Table of contents for 21 September 2018 in Farmer's Weekly

The one crucial point that should not be forgotten by all the organisations and political parties representing, or claiming to represent, the interests of various civil society groupings is the question of what will happen to land, or any other property, after it has been expropriated. The only thing that will be worse for our economy than large-scale expropriation of land without any compensation, would be a failure to transfer ownership of that land to private individuals. It is well known by now that the beneficiaries of much of the land that has thus far been acquired by the state during the land reform and restitution processes, have not been issued with title deeds. Instead, the land is held in trust by the state, which basically means it has been…

The annual Agricultural Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) recently hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, is considered to be the most impactful platform for African agriculture. It attracts a range of stakeholders from across the agricultural landscape, and this year ardent focus was placed on ‘enabling new pathways to turn smallholders into sustainable agribusinesses’. Each year, the forum latches on to buzz phrases of the moment, but with a forward-looking approach that feels as if Africa is not there yet. The fact, however, is that the continent is actually far from ‘there’. Africa continues to lag behind substantially in agricultural development, and AGRF is the platform where the ‘who’s who’ of African agriculture meet to share ideas, explore opportunities and identify new, innovative ways of making smallholder agriculture work. I spoke to Tlale…

After more than two years of negotiations for new long-term supply contracts, Langeberg & Ashton Foods was offering a one-year contract “heavily biased towards the company”, said Wiehahn Victor, CEO of the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association. Producers had known since July they would be offered a one-year contract, but had expected it would be “a continuation of the old one, with a few minor changes”. The new contract, which producers have to sign by 28 September, stipulates changes to the pricing mechanism, payment terms, volumes of fruit accepted and grading tolerances. The 80% advance payment a month after delivery had been reduced to 70%, and intake of apricots and pears adjusted to the four-year tonnage average, while only 85% of the four-year average would be accepted for peaches. Grading tolerances…

The volume of US meat exports and Asian meat imports could dictate prices over the next year, according to the Rabobank RaboResearch Beef Quarterly Report. Beef production, as well as the production of other protein sources, had increased in the US during the course of the year, with exports from that country subsequently increasing. But US beef prices had held up well despite production growth, the report said. However, US exports could soon come under pressure as increased beef supply levels and trade uncertainty were expected to have a negative impact on price later in the year, the report said. At the same time, there had been an increased demand for beef in the Asian market, with imports at their highest level since 2002. Combined imports by Japan and South…

The Botswana government has denied claims by conservation group Elephants without Borders (EWB) that about 90 elephants have been indiscriminately killed by poachers in that country. EWB was contracted by the Botswana authorities to carry out an aerial survey of elephants, which started in July. According to a statement by EWB, the majority of the carcasses observed were apparently of elephants killed by poachers. The statement said that a total of 87 elephant carcasses had been found to date. “The scale of elephant poaching was by far the largest I’ve seen or read about anywhere in Africa to date,” said Dr Mike Chase of EWB. He suggested that the disarming of the Botswana anti-poaching unit was a probable cause of the problem. Refuting the claims made in the EWB statement,…

How often do you as a farmer or farm manager ask your employees the following questions: • Are you happy in your job or would you like to have a change? • Is there anything you need that will help you to advance in your career? • How are things at home and how are the kids doing at school? If your answer is seldom, you might get some strange looks whenever you do ask such questions. It’s a clear sign that all is not well with your employees’ personal development plans (PDPs). At Karsten Boerdery, the fruit production giant near Upington, no one ever gets a strange look when they ask such personal questions. The company has a formal process whereby every permanent employee is asked questions like these,…

PANNAR’s new ultra-early white and yellow hybrids are a breakthrough in maize production, producing a substantially higher yield than that of current bestselling hybrids. They produce excellent yields under irrigation as well as in high-potential dryland production areas. Above all, these hybrids deliver reliable yields season after season, enabling you to hedge your risk, increase profitability, and gain peace of mind. ULTRA-EARLY YELLOW MAIZE Three new genetic platforms have been added to the yellow range. Under irrigation, these ultra-early yellow hybrids have produced exceptional yields in the past season. PAN 3A-124, PAN 3R-524R and PAN 3R-724BR are good options to grow under irrigation in all production areas and in the high-potential dryland production regions of the eastern Highveld and KwaZulu-Natal. The new hybrids were top performers in PANNAR’s evaluation trials…

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) is a major vegetable in South Africa and a valuable source of nutrition for much of its population. It’s usually referred to as ‘spinach’ here, but the term can apply to a great many species. In some countries, for example, ‘spinach’ is Spinacia oleracea, which we call ‘baby spinach’, but it is completely unrelated to Swiss chard. B. vulgaris comes in many varieties; one of these is beetroot. Although beetroot and Swiss chard look very different, they can be crossed, and often are by accident. The wind-borne pollen can be carried long distances and you’ll sometimes find a wild-looking plant with reddish leaves in a beetroot or Swiss chard land. This is a cross, or more accurately an ‘outcross’, between Swiss chard and beetroot. THE BLISTERS…

The Koppies farmers’ day this year attracted more than 500 farmers from across South Africa. Visitors were treated to product presentations, demonstrations and test drives. “This type of event provides us with an invaluable opportunity to spend time with our customers and show them first-hand what our equipment can do,” says Johan van der Merwe, managing director of Northmec. “They appreciate being able to operate the machines, and go into the details with our specialists. The day was very well attended this year and the featured machines attracted a lot of interest.” 1 Ready to go Case IH showcased its extensive range of tractors, holding displays and demonstrations of models ranging from the 56kW JXT 75 utility tractor, suited to light cultivation, grassland work and speciality crops, all the way…

As the year draws to a close, many equestrian disciplines, breed societies and interschool showing bodies are organising their supreme championship competitions. Some can last for over a week, and may include several thousand competitors. It is thus essential for venues and competitors to be aware of the risks of infectious disease outbreaks, and to take suitable precautions. These are your biosecurity strategies. NEVER SHARE FEED OR WATER AS THIS MAY SPREAD DISEASE DISEASE OUTBREAKS Outbreaks of controlled and notifiable diseases must be reported to the state veterinary service. Private veterinarians do not have to confirm the diagnosis and can also warn the state veterinarian of the likelihood of an outbreak. In outbreaks of controlled diseases, the state veterinary service can institute compulsory vaccination and movement controls, and quarantine the…

Vinho Verde (‘young wine’ in English) is made in the far north-west of Portugal. These are mainly white wines, although there are some rosé versions. They are light, fresh and have a little sparkle, resulting in a refreshing glass of wine with very low alcohol. These wines came to my mind as the aromatics in this curried fish recipe started to waft from the pan. I was reminded of the superb peri-peri prawns and other spicy seafood dishes that the Vinho Verde region and Portuguese restaurants in South Africa make so well. Fortunately, I had a cold bottle of Gatão Vinho Verde, made from Azal, Pedernã and a few other grape varieties native to the region. The wine is medium-dry (meaning it has just a hint of sweetness), fresh acidity,…

Chronic exhaustion due to age or overwork may be worsened by a deficiency of nitric oxide. This crucial molecule, which is produced by the body, helps reduce high blood pressure and improve heart health and energy levels by increasing blood flow. Nitric oxide affects the health of every cell, tissue and organ. In fact, it is so crucial that the scientists who discovered its benefits won the Nobel Prize. Hundreds of studies have shown that it boosts circulation, supports a healthy heart and cardiovascular system, and keeps arteries flexible, helping to prevent damage to the heart, brain and kidneys due to hypertension. Nitric oxide also improves cognitive functioning: it helps the brain to store memories as they are created and retrieve them later, and it assists brain cells to send…

“There is increasing pressure on all forms of wildlife-based tourism and enterprises to become more sustainable and generate income and benefits without causing significant deterioration of the environment and natural resources. At the same time, the industry is expected to address social responsibility. The latter directly affects the ‘social licence’ of an enterprise to operate, whether it is involved in photographic tourism, hunting, game ranching and breeding, or animal welfare. This is particularly important for the future of hunting, which is globally exposed to increased scrutiny. It is critical that those organisations in the wildlife sector that support responsible wildlife utilisation nail their colours to the mast to demonstrate and improve their performance as responsible citizens. TAKING A STAND The South African Hunters’ and Game Conservation Association (SA Hunters), which…

KFC South Africa has embarked on an initiative to change the quick-service restaurant industry and the way brands deal with their surplus food in restaurants. Thabisa Mkhwanazi, public affairs director at KFC Africa, said the Harvest Programme aims to reduce the volume of food dumped in landfills. “In South Africa around 90% of overall waste is disposed of in landfills,” she said. “About 200 out of 900 KFC restaurants in the country are supplying surplus chicken to people that need it most. Since 2015 to date, KFC has donated about 326 058kg of food,” she said. “The environmental impact of this tonnage of surplus food has resulted in about 221t of CO2 and 9 700t of methane gas not being produced in landfills,” she added.…

It is a well-known fact that agricultural productivity on the African continent remains low, mainly due to the majority of farmers being subsistence and smallholder producers. They have limited access to financial services, farming inputs and markets to optimise their productivity and increase their earnings. In addition, most rural land tenure systems in Africa do not guarantee property rights for the users, leaving the smallholder farmers with no meaningful collateral assets against which to borrow from financial institutions. Financing smallholder farmers thus continues to be a challenge for financial institutions in developing countries. A survey conducted by the Initiative for Smallholder Finance in 2014 reported that of 1 800 banks, the total debt financing supplied to smallholder farmers in the developing world was about US$9 billion (about R136 billion), while…

The diesel refund system is the main support mechanism available to South African agricultural producers, whose government support was among the lowest in the world, according to the results of a survey conducted by Agri SA and the South African Institute of Tax Professionals. According to the survey, fuel represented about 9% (R12 billion) of agriculture’s total expenditure on intermediate goods and services in the 2016/2017 financial year. The survey, which was conducted among 779 farmers across the country who claimed the diesel refund, showed that from January 2017 it took, on average, two to six months for diesel refunds to be paid out. Although just over 50% of respondents did not experience delays with payments, almost all of the remaining respondents said they had experienced delays. About 58% of…

South African dried grape production has, for the first time, reached just more than 70 000t, which was a 6% increase year-on-year. This was according to Dappie Smit, general manager of Dried Fruit Technical Services. Production expansion over the past few years, due to favourable market conditions, had helped to alleviate the impact of the drought on the total volume produced by the industry, he said. Smit added that new vineyards consisted primarily 0f earlier varieties, such as Selma Pete and Diamond Muscat, which helped lengthen the harvesting period and diversify risk. Farmers could also increase production with these varieties, without having to expand drying facilities. Smit said that prices had been better than last year due to lower global supply levels. “Turkish production is down due to unfavourable climatic…

The world’s first offshore dairy farm is expected to be opened at the end of the year in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands by Dutch property company, Beladon. This farm-on-water is the first of its kind in a city port and will initially consist of about 40 cows that will be milked by robots and are expected to produce about 800l of milk/day. The farm, that will be set in the middle of the port, will operate on three levels and will be anchored to the ocean floor. Although the cows will also have access to pasture on land, the designer of the farm, Klaas van der Molen, said: “With 40 cows at 800kg each on a moving body, it has to be [very] stable and symmetrical, as…

Farm evictions pose numerous challenges, not least of which are a lack of reliable statistics and the need for greater emphasis on mediated outcomes, according to Agri SA’s head of land affairs, Annelize Crosby. “There has never been agreement on farm eviction statistics,” she said, indicating there were significant deviations in figures put forward by NGOs, trade unions and organised agriculture structures, with municipalities also not keeping reliable data. It was only when a case came before the courts that they could actually verify it, but cases of illegal evictions or mediated agreements were much more difficult to track, she said. “Allegations about illegal evictions are basically not possible to verify.” What was clear, though, was that the law in terms of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act (ESTA)…

Only four of the six large crop protection companies that dominated the industry in 2010 still remain, resulting in an “exclusive champions league” controlling “70% of trade and innovation”. This was according to Rudolph Geldenhuys, CEO of InteliChem, who was speaking at the recent canning and dried fruit technical information day held in Robertson. STRICTER LAWS HAVE LED TO A SUPPLY CRUNCH He said greater returns were a motivation, but the overall drive for these mergers was to spread risk and take advantage of economies of scale to maintain investment in new technologies while protecting shareholder value. Geldenhuys said that today, the cost of registering a new product was more than R4 billion, almost double that of a decade ago, while the time frame for this had increased from about…

Speaking at the annual Bultfontein Boertjiefees hosted recently in this Free State town in partnership with the agribusiness Senwes, chairperson of the show, Herman Meiring, said: “Our community is privileged to still be able to present this type of agricultural show, with a plattelandse (rural) atmosphere where long-lasting friendships can be forged.” The South African Sheep Shearing Federation (SASSF) hosted its Northern Free State regional qualifying competition at the show. Manager of sheep shearer training at SASSF, Izak Klopper, said 24 shearers and four wool handlers participated. The open machine title was won by Themba Khoza while reigning world champion blade shearer, Mayenzeki Shweni, took top honours in that category, thereby securing his spot in next year’s blade nationals. Other agriculture activities included tractor demonstrations, exhibits of livestock and poultry…

Most people think of aquaculture as involving only fish production. Today, however, aquaculture includes shellfish, seaweed, spirulina, and plants such as waterblommetjies. Other obvious aquacultural pursuits are hatcheries that produce fingerlings, stocking dams and sport fishing. An often-ignored goal of aquaculture, however, is the creation of sanctuaries and restocking for conservation reasons. In many parts of Africa, natural fish populations have become endangered for a variety of reasons, some of them fairly complex. While alien invasive fish species are often singled out as culprits in this regard, this is an oversimplification of a complex interplay of events. Take Lake Victoria as an example. Before the 1940s, the water was shallow but clear, and surrounded by natural riverine forest. Human populations around the lake were small, and the natural fish production…

World and SA National White Dorper Champions…

“Ensure a consistent supply to the market, through good times and bad.” This is one of those elusive requirements, because the farmer who fails to grasp its importance will find a fresh produce market a difficult place to make good money. Consistency goes to the heart of successful marketing through a commission market. I’m aware, of course, that adverse weather and other factors can affect a farmer’s ability to supply consistently, but that doesn’t alter the principle. Consistency of supply is fundamental to the marketing of any product, but on a commission market it has added implications. One of these is income. A farmer who supplies produce intermittently will never enjoy the average prices achieved by the farmer who supplies consistently, regardless of the supply situation on the market. The…

BFGoodrich has long been renowned as the leading tyre brand for off-road enthusiasts and people like farmers who daily encounter the most challenging driving conditions. So it’s no surprise to learn that the company’s engineers are also avid off-road enthusiasts who love battling rocky roads and muddy tracks in their leisure time. In short, BFGoodrich’s teams strive to continually improve tyre performance because they want what their customers want: more control, more bite, and more pleasure at the wheel. This love of driving has long been a source of inspiration at BFGoodrich, both at factory and retailer level, so its tyre dealers are always able to give customers expert advice and service. BUILT TO BEAT THE MUD BFGoodrich’s new Mud-Terrain T KM3 is a new-generation off-road tyre for extreme conditions,…

I received a call from Craig, who had recently bought a 19th century house in one of Durban’s outer suburbs. As happens with many homes, the house had been altered by the previous occupants to suit their functional requirements. In particular, all the verandas had been enclosed to create more bedrooms. Craig asked that I restore some of the Victorian-era aesthetics of the main house. To enable him to pay for this, he required additional income, so my first priority was to convert the existing garage and outbuilding to a second unit on the property for rental. As I’ve mentioned in previous Farmer’s Weekly articles, building an attic over a ground level area can create a cost- effective ‘bonus area’. In the sketch, the floor area added to the existing…

ROAD TRIPPING SOUTH AFRICA (Map Studio, R300) This second edition of the 2014 guide from a team of nine travel writers tackles 20 of the country’s best road trips. They report back in chatty and well-informed reportage, and each trip is given a large-scale map of the route and a rating of everything from child- and pet-friendly facilities to accessibility for your average hire car. A must for any well-supplied guesthouse bookshelf and for anyone keen on heading out on the open road. MURDER IN THE ZAMBEZI by Ian Pringle (Copper Birch, R229) The author’s experience as a pilot during the Zimbabwean Bush War boosts this heartfelt and heart-rending account of the shooting down of two Air Rhodesia Viscount flights half a century ago. Pringle draws…

FoodNext.Africa 27 TO 28 SEPTEMBER THIS TWO-DAY BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS CONFERENCE WILL BRING TOGETHER START-UPS, FOOD INNOVATORS, FOODTECH BUSINESSES, INVESTORS AND PARTNERS WHO ARE REDEFINING THE FOOD INDUSTRY FROM FARM TO FORK. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 20 TO 21 SEPTEMBER AGRI 5 Commodities Workshop and Expo, East London Showgrounds. For more information, email info@atoneworks.co.za . 25 TO 27 SEPTEMBER 56th Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa, Somerset West. For more information, visit centeqevents.wixsite.com/aeasa2018 . 27 TO 28 SEPTEMBER FoodNext.Africa Conference, CTICC, Cape Town. For more information, visit foodnextlive.com . 9 TO 10 OCTOBER Agri SA Annual Congress 2018, Menlyn, Pretoria. For more information, email Thea Liebenberg at thea@agrisa.co.za . 9 TO 12 OCTOBER Second African Congress…

The second mohair sale of the winter season generated the largest turnover ever at R41 million, while the average market indicator gained 9,6% to close at R309. The offering of 157 893kg consisted of very good-quality mohair, with finer average microns and good, clean yields, according to Mohair South Africa. Prices were driven by a much weaker rand, low volumes in the value chain, and continued strong demand. The highest price of R539/kg was paid for a bale of good-style, 25-micron kids’ mohair. Compared with the previous sale, kids’ mohair (winter) increased 12%; young goats’ mohair (winter) increased 11%; fine adults increased 10%; and strong adults increased 7%. Roelfie van der Merwe Jr of Aberdeen achieved a seasonal record price of R539/kg for super-style, 25-micron, winter kids’ mohair (89,4% clean…

Agriculture’s third quarter performance is already showing improvement as a result of stronger wheat, barley and canola production during the country’s winter season. This is according to Wessel Lemmer, senior agricultural economist at Absa AgriBusiness. Lenmer said he expected this, in turn, to contribute positively to the agriculture sector’s fourth quarter gross producer value. This sentiment was echoed by FNB Agribusiness’s senior agricultural economist, Paul Makube, who pointed out that significant recent rainfall and snowmelt in the Western Cape would result in the province gradually moving out of devastating long-term drought conditions, and especially aid the recovery of vegetable and fruit production. “[South Africa’s] agriculture economy is highly dependent on weather developments, with adverse conditions reducing output, while good conditions encourage producers to raise the level of production,” Makube said.…

CHINA The rapid onset of African swine fever (ASF) in China meant that the deadly virus could quickly spread to other Asian countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. In the most recent outbreak on a farm west of Shanghai, 80 pigs died and another 379 were destroyed. Chinese authorities have now culled more than 38 000 pigs in four provinces since ASF was first detected last month. China accounts for about half of the global pig population, estimated at 500 million. UNITED STATES Crop losses for the three staple grains, namely rice, maize and wheat, will increase substantially due to increased insect pest populations as a result of warmer climatic conditions. A University of Washington study, published in the journal Science, looked at how insect pests would respond…

The malicious use of aldicarb to poison dogs is of major concern, according to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, operations manager at CropLife SA. Aldicarb is a carbamate insecticide that is the active substance in the pesticide Temik. Verdoorn said this neurotoxic insecticide was smuggled in mostly from Zimbabwe and sold as rat poison by street vendors. “There is a direct link between the use of aldicarb and criminality, especially vehicle theft on farms. It is also used by poachers to poison animals such as rhino and elephants,” Verdoorn added. He said one tenth of a teaspoon of aldicarb could kill an adult male weighing 80kg within 10 minutes. The insecticide had been banned in South Africa since 2016, and is also known as Two Step. Aldicarb is a white, grey to…

The evergreen shepherd’s tree (Boscia albitrunca), one of South Africa’s 2018 Trees of the Year, is a valuable additional source of feed for livestock and game in the more arid parts of the country, including the Northern Cape and North West. SHEPHERD’S TREES PROVIDE FOOD AND SHELTER Isak van der Merwe, forest scientist at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said the “attractive and dense tree with its round to spreading crown and pale, yellow bark” was declared a protected species in 2014. “One of the characteristics of the trees is that their crowns are usually ‘browsed off’ [to the level at which] livestock or game can reach.” A small- to medium-sized tree that reached 5m to 7m in height, the shepherd’s tree was of particular value during drought…

The Kruger National Park’s Warburgia Project, aimed at protecting the pepper-bark tree (Warburgia salutaris), one of South Africa’s most highly poached trees, could be extended beyond the Lowveld of Mpumalanga to KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, as well as neighbouring countries, according to Tim Neary, Sappi project manager and consultant. Neary said the first warnings that the species could become extinct due to unsustainable utilisation were sounded as far back as 1926. The Warburgia Project to protect and regenerate the pepper-bark tree population in the Kruger National Park was subsequently initiated in 2011. As part of its corporate social investment, Sappi donated R100 000 to the project in 2014. “Part of the original R100 000 grant went to equipping the rangers, who guard the surviving trees, with uniforms and bicycles.…

Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing has developed an interactive appdriven game, called Fruit-Full, to promote healthy food choices and create brand awareness. FRUIT IS PROMOTED AS A HEALTHY SNACK The game, developed with the help of interactive agencies Red Cherry and BIGBrave, is free to download from online app stores. It teaches players about the challenges associated with apple and pear production, from planting to in-store purchases. It has so far been downloaded about 4 500 times and boasts more than 1 000 active players, with an average player rating of 4,2 out of five. According to a director of BIGBrave, Brett Lindsay, the company was constantly looking for ways to improve the game, which was launched last year, and version 2 was recently released. The new version features a new user…

The first Land Rover was created by the Wilks brothers. Spencer Wilks (1891-1971) was the managing director and Maurice Wilks (1904-1963) the chief engineer of the Rover Motor Company, based in Solihull in England. They saved the company after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and were still in charge when the Second World War ended in 1945. The Wilks family owned a war-surplus Jeep, which they used on their farm. Both engineers, they found several annoying weaknesses to the Jeep’s design and construction, and set about improving it. They bought another Jeep, fitted a Rover car engine and gearbox to it, and used it as a prototype. They then produced body sketches on scraps of paper, and handed them to Rover’s experimental workshop staff with the instruction that the…

To make twice-cooked fish in a golden curry sauce for four, you will need: 800g fresh or frozen fish 6 cardamom pods 4 cloves 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns 25mm fresh root ginger 5 cloves of garlic 1 red onion 2 large, fresh, green or red chillies 1 teaspoon of Osman’s masala 1 tablespoon of freshly ground coriander seeds 5 medium tomatoes 3 tablespoons of fresh cream 1 bunch of fresh coriander 3 sprigs of curry leaves 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric 2 teaspoons of tamarind or freshly squeezed lemon juice Sunflower or canola oil as required This meal is twice cooked in that the fish is first lightly fried, then simmered in the sauce. As in so many Asian recipes, the time and skill goes into prepping. 1…

I vividly recall the first time I saw a mobile phone in action. On holiday in the Eastern Cape, I watched in awe as a ‘Vaalie’ produced a phone almost the size of a small brick, pulled out the retractable aerial, and began talking. Today, drones are following the same path; they are becoming smarter, more affordable, and far more common. Farmers, certainly, are seeing them as extremely useful tools. According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, farmers will soon account for 80% of the commercial drone market. Drones, of course, now include machines that go beyond a simple monitoring function. Crop-spraying drones, for example, are aerial farming implements. According to Oswaldo Loor, who manufactures drones in China for worldwide export, his company can supply a South African…