Table of contents for 1-8 January 2021 in Farmer's Weekly

It is a theme I remember well from the children’s tales and Bible stories my mother used to read to my sisters and me when we were girls. Aesop’s loafing grasshopper procrastinated until it was too late to gather food for the long, dry winter months and then ended up having to beg for something to eat from the hard-working ant who spent his whole summer diligently gathering food. I still think, as I did back then, that the ant took a rather radical approach to tough love when he wouldn’t even help the grasshopper out with a single crumb, but maybe it wasn’t the first time these two found themselves in this situation. In the Bible story, Joseph gets his lucky break with the Pharaoh when he is able…

The strong demand for avocados is expected to keep prices stable during 2021 as global players start entering the Asian market. In the past, demand for avocados was driven by consumers in the US and EU, but Asia was fast catching up. Paulina Theologou, Westfalia’s group commercial executive, said although South Africa did not yet have market access in China, the fact that Columbia, one of the world’s largest producers, had access to this market alleviated pressure on the EU market. “Much of the global production already goes to the EU, including most of South Africa’s crop. So, we are facing a lot of competition. “Keeping prices sustainable will depend on ensuring that there are no gluts on the market. But I believe that it will be at least another…

Limited marketing opportunities for secondary fruit can be a big challenge for table grape producers this season, according to Francois Rossouw, managing director of Mooigezicht Estates near De Doorns. The aftermath of COVID-19 lockdown regulations was largely to blame, he said, explaining that the catering industry, an important market for table grapes that did not meet export or retail standards, had not yet recovered, while activities at large wholesale markets had also been subdued. “This limits producers to a large extent to supermarket programmes, and this puts a lot of pressure on [them] to ensure that the products they deliver are of top quality.” Fortunately, the quality of the crop was very good due to favourable weather conditions. However, Rossouw stressed that the outcome of the crop still depended on…

As the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in strict national lockdowns around the world, bilateral trade agreements between some countries have thrived, while others have suffered. CHINA-AUSTRALIA In November 2020, China implemented an up to 212% tariff on wines imported from Australia, citing wine ‘dumping’ as a reason for the tariffs. Australia has subsequently vehemently denied this. According to some reports, China was agitated after Australian authorities called for a detailed investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus that resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic, which was first reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Moreover, Australia’s stance on Taiwan and Hong Kong may have also led to the political tensions between the two countries. China is a major importer of Australian wine, accounting for 39% of Australia’s total wine exports in…

The downgrading of South Africa’s sovereign credit rating to sub-investment grade and fears of a second wave of COVID-19 are compounding the country’s pre-pandemic economic problems. These include high unemployment, weakening local manufacture and growing food insecurity. Our economy has been bleeding jobs for a long time, with the economic growth rate averaging just 2,3% a year over the past 15 years. The slow growth has kept the country in a middle-income trap, with no tangible prospect of moving into higher-income status in the near future. Structural faults holding South Africa in this trap include the inability to inspire entrepreneurial spirit and attract investment. The time to implement bold structural reforms is now, especially since the pandemic has provided an opportunity to root out structural constraints affecting economic growth and…

Bernard Rabé of the 3 500ha Tweefontein farm near Fochville in North West comes from a solid farming family, with his father (Ben), grandfather, and brother (Albert) being farmers. Ben purchased Tweefontein in 1989. After finishing school, Rabé attended agricultural college and then trained to be a fitter and turner, a skill which, he says, has been a great help to him as a farmer. In fact, when he first began working on Tweefontein in 1993, his first job was as the maintenance manager in charge of all the machinery and mechanical aspects of the business. When he started farming, his father and brother were still on Tweefontein. In 2007 Albert left to farm in the Free State, and in 2012 Ben joined him, leaving Rabé to run the farm…

A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama (Viking, R599) Former US president Barack Obama appeals to many as an example of making good on the American dream, but part of his appeal as a politician is also his use of the techniques of self-help writers and motivational speakers. This chunky memoir (about 750 pages) features glimpses of his Hawaiian childhood, his youthful efforts at baseball, his shame at succumbing to peer pressure, as well as views inside the White House and into his family life. He stresses the role of, and respect for, family matriarchs: his own grandmother while he was growing up and his mother-in-law, who had her own apartment at the White House while he was president. The first family was a microcosm of what the nation…

A gamer’s paradise The PlayStation 4 (PS4) was released in November 2013. Now, seven years later, Sony has finally released the PLAYSTATION 5 (PS5). According to various reviews, this console unleashes new gaming possibilities that you never thought possible. The ultra-high-speed SSD ensures that loading time is lightning fast. The PS5 also offers the gamer deeper immersion with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D audio, as well as a new generation of incredible games. According to Dan Ackerman of CNET, the powerful PS5 console towers over its predecessor, physically and in terms of its forward-looking graphics capabilities. Its AMD-powered GPU can process 10,28 teraflops versus 1,84 teraflops in the PS4. The PS5 tower stands 40,6cm tall in its vertical position. For gamers who don’t have the required headspace,…

“Water scarcity and water-quality issues are increasingly threatening food security and nutrition through their impact on agricultural production, food processing, households and consumers. At the same time, persistent and severe droughts, exacerbated by climate change, are causing increasingly serious water shortages in dryland agriculture, posing a higher risk to the livelihoods of rural people by reducing crop and livestock yields. According to the State of Food and Agriculture 2020 report, the situation will only grow worse if immediate action is not taken. The report found that 3,2 billion people worldwide live in agricultural areas with high to very high levels of water shortage (affecting dryland agriculture) or scarcity (affecting irrigated agriculture), and 1,2 billion of these people, about one-sixth of the world’s population, live in severely water-constrained areas. QUANTIFYING THE…

MAIZE A rise in maize plantings expected due to favourable conditions Although South Africa’s carryover maize stock was expected to be very tight during March/ April 2021, early summer rain during October 2020 resulted in early plantings that increased the prospects of early maize deliveries. This could relieve the short-stock position and result in a price decrease in the first quarter of 2021, according to agricultural economist Dr Johan Willemse. The new marketing season prices from May 2021 onwards had discounted these early maize deliveries that may cancel out the low stock levels. Maize had consequently been trading at a hefty discount of between R300/t and R400/t. This was based on the expectations of an increase in the area planted to maize in the 2020/2021 season, as well as on…

Although chicken and eggs are popular, lower-cost protein sources for many South African consumers, widespread unemployment and other COVID-19-related economic challenges will pose a major threat to demand in 2021. Izaak Breitenbach, general manager of the South African Poultry Association’s (SAPA) Broiler Organisation, said one of the goals of the national Poultry Sector Master Plan was for chicken meat producers to increase production to cater for the expected reduction in chicken “dumped” onto the South African market by other countries. “In terms of the master plan, the single most important factor to be addressed is unfair trade, dumping, under-declaration of imported meat or declaration of imported meat under the wrong [import] tariff heading to avoid paying the required taxes, and then round-tripping.” Breitenbach added that, while South Africa’s chicken meat…

The South African wool industry has experienced a turbulent year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown restrictions, but positive sentiment will prevail if the global economy recovers. This was according to Deon Saayman, general manager of Cape Wools SA, who said a return to retail spending by consumers would be key to recovery. “The recent strengthening of the rand, mainly due to the weakening of the US dollar, created pressure on the market and may well continue to do so at stronger levels.” Global market prices were currently fluctuating within a low range and could therefore only strengthen, and farmers were expecting better prices in the new year, he said. He said farmers could gain improved exposure to international markets if they improved their adherence to certifiable sustainability…

The ongoing drought in South Africa’s mohair production regions, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry, will remain serious concerns during 2021. This was according to Lindsay Humphreys, general manager of Mohair South Africa (Mohair SA), who said the pandemic was far from over, and this could be a significant challenge in the early months of the year, while the drought was resulting in producers having to feed their animals, thus dramatically increasing production costs. However, there were some positives, with the demand for Responsible Wool Standard-certified (RMS) mohair on the increase. “The number of producers being RMS certified is increasing daily, with over 50% of the mohair sold on the last few auctions being RMS-certified mohair.” Marco Coetzee, financial manager at Mohair SA, said…

The large olive harvest in Spain during the 2019/2020 season resulted in cheap olive oil imports into South Africa. In addition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which seriously affected oil and olive sales to the hospitality industry, could contribute to a surplus of olive oil in 2020/2021, according to Karien Bezuidenhout, manager of SA Olive. She said due to these challenges, producers would be under pressure because of lower prices, while input costs had risen. Bezuidenhout explained that large olive oil producers elsewhere in the world received significant support from their governments and were therefore able to land much cheaper products on South Africa’s shores. Economies of scale in these countries further enabled farmers there to produce a cheaper product. “As our own economy suffers [due to the pandemic]…

The past year has been an annus horribilis for us all. Seldom before has there been such extensive global disruption of people’s daily lives and livelihoods. In the midst of this upheaval, managers and leaders have taken on a special importance. ADVICE FROM A BUSINESS ICON Management and leadership are inseparable, like the two sides of a coin. All managers are leaders and all leaders are managers. Unfortunately, this is often not understood or recognised by managers themselves. I recently had the privilege of listening to Brand Pretorius, former CEO of McCarthy Motors and acclaimed business manager, leader and author of In the Driving Seat: Lessons in Leadership, published by Tafelberg. He was addressing a webinar hosted by the Kobus Neethling Institute on the subject of leadership and management, the…

PUT ASIDE YOUR SUBJECTIVITY AND ASSESS YOUR PRODUCE HONESTLY It’s human nature to be lenient on ourselves when making decisions directly affecting us. Yet any fruit or vegetable grower should be able to look at his or her produce and make an objective assessment of its quality, grading, sizing and other factors that contribute to its appeal. Failing to do so could lead to low prices. The challenge, of course, is that the evaluation process starts with the grower but moves down the supply chain; the produce is judged by agents and buyers before the final and most important evaluation: the one made by the consumer at the moment of purchase. If you as a farmer try to fool yourself that your produce is the best when it’s clearly not,…

Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of 500 species of bacteria that live in our mouths, is a major cause of periodontitis or gum disease. The infection can travel from the mouth to other parts of the body, such as the liver and coronary arteries, becoming a risk factor in heart and artery disease. It has even been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Gum disease is firmly established as a cause of whole-body inflammation, making oral hygiene a priority for everyone. Researchers studying the infection in mice found that it penetrated the brain and increased production of amyloid beta or ‘brain plaque’, the Alzheimer’slinked protein. P. gingivalis also produces toxic enzymes called gingipains, which have been linked to another Alzheimer’sassociated protein called tau. Amyloid and tau proteins are possibly an effect…

In award-winning journalist James Brabazon’s ARKHANGEL (Michael Joseph, R310), it looks as if someone has beaten SAS member-turned-black ops killer Max McLean to his target, and left a cryptic message. McLean has to solve the riddle to know whom he needs to meet, and where and when. The search takes McLean, in his second outing, from Ireland to Paris, Moscow and beyond, with fight-or-flight sequences that light up like the nail-biting movie moments they will probably become. An exciting read that could launch a great series character.…

If you were given R30 million to invest in agriculture, either in new or existing farming activities or in the agricultural value chain, how would you spend it? I’d perhaps invest it in something like aquaculture, producing abalone and oysters somewhere on the West Coast. The business would be fully integrated and include production, processing, marketing and even some tourism by combining a unique eating experience with the wonderful wines and craft beers of the West Coast region. What is the best advice you have ever been given, and who gave it to you? From my father: “When something seems too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true!” If you were given carte blanche to effect one major change in South Africa tomorrow, how would…

CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 23 TO 25 FEBRUARY Africa Agri Tech, Pretoria.Visit africa-agri.co.za. COURSES & TRAINING 22 TO 26 FEBRUARY Cattle Dairy Farm Management and Production, George. Phone Lily Rothman on 078 546 7985. 22 TO 25 FEBRUARY Short Course in Seed Science, Pretoria. Email az.ca.pu.sesirpretne@ofni. 5 TO 11 MARCH Wildlife Photography, Karongwe Game Reserve, Drakensberg. Phone 013 752 2532, or email enquiries@ecotraining.co.za. ONLINE EVENTS & COURSES 11 TO 12 JANUARY International Conference on Agriculture and Environment for Sustainable Development, Singapore. Visit panel.waset. org/apply/2021/01/singapore/ICAESD?step=5. 2 FEBRUARY TO 26 APRIL The Fundamentals of Agribusiness, Agricolleges International. Email admissions@agricolleges.com. IMPORTANT DATES 10 TO 13 FEBRUARY Hackney Horse Breeders’ Society of South Africa’s Heidelberg Show, Heidelberg. Phone Sarah Koch on 082 725 4091, or email her at sarahs.val@gmail.com. 22 TO 23 FEBRUARY 13th…

The 2020/2021 planting conditions in South Africa were very positive for oilseed producers, resulting in an expected 785 800ha planted to soya bean, or an 11,46% increase; and 480 500ha for sunflower, or a 3,96% decrease, compared with 2019/2020. This was according to Grain SA economist Luan van der Walt, who said international soya bean prices increased about 38% from January to November 2020, while international sunflower seed prices increased 40% over the same period. Locally, soya bean and sunflower seed followed these positive international market trends. “According to the latest South African Grain Information Service figures, processing of soya bean was 2,8% higher in 2020 (up to November) than during the same period in 2019. During the same period, sunflower seed processing increased 28% compared with 2019,” he said.…

The rooibos industry is heading for its biggest harvest ever, thanks to favourable climatic conditions combined with a sharp increase in the area under production from 2017 to 2019. Johan Brand, technical manager at Rooibos Ltd, said prices entered an upward cycle in 2015, hitting an all-time high of R67/kg in 2018. This sparked a significant increase in plantings from both existing farmers and those who did not traditionally plant rooibos, with 16 000ha of seedlings planted in 2017, 23 000ha in 2018, and 18 000ha in 2019. However, in 2020 prices had more than halved, reaching R25,25/kg. Brand said plantings subsequently slowed to below the area planted per year over the past five years, but was still more than the average demand. Demand usually averaged around 16 000t, but…

According to Hortgro, apple and pear exports were expected to increase 4% each compared with the previous season, while apricot and plum exports were expected to increase 29% and 23% respectively. Peach exports were expected to increase 2% and nectarines 11%. Jacques du Preez, Horgro’s general manager for trade and markets, said although the increases, especially for plums and apricots, sounded “dramatic”, they were hopefully a return to more normal crops following three years of below-average production, due to limited water supplies in most of the production regions. So far there had not been any major production challenges for either pome or stone fruit, thanks to good winter rainfall and cooler spring conditions. However, the stone fruit season started seven to 10 days later than normal, and the fruit sizes…

This is often a challenging time of the year for livestock farmers. Rural towns and villages fill up with visitors over Christmas and the New Year, many staff members are away on holiday, and there is often a spike in stock theft as the demand for slaughter livestock increases dramatically. To make matters worse, the number of cases of livestock disease usually increases. LIVESTOCK THEFT It is a good idea for village structures to form a community policing forum (CPF) that interacts regularly with the nearest South African Police Service (SAPS) livestock theft unit and with the nearest police station. Livestock herders and CPF members should be trained to be aware of any suspicious activity in the village or the surrounding rangelands, and should be issued with cell phones for…

The backgrounding of beef animals takes place after they have been weaned and before they are placed in a feedlot. During this period, the animals are usually left to graze and, as a result, their daily growth is slower than if they were intensively feedlotted on a concentrate ration for maximised growth. One of the main reasons for backgrounding is to allow weaners time to build their skeletal frames and muscling, instead of the fat that they would be putting on in a feedlot. Backgrounding cattle on forage is also far cheaper than giving them feedlot concentrate. Chéri-Lynn Steyn, a master’s student in agricultural economics at the University of the Free State, highlights yet another advantage of backgrounding: during the process, weaners can be managed for health preconditioning before going…

Jotello Soga was born in 1865 to a Xhosa father and a Scottish mother at the Mgwali Mission Station of the United Presbyterian Church near present-day Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape. He would eventually graduate from the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College in Edinburgh, Scotland, making him not only the first South African-born qualified veterinarian, but the first black member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. After graduation, Soga accepted a post in the Cape Colonial Veterinary Services (CCVS), where he focused mainly on the fight against lung sickness and rinderpest. A REMARKABLE FAMILY Soga’s grandfather was a counsellor to Ngqika, paramount chief of the Rharhabe Xhosa, who lived on the Cape’s Eastern Frontier. Soga’s father, Tiyo, was the first black South African to be ordained as a (Presbyterian) minister…

In an effort to make soil analyis easier, scientists are working on an ‘earthworm-inspired’, soil-analysing robot. Cornell University in the US has received funding to develop a worm-like, soil-swimming robot to record soil properties and monitor how roots grow. The project will be led by Prof Taryn Bauerle of the School of Integrative Plant Science, who will concentrate on the biological aspects, and Prof Robert Shepherd of the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering, who will focus on designing and building the robot. The device will be between 30cm and 60cm in length. It will have an auger-like mechanism in the front section that drills into the soil, and its rear section will repeatedly slide forward using peristaltic locomotion. The amount of effort required…