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

The farming sector is performing better now than it ever did in the past. However, at the same time, many farmers are worse off than ever before. From the consumers’ perspective, at least for those in developed countries and developing countries with agriculture-led economies, the choice and abundance of food available would have been unthinkable to the generations that came before them. Look at this from the perspective of those who suffer from perpetual hunger in regions that face high rates of food insecurity, however, and this abundance becomes a gross display of the inequalities that plague our modern world. The simple life associated with farming only a few decades ago has become little more than a myth, with farmers, even those who produce on a small scale, having to…

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report for March provides further evidence that global supplies of maize, soya bean and rice will be fairly large in the 2018/2019 season. Meanwhile, wheat production could decline from the levels achieved in the 2017/2018 season. Compared with last month, the USDA marginally increased its estimate for global maize production in 2018/2019 to 1,1 billion tons. This is 2% higher than the previous season, and increased production is expected mainly in South America and the Black Sea region. SOUTH AFRICA STANDS TO BE AFFECTED AS IT IS A NET IMPORTER OF RICE AND WHEAT Global rice production for 2018/2019 is expected to be 501 million tons, up by a percentage point from the levels in January and compared…

The recently announced increase in electricity tariffs awarded to Eskom by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa is expected to undermine the positive impact that agriculture had on South Africa’s national GDP in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to senior agricultural economist at Absa AgriBusiness, Wessel Lemmer. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) recently reported that when viewed in the context of constant 2018 prices, the fourth quarter GDP of the country’s primary agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector grew 7,9% and contributed 0,2% to national GDP growth, largely due to an increase in the production of field crops. However, while the country’s annual real GDP grew 0,8% to R3,15 trillion in 2018, primary agriculture, forestry and fisheries’ overall contribution shrank 4,8% to R74,16 billion from R77,86 billion in 2017,…

Clover SA increased its revenue by 4,1% to R4,4 billion, while sales volumes were up 5,6% for the six months ended 31 December 2018. Headline earnings were up 5% to R236 million, with headline earnings per share also up 5% to 123,5c. The company declared an interim dividend of R27,89 per share, which was also an increase of 5%. CEO of Clover SA, Johann Vorster, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the company in his report published in the company’s interim results. “We’ve spent an enormous amount of capital in this business,” he said. Commenting on the establishment of Dairy Farmers of South Africa to handle the raw milk aspect of the business, he said there had been teething problems, but it was now viewed as “stable”. “I think [a]…

Good and bad news for grain producers At the time of the 2019 Grain SA (GSA) Congress held in Bothaville in the second week of March, farmers were anxiously awaiting rain. Yet even if the rain did finally come, grain crops faced significant risks before harvesting, including further dry weather or early frost that could affect late plantings. This was according to the chairperson of GSA, Jaco Minnaar, who spoke to Farmer’s Weekly. He said conditions looked better to the east of the production region, but further follow-up rain was needed as there had been late plantings in that area. Jannie de Villiers, CEO of GSA, told delegates that 2018 had been an “emotionally intense year”, with profitability in the maize industry under pressure, and with dynamics in the global…

There is growing demand from buyers for South Africa’s maize grading system to be amended to include a test for the presence of mycotoxins, Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA (GSA), said at the 2019 GSA Congress. Mycotoxins were naturally occurring toxins produced by certain types of mould, and according to De Villiers, the animal feed industry was particularly insistent on this requirement. “The current test is time-consuming and very expensive. An industry working group has been [set up] to find a practical and affordable testing process,” he said. GSA had also embarked on a research project to determine whether some cultivars and production regions were more prone to mycotoxin development. GSA vice-chairperson Derek Mathews said South Africa’s maize grading system was the best in the world and should…

Control measures that regulate the movement of animals are intended to have long-term positive outcomes for livestock farmers, traders and the country as a whole, and should not be viewed as something that merely drives up costs for “disadvantaged” sellers. This was according to Dr Trish Oglesby, chairperson of the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa, and Dr Pieter Vervoort, managing director of the National Animal Health Forum. Oglesby and Vervoort said these measures were critical to control animal diseases, especially during outbreaks when animal health officials needed to trace animal movement to enable them to analyse past trends and predict future situations. “It also forms the basis of biosecurity and acts as a traceability system for products of animal origin, which guarantees food safety standards and consumer trust. Consumers…

Production costs on farms are set to increase after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) recently approved tariff increases for Eskom of 9,4% for 2019, 8,1% for 2020, and 5,2% for 2021. These increases would have a direct impact on input costs, specifically for energy-intensive sectors such as crops under irrigation, according to Dr Requier Wait, head of economics and trade at Agri SA. Wait added that farmers were price-takers and were unable to pass rising input costs on to consumers, which would thus result in lower profit margins. “Any electricity price increase will have a negative impact on agriculture, especially in the context of the prevailing drought conditions and limited economic growth.” Wait said NERSA had, however, approved electricity hikes that were below Eskom’s application for double-digit…

Woolworths recently partnered with Spier Wine Farm near Stellenbosch and the Sustainability Institute’s AgroEcology Academy to launch the Living Soils Community Learning Farm. According to a statement by Woolworths, the objective was to improve food security and address unemployment among the local youth through training and development. In a three-year pilot project, the Living Soils Community Learning Farm will focus on demonstrating ecologically restorative methods to grow nutrient-rich foods to improve community food security, the statement said. Woolworths pledged R4,4 million in funding over the three-year period, while the learning farm would be located on 3ha of land earmarked for this purpose on Spier Wine Farm. The estate would also donate farming equipment to the project, and the project would be administered and managed by the AgroEcology Academy. According to…

As regular readers of this column might remember, Luca Pacioli (1447-1517) can be considered the father of modern accounting. Published in 1494, his treatise Summa de arithmetica, geometria, proportioni et proportionalita is the first known text describing the double-entry bookkeeping system. Double-entry bookkeeping is so named because every entry to an account requires a corresponding and opposite entry to a different account. This gives us debit and credit. A Franciscan friar and mathematician who knew and worked with the great Leonardo da Vinci, Pacioli didn’t invent double-entry bookkeeping; he documented and codified the method used by merchants in Venice. STILL IN PLACE 500 YEARS LATER Remarkably, his system includes all the fundamental accounting principles still used today. He described journals and ledgers. He warned against ‘going to sleep’ before the…

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME BONGANI MINERALS HAS TRIED TO SECURE PROSPECTING OR MINING RIGHTS IN MOUTONSHOEK VALLEY. WHY WERE THESE APPLICATIONS PREVIOUSLY REJECTED? MINING HERE WOULD DESTROY PRODUCTIVE FARMS Since 2005, Bongani Minerals has made several applications for the right to prospect or mine tungsten, molybdenum and other rare earth metals in Moutonshoek valley. All their applications were rejected due to environmental concerns, either because the company didn’t follow the right application procedures or because the land where they wanted to prospect is zoned for farming and not mining. DID FARMERS EXPECT THE COMPANY TO MAKE ANOTHER MINING APPLICATION? No, it really does not make sense. WHY IS MINING TUNGSTEN A PROBLEM? Tungsten is a metal with a very high melting point and strength. It is used in…

Carry your load with ease The OSPREY AETHER AG 70 combines anti-gravity technology with a customisable fit to produce the ideal backpack for hiking through any weather. Its new convertible top lid also helps make it easier to carry a load on a long-haul hike. A suspended panel of lightweight mesh extends from the upper torso through the lumbar area of the pack, providing greater comfort. Other features include an integrated FlapJacket cover for lidless use, an internal hydration reservoir sleeve, and generous front J-zip access to the main compartment. The anti-gravity mesh harness has interchangeable sizes for a personalised fit, while the adjustable suspended harness has a structural load lifter bar for load transfer and comfort. Convenient extras include a large stretch mesh front panel pocket; zippered hip belt…

DEMOCRACY WORKS by Greg Mills, Olusegun Obasanjo, Jeffrey Herbst & Tendai Biti (Picador Africa, R295) This illustrious group of authors (two senior academics, Nigeria’s former president and Zimbabwe’s former finance minister) argue that free and fair elections are the bedrock on which democracy must be built. They see South Africa as an example of a self-correcting democracy, partly thanks to its active investigative journalists. Authoritarianism is a myth, they contend, even in much-vaunted Singapore. Punchy discussion pieces about political transitions and election conduct lead to the concluding section, where they present a blueprint reflected in their subtitle, ‘Rewiring politics to Africa’s advantage’. A stimulating and thought-provoking read. DR JAMES BARRY by Michael du Preez & Jeremy Dronfield (OneWorld, R205) Irish-born Barry (real name Margaret Bulkley) changed her name and disguised…

Rather than the 17% increase in electricity tariffs requested by Eskom, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) recently approved tariff increases of 9,4% for 2019, 8,1% for 2020, and 5,2% for 2021. According to Annabel Bishop, the chief economist at Investec, the inflation rate is likely to increase from the second quarter this year, and these increases, along with higher Brent Crude oil prices, will exacerbate inflation figures. “Electricity tariff increases have a meaningful impact on inflation, with a weighting of 3,8% in the consumer price index for electricity prices,” Bishop said. The South African Reserve Bank has flagged administered prices such as electricity and water tariffs, rising domestic food prices, changing investor sentiment towards emerging markets, moderation in global economic growth, and volatile international oil prices as…

There is no need for Parliament to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for expropriation without compensation. This was the opinion of two legal experts recently consulted by Parliament’s ad hoc committee, which had been instructed to draft the Constitutional Amendment Bill that would allow for expropriation without compensation. Advocate Wim Trengove said expropriation without compensation was unnecessary. “We need more than mere expropriation,” he said, adding that the political imperative was to redistribute land. “The overriding objective is to redistribute land to address the race imbalance in the distribution of land, which was brought about by colonialism and apartheid.” He also told the committee it would be perfectly legitimate for Parliament to argue that land that was historically in white hands was the product of privilege, unless…

More than 40% of insect species in the world are threatened with extinction, according to the results of a recent study published in the journal Biological Conservation. The study was conducted by Australian researchers Francisco Sánchez-Bayo of the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Sydney and Kris Wyckhuys of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland. It said that every year about 1% of all insect species were added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. This decline in biodiversity resulted in an annual 2,5% loss of biomass worldwide. “Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and dung beetles [Coleoptera] are the taxa most affected. Habitat loss [through] conversion to intensive agriculture is the main driver of the declines. Agrochemical pollutants, invasive species and climate…

There has been an urgent call from UK scientists for stricter regulation of neonicotinoid pesticides after it was found that they cause gene damage in bumblebees. Research led by Queen Mary University of London, in cooperation with Imperial College London in the UK, recently applied a biomedically inspired approach to examine changes in the 12 000 genes that make up bumblebee workers and queens after pesticide exposure. It found that genes involved in a broad range of biological processes were affected, queens and workers responded differently to pesticide exposure, and one of the pesticides tested had a much stronger effect than the other. Other recent studies revealed that neurotoxic pesticides impaired bees’ ability to obtain pollen and nectar from flowers and locate their nests. The new approach would provide high-resolution…

Soya bean production in South Africa has doubled during the past five years and there is potential to replicate this growth again over the next five years, according to the chairperson of the Grain SA (GSA) soya bean working group, Ralf Küsel. “Soya bean is the most positive of South Africa’s [field crops] in terms of current growth and potential for growth,” he told Farmer’s Weekly at the recent GSA Congress in Bothaville. GSA economist Corné Louw agreed that South Africa had both the production and processing capacity to sustain growth in the soya bean industry. “[It’s] really still in its [infancy],” he said. One of the key talking points this year was the new soya breeding and technology levy introduced on 1 March. Louw explained that many farmers kept…

Misinformation about the issue of land reform and expropriation without compensation in South Africa is adding greatly to the feeling of uncertainty among farmers and the perception that the country is in crisis. This was according to retired South African diplomat Malcolm Ferguson of the consulting firm In Transition Initiative. Speaking at the 2019 Grain SA (GSA) Congress in Bothaville, he said “fake news” was one of the biggest hurdles preventing meaningful communication about the process of land reform. Extensive research had, for example, shown that the notion of a “total onslaught against farmers”, as often propagated by purveyors of fake news, had no truth to it. However, this fake news was continually shared. “This places an additional burden on an industry that is already under pressure because of the…

The Berg River Agricultural Development Project, which is aimed at addressing food insecurity and the training of small-scale farmers, recently unveiled the Virtual Agriculture Academy on the farm Houdconstant near Porterville. According to project coordinator, Dr Hilke Maartens, the academy was an interactive e-learning platform that would provide students from all over the country access to an array of skills development courses such as food processing, plant and animal production, catering and agricultural marketing. “We focus especially on skills development. About 70% of the courses will be devoted to practical experience, while 30% will be theory,” he said. Maartens added that the platform would also cater for people of different levels of skill and literacy, from those who were illiterate to those with postgraduate qualifications. The project would be run…

Despite all the prophets of doom saying that Southern Africa is too cold for tilapia, great success has been achieved recently in ponds at lower-than-optimal temperatures. Let’s examine the facts. In north-eastern Zambia, 0,5ha ponds at high altitude (1 374m above sea level) have recorded harvests of 17t/ha to 20t/ha after 11 months. This is despite two key disadvantages: a lower-performing tilapia species (Oreochromis macrochir) compared with the best strains of commercial Nile tilapia, and three months of minimum water temperature as low as 17°C. This temperature is regarded by some recirculating aquaculture system promoters as being uneconomic. Clearly, they are wrong. At the other end of the country, above Livingstone at 1 050m above sea level, and with winter water temperatures dropping to 19°C, 1ha ponds have yielded first…

The lack of registered chemicals to use on figs makes it extremely difficult to manage pests and diseases effectively. Cobus du Toit, production manager at Fair Figs, explains that the industry is too small to justify the high cost of product registration. The two main threats to production in the Overberg region are fig tree borer (Phryneta spinator) and fig rust. Female fig tree borers lay their eggs near the base of a tree. The eggs take about two weeks to hatch, with the larvae feeding on the bark of the tree before tunnelling into it. Infestation may result in major tree losses. Du Toit scouts regularly for sawdust, which is a sign of infestation, and uses a piece of wire to destroy the larvae in their tunnels. Fig rust…

It’s amazing how strong the desire to talk about the past becomes when you get older. I’ve been driving for more than 65 years and a number of things have happened to me that may be worth recounting. My first serious motoring error was to select first gear to start the engine while some helpers pushed the car. When I let out the clutch, two teeth broke inside the rear axle. I knew that one should use second gear because the lower numerical ratio implies that the driveline will experience less of a shock when the wheels start to rotate the engine, but I didn’t think the use of first gear would cause any damage. Lesson learnt. The distributor on a Volkswagen Beetle engine is kept in place by a…

If you love your meat braai, and few South Africans don’t, you’ll be certain to appreciate two new apps that can help you grill meat exactly as you want it. WEBER Backed by more than 65 years of grilling know-how, Weber has released the iGrill app for both Android and iPhones. In short, this is a Bluetoothenabled smart thermometer that takes braaiing to the next level. Four probes can be plugged into it and each probe named on the app. This helps you decide when your meat is cooked to your satisfaction and gives you complete flexibility. The app has an extensive temperature preset library for various cuts of meat and fish, making braaiing even easier. The Bluetooth connectivity range is 45m. Using the app, you can watch the cooking…

9 APRIL Trace and Save Farmers’ Day GRAHAM SHEPHERD, A SOIL HEALTH EXPERT FROM NEW ZEALAND, WILL GIVE FARMERS A PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION OF VISUAL SOIL ASSESSMENT, AS WELL AS LEAD A DISCUSSION ON HOW TO REGENERATE SOIL. CARBON SEQUESTRATION, WHICH IMPROVES SOIL HEALTH, WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSED. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 24 TO 25 MARCH The IRES 580th International Conference on Food and Agricultural Engineering, Cape Town. Email info@theires.org , or visit theires.org/Conference2019/SouthAfrica/1/ICFAE . 24 APRIL Soil Preparation Workshop, Kuruman. Visit bommereaipela.co.za , or email info@bommereaipela.co.za . 21 TO 23 MAY Southern African Manufacturing Expo, Nasrec, Johannesburg.Visit localmanufacturingexpo.co.za . 6 TO 7 JUNE Hortgro Technical Symposium, The Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West. Email Thea van…

Although aquaponics has had a relatively low success rate in South Africa, better systems have the potential to solve three problems faced by the agriculture sector: scarcity of productive land, distance to markets, and limited water supply. Speaking at the Undercover Farming Expo in Pretoria recently, Colin Bremner, the owner of Kleinskuur Aquaponics, said such a system could provide the same income on 1m2 of land as a maize farmer achieved on 1ha. “Land that was previously barren and not suited to food production can become productive, sustainable and profitable. This land is usually cheaper, and because only a small area is required, operations can be set up closer to cities.” Bremner said that when he had started his aquaponics farm, he was told it would never work. “The Internet…

UNITED STATES Imposing the EU’s geographical indication initiative in the US could cost that country’s dairy industry between US$9,5 billion and US$20,2 billion (R136 billion and R228 billion) and result in up to 223 000 jobs being lost, according to a new study. The study, commissioned by the US Dairy Export Council and the Consortium for Common Food Names, said the loss of the use of generic terms such as parmesan and feta would have a negative impact on consumers’ willingness to pay for certain dairy products. UNITED NATIONS The UN is seeking to restore 350 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, saying this could generate US$9 trillion (R129 trillion) in ecosystem services and remove up to 26 gigatons of greenhouse gases. This follows growing calls by the international…

Among innovations available in hatchery automation is a machine that can identify and mark eggs that are placed upside down on the setter tray, called the Ovosense, and the LazerLife machine that can detect clear, dead and rotten eggs when being transferred to the hatcher. Both machines improve ‘hatchability’ and chick quality, making them valuable investments for any hatchery, according to Christo Visagie, technical services manager for Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Turkey at CEVA Sante Animale. He was speaking at the recent CEVA South Africa Summit in Rustenburg. “There are a lot of benefits to hatchery automation that can give you a competitive advantage,” he said. These included production efficiency, an increase in chick quality, cost reduction, and maximising output. Visagie said chick counters had also become far…

Agricultural services company AFGRI has committed R3 million to the establishment of a support fund to assist farmers in dire financial need. Tinus Prinsloo, AFGRI CEO, said the fund would focus on farmers located within the geographical areas in which the company operated, and would not be limited to clients. “The fund is not a development fund or a sponsorship vehicle; it will focus purely on assisting people in need, based on the merits of each case.” ‘FUNDING FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES WELCOMED’ According to Jacob de Villiers, AFGRI CFO, the fund was meant to aid farmers who needed financial assistance due to unforeseen circumstances. During the past two years, farmers across South Africa had had to contend with drought conditions, hail, foot-and-mouth disease, fall armyworm outbreaks, and wildfires, amongst other…

A greater dependency on technology, particularly on large-scale farming operations, has led to a dependency on electricity. This can be in the form of basic production equipment, such as irrigation systems, or systems built to add value to primary produce, such as storage and processing. The fresh produce and meat industries, for example, would fall apart without cooling facilities. In fact, for optimal functioning of these facilities and an uninterrupted cold chain, the electricity supply cannot even afford to be intermittent. To give another example, if a grape or fruit grower depends on electrically powered irrigation to control the microclimate on the land, and load-shedding takes place when the temperature rises to, say, 40°C, the farmer could lose the entire crop. An erratic energy supply also subjects agricultural equipment to…

Vanessa Collocott raises free-range Pekin ducks for meat on her 20ha smallholding, The Blue Orange Farm, in Curry’s Post, between Mooi River and Howick in KwaZulu-Natal. Her government-certified, free-range duck production enterprise started with only 60 day-old Pekin ducklings back in 2012. She now farms just over 1 200 ducks at a time, divided into four age groups. Every fortnight, 300 of her mature ducks are sent to an abattoir, where they slaughter out at about 2,3kg each. She then personally delivers or couriers the frozen carcasses to customers in the Midlands, northern Zululand, and even as far away as Cape Town. Collocott says she went into duck farming because she wanted a high-turnover enterprise to supplement her husband’s income as a businessman in nearby Pietermaritzburg. “My research identified that…

Reading the PMA Smartbrief, the mouthpiece of the Produce Marketing Association, of 22 February, I came upon an interesting article on the current state of affairs regarding ‘ugly fruit’. When the issue of selling ugly fruit as a special line in supermarkets came up I strongly supported it. ‘Ugly fruit’ simply means fruit that is less than perfectly shaped; it does not mean ‘bad fruit’. So it makes sense to offer these as special items, not to have them compete against ‘normal’ fruit. A READY MARKET AT FIRST We all buy our fruit and veg according to how they look. You would therefore think that ugly fruit wouldn’t stand a chance of moving off the shelves. Yet, when the idea of selling ugly fruit as, well, … ugly fruit, was…

HORSES MUST BE OBEDIENT, FEARLESS AND VERY AGILE The South African Equestrian Federation (SAEF) has provisionally recognised working equitation as a new discipline. This discipline is affiliated with the World Association for Working Equitation in Portugal. While riders can choose to compete in traditional riding gear appropriate to working with cattle, the SAEF demands that riders wear closed riding shoes, long trousers, and hard hats (the last rule applies only to minors). Working equitation promotes competition between traditional styles of riding that may be used during fieldwork, such as cattle sorting. Farmers may need to separate their cattle when weaning calves, splitting herds or moving bulls out of a breeding herd. In extensive cattle operations in countries such as Spain and Portugal, where this type of farm work is common,…

This dish is the perfect illustration to quash the traditionally rigid ‘rule’ that white wine goes best with white meat, and red with red. The addition of some red wine into the cast-iron pan should, in any case, be enough to displace this myth, and also prove that the wine in the dish is usually a good wine in the glass too. The dish has a degree of richness to it, and there is also the acidity of the tomatoes, which was offset somewhat by the Perdeberg Soft Smooth Red used in the dish. It lived up to the label and balanced the intensity of the meal nicely when in the glass. It is an unusual blend of Shiraz with Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, resulting in a fruity…

According to US heart specialist Dr Stephen Sinatra, five natural supplements taken after a heart attack contribute to speedier recovery and preventing a second one. The nutrients L-carnitine, CoQ10, magnesium, D-ribose and omega-3 oils help strengthen a weakened heart. When you are discharged from hospital after a heart attack, you will probably leave with prescriptions for everything from ACE inhibitors to beta blockers. You may not be able to avoid taking medication completely, and in some cases they can be life-saving. But the right heart health supplements, along with heart-healthy, balanced meals, can help strengthen and maximise your heart’s ability to heal naturally. The landmark GISSI trial in Italy showed a 45% reduction in death from subsequent heart attacks for patients who took 1g of natural omega-3 supplements daily following…

The woman the world knew as Princess Catherine Radziwill listened as the Crown Court judge of the Cape Town High Court sentenced her to two years’ imprisonment. She had been found guilty of fraud and blackmail in a case involving the former prime minister of the Cape Colony, Cecil John Rhodes. The trial had been a sensation, holding the Cape’s high society in its thrall. Catherine, a prolific writer, had produced many books about the aristocracy of various European countries. This made her extremely unpopular in high places. In addition, her lavish lifestyle drained her funds and she often resorted to shady methods to secure money. ARISTOCRATIC UPBRINGING Born in St Petersburg in March 1858 as Countess Ekaterina Adamovna Rzewuska, Catherine was the only child of General Adam Adamowicz Rzewuski…