from the base of a cut to fill the wound. Granulation tissue normally heals the wound rapidly and efficiently. Sometimes, however, this tissue becomes bumpy and bulges over the edges of the wound; in this case, it is called exuberant granulation tissue or, more simply, proud flesh. It is a sign that something has gone wrong with the healing process. This lumpy wound refuses to heal and can affect the function of a leg. Horses are particularly prone to proud flesh. Areas with little muscle are more at risk, especially from the…

5 THINGS THAT enchant me . . . A safari horse becomes lost in the bush, lives wild with a zebra herd and eventually leads them. David Bristow, author of more than 30 travel books, knew a great fireside yarn when he heard one! He set to work, and the result is the irresistible RUNNING WILD (Jacana, R240). 1. Dust From a very young age, running barefoot on the Highveld and fed stories of KwaZulu-Natal farm life by my father, I had a deep affinity with the 'ancient dust of Africa’. And then I discovered rock climbing at varsity. 2. Fate Researching my first book, Mountains of Southern Africa, so enchanted me that I funded a master’s degree in environmental sciences with my royalties. I feel it was…

Fertilise your crops with urine Last year, I purchased the last granadilla plant from a nursery. It was not looking all that strong and healthy, so I thought I would plant it next to a tall, old garden gate, which could be reused as a support for the vine as it grew upwards. It only received a small amount of compost upon planting, thereafter nothing else, except a daily application of human urine, mixed with the same amount of water over the stem/root area. I was very surprised to see quite a decent crop of granadillas in August this year, and now the vine has more than tripled in size. It is covered in beautiful blossoms, shining, healthy, dark-green leaves, and many hanging green granadillas, bigger than golf balls! LET’S…

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) recently released a report that called for an overhaul of agricultural training in the country. Prof Frans Swanepoel of the University of Pretoria, who chaired the study, said agriculture had the ability to deliver more jobs per every rand invested than any other production sector, with the entire value chain contributing about 12% to the GDP. “Even so, more than seven million citizens experience hunger and 22,6% of households have inadequate access to food. We believe that this can change with better, more focused training,” he said. The report, which was compiled over the past two years by a panel consisting of South African, African and international experts, recommended substantial institutional reform, as well as ending the fragmented way in which education…

Growth opportunities in the dairy sector are fast shifting towards emerging markets, creating many new investment opportunities. This was according to Ivan Avanov, animal protein expert at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), who was speaking at the 13th Africa Dairy Conference and Exhibition recently held in Johannesburg. Although emerging markets were the main drivers of growth in dairy globally, money to fund the development of these markets was still lacking, especially in terms of value chain financing, Avanov said. Global key investment barriers included limited access to capital and new technology, lack of technical support and management skills at farm level, and lack of market-driven anchor dairy processors, he said. “In Africa currently, only 15% of raw milk goes to the formal sector due to lack of inputs and cooling…

Eastern Cape inventor, Bandile Dlabantu, is set to compete in the Cleantech Open Global Forum Competition in the US in January, after winning the South African round of the competition with his fly-farming units. Dlabantu, who has a BSc in microbiology and entomology from Rhodes University, told Farmer’s Weekly that he got the idea for his fly farms when he became aware of the huge demand for cheaper feed sources, especially from emerging and small-scale farmers. “My grandparents used to farm chickens, sheep and cattle, so I know how difficult it is for small-scale farmers to find high-quality feed for their livestock. My solution was the development of a fly-farming unit that uses soldier flies to produce larvae, which is processed into a high-protein feed,” Dlabantu said. The units were…

The case in which Simmentaler stud breeder, Piet Wolmarans from Swartruggens, instituted criminal proceedings against three of his neighbours concerning an outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever (snotsiekte) on his farm, was set to get underway in the regional Swartruggens Magistrate Court at the end of November. Wolmarans claimed that his livestock had been infected with snotsiekte because his neighbours, who were game farmers, had been managing their blue wildebeest populations, which carry the disease, irresponsibly. “This caused me to lose 102 stud cows, four heifers, two young bulls and two mature bulls to the disease during the past few years. My petitions to them to keep the blue wildebeest at least 1km away from my fences were simply ignored. I had no choice but to approach the courts,” he told…

Genetically modified (GM) crops have been around for two decades. When regulating this technology, governments and their advisers focus on the safety of these crops as food or feed. This, of course, is their responsibility; the public, however, is keen to understand the benefits of GM. REDUCING FUNGAL TOXINS IN GRAIN Maize plants are subject to attack by larvae of certain moths, the main culprits being stalk borers and ear borers. Damaged plant tissue, in turn, provides entry for Fusarium and Aspergillis fungi, which produce toxins, some being carcinogenic aflatoxin. GM maize with Bt genes resists these larvae, thereby reducing larval damage and mycotoxin synthesis. Cutting-edge research to counter mycotoxins has been carried out in South Africa at the Medical Research Council, and in the US by Prof Felicia Wu…

CLEAR RULES AND GUIDELINES WILL HELP REDUCE FRICTION AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS, AS WELL AS INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY An employment contract is crucial in managing labour relations as it forms the basis of the relationship between employer and employee, and defines the terms and conditions as agreed upon between the parties. It also describes the rules and responsibilities to be adhered to by both parties. In addition to the basic requirements as prescribed by labour legislation and which are not negotiable, the employer can include clauses to eliminate possible future disputes. The Labour Relations Act’s Code of Good Practice makes provision for a probation period to enable the employer to assess if the employee’s performance meets the required standards. The length of the probation period will depend on the nature of the job;…

Non-haltered Grey Brahman Champions Breedplan Champions Haltered Grey Brahman Champions Contacts: Paul and AP Stemmett: 083 757 7795 or 082 932 9034 | Burnie Staal: 082 463 0358 Hennie Jacobs: 082 890 9496 | Heinrich Maree: 082 856 1254 Contacts: Heinrich Maree: 017 821 0866 or 082 856 1254 | Linde du Plessis: 083 700 8592 Jan Serfontein: 082 850 8794 | Llewellyn and Corrie Labuschagne: 082 579 5479…

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is used in paper pulp, thermoplastics, composites, potting mixes, agricultural mulches, fabrics, and industrial absorbents. Several parts of the plant are important: the fibre from the stem is used for fishing nets, ropes, doormats and sacks; the oil is used for cooking oil and margarine production; the seeds are used in salads, and to produce flour for cooking, as well as for industrial lubricants and in the manufacture of soap, linoleum, paints and varnishes. Kenaf is a warm-season, short-day, annual herbaceous bast fibre plant from West Africa. It is a member of the Malvaceae family, which includes cotton, jute and okra. It is mostly unbranched and reaches maturity rapidly, growing 2m to 5m in height in only five months. The diameter of the mature stalk is…

To make this powerfully flavoured chicken ragu, you will need: 60g of streaky bacon 500g of minced chicken 45ml of extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 red sweet pepper 1 generous onion 3 courgettes 2 sticks of celery 2 young carrots 3 cloves of garlic ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon coarse salt 1 to 2 cans of tomatoes (approx 400g to 800g) 1 tablespoon of brown sugar 125ml of dry red wine 500g of penne pasta 1 Select a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, and begin preparing the ingredients by peeling and thinly slicing the large onion. Next, crush, peel and finely chop the garlic, and cut the young carrots and courgettes into coins or medallions. Cut off the top of the sweet pepper, discard the…

IF YOU WAIT TOO LONG, THE WHEELS MAY COME OFF ON YOUR FARM! Years ago, in Bredasdorp, some young men showed me their farm. Their father had handed over the reins, and they had switched from mixed farming to a wildflower operation, which was exceptionally successful. While we were looking at the beautiful fynbos, they asked me a question: “When are you going to hand over the reins to your son?” It was as if somebody had hit me with a sledgehammer. Before I could answer, one of them asked: “How old were you when you started farming?” Nineteen, I said. “How old is your eldest son?” asked one of the siblings. “He’s 25,” I replied. “What qualifications do you have?” asked the other brother. I said I had a…

David Counsell, a livestock farmer in Queensland, Australia, runs 10 000 Merinos and 500 Santa Gertrudis crosses on 15 000ha near Dunblane Station. With more than 30 gates to contend with, checking his 80km-long stock watering system would take him half the day, which meant that all his other farming activities would have to be put on standby. In summer, he says, he had to check the water up to three times per week. “And even if you check your water regularly, it doesn’t mean a breakdown can’t happen half-an-hour after you’ve just left that water point,” he adds. “I’ve had a couple of near misses with stock running out of water. It’s a sick feeling.” A wireless water level monitoring system, developed by Gallagher, a New-Zealand-based company, has revolutionised…