Table of contents for 09 August 2019 in Farmer's Weekly

Feeling stuck in life is awful. It is demoralising, makes you unproductive, leaves you feeling gloomy about the future, and the longer you remain stuck the more difficult it becomes to escape. So sometimes, in order to get unstuck, you have to stop worrying too much about whether or not you are taking a step in the right direction just so that you can take some sort of action that gets you moving again. If it takes a misstep to get you out of a rut, the mistake might have been worthwhile. There are many proposals contained in the final report by the Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, published for public comment recently, that are problematic, or even somewhat out of touch with the economic realities facing…

I am from Ncera Village 6 in East London. For many years, I believed that older folks must do all the difficult work at home as I was the youngest child. Things changed in 2010 when my father passed away, and it was only my mother, my older siblings and myself. I was only 16, but it felt as if it was my sole responsibility to take over the livestock breeding operation as I grew up loving nature, and had gained a little knowledge from my father. My father had left us with one cow and her young calf. My mother decided to buy in heifers to increase the breeding cows. I had little practical experience in livestock production, but I believed that I could succeed because of my family’s…

The Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is the trade-negotiation cycle within the World Trade Organization (WTO). The DDA’s core objective is to address global trade issues that negatively affect less developed countries, such as trade facilitation, services, rules of origin and dispute settlement. In this regard, special and differential (S&D) treatment for developing countries was introduced. The DDA kicked off by committing all countries to negotiating the opening up of agricultural and manufacturing markets, as well as trade-in-services negotiations. As the objective was to make trade rules fairer for developing countries, the negotiations also focused on reducing farming subsidies and lowering import taxes. Subsidies in agriculture and agricultural domestic support policies became a major point of contention for developed nations. The stark contrast and divide between the global north and the…

The final report by the Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, which was recently published for public comment and was intended to guide the future dialogue around land reform in South Africa, has not been met with overwhelming support from organisations representing commercial farmers and agribusinesses. Dan Kriek, one of the members of the advisory panel and president of Agri SA, and fellow panel member Nick Serfontein, a commercial farmer and chairperson of the Sernick Group, published an alternative report on the same day as the panel’s report was published. Their report explained in detail the aspects of the panel report they supported, and those on which they failed to reach agreement. One of the main points of contention has been the panel’s support to amend Section 25…

‘MARKET ACCESS DEPENDS ON NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS’ Despite a current undersupply of avocados in European countries and the fact that these markets are growing year-on-year, South Africa did not have an opportunity to significantly increase exports to the EU. This was according to Derek Donkin, CEO of the South African Subtropical Growers’ Association (Subtrop), who said that although there was an undersupply, supply levels varied week-to-week and month-to-month depending on crop production in supplier countries. For South Africa, export growth thus depended on accessing new markets. “Demand for avocados is growing, and the South African industry is [expanding]. “To sustain growth, however, we need to access new markets [in countries] such as China, the US, India and Japan.” Donkin said the association was in the process of securing access to…

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture recently held its first drone awareness day at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute near Stellenbosch. The programme kicked off with various presentations by Robert Britz, the sales and marketing manager of Drone-X, followed by practical demonstrations. According to Dr Dirk Troskie, the director of business planning and strategy at the department, the purpose of the day was to equip students with skills and knowledge about global technology trends in the agriculture sector. “Everybody is talking about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but in the end, it’s all about the confluence of rapid technological developments, combined with socio-economic trends, which will lead to significant disruption of the economy and work as we know it. We believe the agriculture sector will be one of the economic sectors…

The winds of change are blowing across South Africa’s more than 150-year-old sugar industry, which has increasingly struggled to remain relevant and profitable in recent years. This was according to South African Sugar Association (SASA) chairperson Hans Hackmann. Speaking at the association’s 2019 annual general meeting, held recently in Mount Edgecombe, KwaZulu-Natal, Hackmann said that implementing transformation and diversification were key to ensuring the industry’s long-term survival in the future. He told delegates that this change had suddenly gained momentum during the 2018/2019 milling season. One such change driver was former minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies’s promulgation of amendments to SASA’s constitution and to the sugar industry agreement. This had not only resulted in “immediate and profound” changes to SASA’s council and committees, but had seen official recognition…

Access to safe drinking water is vital to human health and is a basic human right. The South African National Standard (SANS) 241 Drinking Water Specification stipulates the minimum requirements for potable water to be considered safe for human consumption. This includes effluent water generated in numerous operations and industries. Any water used, treated and then tested following any of these applications must be clean enough that a person could potentially consume it without falling ill. These requirements include the microbiological, chemical and physical properties of the water. SEVEN BENEFITS OF WATER QUALITY TESTING • Protection of human health (safe drinking water) If you use your own water source for drinking, you need to have it tested fairly regularly. It should not contain any harmful concentrations of chemicals or pathogens. Ideally,…

There are many unanswered questions about the economic and political situation in South Africa that limit a farmer’s business confidence. As a farmer, you might even be hesitant about taking investment decisions needed to improve the competitiveness of your business. While there are reasons for concern, many of the factors influencing the economic outlook are not limited to South Africa’s business environment. Our country does not function in isolation from the rest of the world and we sometimes tend to be overly negative about local prospects, when the drivers of economic growth (or downturn) are, to a large extent, linked to global developments rather than local factors. Some of these factors, often listed as inhibiting investment, include poor economic growth, drought, lack of infrastructure development, and global market access constraints.…

Alwene Ford is the sole proprietor of her beef cattle farming operation, run under the umbrella of Stony Ridge Ventures. She produces crossbred weaner calves reared solely on the veld on her farm Klipfontein, between Barkly West and Koopmansfontein in the Northern Cape. Ford has, in recent years, expanded her business interests to include game farming, and is now also establishing an agritourism component. Amid all this, however, she is striving to leave the land in a better state than she received it in. TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY Although Ford was raised on a farm, her father, Theophilus Paton, did not consider farming a fitting career for a girl. So, instead, she went off to study creative art, got married and had children. In 1994, however, the chance to pursue her…

I might be a fervent supporter of fresh produce markets, but I’m not blind to their shortcomings in an age of rapidly changing circumstances. But when used correctly, markets offer many advantages to a farmer. And I still maintain that one of those advantages is a better average price at the end of the season. USED BY MANY MAJOR PRODUCERS Some readers might take me to task on this, but my reasoning is simple: why do all the major farmers support fresh produce markets as part of their marketing strategy? Many of them have other marketing channels as well, which is good for agriculture generally, but they don’t dismiss the value of the fresh produce markets. The reason for this is that, on average, they get good returns! And they…

INFUSED by Henrietta Lovell (Faber, R450) What should you do to warm up a long weekend in midwinter? Tea guru Lovell suggests expanding your knowledge of choice tea flavours. Her book, subtitled ‘Adventures in tea’, beckons you into the subtleties of a brew that many take for granted and have downgraded to a utilitarian teabag experience. For Lovell, tea depends as much on terroir as does the flavour of a well-made wine. She devotes an entire chapter to exploring rooibos flavours, while another traces the development of tea farming in Malawi. Lovell believes that leaf tea can, and should, be the next big real food, following artisanal bread and flour and the return of specialised potato varieties. Join the rising tide of connoisseur tea drinkers and growers and be warmed…

‘USE PRODUCTS THAT WON’T HARM BENEFICIAL INSECTS’ Dear Bill, I work for an entrepreneurship development organisation in Botswana as a technology business executive. My responsibility is to mentor aspiring and existing horticulture farmers at a training facility referred to as a horticulture ‘incubator’. Training at this facility is mainly through practical exercises, with our main crops being tomatoes grown in greenhouses, tunnels and net houses. But we also grow green, red and yellow peppers, as well as lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower. Some three years ago, we started having problems with tomato leaf miners (Tuta absoluta) attacking our tomato crop. What are the most effective control methods to manage this pest? Kind regards, Isaac Bok Dear Isaac, I picked up Tuta in my tomato tunnels two years ago and still had…

While the Western Cape is receiving good rain for the second year in a row, the impact of the worst drought on record in some parts of the province is still very much evident. Dam levels in the Western Cape are said to have improved significantly this winter. This is the result of the recent rainfall experienced across the province, especially in the Cape Town area. The City of Cape Town announced that dam levels in mid-July stood at 64,1% of full capacity, up from 61,8% in the first week of July. With continuing rainfall in the Cape Town area, dam levels are expected to rise further, bringing some comfort to local farmers in the area. In July 2018, dam levels were at 56,3%, while in 2017, the year in…

The Namibian Ministry of Finance has announced that imported animal feed will now be exempted from value-added tax (VAT) in an effort to mitigate the effect of the drought on farmers in that country. The decision followed an application made by the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) in May. The exemption applied only to individual commercial and communal livestock producers importing the feed for their own use, and not for the purpose of resale. Retailers did not qualify for the exemption. Producers who imported animal feed were requested to notify the authorities at least three days before the goods reached points of entry into the country to allow sufficient time for customs clearance. Ryno van der Merwe, president of NAU, welcomed the announcement, saying that local supplies of animal feed had…

Negative agricultural performance contributed to the decision by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to adjust its projected outlook for South Africa’s economic growth for this year down to 0,7%. In its World Economic Outlook report for July, the IMF said that economic growth in South Africa was expected to take place at a more “subdued” pace, or half a percent lower than the 1,2% stated in its previous report in April. This was “following a very weak first quarter, reflecting a larger-than-anticipated impact of strike activity and energy supply issues in mining, and weak agricultural production”, the report stated. The IMF has also lowered its economic growth expectations for 2020 to 1,1%, down 0,4% from its April projection. By contrast, the sub-Saharan Africa region as a whole was expected to…

Global demand for snail secretion for use in cosmetics has resulted in the establishment of snail farms in Thailand where the molluscs are ‘milked’ for their slime, known as mucin. As mucin has become worth more than gold, the global industry has boomed and is now estimated to be worth US$314 million (about R4,4 billion). For the past three years, Thai farmers and other locals have been farming the snails they once desperately tried to get rid of. As much as 600l of mucin per month is now being produced on 85 snail farms in Nakhon Nayok province, two hours east of Bangkok, where the giant African snail species (Achatina achatina) is being bred for slime production. One of the mucin producers, Phatinisiri Thangkeaw, a teacher, said she started her…

Wine industry body Vinpro recently launched a wine tourism toolkit to help wineries develop or expand their wine tourism footprint. The toolkit, which was launched at Nederburg Wine Estate on the outskirts of Paarl, provides a blueprint to assist wineries to plan and implement wine tourism initiatives. It includes resources, checklists, templates and case studies. It was hoped that wineries would be able to use the toolkit to unlock additional revenue streams, improve service delivery, increase revenue from wine sales and grow brand awareness, said Marisah Nieuwoudt, wine tourism manager at Vinpro. “For most companies, wine tourism revolves around the tasting room and associated facilities and services. Due to its visitor-facing role, this automatically launches wineries into the realm of hospitality and tourism, and it’s up to them to create…

Debate is under way about whether the Crop Estimates Committee’s (CEC) forecast for white maize production for the 2018/2019 season is accurate. Agricultural economist Prof Johan Willemse said that mixed messages were emerging, especially in the western production regions. “The CEC has pushed white maize projections up a bit and there’s a lot of debate among farmers about whether this is really the case.” An added concern was that by the last week of July, only about 40% of the white maize crop had been harvested. He said he had also heard rumours of “quality issues” being experienced in some areas. The CEC recently released its sixth production estimate for summer grains for the 2018/2019 production season and its preliminary area estimate for winter grains. It set the expected size…

Despite the cold weather currently being experienced in the summer and winter rainfall regions, the outlook for crop production is positive, with conditions favourable for the root development of fruit and other crops in the winter rainfall region during the dormant period. This was according to specialised crop insurance manager at Santam Agriculture Johan van den Berg, who said the weather conditions experienced over large parts of the winter rainfall region and the important winter grain production areas, mainly in the Swartland and southern Cape regions, were favourable for this time of year. He added that while there had been very cold days and particularly low minimum night-time temperatures, winter had, nonetheless, been relatively mild in most of the summer rainfall regions. The late start to winter, however, had seen…

The first Farmer’s Weekly aquaculture article in the current series was published on 14 September 2012. Like several subsequent articles, it covered the use of tilapia in warm water aquaculture in South Africa, and discussions around species. Today, 169 articles and nearly seven years later, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. The first articles were written at a time when Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were bursting onto the international aquaculture scene, with fast-growing, disease-resistant and deep-bodied forms being widely bred and improved in East Asia. At this time, the species was still largely absent from South African farms. Efforts had been made to ‘improve’ our local Mozambique tilapia (O. mossambicus) in terms of growth rate, colour forms, age at maturity, and general suitability for farming. However, the…

WHAT DOES YOUR JOB AT JOHN DEERE ENTAIL? As an agricultural equipment technician, I’m responsible for the set-up, maintenance, servicing, diagnosing, repair and reconditioning of agricultural equipment at the shop or in the field. The equipment we work on includes tractors and combine harvesters, as well as a variety of implements for agricultural operations such as tillage, seeding, planting, harvesting and spraying. ‘AT FIRST, I HAD TO PROVE I WAS AS CAPABLE AS MY MALE COLLEAGUES’ Our services are used by equipment manufacturers, dealerships and independent repair shops, and large farms. An agricultural equipment technician is also involved in teaching clients how to operate new equipment, and consulting with them to pinpoint problems and determine their specific needs. Good communication and customer service skills are therefore essential. In my current…

DON’T GO COLD TURKEY Gradually reduce chemical usage as the health of your soil improves. Simply stopping without a back-up plan to replenish lost nutrients will affect yield, and hence profit. “Going chemical-free is a journey, not a destination. It takes time,” says Dr Johann Strauss. TEST BEFORE YOU GO BIG Soil and climatic conditions vary from one region to another. When somebody recommends a product or you see a product or technique working on your neighbour’s farm, test it on a small scale before using it on your entire farm. In this way, you can compare the effect of the interventions with what’s happening on the rest of your farm. USE ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF FERTILISER Many regenerative farmers in the US have been able to downscale and sometimes go…

Beetroot is susceptible to two pests in particular: aphids and red spider. Important diseases include Cercospora leaf spot and downy mildew, amongst others. • Aphids (Aphis fabae) Aphids are dark brown or green insects about 2mm in length. They suck on the lower surface of the leaves, but cause damage only when present in large numbers. Infested leaves are curly and rolled. Control: Use registered chemicals. Crop rotation can also help. • Red spider (Tetranychus cinnabarinus) These are small, dark red or dark brown mites about 1mm long that suck on the lower surface of the leaves. Their numbers are usually low, but can increase rapidly during warm weather. Control: Spray neem oil and pyrethrin directly onto the adult mites, larvae, nymphs and eggs to kill them on contact. Apply it to…

With fuel prices at record levels, farmers need to get the most bang for their fuel buck. A proven way of doing this is to ensure that tractor tyres are optimally inflated, says Stephan van Staden, national agricultural specialist at Bridgestone, manufacturer of Firestone’s agricultural tyres. “Tyre management can yield huge benefits for farmers in both fuel efficiency and tractor performance. Tyres account for between 20% and 40% of horsepower loss, and a major factor is tyre pressure in relation to load carried. Getting this right requires some work, but it’s well worth it,” says Van Staden. The key principle is to ensure that the tyre’s footprint is optimal. Here, tyre pressure plays a major part. If a tyre is overinflated, the footprint will be too small, leading to excessive…

To make this treat for four hungry diners, you will need: FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE: 4 breasts 2 limes (zest from one, and 4 tablespoons/60ml juice from both) 3 cloves of garlic 15ml extra-virgin olive oil 40g brown sugar 30ml heavy soy sauce 20 coriander leaves, chopped FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES: 2 sweet peppers – 1 red and 1 green 1 red onion 200g big brown mushrooms 1 medium brinjal 2 courgettes 40ml extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 45ml of finely chopped fresh parsley Generous pinches of salt and coarsely ground black pepper FOR THE LEMON DRESSING: 1 tablespoon each of fresh origanum and parsley 80ml freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, minced 15g brown sugar Half-teaspoon salt Half-teaspoon coarsely ground black…

The ketogenic (shortened to ‘keto’) low-carbohydrate diet is currently popular. Ketosis is a normal metabolic process. When the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fat instead. This results in a build-up of acids called ketones within the body. The diet seeks to encourage ketosis. The website Perfectketo.com is dedicated to the keto diet. The ‘Keto diet and alcohol’ page, for example, covers alcohol and carbohydrate intake. Vodka, gin, whisky and tequila all contain zero carbohydrates. The site also has a list of ketoapproved drink mixers. There is an extensive library of keto-related articles, together with a food diary that can be pre-planned, or you can add to it when having a meal. The site also provides the ‘Keto calculator’, which works out the net carbohydrates…

Reeba Red Brahman Sale HIGHEST: (BULL) R90 000 Mooi River – The Reeba Red Brahman production sale was held on 16 July. The highest-priced animal, the bull AMV 16 150, was sold to Sutton Farming of Seven Oaks for R90 000. Bulls were sold for an average of R45 818. Cows achieved an average price of R26 800, while heifers averaged R34 313. Open heifers sold for an average of R12 780. The auction was held by SHM Auctioneers, with Johan van der Nest as auctioneer. – Staff reporter KZN Yearling Sale HIGHEST: (COLT) R650 000 Durban – The KZN Yearling Sale was held at Sibaya Casino on 4 July. The highest-priced animal, the colt Assured, was sold by Danika Stud to Suzette Viljoen for R650 000. The second-highest priced…

31 AUGUST Introduction to Aquaponics THIS COURSE EXPLAINS HOW AN AQUAPONICS SYSTEM OPERATES, WHY A FARMER SHOULD INVEST IN ONE, AND WHAT THE SECRETS ARE TO MAKING THE SYSTEM WORK EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 7 TO 9 AUGUST Agri Gauteng Ekspo, Onderstepoort Vleissentraal, Pretoria. Phone Juanita Da Matta on 071 457 2696. 12 TO 16 AUGUST ALFA Expo, Afridome, Parys.Visit alfaexpo.com. 21 TO 22 AUGUST Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, CSIR Convention Centre, Pretoria. Visit fertasa.co.za/fertasa-events/ symposium. 26 TO 28 AUGUST Bio Africa Convention, ICC, Durban. Visit africabio.com/ conference. 3 TO 5 SEPTEMBER No-Till Conference, Bergville. Email Sandra Findlay at ntcsandra@gmail.com. 1 TO 3 OCTOBER Africa Fertilizer Agribusiness Conference, Cape Town International Convention Centre.Visit events.crugroup.com/ astafrica/home. COURSES & TRAINING 8 AUGUST Cattle Pregnancy Awareness, Muldersdrift. Visit RLTSafrica.com,…

29 APRIL 1983 Electric fencing 36 YEARS AGO This article focused on installing and maintaining electric fences. When an electric fence is installed along a public road or pathway, you should place warning signs at frequent intervals. Where it is installed near overhead power lines, the wires should not be more than 2m above the ground. Energised fence wires or connecting leads must not be attached to any pole supporting low-voltage, high-voltage or communication wires, unless authorised to do so. New to the electric-fence market in South Africa are solar-powered energisers. These are best suited to sunny areas on large properties, where mains power is unavailable. These energisers can electrify a fence of 1km to 30km. They do not require direct sunlight to charge the battery. However, the more intense…

As beneficiaries supposed to benefit from a government dairy project near Vrede in the Free State testified that they feared for their lives, other role players highlighted how the project had been hijacked through state capture. It has been claimed that the project, known as the Vrede Dairy project, was a cash cow for the Gupta family. Last month, the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, heard testimony from multiple participants about allegations of state capture linked to the Vrede Dairy project, which was launched in 2012. Developing farmer Ephraim Dhlamini confirmed to Zondo that he had received death threats, which he had reported to the Hawks. “If in Vrede, you have spoken [about former MEC for agriculture in the Free…

The Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) has welcomed a decision by Chinese authorities to allow red meat imports from South Africa to resume. This was despite the country’s foot-and-mouth disease-free status not yet being reinstated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), following an outbreak of the disease in January. The announcement was made by the agriculture department in the last week of July, according to Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the RPO. “Before the outbreak, we exported red meat to the value of R2 billion annually, of which one-third was earmarked for China.” The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak had resulted in a significant drop in producer prices due to the increase in local supplies. Indications were that exports to China would resume in about two months, which could contribute…

LESOTHO A US$250 million (about R3,5 billion) freshwater salmon fish farm is being established in the highland Butha-Buthe region in Lesotho. The project is a partnership between the Lesotho National Development Corporation and the Pure Salmon company, based in Singapore. The farm is expected to be fully operational by 2023, and have an annual production capacity of 20 000t, creating about 250 full-time jobs and generating annual revenues that could contribute 8% to the country’s GDP. UNITED STATES US media have reported that Chinese government officials recently met with state and privately owned soya bean buyers to discuss plans to increase purchases of supplies from the US, which could include waiving retaliatory tariffs on US imports. This could indicate that China is prepared to make some goodwill gestures to ensure…

As long as South Africa’s dog and cat owners fail to have their animals vaccinated against rabies, as required by law, efforts to curb the spread of this viral zoonotic disease will be in vain. This was according to the spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mack Makhathini. It followed news that four people had died in the province from canine-transmitted rabies in recent months. Makhathini said that officials from the department were concerned about the recent spike in human rabies deaths after the last case was reported in September 2018. He said the latest victims in the province had been a four-year-old boy in Maphumulo, a 50-year old woman in Trust Feed, a 17-year-old boy in Ezinqoleni, and a 38-year-old man in Shakas Head. According…

An increase in tariffs on poultry imports could result in an estimated loss to South Africa’s GDP of R1,1 billion in the first year, and 1 440 potential job losses across the economy. This was according to the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE), which commissioned FTI Consulting to compile a report on the broiler industry and the impact of increased import tariffs on it. The South African Poultry Association had applied for tariffs on poultry imports to be increased from the current rate of between 12% and 37% to a flat rate of 82%. AMIE said that these costs to the South African economy could not be justified based purely on providing protection for the domestic poultry industry. Paul Matthew, CEO of AMIE, said: “The solution is to…

The origin of food is the most important factor that people in Europe take into consideration when making purchases, with concerns about genetically modified (GM) foodstuffs diminishing over the past nine years. A recent study conducted by the European Food Safety Authority and Eurobarometer investigated people’s considerations when purchasing food. On average, “where food comes from” was most often highlighted. Anthony Gilbert, the US senior agricultural attaché to Europe, said that this result most likely mirrored the EU’s “vehement policy of geographical indications”. “Of the 28 member states, only six listed food safety as the most important factor when purchasing food. Interestingly, the cost of food was a top factor in France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, the UK, Portugal and Italy, along with, perhaps less surprisingly, food origin. The top factor…

Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat. Nasal congestion. Diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting. Breathing problems. These are typical allergic reactions to food. Many foods, especially gluten-containing grains such as wheat, and a variety of animal and vegetable products such as peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, milk, eggs, honey and even chocolate and cinnamon can be risky. Allergic reaction to foods is not rare.US studies indicate that 6% of children have a milk allergy, more than 2% are allergic to eggs, 1% are allergic to peanuts and just under 1% of children and adults have a tree nut allergy. Now just imagine if, due to the risks of eating some of these foods, government decided to discourage their consumption. So it decided to tax bread, pasta, pizza and grain because of the…

To achieve its goals, Corteva harnesses the talents of women and men who excel in their fields. These goals include helping farms and farmers flourish by forging meaningful relationships that advance the agricultural industry. The aim of Corteva and its brands is to be the most trusted partner in global and local agriculture and the food community by earning the confidence of those who produce and those who consume. To achieve this, Corteva employees, such as the three women featured in this article, are empowered to act with speed and flexibility, while operating within well-articulated values and measures of success. To constantly stay ahead of the curve, the team at Corteva constantly innovate, drawing upon diversity in the broader industry and agriculture sectors and technologies. FIELD SCIENCE TACKLES INSECT ISSUES…

Renier Engelbrecht and his son, Wilco, who farm on Kleinbegin, planted a cover crop mixture on a tomato land for the first time last year. Renier explains that they have only 25ha under factory-processed tomatoes, so need to make the most of the available land. “Factory tomato producers generally cannot plant tomatoes on the same land for more than two years. After this, production starts to decline and they run into all kinds of disease problems. In the past, I’ve been able to lengthen the production cycle to eight years by using compost teas, manures and organic acids. We’re experimenting with planting cover crops after harvest and before new tomatoes are established on 7ha of our land,” he says. Where the farm usually aims to produce 100t of tomatoes per…

Worldwide, enormous effort and cost is expended, both in terms of research and practical solutions, to overcome today’s most pressing environmental problems. In particular, the focus is on climate change, water shortages and various types of pollution. Despite its crucial importance to human well-being and life in general, soil degradation and loss have not received the same attention. Yet recognition is growing that these are two of the most serious challenges we face, and now require our urgent attention. THE ESSENCE OF SOIL HEALTH Soil consists of four basic components: solid minerals, water, air and organic materials. Soil health, in turn, is determined by chemical, biological and physical factors, and all three need to be considered together. In the past, strong emphasis was placed on the chemical capability of the…

The double whammy of zesty citrus flavours from the limes and lemons make for a vibrant and tasty plate of food. The subtle flavours of the vegetables are lifted substantially by the dressing, while the soy sauce and brown sugar in the marinade give the chicken star status with the caramelisation that intensifies the umami. Acidity, intensity and subtlety combining on one plate requires a wine with a similar variety of qualities. Ruby Cabernet from Robertson Winery was the wine chosen because of its two distinct personalities. It was developed in California in the 1930s when Cabernet Sauvignon was crossed with Carignan. Cabernet Sauvignon’s intensity and bold structure is tamed by Carignan’s red fruit and natural acidity, combining to make Ruby Cabernet a lighter-bodied wine with soft, red berry flavours,…

Varicose veins are veins that are weakened, swollen and stretched due to factors such as oxidation and the breakdown of collagen and elastin. The antioxidant effects of grapeseed extract offer protection against the enzymes that break down collagen and elastin fibres supporting veins and arteries. Some research suggests that grapeseed extract can also help prevent haemorrhoids, a form of varicose veins that occur around the anus and in the rectum. Studies have shown that grapeseed extract provides antioxidant protection against damaging free radicals and help maintain blood flow to the skin. It also helps maintain the structure and appearance of the skin with its antielastase activity. Test-tube studies have demonstrated that the bioflavonoids in grapeseed extract cross-link and strengthen capillary walls. As the skin is made up largely of collagen…

Producing meat of excellent quality at a reasonable price is the main aim of breeding beef cattle. Meat can be marketed in a number of ways, however. The first and most common way in the South African red meat industry is to sell weaner calves to feedlots. There is also the option of backgrounding calves on the farm to fatten them up for feedlots or slaughter. BONSMARA WEANERS REMAIN THE FIRST CHOICE FOR FEEDLOTS Another option is to operate the entire value chain, from breeding the animals to weaning, backgrounding, feeding and slaughtering them, and then retailing the meat. But few farmers have the capacity to carry out all this. The most important aspect of meat trading is the animal’s ability to grow. However, in recent years, the measuring of…

Neighbour Jan’s warning to me some days ago that I shouldn’t get too optimistic about our weather warming up turned out to be prophetic. In no time at all, a new cold front hit us with a vengeance. Never since I’ve lived on the farm has it been so cold. Our temperature reached a daytime high of just 5°C, and plummeted to an arctic -8°C at night! Even with a fire roaring in the grate, a gas heater on full bore, and extra layers of warm clothing, we still struggled to warm up. In desperation, we went to bed under a down duvet, wearing long johns, socks and woollen beanies! The sky was leaden, threatening rain, but this never happened. Had it done so, I’m sure we would have woken…