Table of contents for 16 April 2021 in Farmer's Weekly

Property rights or, more specifically, the power of the state to deprive a person of these rights, have been high on Parliament’s agenda these past few weeks as committees heard oral submissions from the public on the Expropriation Bill and also on the Draft Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill, which concerns amendments to Section 25 of the Constitution in term of expropriation. The most frustrating aspect of these deliberations is the complex semantics which have become a major feature of the conversations. As part of these processes, we have to agree on our understanding of, and the definition of, words such as ‘expropriation’ and ‘restitution’. In their presentations to the Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, as part of the public participation process on the new Expropriation Bill, the South African…

A crop expert pointed out that farmers’ past experience and knowledge of their local conditions should enable them to choose the correct chemicals for both weed and insect control. Many a farmer is having to slash input costs. Some, in fact, have to do it to stay in business. One area where costs can be reduced is in the use of chemical weedicides. Thys Coetzee, area manager in northern Natal for Ciba-Geigy, says that to apply weedicides correctly, a farmer must have an in-depth knowledge of the farm, otherwise disaster could follow. The structure, texture, clay content and humus content of the soils must be understood, otherwise the weedicides used may be too expensive for a soil’s potential, or the chemicals chosen may be ineffective for the conditions. “For economical…

Politically, 2021 got off to a turbulent start. We have just experienced a full year in a state of disaster due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which decimated the already weak economy and weakened government’s ability to act with resolve. We have also gone through the second wave of COVID-19, but our vaccination programme lacks energy and urgency. We had good rainfall across most of the country, but our infrastructure is strained due to a lack of maintenance. In addition, we have a strong political commitment to combat corruption, but the major facilitators of corruption – such as Jacob Zuma, Ace Magashule and Markus Jooste – have not yet seen the inside of a jail cell. It is now common cause that the corruption pandemic between 2007 and 2017 was as…

Local farmers, police divers and Cape Nature are working with the Jan Hoppie Crocodile Farm situated on the Breede River, a 5 000-capacity facility, to recapture an unknown number of crocodiles that escaped into the river in early March. The farm is on the outskirts of Bonnievale in the Western Cape. At the time of writing, 74 of the reptiles, which varied between 1,2m and 1,5m in length, had either been caught or culled. This was according to Cape Nature spokesperson Petro van Rhyn. The search was primarily focused on the stretch of the river 5km downstream and 5km upstream from the farm. “The crocodiles tend to keep to deep pools where the river is slow-flowing and there’s lush vegetation for them to hide, making recapturing difficult,” Van Rhyn said.…

COVID-19 has served up a number of challenges for the agriculture sector, and while the macadamia industry has not been spared, newly released prices for the season remain favourable. Prices, based on individual nut styles and grades, have been increasing over the past few years; however, a reduction in prices of 5% to 10% is expected across the board in 2021. This year, the average price across kernel grades is expected to be US$17,60/ kg (about R263/kg). Alex Whyte, sales manager at Green & Gold Macadamias, said because the rand was stronger this year than in 2020, and a decline in the US dollar price was expected due to COVID-19, macadamia farmers could see prices softening. “However, farmers will still get an excellent return on investment, as a slightly softer…

Preliminary investigations by Botswana’s Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism into a fresh wave of elephant deaths in that country have ruled out anthrax and bacterial infections as the cause. This follows the mysterious deaths of 39 elephants since January in the Moremi Game Reserve, according to a statement by the ministry. Poaching was also ruled out as the tusks of the elephants were found intact. The latest deaths in the reserve occurred only months after hundreds of elephants died from ingesting toxic microorganisms. More than 300 elephant deaths had been reported near water sources in the Okavango Delta since May 2020. The Moremi reserve lies about 100km east of Seronga, where last year’s deaths were reported. At the time, the ministry ascribed the animals’ deaths to the…

SPAIN About 1 610 cattle that have been stuck aboard the livestock ship Elbeik since December will be culled by Spanish authorities, just weeks after hundreds of cattle on another vessel that suffered a similar fate were slaughtered. The agriculture ministry there said that the animals were unfit to travel further and could not be re-imported into the EU. These animals and a further 850 cattle from Spain aboard the Lebanese ship Karim Allah were rejected by Turkish authorities in December over concerns that they carried the bovine bluetongue virus. FRANCE Poultry farms in south-western France that were hit by a severe strain of avian influenza would now be allowed to resume production after a sharp decline in new cases of the disease, the agriculture ministry there said. France had…

Between 2019 and last year there was a global decline in the extent of contamination and concentrations of four of the six main groups of mycotoxins examined by Trouw Nutrition, Nutreco’s animal nutrition division. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), mycotoxins are produced by various fungi that grow on agricultural products before or after harvest, or during transportation and storage. If ingested via food and feed, mycotoxins can cause serious short- and long-term health problems in animals and people. Trouw Nutrition’s 2020 Global Mycotoxin Review said the company had found declines in aflatoxins (AF), fumonisins (FUM), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEA). However, the average concentrations of T-2/HT-2 and ochratoxin A (OTA) had increased, “which could bring additional risk for some [livestock] producers, especially in India, Mexico…

MAIZE The prices of both white and yellow maize saw substantial increases between June and October 2020. Since then, both commodities have traded in a band of between R3 700/t (the highest point at the end of October 2020) and R3 170/t (the lowest point in December 2020). The significant price run between June and October (see Graph 1) was a result of rapid price increases in global markets on the back of strong demand. The bulk of this demand originated from China, as that country is rebuilding its swine herd after the devastating effect of African swine fever in 2018. Since the beginning of this year, local maize prices have closely tracked exchange rate movements. This is not surprising, given the sizeable maize harvest projected for the current season,…

If you were given R30 million to invest in agriculture, either in new or existing farming activities or in the agriculture value chain, how would you spend it? I often daydream about farming, and perhaps one day I’ll own my own land. But I’d rather invest that kind of money in agriculture education in previously disadvantaged communities. I’d like to play a part in teaching kids to cultivate careers in the sector, not just crops. What is the best advice you have ever been given? My late grandfather taught me to be a warrior for inclusivity. He used to say, “Inclusion elevates all.” Now I spend my days building a rich tapestry that resembles the beautifully diverse country I’d like to live in. If you were given carte blanche to…

“The South African Human Rights Commission recently gave government stakeholders 60 days to respond after it ruled that the continued flow of raw sewage into the Vaal River, as well as into homes and public areas in the Emfuleni Local Municipality, was a violation of human rights. This follows a precedent-setting High Court judgment in December 2020, where a judge ordered the imprisonment of the municipal manager of Kgetlengrivier in North West for 90 days, suspended on condition that raw sewage spilling into the Elands and Koster rivers be cleared up within 10 days. Both of these outcomes were driven by the actions of local citizenry fed up with having to endure a contaminated water supply. Previously, other spheres of provincial and national government had failed legally to oversee, support,…

The partnership-driven model for land reform has been the most successful plan to create a class of profitable black farmers [in South Africa] since it was introduced in 2013. It’s the legacy of the late Prof Mohammad Karaan, a former dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences and acting vice-rector of Stellenbosch University. He was also a co-author of Chapter 6 of the National Development Plan, in which the framework of the partnership-driven model for land reform was set out. During negotiations between Agri SA and the National Planning Commission in March 2013, an agreement was reached on an implementation plan for the Chapter 6 model, which became known as the Karaan Plan. OFFICIAL DIRECTIVE In December 2013, Agri SA, TAU SA, Afasa, the Land Bank, the Mpumalanga office of the…

The South African citrus industry is expected to increase exports by another 300 000t over the next three years, and optimised market access will be essential for the industry’s continued growth. The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) announced in March that the citrus industry was likely to break all previous export records this season, with an estimated 158,7 million 15kg-cartons. According to Justin Chadwick, CEO of the CGA, the industry would be relying heavily on the efficiency of the harbours to successfully ship the additional 13 million cartons estimated for this season alone. “We’ll also need to work hand-in-hand with government to secure, maintain and retain as many market access opportunities as possible.” He added that it was important that the country’s access endeavours became more agile and…

Notwithstanding hail damage in the Langkloof earlier this year and isolated wind damage in the Elgin, Grabouw, Villiersdorp and Vyeboom areas, a record apple and pear export season is expected, according to deciduous fruit governing body Hortgro. This year, apple exports were expected to increase 4% to 38,17 million 12,5kg-equivalent cartons, while pear exports were expected to rise 6% to 17,75 million cartons. Jacques du Preez, Hortgro’s general manager for trade and markets, said that favourable weather conditions had resulted in the good volume and quality of apples this season. “We received good rainfall in the Western Cape last winter, and a cool spring and moderate summer temperatures have generally been good for the quality of the fruit, especially colour development on apples.” Du Preez added that the expected increase…

While soil is one of the largest carbon sequestration mediums, farmers have yet to capitalise on carbon trading platforms. Carbon tax has brought opportunities for environmentally friendly operations to earn additional income through the generation of carbon credits. Under South African carbon tax regulations, companies can use carbon credits either from their own registered projects or from third parties to offset a portion of their carbon tax liability. This creates opportunities to develop carbon projects, resulting in benefits on both the buy-side and sell-side. Complicated and expensive registration processes, however, hinder farmers in benefitting from on-farm green activities. Speaking at a webinar on carbon credits, Jenine de Wet, South Africa country manager at WeAct, said that registering to sell carbon credits was a highly specialised field, and the process to…

The African maize stem borer (Busseola fusca) is one of the most severe maize pests in Africa. In an effort to mitigate the impact of the pest, Grain SA (GSA) has called on local maize producers to collect representative larval populations for research purposes. GSA said in a statement that this was important to screen future maize varieties for resistance to the African maize stem borer in order to protect maize crops against it. This stem borer was indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, with maize and sorghum being its main crop hosts. In the larval stage, the caterpillars fed on young leaves from where they entered the stems, severely damaging the plants. In older plants, stem borer feeding could result in markedly reduced grain yields, the statement said. According to Elrine…

The South African wool market shed some of its gains from the past few weeks and closed 6% down from the previous sale at R162,23/kg. A total of 9 886 bales were offered after 993 were withdrawn prior to the sale, with an overall sales clearance of 91,46% of the bales actually offered. Although the bulk of the offering consisted of 20-micron and finer wool, most fell into the medium-length segment, with a very small offering of sustainable wools. Prices followed the downward trend seen in Australia (where the market traded down 2,3% at the corresponding sale in that country) amid some market uncertainty, with additional pressure from the stronger rand. The rand traded 2,4% stronger against the US dollar, with the market declining 3,76% in US dollar terms. The…

The agriculture sector was the star performer in South Africa’s economy in 2020. According to recently released figures from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the local economy shrank in real (adjusted for inflation) terms by 7% in 2020, following the barely positive growth of 0,2% in 2019. All sectors with the exception of the agriculture (13,1%) and government (0,7%) had negative growth. Mining was at -10,9%, down from 4,2% in 2017; and manufacturing was at -11,6%, down from -0,8% in 2019. The construction sector had the worst performance, with a fourth year of negative growth. The value added by the sector decreased by 24% from 2016 to 2020 to -20,3%. Over the same period, the value added by the agriculture sector grew in real terms by 20%. As noted in…

The move to COVID-19 lockdown Level 1 at the beginning of March, as well as the start of the school year, have seen the inevitable return of the stresses of ‘normal’ life, both for children and adults. A COMMON PROBLEM Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition found fairly commonly amongst children. It results in a wide range of problems, including above-normal levels of hyperactive, impulsive and disruptive behaviours, lack of concentration, forgetfulness, being easily distracted, and having difficulty sitting still. Unsurprisingly, these behaviours can cause distress for the child, and great demands on the parents and teachers involved. HELP IS AT HAND A nutritious, yeast-based supplement can help anyone, regardless of age or condition, to focus and concentrate better or to improve their performance at school…

In early March, Agbiz held a hybrid session with members at its Pretoria office, with some joining online. The event’s primary focus was to explore how South Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors could gain more traction within BRICS. This theme is premised on the observation that South Africa’s agriculture sector is expanding and is ripe to contest more international markets. In the next few years, the sector could enjoy a growth spurt, especially if support from government policies, including the master plan on agriculture and agro-processing, come into play. To get a sense of how South Africa’s agriculture sector has expanded in the past decade, consider its gross value added since 2010, which has now expanded by 44%. In volume terms, South Africa’s agricultural production has grown 19% over the…

A R1-billion fund for black farmers was launched recently by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). The Agri-Industrial Fund (AIF) aims to address the funding constraints faced by black farmers and break down the barriers to entry they face in transitioning to commercial farming, according to agriculture minister Thoko Didiza. The minister added that the department had identified lack of financing as a significant hindrance to the commercialisation of black farmers. “While there are many products on the market, it is clear that the funding cost is too high to enable new entrants to access funding and succeed in their farming operations along the value chain,” she said. The agriculture department would provide the funding, and the…

Prices at the annual sale of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s ostrich research farm, held recently, averaged R4 500/head, which is lower than last year’s prices and not much higher than what farmers are currently achieving for slaughter birds. The 77 ostriches on offer were sold to four bidders. Dr Chris de Brouwer, scientific manager at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s directorate of animal sciences, said prices were under pressure due to the severe drought in the Klein Karoo, the main ostrich production region, as well as the effects of avian influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic on export markets in particular. The breeding flock was established in 1964 from widely selected breeding material donated to the research farm by ostrich farmers in the region. Dr Ilse Trautmann, chief…

Agricultural expansion is responsible for approximately 80% of the 1,3 million square kilometres of indigenous forests felled globally between 1990 and 2016. Despite the resultant loss of essential ecosystem services and goods provided by such forests, they are still being cut down at an alarming pace. This was according to a recent virtual media conference convened by the international Cities4Forests programme, and hosted by the Revolve Group, to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day of Forests 2021 celebrated in March. During her presentation, Nicole Polsterer, a sustainable consumption and production campaigner with Fern, the EU-based non-governmental global human rights and environmental justice organisation, said half of the deforestation due to agriculture was driven by the production of commodity foods, feeds, fuels and fibres. Once these forests were converted, the…

The NSW Farmers’ Association in New South Wales, Australia, has appealed for flood relief through the state’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund to assist farmers in their recovery efforts, following the recent unprecedented floods that battered the country’s east coast region. Members of the association expected significant damage to crops, pastures, infrastructure and oyster farms, as well as heavy livestock losses, particularly in the mid-north coastal region, The Land newspaper reported. Association CEO Pete Arkle said the extent of the flood damage was regarded as the worst in 100 years. “We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to assist farmers to recover from the extensive damage. “The relief fund provides financial assistance, goods or services to primary producers adversely affected by flooding to ensure that they can continue…

Despite unfavourable weather and disease outbreaks in some wine producing regions, the 2021 wine grape crop is estimated to be 3,4% larger than that of last year (1,38 million tons compared with 1,34 million tons). This is according to Vinpro managing director Rico Basson, who said that wet weather followed by hot conditions could result in the growth of fungi such as downy mildew. “Powdery mildew is [also] visible in some vineyards,” he added. Basson said that if too much rain fell during the harvest, grapes could burst, and botrytis and sour rot could set in. In many cases, farmers were removing leaves from the vines to let in sunlight and air to dry the bunches faster. The cultivars that were being harvested at the time of going to print…

South Africa’s livestock producers have been warned to take proactive measures to protect their animals from pests and diseases proliferating due to widespread rain so far this year. In the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa’s February diseases report, the association’s managing director, Dr Faffa Malan, said reports of insect- and tick-transmitted diseases had increased following the good rain in most of the country’s summer rainfall areas. He advised livestock owners in these areas to move their animals away from low-lying areas where rainwater accumulated and encouraged the presence of disease-transmitting pests. The use of insecticidal sprays was also recommended where necessary. The report said important diseases transmitted by pests that flourished in the current wet conditions included Rift Valley fever, Wesselsbron disease, bluetongue, lumpy skin disease, three-day-stiff sickness and…

Landowners and farmers in Namibia have been cautioned by the Namibia Agricultural Union to be on the lookout for outbreaks of brown locusts (Locustana pardalina). The organisation said in a statement that large-scale incidences of the insects were highly probable following the high rainfall so far this summer. According to the statement, chances of locust outbreaks at the end of the rainy season remained high, while large-scale outbreaks could also be expected between September 2021 and January 2022. Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, operations and stewardship manager at CropLife South Africa, said the outbreaks that had so far occurred in South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Botswana formed part of a single complex that developed after the good rainfall in 2020/2021. Brown locusts were able to exist in either a solitary or gregarious…

The South African table grape industry has experienced a “challenging and rough” season, according to South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) spokesperson Clayton Swart. He was speaking as a panel member during a monthly webinar hosted by the Produce Marketing Association’s Southern Africa chapter in conjunction with Beanstalk and hosted by Max McGillivray. The webinar examined the efforts made by the South African table grape industry to adapt to changing market demands. Other panellists included Heidi de Villiers, commercial manager for table grapes, Africa and Middle East, at International Fruit Genetics; Kandas Cloete, an agricultural economist at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy; and Charl du Bois, commercial executive at Capespan. During his presentation, Swart said various production regions had experienced untimely rain, and wind and fog delays had…

Over the past months, many businesses have had to reduce costs drastically to remain afloat due to the economic conditions and uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers should be thinking along the same lines, if they are not doing so already. Rising fuel prices, low market prices for certain fresh produce, retrenchments and a reduction in consumer spend should serve as indicators of where the economy is going and how this will affect the agriculture sector. Put another way, farmers urgently need to look for ways to reduce overhead costs. There is no telling when South Africa will see the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many business owners need to think of a different approach to running their operations over the coming months. One of the most…

The edible portion of the litchi fruit has a water content of 86%, an indication that water is important during the development period. A water shortage will adversely affect the size, weight and quality of the litchis. Irrigate after harvesting to ensure that a normal growth flush occurs during February/March, just before the beginning of the dormant period. Reduce irrigation during dormancy (April to July). Farmers normally stop irrigating the trees during the coldest months of the year (June and July) so that they have a proper dormancy period. Young trees not yet producing are irrigated throughout the year. COVERING FRUIT CLUSTERS Cover the fruit clusters to prevent damage from fruit flies and litchi moths, as well as sunburn and cracking. The ideal time for doing this varies from one…

The role played by the market manager is one of the most complex and challenging in the fresh-produce sector. For those who occupy this key post, it’s often a case of, ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t’. Whatever decision you take, somebody will be dissatisfied. But managers are there to make decisions in the interests of the business, not to please people. UNDER PRESSURE The perishability of fresh produce puts decision-making under pressure at the best of times. Now add a slew of laws and rules that have to be considered by management, who are expected to make decisions while juggling all those balls in the air. Fresh produce, being perishable, cannot wait for a committee to reach a decision; it requires on-your-feet thinking and decision-making. THEY ALSO…

It’s Not About the bAts by Adam Cruise (Tafelberg, R295) When zoonotic diseases are not in pandemic proportions, we tend to pay little attention to them. Examples are the infections that can be introduced by game meat here in South Africa and the bush meat problems further north. Cruise, a specialist in environmental and animal ethics, believes that our main problem is anthropocentrism: “our egotistical view that ecosystems, plants, trees and other animals exist for the benefit of humans, and humans alone”. Even our attempts at conservation are inadequate, he argues. He gives a glimpse of how our world could end up if we are too cowardly to change our habits and continue instead with our “rampant commercialisation of nature and animals in farming, wildlife management and in our diets”,…