Table of contents for 22 February 2019 in Farmer's Weekly

The farming sector has a long tradition of depending on co-operative models that, in essence, offer groups of smaller or medium-sized farmers the same scale of benefits that would otherwise have been available to only large, corporate farming businesses. There are still a number of agricultural co-operatives operating in South Africa, and while most of these businesses have retained a strong focus on being, at least in part, farmer owned, they have grown into larger, more sophisticated business structures. There does, however, seem to be a new demand in the primary farming sector for smaller groups of farmers to cooperate in a new way. This new model, which includes farmers embracing the sharing economy (for example, an Uber-type model for farm equipment), is driven by the price pressure that producers…

I am writing from cold Oslo in Norway to tell you how much help Farmer’s Weekly is to the work I do in Africa. I come from Kimberley in South Africa, and own a private organisation, called Afro Fadderforening, that my family in Oslo and I have been running for the past 20 years. Our organisation pays for the schooling of the poorest children in Ethiopia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. We will also soon be starting up in Malawi. We have had some great results, with 11 children graduating with university degrees in Ethiopia. We also run various small farming projects to support these children’s parents. Over the past six years, I have begun investing in farming in these countries. I invest my own funds in building up these farms, but…

During the recent festive season, I set myself a goal to travel to a few places across the Eastern Cape so that I could write articles about the province’s tourism prospects. My travels, however, led me to something I had been seeing but hadn’t really taken time to think about: the expansion of human settlements. This may sound counterintuitive, as most macroeconomic trends generally suggest South Africans are urbanising. It seems the spillover of people from urban areas and population growth are the main drivers of the expansion of human settlements in rural areas. While there is no credible data to measure the extent of this expansion, anecdotally it is clear that there is growing competition between agriculture and human settlement, particularly in areas that are close to main roads.…

Citrus exporters have expressed hope that a recent bilateral meeting between the agriculture departments of South Africa and India will result in the removal of a regulation that has been cutting into margins. Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), told Farmer’s Weekly that India was the only country to which South Africa exported that did not allow in-transit cold treatment for pests such as fruit fly. He said that this also affected exports of fruit such as apples and pears. “The Indian regulators want land-based cold treatment done,” he said. Chadwick said that when fruit was exported, it usually underwent cold treatment while en route to the export destination to destroy any pests that had entered the crates with the fruit. The cold chain…

Since January last year, the agriculture sector has shed 31 000 jobs in those provinces severely affected by the drought. This was according to a survey conducted by Agri SA in December 2018, aimed at accurately assessing and gaining an understanding of the impact of the drought on farming and job creation, so that the best response could be formulated. The sector had lost approximately R7 billion in turnover due to drought, with 70% of respondents indicating that they were struggling financially. Over 50% reported that they had had to retrench farmworkers. “The economic impact is severe, people are losing their jobs and farms are closing down at a time when we need to strengthen food security and create more employment,” said Christo van der Rheede, deputy executive director of…

Agricultural services provider VKB showed a record profit for the past financial year and achieved steady growth in its operations. The company is therefore entering its 100th anniversary this year on a high note. “This is an event we’re very proud of. There are not many companies in South Africa that have survived a century, let alone who are still thriving,” said Koos Janse van Rensburg, CEO of VKB. The company provides crucial services to farmers such as inputs, handling and storing grain and marketing of agricultural products. Its primary goal is to enable farmers to focus on production and maximise profits. Secondary to this, VKB endeavours to add value to products, thereby shortening the chain to the end-consumer. TEAMWORK “The centenary to be celebrated next month wouldn’t have been…

The type of system employed in a fish production unit depends on many factors. The most crucial is the species being farmed. Almost as important, though, is the level of sophistication of the technology. The most complex set-up is the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), and the simplest is the pond-based system. Each has its advantages. An RAS uses and reuses a limited volume of water, has a small footprint, allows for climate control, and enables intensification (increasing the stocking rate). A pond farm offers lower risk, requires fewer skills to operate, and is less dependent on a reliable power supply. A QUESTION OF NUMBERS A simple tilapia RAS may comprise a number of tanks inside a hothouse tunnel. The grow-out tanks are connected to other containments that comprise the filtration…

The margins of South Africa’s fertiliser industry are determined largely by world market prices of major raw materials, while domestic prices are driven primarily by the import parity cost of commonly traded fertiliser commodities. Dr Pieter Haumann, CEO of the Fertiliser Association of South Africa, says the absence of urea production facilities and sources of potash in this country are reasons for the high levels of imports (urea and potassium chloride make up the bulk of imported products). “South Africa is a net importer of fertiliser products, excluding ammonia and rock phosphate. Annually, South Africa consumes about two million tons of fertiliser products worth around R10 billion, with the maize industry consuming between 40% and 50% of all fertilisers on the market. The fertiliser market is therefore very much influenced…

Regular readers of this column will know that I’m critical of politics interfering in the business of running markets. My criticisms are well founded, and supported by examples too numerous to mention here. When it comes to markets, politics tend to mess things up rather than making them better. Nonetheless, it occurs to me that perhaps I need to clarify my opposition to politics in our fresh produce markets. REWARDS FOR FAVOURS Sadly, politics has permeated every facet of South African society. Volumes have been written on the subject. Fresh produce markets are no different: the insidious creep of politics is found at many levels. But for now I’m concerned with the management of those markets. Politicians like to reward ‘loyal’ colleagues with cushy jobs. And being the CEO of…

To feed four hungry diners, you will need: FOR THE LAMB CHOPS: 4 (or 8) thick cut lamb chops 50mm fresh root ginger 60ml golden syrup 4 cloves of garlic FOR THE RICE AND BEANS: 2 cans of white beans 1 cup of plain white rice 6 rashers of streaky bacon 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion 1 green pepper ½ teaspoon freshly ground cumin ½ teaspoon dried oregano 8 fresh coriander leaves 1 or 2 limes cut into quarters 1 big red chilli 2 tablespoons of Old Brown Sherry 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar 1 cup of water Freshly ground black pepper and salt on demand 1 Pour the syrup into a small saucepan. Finely chop the fresh ginger and garlic, and add these to the…

Since July last year, the only rain we’ve had has hardly wet the rain gauge. The lands are parched, the dams are nearly empty, and records over the past 60 years confirm we’re in the throes of a drought. Time and again the clouds have gathered, only to disappear without delivering a drop of rain. Then, in the last week of January, everything changed. Thunderstorms rattled the skies and 40mm of rain pelted down. Since then, it has generally been overcast and cooler, and there’s the prospect of more rain to come. Neighbour Jan and I went to inspect the river. It’s still a trickle, and there’s not enough water to divert to the dams. But Jan was upbeat. “The moribund lucerne lands will recover quickly with this rain, so…

“Various state departments seem wary of making use of commercial farmers’ skills. In doing so, they are robbing young emerging farmers of a good source of mentorship and finance. This will cause more dependency on the state when what is needed is for people to become entrepreneurs. The lack of skills transfer in South Africa’s land reform programme was exacerbated by the resignation of many mentors after the state stopped paying them for their services. A possible solution to all of these problems is what I call ‘equity share’. EQUITY PROMOTES PRODUCTIVITY Equity share is a partnership where profits from a business are shared among partners in proportion to the equity contribution of each. In the case of land reform, the value of the land is included in the landowner’s…

Much was said by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during the recent state of the nation address (SONA). However, in terms of agriculture, Ramaphosa didn’t say anything that he hasn’t said before, or that hasn’t been said by his predecessors. Over the past year under Ramaphosa’s administration, more than 30 000 jobs have been lost in agriculture. The drought has led to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which would not have happened if government had been proactive in ensuring drought relief. Farmers United South Africa (FUSA) had written to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to request aid for our farmers in Limpopo, but nothing, other than the outbreak, came of this. Millions of rand meant for drought relief have been squandered or are missing, yet government…

The second State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Cyril Ramaphosa went off without any disruptions, except for EFF members getting into an apparent altercation with a plainclothes policeman. It seems Ramaphosa pre-empted some of the questions that could have been raised during the address by requesting that Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane investigate allegations about corruption by facilities management company Bosasa. He further referred to the period from which South Africa has just emerged as “a period of uncertainty and a loss of confidence and trust”. Many South Africans can easily identify with those words following the kleptocracy of the Jacob Zuma era. KEY PRIORITIES IMPORTANTLY, HE SAID THAT LAND EXPROPRIATION WOULD START WITH AVAILABLE GOVERNMENT LAND Ramaphosa also outlined his five priority areas for South Africa, ones that…

“We are fortunate to have an agriculture sector that is well-developed, resilient and diversified. We intend to use it as a solid foundation to help develop agriculture in our country for the benefit of all,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said during his recent State of the Nation Address. Responding to the address, Dan Kriek, president of Agri SA, said it was, however, worrying that Ramaphosa had not mentioned the severe and ongoing drought that had affected several provinces, or the increasing levels of violent crime in rural areas. He added that to restore the economy, policy certainty was needed to attract investors to South Africa’s agriculture sector. “Farmers are under pressure due to policy uncertainty and the effect of criminality and drought. The president must give the sector the [necessary] support…

South Africa’s real GDP growth for 2017/2018 has been estimated to be 0,7%, far less than the 3,5% economic growth estimated for the continent as a whole. According to the 2019 African Economic Outlook report, compiled by the African Development Bank Group, the continent was in a “good” state and economic growth was forecast to accelerate to 4% this year. However, the president of the bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, warned in his foreword that economic growth on the continent remained insufficient to address structural challenges due to pervading fiscal deficits and debt vulnerability. “The challenge is thus twofold: to raise the current growth path, and to increase the efficiency of growth in generating employment,” he said. South Africa’s weak development was highlighted as a major driver of subdued growth in…

After battling years of drought, farmers in Australia’s northern Queensland region have suffered extensive livestock losses as a result of record floods in the region. An area of grazing land covering more than 400km was under water after rainfall of 600mm was recorded in just two weeks. Some low-lying areas were under up to 3m of water. Major river systems had breached their banks, with water stretching from horizon to horizon, while some cattle stations had been totally submerged. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the full extent of the losses would not be known until floodwaters receded. “This will be heartbreaking for these communities that have been experiencing years of drought, only to see that turn into a torrential inundation, which now threatens their very livelihoods in the complete other…

Wool production in South Africa is currently at the highest level since 1994/1995, and with China importing 70% of this production, demand continues to be strong, which supports prices. This was according to the chairperson of the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA), Guillau du Toit, who cautioned that while these prices continued to generate profits for farmers, the market was under pressure and prices were likely to begin levelling out in the foreseeable future. He was speaking at the KwaZulu-Natal chapter of the NWGA’s recent regional meeting, held near Ladysmith. “We’re fortunate that, even with the recent FMD [outbreak], China has continued to [accept] our wool. But if Rift Valley fever appears, it’s likely that China will stop buying our wool. Our industry must take all the precautions that it…

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has indicated that proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) could potentially be a viable option for developing the country’s currently largely subsistence millet production to commercial scale. This emerged after an international consortium of Chinese and US researchers, together with US crop improvement company Dryland Genetics, announced that the successful sequencing of the proso millet genome had opened the door to accelerating the development of proso millet varieties for various production regions globally. “Proso millet’s strong suit is its ability to grow with less water per bushel produced than any other [grain crop], and even on poor quality land. The sequencing of the proso millet genome has enabled Dryland Genetics to use modern statistical genetic breeding tools to develop new, more productive varieties of…

A private, captive rhino breeding operation, Buffalo Dream Ranch near Klerksdorp in North West, is selling a share of up to 50% in its white rhino breeding project to raise funds in order to avoid being liquidated. According to owner John Hume, the ranch currently had almost 1 650 rhino, of which about 1 130 had been bred as part of the project over the past 10 years. “Our most significant achievement to date has been the recent birth of our first two second-generation rhinos. At the moment we have approximately 300 [in-calf] cows,” he said. Hume added that the project had run out of funding, and according to a scientific assessment carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission, the project held great importance…

The concept of production per hectare is something of the past and is being replaced by production per square metre to optimally increase profit margins and retain a competitive edge in agriculture. Speaking at the 2019 Bayer Create Conference in Bothaville recently, Marcos Fava Neves, professor of planning and strategy at the School of Business at the University of São Paolo in Brazil, said global producers who did not adopt this view would not be in business in three years’ time. ‘FARMERS WILL HAVE TO SHARE TECHNOLOGY’ “This calls for the implementation of the latest technology, innovation and the sharing of business,” he added. Global food demand was expected to grow between 59% and 98% by 2050. This would change the face of agricultural markets in ways the world had…

From an insurance and risk perspective, the agriculture sector can basically be split into two categories: the various crop insurance products and asset insurance. In South Africa, crop insurance represents a relatively small share of the market. In primary agriculture, the size of the agricultural insurance market for crop-and harvest-related insurance, in terms of premiums, is roughly R1,5 billion. This represents about 30% of the value of all crops in South Africa. The remainder of farmers have chosen not to insure. This might be because of the cost of the insurance, or because, in some cases, farmers have enough capital to carry the risk of crop damage themselves. The size of the insurance market for assets such as machinery and buildings, in terms of premiums, is roughly R4 billion. To…

The main fertiliser consumers in Africa include Egypt, South Africa and Morocco. Total fertiliser consumption in sub-Saharan countries is about 2% of world fertiliser consumption. On average, these farmers use 10kg/ha of nutrients, which is less than 10% of the world average. Studies have found that more nutrients are removed from the soil annually in Africa, mainly through harvesting of crops, than are being returned to the soil. Worldwide average fertiliser usage is 137kg/ha, with New Zealand showing the highest levels at 1 716kg/ha, followed by China at 506kg/ha and the US at 137kg/ha. South Africa’s fertiliser usage is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, at 58kg/ha, followed by Malawi at 30kg/ha and Zimbabwe at 23kg/ha. The International Fertilizer Association aims to increase Africa’s (excluding South Africa’s) average fertiliser usage to…

THE LAST WORDS OF ROWAN DU PREEZ by Simone Haysom (Jonathan Ball, R275) A murder on the Cape Flats is something most people would run away from at full speed, but it drew journalist Haysom like a magnet. For her, the necklacing of former criminal-turned-activist Rowan du Preez raised many questions. That his activist friend, Angy Peter, was tried for the murder raised even more. Making extensive use of court transcripts, this true-life crime tale has more than one tragedy at its heart. Ultimately, it questions who has been lying, who is qualified to distinguish the truth, and how much value South African society places on these matters. NATIONAL PARKS & GAME RESERVES OF EAST AFRICA by Chris & Mathilde Stuart (Struik Nature, R320) A trip to see East Africa’s…

For a brief moment I considered using an enamel camping mug for the full cowboy experience, but my elegant Riedel glasses called out, and that was that. But what to put in the glass? A white Merlot, perhaps? I know that sounds fancy, but technically it is a Rosé, specifically a Blanc de Noir, white from black. This simply means it is a white wine made exclusively from black or red grapes, in this case Merlot. Boucheron Wines, a Johannesburg-based wine merchant, has this white Merlot bottled and it is available exclusively from them at boucheron.co.za. It’s very dry, with fresh red plums and raspberries and a fine acidity that balances the sweetness of the lamb, and was equally delicious with the rice and beans. Hill & Dale makes a…

Advanced Grass Identification 5 TO 7 MARCH THIS WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF GRASS AND GRASS IDENTIFICATION, AND INCLUDES THEORY AND PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATIONS. IT ALSO TEACHES DELEGATES HOW TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY AND COLLECT VARIOUS GRASS SPECIES. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 25 TO 26 FEBRUARY Artificial Insemination for Pig Producers, Middelburg.Email gtc@picrsa.co.za , or phone 082 885 9741. 27 TO 28 FEBRUARY Efficient Beef Cattle Production, Kuruman.Visit bommereaipela.co.za , or email info@bommereaipela.co.za . 5 TO 7 MARCH Advanced Grass Identification, ALUT Training Farm, Modimolle.Email courses@alut.co.za . 6 TO 7 MARCH Undercover Farming Expo, CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria. Visit undercoverfarmingexpo.co.za . 11 TO 13 MARCH First Biannual International Soy for Human Health Conference, St George…

43 YEARS AGO The ceremonial use of animal skins and bird feathers in Papua New Guinea threatened the indigenous wildlife, according to this article by Vincent Wager. In the New Guinea highlands, wild animals are slaughtered for food and adornment. All the natives are decorated in extraordinary fashion: painted faces, feathers and quills through holes pierced in the nose and ears, necklaces of animal teeth, pigs’ tusks, hornbill heads, head-dresses of opossum fur, cassowary, lorikeet, parrot, bird of paradise feathers, bands of monitor or snake skin, a cravat and dangling tail of a tree kangaroo, a dagger of cassowary beak or carved leg bone. All the tribes in Papua New Guinea have the same habit of using wild creatures for decorations. What is claimed to be the “greatest spectacle on…

Sheep farmers have been advised to inspect their animals for signs of sheep scab after an outbreak was reported in the Swartland region. According to Malmesbury state vet, Dr Sewellyn Davey, several cases had been confirmed in the Porterville, Moorreesburg and Darling districts. Sheep scab is caused by a parasitic mite called Psoroptes ovis. The highly contagious disease is characterised by intense itching, which causes scratching, rubbing and wounds, resulting in serious wool losses and emaciation. According to Jannie Fourie, the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA) production adviser, sheep scab created a vicious cycle with significant economic consequences for sheep producers, and also presented an animal welfare issue. “Scab can lead to as much as 25% wool loss, while the animal also loses its condition, which means meat production will…

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded US$200 million (about R2,7 billion) to agricultural organisations in that country to assist farmers in identifying and accessing new export markets. The Agricultural Trade Promotion Program’s funding is part of a larger effort to mitigate the effects of the ongoing trade tensions with China. Produce such as meat, grain and soya have received some of the largest allocations for single commodities. Last year, US$12 billion (R162 billion) was allocated to programmes that provide assistance to the agriculture sector through a trade mitigation package. This included the market facilitation programme to provide payments to farmers harmed by retaliatory tariffs, and a food purchase and distribution programme to assist producers of targeted commodities. US Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, said this infusion would help…

UNITED KINGDOM A no-deal Brexit could have a devastating impact on UK trade in agricultural products, with major implications for UK agriculture, according to a new report by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board in that country. The UK is a net importer of beef, and tariffs on imports could have a serious impact on the domestic market. Sheep meat exports and the dairy industry could also suffer. AUSTRALIA With Australia in the grip of severe drought, a small federal political party is proposing legislation to ban cotton exports, claiming the trade is nothing more than exporting water. Cotton Australia called it “an outrageous assault on the industry”. About 1 000 farmers, mainly in Queensland and New South Wales, grow cotton and 90% is exported, earning about A$2,1 billion (R20,3…

More than R560 million in drought aid is expected to still be distributed to farmers in several provinces across the country before the end of the current financial year. It is also hoped that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni will increase this amount during the 2019 Budget. Ministerial spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Khaye Nkwanyana, confirmed that the funds, allocated for drought aid by National Treasury, had become available towards the end of last year “for immediate relief”. The funds were being used to purchase animal fodder and feed, or to assist with water provision and drilling of boreholes. Distribution had already begun in provinces such as the Northern Cape, the Western Cape, North West, Limpopo and the Free State. “All provinces are in distress but…

The South Africa Mohair Growers’ Association (SAMGA) have asked Angora goat farmers not to prevent officials from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) from visiting their shearing sheds. This followed a number of unannounced visits by officials to Karoo mohair farms. These visits specifically focused on the availability of feed and water for the goats, how the shearers handled the animals, as well as what kind of veterinary medicines were being used. Despite farmers questioning the motive behind these visits, ‘’or if the organisation simply saw commercial mohair farmers as soft targets”, SAMGA warned that producers who denied the SPCA access could have their clips downgraded to uncertified status. “Denying access could be construed as a producer covering up noncompliance with the industry’s code of best…

Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISP-R) technology is set to become a valuable tool in agriculture in the future. This was according to André Bennett, Bayer’s head of technology development for Africa, speaking at the 2019 Bayer Create Conference in Bothaville recently. Bennett said CRISP-R made it possible to edit genomes with unprecedented efficiency, precision and flexibility. “CRISP-R is, in fact, a naturally occurring defence mechanism found in a variety of bacteria. In the field of genome engineering, it’s proving to be an efficient alternative to other existing genome editing tools.” According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University in the US, CRISP-Rs were first observed in the 1980s by Francisco Mojica, a scientist at the University of Alicante in Spain. He proposed that CRISP-Rs serve as part…

I bumped into Francois (not his real name) at the supermarket. He was irate. “See these?” he said, pointing to some mangoes. “They’re off my farm. Look at the price! It’s ridiculous.” It’s an age-old lament of farmers the world over: “We take all the risk. The middlemen make all the profit!” The Citrus Academy recently ran a series of workshops for new entrants into the industry. As part of this process, Louis von Broembsen, the facilitator, wished to set out details of a typical cost chain from farm to consumer. He asked me for help. Without giving it much thought, I agreed. Little did I know what an enlightening voyage of discovery it would be. We identified and costed each step of getting fruit from farm to export market:…

Fertilisation is an exact science, and no two lands can be treated the same. It is therefore paramount that a farmer understands the different types of fertiliser, application levels, and timing of application before embarking on a fertiliser programme. Crops continuously extract nutrients from the soil, and over time this can lead to severe depletion of soil fertility and land degradation. This in turn destroys the productive ‘capital’ of the soil and reduces the farm’s ability to produce a crop. If optimal yields cannot be achieved, it becomes uneconomical to continue buying and planting seed. THE RIGHT MIX For optimal fertiliser usage, the soil type, nutrient levels and yield potential of the crop and area must first be determined. Soil that is well looked after normally has the capacity to…

“I’ve always been fond of goats. When I was young, we always had goats around and used to drink a lot of goats’ milk,” recalls WA Hugo, owner of the farm Bettiesville near Lambert’s Bay. When the opportunity presented itself in 2016, Hugo therefore lost no time in pursuing his dream of dairy goat farming and commercial cheesemaking. He markets the cheeses under the ‘Bettie Bok’ brand. Hugo points out, however, that starting out in dairy goat farming is not that simple: it takes careful thought and planning. “You need to ask yourself two questions: why am I choosing goats? And what do I want to achieve with my goat farming operation?” says Hugo. FINDING THE BEST GOAT The Bettiesville herd consists of 150 goats, with 75 ewes in milk.…

The primary purpose of a greenhouse is to provide ideal conditions for year-round plant production regardless of location, weather and other environmental conditions. While greenhouses are expensive because they are typically equipped with complex crop management systems, Shaul Rabin, managing director of South African greenhouse systems supply company Cyclone Technology, says the return on investment can be high. He adds that factors such as climate change are key factors driving greenhouse farming around the world. Rabin says that greenhouse farming is attractive for three main reasons: it is far more water-efficient than open-air production; sunlight can be evenly dispersed over all the plants and its intensity can be managed to suit particular crops; and temperature and humidity can be controlled. “In addition, the ability to trellis plants is made much…

Late last year, DJI released the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drone, boasting the smallest dual-sensor thermal 4K micro camera with forward-looking infrared (FLIR). The camera is mounted on a gimbal, which gives the camera superb stability during flight. “This new release is an exciting development available at an affordable price. Before, a drone with these capabilities would have cost around R200 000,” says Dave Scott of Caelum Technologies. The operator has a choice of the following intelligent display modes using the DJI Pilot Control app: • FLIR MSX. This embosses high-fidelity, visible light details onto the thermal imagery in real time to enhance visual details. • A spot meter, which displays the average temperature of an object, helps you monitor and measure critical or hazardous objects at a safe distance.…

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a naturally occurring chemical in the body, where it reduces anxiety by preventing the brain from becoming overstimulated by stressors. Stress is a rapid reaction to a short-term crisis. With chronic stress, the adrenaline and norepinephrine constantly pumped out by your adrenal glands can result in loss of appetite and make it difficult to sleep and relax. In this state, your mind and body are like an engine that is constantly ‘revved’, and you effectively suffer long-term exhaustion and burnout. A CALMING SUPPLEMENT You cannot always change or eradicate the stressors, but you can help your body stay healthy while under stress by taking a GABA supplement. This is generally available at larger chemists. As GABA is a type of amino acid, it is best…