Table of contents for 18 January 2019 in Farmer's Weekly

One of the questions that I am most regularly asked by Farmer’s Weekly readers is if I have any ambition to become a farmer myself one day. The truth is, I would love to! There are some really good opportunities, even in uncertain South Africa, to grow exciting new superstar crops such as nuts and berries, and I wouldn’t mind a flock of Angora or Saanen goats. The even greater truth, however, is that I cannot afford to become a farmer right now. It’s a very expensive business, which offers little or no initial return. This is why I have such immense respect for farmers who started with nothing and have managed to build successful businesses. Make no mistake, it can be done, but you need access to at least…

While it is expected that 2019 will be a lot healthier for South Africa than 2018 from an economic and political perspective, it is important to remember that 2018 was a year that came with numerous challenges. Load-shedding, fuel increases, the volatility of the rand, interest rate hikes, and a very unstable political environment are just a few of the many challenges faced by South Africans. However, the most significant and talked-about issues in 2018 from an agricultural perspective were the drought in the Western Cape, in particular, along with land reform concerns. While drought is no longer as much of an issue in most of South Africa’s production areas, land reform challenges remain a key risk factor for agribusinesses and farming communities. At the close of 2018, the country…

Agri SA has requested greater clarity on aspects of the draft Expropriation Bill 2019 that was released for public comment on 21 December 2018 by Minister Thulas Nxesi of the Department of Public Works. The public has been given 60 days from this date to submit written comments on the draft bill to the department. Agri SA’s head of land affairs, Annelize Crosby, said that while the draft Expropriation Bill did provide some clarity on expropriation without compensation, “the reach and definitions must urgently be clarified”. She explained that this third version of the bill aimed to bring greater legal certainty on the implementation of more than 200 existing laws that allowed for expropriation. “The new wording in the Expropriation Bill gives discretion to expropriate certain types of land, but…

Lawmakers in the EU are close to finalising legislation aimed at prohibiting buyers of EU agricultural produce from engaging in unfair trading practices with farmers in the region. This was according to a statement issued by EU agricultural organisation, COPA-COGECA. A statement issued by the EU Commission explained that the new legislation would ban up to 16 unfair trading practices that, until now, had widely “been imposed unilaterally by one trading partner on another”. These include late payments made for perishable food products, last-minute order cancellations, unilateral or retroactive changes to supply and purchase contracts, forcing suppliers to pay for wasted products, and refusing to enter into written contracts. Other unfair trade practices that would only be permitted if subject to a “clear and unambiguous upfront agreement” between buyers and…

Organically grown food has a bigger impact on climate than conventionally farmed food, due to the greater area of land required, Swedish researchers have found. The researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg developed a new method to assess the climatic impact of land-use, which was used to compare organic and conventional food production methods. Associate professor Stefan Wirsenius said the study showed that organic peas farmed in Sweden, had a 50% bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed peas. “For some foodstuffs, there is an even bigger difference; with organic Swedish winter wheat, the difference is closer to 70%.” This could be ascribed to the fact that the yield/ha of organically produced commodities was much lower, mainly because no fertilisers were used in production, he said. “The greater land…

The long drought in southeastern Australia will see the average cash income of large-scale crop operations decline almost A$70 000 (R720 000) per farm in 2018/2019, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). ABARES executive director Steve Hatfield-Dodds said the average farm cash income was forecast to be 58% lower in New South Wales and 31% lower in South Australia. The average farm cash income was expected to fall across all industries, with the sharpest decline being among grain producers and dairy farmers. “Lower milk production, higher fodder costs, and reduced herd sizes mean average farm business profit for the industry is forecast to be more than A$150 000 (R1,54 million) lower per farm in 2018/2019 compared with the previous year,” he said. Although…

Proposed regulatory changes by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow access for South African citrus fruit produced in areas where citrus black spot (CBS) occurs have still not been implemented. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Paul Hardman, industry affairs manager at the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), said that previous regulations that applied to local citrus exports to the US excluded areas where CBS occurred, and that new regulations would allow access under certain conditions. He said that while the CGA had not yet determined the volumes that producers would be able to export once the regulations had been implemented, it was expected that, initially, low volumes would be subject to market forces. According to Hardman, the bureaucratic processes seemed to be taking longer than usual, and…

About half of the historical village of Wupperthal has been destroyed in a fire that started on New Year’s Eve. The fire, which took two days to be contained, left 200 people homeless, destroying 54 of the 120 homes, the Moravian Mission Station, various shops, and the local school’s boarding facilities, according to AJ van Rooy-Brandt, donations co-ordinator at the Moravian Church. Although organic rooibos plantations and vegetable gardens in the area had been unaffected by the fire, several reports had been received of livestock, such as sheep and chickens, perishing in the fire. “The fire was started by a group of teenagers, who were trying to smoke bees out of a hive to collect honey. The fire, unfortunately, got out of control because of windy conditions, [as well as…

Contrary to what the name suggests, some cups of honeybush tea might, in fact, have a rather bitter taste. However, sweeter prospects may be awaiting drinkers of this tea thanks to research conducted by a PhD graduate at Stellenbosch University (SU), who aimed to identify the cause of the bitter taste that occured in some batches of honeybush tea. The results of this research could also inform decisions with regard to the breeding of plant material for this growing industry. According to a statement by SU, Dr Lara Alexander, a recent PhD graduate of the university’s Faculty of AgriSciences, investigated phenolic compounds in both “unfermented” (green) and fermented honeybush tea as potential indicators of bitterness. Alexander, a food scientist, had been working on honeybush tea under the mentorship of Prof…

‘Waste of taxpayer’s money’ scream the headlines in one way or another, year after year. Yet in vain does the South African taxpayer await justice and the repayment of wasted or irregularly spent money. Even if outright corruption does not take place, gross inefficiency certainly does. Senior officials in parastatal organisations are paid exorbitant salaries not for doing a job well, but simply for showing up at work and making questionable decisions regarding public money. Repeatedly. Surely it cannot carry on like this. A taxpayer is not a slave to the government of the day. The tax-paying public is not a golden goose or a milch cow. THE FREE MARKET The solution, I suggest, is simple: let nature take over. Allow market forces to deal with inept organisations. Privatise every…

Huguenot Farms, established by brothers Charles and Stephen Marais in the 1970s, is one of only a few remaining mixed dairy-citrus operations in the Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape. THE FAMILY OPERATION WAS RESTRUCTURED TO BECOME A CORPORATE BUSINESS Elsewhere in the area, most similar farms have converted entirely to higher-value citrus orchards. However, on this 228ha farm, the two farming divisions are managed to create a symbiotic relationship that allows the dairy and orchards to complement each other. Stephen and Charles remain at the helm as board members of the business but have largely handed over the day-to-day management to the next generation. Stephen’s son, Stuart, is manager of the dairy while Charles’s son-in-law, Joe Pringle, serves as citrus manager. Planning for the future required a major…

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A reader, having recently acquired a small farm, asked me for advice on marketing his crops. His thinking revealed a common perception among new farmers: he wanted to know about supplying some of the major retail chains. There is nothing wrong with supplying the big retailers, but a producer needs to understand that doing so is not a simple exercise. A new farmer has to clear many hurdles before he or she will even be considered as a supplier to a large retail chain. NO SHORT CUT! The nature of farming means that newcomers must first learn the lessons their established colleagues have already learnt. There are no short cuts in farming, I’m afraid! Seven marketing options are available to a farmer, and they follow a clear sequence. I’ll discuss…

‘Freshness’ is the key word here, as this dish is full of lovely, crisp, fresh flavours. The two drinks I paired with this meal certainly imitate these qualities of the dish. While these drinks are distinctly different, both work very well. The first I chose was the French wine cocktail Ice Tropez, a lightly sparkling wine with a soft peach flavour. This cocktail is light and refreshing, and pairs beautifully with the calamari as it counters the acid and intensity of the salsa. Ice Tropez is also available as a non-alcoholic drink with no added sugar. The second drink I chose was a lemon-flavoured beer. There are a few of these on the market, but if you cannot find one, popping a wedge of lemon into your favourite lager will…

Lutein is a phytochemical (a plant carotenoid) that gives some plants and flowers their bold colours. It has been shown in many studies to help stave off age-related macular degeneration and deteriorating night-time vision in older people. Lutein is important for vision as it is stored in the eyes. The level of lutein in your eyes affects how well you can see, how clearly you can see differences in contrast, and how effectively your eyes deal with glare. More recently, researchers have found that lutein also benefits the brain. In a study at the University of Illinois in the US, researchers measured lutein levels in participants’ eyes by having them look into a scope and respond to a flickering light. The researchers then measured brain activity while the participants performed…

Assistance from members of the public in Gauteng and Mpumalanga resulted in agricultural machinery supplier, Valtrac, recovering a baler worth R2,5 million that was fraudulently acquired from the company. According to a report on the Valtrac website, the company was contacted by a potential buyer enquiring about the pricing and availability of a large square baler. The caller had claimed to be from Afgri Equipment and said the company had secured a government tender, but its usual supplier was out of stock and he therefore needed to source a baler directly from Valtrac. A second caller then contacted Valtrac to request a pro forma invoice. Delivery was to be made to an office in Pretoria. However, before delivery could be finalised, the same caller contacted Valtrac again saying that there…

Dairy producers in New Zealand have been advised to closely monitor consumer preferences in key export markets. New Zealand’s dairy industry’s strong story of origin needed to be continually adapted to align with the preferences of consumers in key export markets, according to international farm financier Rabobank. Tim Hunt, general manager for Australia and New Zealand at RaboResearch, said strong stories of origin, which essentially defined the provenance attributes and values of the source country or producer, were essential for food products, as it was becoming more complex for producers to connect with customers. “Consumers increasingly value attributes that are not self-evident at the point of purchase, such as sustainability of the product, animal welfare and fairness,” he said. “But to pay more for these attributes, consumers require trust or…

Late last year, a convoy of 33 trucks travelled from the Overberg region in the Western Cape with donated feed destined for farmers in the drought-stricken Sutherland district. The donation comprised 1 100 bales of hay, 210 bags of maize and barley, 12t of molasses and 38 lick blocks. The organiser of the project was Jean-Louis Fourie, grain depot manager at Overberg Agri in Klipdale. This was the second year that farmers from the area reached out to their Northern Cape counterparts. “[In 2017] we had a convoy of 11 trucks; [but in 2018] the generosity of the farmers has been amazing,” said Dirk Hanekom, a farmer from the Kilpdale area, who participated in the project. He said farmers had donated so generously that there were not enough trucks available…

New standards enforcing labelling of foodstuffs containing genetically modified (GM) ingredients are making headlines in the US. According to reports in the US, by 2020 these new labelling laws would force food manufacturers to indicate whether food products contained GM plant material. However, there was still confusion about what was considered “modified”, as plants grown using technologies that changed plant genetics in a way that could also have been done through traditional breeding did not have to be labelled. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Nigel Sunley, an independent food science consultant, said that despite the South African Consumer Protection Act of 2008 stating that any local foodstuffs which contained genetically modified ingredients above a certain level needed to be clearly labelled as such, enforcement could prove to be a challenge. “One…

Sporadic rainfall accompanied by hail has left many farmers in Mpumalanga with sub-optimal conditions for their crops. Robert Davel, general manager of Mpumalanga Agriculture, said large parts of the province remained dry, and many farmers who had planted their maize crop were left without the necessary follow-up rain. “Others in the Ermelo, Middelburg and Stoffberg areas received hail that [destroyed entire] lands of small maize and soya plants. ‘IT CERTAINLY WON’T BE A GREAT YEAR’ “Considering the optimum time to plant in these areas was 10 November, it is risky for those farmers to replant those lands at this stage, so many are considering planting feed for livestock.” He noted, however, that even the grass planted for feed earlier in the summer was struggling. “The day temperatures in some instances…

Two decades of research has earned Prof Nick Vink Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Chancellor’s Award for community interaction and research. Vink, who is the chairperson of the Department of Agricultural Economics in the Faculty of AgriSciences at the university, joined the department in 1996. According to a statement issued by SU, the award acknowledged Vink for his excellent achievements and research over the years. He is the author of 167 peer-reviewed publications, including 11 books as editor or co-editor, and more than 50 publications in journals or books published internationally. He is also involved in the African Association of Agricultural Economists and is the current president of the International Association of Agricultural Economists. “I have been a researcher and a policy analyst all my life, but what really got me hooked…

The wool price increased slightly at the last sale of 2018, despite a stronger rand and an improved Australian market, according to Heinrich Victor, OVK’s operational manager for fibre. “There was a healthy demand for good-quality, long, fine Merino wool, while shorter wool came under pressure as a result of changing fashion trends in China,” he said. Brokers received almost 78% less wool during the week of the sale compared with the same week during the previous season, and 13,51% less than during the entire 2017/2018 season. This was a result of some production areas still suffering from the effects of severe drought, while other regions were starting to experience renewed drought conditions. According to international broker Segard Masurel, the recent severe decline in prices (18% over the year) was…

Intestinal worms are a serious problem for communal farmers, and community management protocols have therefore become increasingly important. Internal parasites such as milk tapeworm (Moniezia expansa) can prove problematic in young lambs, while adults can fall prey to wireworm (Haemonchus contortus). The latter are bloodsuckers that can cause death due to anaemia from severe internal blood loss. Animals carrying heavy worm loads can also develop immunity disorders, making them vulnerable to opportunistic diseases. Animals left untreated for lengthy periods can become ‘reservoirs’ for parasites, and will keep reinfecting healthy animals on communal rangelands. Sickly or parasite-infested animals become unproductive and give birth to weak offspring; they also struggle to feed their young. Wool sheep may produce low-quality wool. While some animals can develop some immunity against diseases and parasites and…

To make 30 koeksisters, you will need: FOR THE SYRUP: 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary 1,2kg white sugar 6 cups of water The zest of one lemon 2 cinnamon sticks 2 cloves DOUGH: 500g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 10ml baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 30ml chopped rosemary 40g butter 1 large egg 100ml full-cream milk 125ml water Canola oil for frying 1 Begin with the syrup. Place the leaves of three rosemary sprigs and all the remaining ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to bring to the boil. Once the mixture is boiling, stop stirring and reduce the heat. Simmer until the mixture reduces by a third. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.…

CAMP & CARAVAN edited by Thea Grobbelaar & Rikus Truter (Map Studio, R265) The fourth edition of this useful A4 guide features an additional 110 sites, bringing its total to more than 600 across South Africa. Double-page provincial maps mark listed sites, with enlarged regional maps for each grouping, making the guide a useful planning tool as it allows travellers to easily match their route to a selection of possible sites. (If you own such an establishment, make sure to check if you’re featured in the guide, and if so, that your details are correct!) COOKING ON A BOOTSTRAP by Jack Monroe (Bluebird, R350) TV cookery shows have gradually become less ‘how to’ and more ‘showpiece’. As such, they are of little help to first-year students…

Various domestic and international news events at the end of 2018 overshadowed a major US policy pronouncement: the country’s Africa strategy. At the core of this strategy, not much has changed from a policy perspective. The US still emphasises conditional support for Africa, punctuated by phrases such as “aid with effect”, “assistance with accountability”, and “relief with reform”. The US also still maintains its vision of reciprocity, which is underlined by a desire to terminate preference programmes such as the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), in favour of what is termed “modern and comprehensive bilateral trade agreements”. This includes a number of “new-generation” issues such as trade in services, trade in environmental goods, aspects of the agreement on government procurement, and immediate tariff…

Grain SA CEO, Jannie de Villiers, warned in a statement released in December last year that the optimum planting window for the western production regions had passed with hardly any soya bean or maize crops having been planted. De Villiers said the probability of a repeat of the 2016 drought was increasing daily: “Some of the scenarios that we are facing look even grimmer than the previous drought.” This was largely due to the negative financial position of many farming operations, which De Villiers said was worse than had been the case in 2016. Due to this factor and the lower prices being realised, he said he believed most producers would not be in a position to risk late plantings. DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS Despite this, some farmers who had been…

China has imported the first shipments of US soya bean since the trade war between the two countries started in July last year. This followed a truce reached during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in December. The Chinese finance ministry also confirmed that it would temporarily reduce tariffs on US car imports from 40% to 15% from 1 January. In announcing the tariff suspension, Chinese authorities said they hoped that the two sides would now speed up negotiations. US officials hailed China’s purchase of 1,13 million tons of US soya bean as a “great step”, but said it remained uncertain if a broader deal would follow. “There needs to be a lot more, especially if you consider that in a normal year, we’ll…

Scientists at the US Agricultural Research Service have published the genome of the small hive beetle (SHB), a honeybee parasite that is a major problem for beekeepers as there are few effective treatments for it. The SHB (Aethina tumida Murray) genome was recently published in the journal GigaScience, and would provide crucial information for more targeted SHB control methods, including insecticidal treatments and possible genetic/breeding solutions. SHB has a strong gene-guided system that allows the beetle to ‘detoxify’ many insecticides. The genome would allow researchers to gain a more precise understanding of these detoxification genes, which could result in more effective choices for control methods. “The big challenge is identifying control methods that will target SHBs, but not harm honeybees,” geneticist and project leader Jay Evans said. A native of…

FairPlay, Proudly South African and the Food and Allied Workers’ Union (FAWU) are supporting an application by the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) for government to implement a steep increase in the tariffs imposed on imported chicken meat. According to a joint statement by the organisations, SAPA’s application to the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa was for the ad valorem tariff on imported bone-in and boneless frozen chicken portions to be increased from 37% and 12% respectively to 82% each. The statement added that a higher tariff would help stem the “flood of imports from countries such as Brazil, while EU imports have been largely blocked by bird flu bans this past year”. “[The] highly competitive [poultry] industry has been reduced to an existential crisis by years of…

This is an election year. Politicians at all points of the spectrum are playing for the attention of the electorate, making promises such as: “Yes, we’ll take land without paying for it. But you farmers shouldn’t worry, we won’t take productive land away from you.” Under these conditions, it’s very difficult for farmers to remain calm and continue to supply South Africa with abundant, affordable food. Even if we ignore the uncertainty created by the politicians, there is much to worry about this year. MISLEADING FIGURES South Africa’s economy managed to move out of a technical recession in the third quarter of 2018. However, the 2,2% growth in the quarter is not cause for optimism. Statistics South Africa quotes the annualised quarter-on-quarter growth. ‘Annualised’ means the growth is converted over…

The Nguni component comprises about 15% of Christopher Sparks’s total cattle numbers. The cows originate from his deregistered stud and are used either to produce crossbred calves for marketing as weaners, or to produce purebred Ngunis. Sparks says that he runs a top-quality pure Nguni bull with the herd every three years to provide replacement cows. For the rest of the time, cows are put to a Brangus bull in a terminal siring programme aimed at producing weaners he can sell or rear as slaughter oxen. Marketing purebred Ngunis to feedlots remains a challenge. Sparks agrees with recent research showing that different breeds required different feeding durations to attain optimal profitability. “There’s a need for buy-in by feedlots to design recipes for individual breeds,” he says. He is also striving…

The Williams banana cultivar is the most popular, making up 60% of Du Roi’s sales. General manager Suné Wiltshire says this cultivar is the most forgiving, so if management and climate are not ideal, farmers can still obtain a good yield. “The Nandi cultivar, on the other hand, gives a superior crop, but conditions must be optimal.” While consumers are not cultivar-conscious, choosing the right variety to plant on the farm can influence a farmer’s profitability. It is therefore important to determine which variety is best for the specific farming conditions. WILLIAMS Williams was imported from Australia and released in South Africa mainly to eliminate the problem of choke throat in cold winters. Main characteristics: • Cylindrical bunch shape; • No compaction of hands; • Longer, straight fingers; • Higher…

The first intake air filters came into use just before the First World War. Before that time, most engines drew in unfiltered air. Many enthusiasts enjoyed the lusty sucking sound from an open carburettor throat, and as late as the middle 1930s, some sports cars owners were still driving around without air filters. When I was an apprentice, I removed the air cleaner on my 1947 Fiat 1100, until my mechanic pointed out that engines do not thrive on dirty air. To burn 1l of petrol requires about 2 640l litres of air, so it is important that the air be clean. Modern air filters are also silencers that tone down the power roar. In addition, they are flame traps that eliminate the likelihood of a backfiring engine causing a…

To make this side salad for eight diners (or as a main course for five), you will need: FOR THE SALSA: 30mm red chilli 1 clove of garlic 300g of tomatoes 40ml freshly squeezed lime juice 2 cups of chopped coriander ¼ teaspoon salt FOR THE CALAMARI: 800g frozen calamari tubes 600g baby potatoes 2 large avocados, sliced 1 red chilli, very finely chopped 200g cherry tomatoes 6 large spring onions, chopped 2 limes, cut in quarters Salt Coarsely ground black pepper 12 coriander leaves 1 Begin with the salsa. Depip the red chilli, and squeeze the limes for their juice. Strain to remove all the pips. Crush and peel the garlic, and then blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 15 seconds. Slide off and discard their skins. Wash…

Many farmers use trail cameras for home security and for detection of stock thieves. According to WA Burger, the CEO of South African company Instasense, the main problem with traditional trail cameras is that they use MMS (multimedia messaging service) or email to send photographs to the operator, which can be very slow and expensive. They also suffer from limited storage space and the lack of an artificial intelligence system. With this in mind, the company has developed the Instasense app available for download for Android and iOS devices. Similar to WhatsApp, it creates a portal to which a variety of trail camera brands can be added, while a calendar tool enables you to store photographs chronologically for better management. After downloading the app and registering, you can choose, among…