Table of contents for 07 May 2021 in Farmer's Weekly

Education is vitally important, and one of the smartest things that countries, businesses and individuals can invest in is quality education. However, knowledge does not only come from books. Some of the wisest, most intelligent and successful people I have met have no tertiary education; they learnt what they know from self-study and through experience. This is why, every time there is a new controversy in the headlines about some high-ranking politician or official who lied about his or her formal education background, I am left wondering about how we can strike a balance between respecting the merits of good formal education, while also acknowledging the value and legitimacy of skills and knowledge that were otherwise obtained. Let me pause for a second to just make it clear that anyone…

Big demand for hunting dogs From the middle of the 20th century, hunting clubs were set up in the Cape with the aim of controlling “problem wildlife”, and they became quite popular with farmers. Since 1910, the Cape has been busy with vermin control. Initially, it merely consisted of a fee paid for vermin killed in the province. In 1957, this system was replaced by technical assistance, because it had proved to be inefficient, wasteful in connection with wild animals, and subject to endless misuse. The new system consists mainly of greater financial aid to hunting clubs, the provision of hunting dogs, the testing of equipment, the improvement of hunting techniques, and the training of hunters. The [then] Department of Nature Conservation’s programme is always based on conservation principles. Vermin…

In the 2&9 April issue of Farmer’s Weekly, the incorrect entry details for the book giveaway were published. The correct details are: Email the word ‘Cage’, your name, physical address and ID number to farmersweekly@caxton.co.za with the subject line ‘Win a Book’. Competition runs from 26 March 2021 until 14 May 2021. Visit farmersweekly.co.za for full competition details and rules. Terms and conditions apply. • Farmer’s Weekly has a high regard for factual accuracy and welcomes reader input.…

Over the past two decades or more, the South African government has come up with a number of programmes and initiatives that were meant to foster and fast-track the participation and inclusion of new black agripreneurs in the commercial farming and agribusiness sectors. Every year, government reiterates its commitment to harnessing youth involvement in agricultural value chains to improve food security, reduce youth unemployment, and transform the sector. Despite these numerous programmes and initiatives (with only a few having been implemented effectively) and government’s undertakings, one thing is clear: politicians will always play at politics, leaving many aspiring agripreneurs to forge ahead into uncharted territory without the help of government. MOST OF THESE AGRIPRENEURS HAVE THEIR FACILITIES CLOSE TO URBAN HUBS TO CAPITALISE ON THE DEMAND FOR LOCAL FOOD Not…

The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department), Thoko Didiza, recently met with Mpumalanga farmers and farmer organisations to address accusations of maladministration of land reform farms in the province. According to a statement released by Didiza, the issues raised included nonrenewal of leases, corruption allegations, tension between farmers and labour tenants, and non-compliance with lease agreements. DA MP Annette Steyn said the challenges these farmers faced had a long history. “In 2015, [then Rural Development and] Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti assured farmers they would be supported with outstanding rentals, which never happened. Then in 2016 farmers started receiving letters from the Department of [Rural Development and Land Reform] notifying them that their leases would not be renewed,” Steyn said. As many of these farmers’ leases…

International reaction to the resumption of legal elephant hunting in Botswana has been mixed. This followed the Botswana government’s decision to lift a five-year ban on the hunting of big game species, including elephants and predators. Philda Kereng, Botswana’s minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, recently issued a notice in that country’s Government Gazette stating that different periods within the 6 April 2021 to 31 January 2022 time frame would be open to different types of hunting by various groups in numerous hunting areas. This included the hunting of a quota of about 280 elephants. Dr Lelokwane Mokgalo, a tourism specialist in Botswana, said this was “a very good move” in light of the ban’s negative socio-economic impact on that country’s rural areas. The government had based its…

The Northern Ireland farming sector achieved a 26% increase in real-term profits in 2020, up from £342 million (about R6,8 billion) in 2019 to £456 million (R9,1 billion), according to a statement by the UK Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. BBC News reported that total turnover rose 4% to £2,23 billion (R44 billion), with dairy farming remaining the largest industry, accounting for turnover of £667 million (R13,3 billion), up 2% on 2019. Although the annual average farm-gate price of milk fell 0,7% to 27,01p/ℓ (R5,35/ℓ), the volume of raw milk produced increased 2% to 2,4 billion litres. Farmers’ turnover from cattle farming also saw a 2% increase at £438 million (R8,7 billion) in 2020, and the average producer price for finished cattle was £3,46/kg (R85,7/kg), up 6,1% on…

South Africa’s new alternative winter grain trust, the South African Winter Cereal Industry Trust (SAWCIT), is now fully operational. All administration processes as well as VAT registration have been completed. It is now possible for winter grain producers to claim VAT on the voluntary levies payable to the trust, according to Leon de Beer, administrator of SAWCIT. The trust was established by the industry in October 2020 for the collection of voluntary levies on winter grains, following the National Agricultural Marketing Council’s decision not to recommend the industry’s earlier application for continuation of the statutory levy. This also followed the phasing out of the Wheat Board (a statutory institution under the Marketing Act of 1968). “The industry decided to form a new entity that could continue to serve local producers…

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is concerned that the country’s economic recovery could be K-shaped, a term used to describe an uneven rebound from a recession in which some sectors grow rapidly while others continue to struggle. This warning was contained in SARB’s April 2021 Monetary Policy Review. “Unlike most previous recessions, the recovery from pandemic conditions is uneven across sectors, raising the spectre of a K-shaped recovery. The COVID- 19 recession is atypical: it differs from other recessions both in terms of its origins (policy directive) and in terms of its nature (a halt in activity for most of the economy),” the report stated. In the report, SARB said it expected South Africa’s economy to expand 3,8% in 2021, with growth moderating to 2,4% in 2022 and 2,5%…

Zeder Investments’ (Zeder) share price recently increased more than 10% to R3,12/share on the JSE after the company said it was engaging with interested parties regarding some of the holdings in its portfolio of investments. This was according to company CEO Johann le Roux. Zeder currently held stakes in Capespan, Kaap Agri, Agrivision Africa, Zaad, and The Logistics Group. Le Roux said the majority of the companies in its portfolio had achieved good earnings growth, and proved to be more resilient than expected during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had good winter rain in the Western Cape and great rain in the summer rainfall areas, with bumper maize crops. There are always many things you can’t control in agriculture, but we still see a positive cycle for agricultural investments in the…

The first shipment of South African citrus to the Philippines is expected to reach that country by the end of May, according to Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa. Approximately 10 000t in total were expected to be exported to the Philippines in the medium term. He said this new market would absorb some of the excess citrus produced in South Africa, with the latest estimates for total citrus exports being 158,7 million 15kg-cartons in 2021, up from 146 million cartons in 2020. According to Chadwick, the negotiations and process of opening up this new market had taken 12 years. Anton Kruger, CEO of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum South Africa, said Asian markets were very important for local exporters, and South Africa currently exported…

I have written in previous articles about the importance of farming with good genetics (that is, goodquality animals). If you are a beef producer, for example, it’s futile to run Jersey crosses, because these are not sought after on the red meat market. Moreover, it will cost you almost as much to raise these animals as it will to raise good beef animals. Now, let’s say you have followed my advice and are producing beef animals. The time comes to sell some of them and you go to the next auction or contact a cattle buyer, expecting to get a good price. Instead, you’re offered less money than your neighbour, who is also breeding good beef animals. What has gone wrong? You may think the buyer is cheating you, but…

Soon after she had started farming at Hoekiesdam near Wolseley in the Western Cape, Aletta Venter realised that traditional commercial productive practices were not going to work for her or the 38,5ha farm. “My father, Barend Venter, bought the farm after retiring as the editor of a community newspaper in 1995. But it had little water and was considered too small to justify commercial production,” she says. These limitations did not bother him much, as he regarded Hoekiesdam as a place to retire on. She, on the other hand, had obtained a degree in agriculture at Stellenbosch University and always dreamt of having a farm with cattle and horses in the Kalahari. “Wolseley isn’t the Kalahari, but you have to work with what you have,” she says. Venter tried to…

MY 5 KEY WORDS: ZOLTAN ERDEY Broker Zoltan Erdey shares his top tips on why and how to invest in precious metals in GOING FOR GOLD (PENGUIN, R220). He also shared some details of his personal life with Farmer’s Weekly, including his childhood fascination for the materials that would one day define his job. 1. Treasure I used to be captivated by treasure chests filled with silver and gold when I was a little boy. I was instinctively aware of their value, even though I didn’t know anything about bank gold reserves or stuff like that. As a teenager, I swapped my earnings from small jobs for silver coins. And from that hobby grew a business! 2. Silver It’s called the poor man’s gold; it costs about R535 an ounce,…

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? This year I feel that we should have invested more in the logistics side of the business. We’re currently seeing a significant shortage of equipment, but I don’t think R30 million would have been enough. On a serious note, if I had the choice, I’d invest it in the marketing side of the business. We have the opportunity in Tru-Cape to add value daily for our growers and maximise returns. Although strong grower and packhouse support is needed, one can add significant value to the chain by implementing a strong marketing strategy. What is the best advice you have ever been given?…

Land inequalities must be faced head-on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement earlier this year that the thorny topic of land expropriation would be discussed in order to avoid panic once and for all was well received by many, and it will ultimately assure the nation that South Africa’s land issues will finally be resolved. The country has made the bold move to accelerate the transfer of land from white minorities to black people, driven by Parliament’s backing of the people who seek to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation. In addition, government is looking to establish a Land Court that will [rule on land-related disputes], which have severely hampered the land redistribution process. President Ramaphosa also spoke about the implementation of the Traditional and…

The marathon drought in the Northern and Eastern Cape is escalating into a humanitarian crisis. The western part of the Eastern Cape and adjacent parts of the Northern Cape have been suffering from drought for at least the past seven years and farmers are in the depths of despair, according to Doug Stern, Agri Eastern Cape president. He said that many livestock, citrus and vegetable producers in the Eastern Cape were in dire straits. Their financial reserves were depleted and flocks cut to the bare minimum, with countless farms being put up as collateral for bank loans. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the long term. The South African agriculture sector cannot afford to lose farmers of this calibre,” Stern added. At the time of going to print,…

There has been a drastic increase in prospecting for metal ores such as copper and zinc by various companies on farms in Namibia. This includes extensive aerial electromagnetic surveys, among other methods, according to Roelie Venter, CEO of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU). Venter told Farmer’s Weekly that the organisation had received numerous enquiries from members about some prospecting companies that allegedly did not adhere to the legal requirements as set out in the country’s Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act of 1992. “[NAU] consequently launched an investigation into the legalities of prospecting on farms, with the focus on landowners’ rights and the responsibilities of companies planning to prospect on farms,” Venter said. According to him, NAU had also raised the matter of low-flying aircraft with the country’s commissioner of environmental…

CUBA A decades-old ban in Cuba on the private slaughter of cattle and sale of beef and dairy has been relaxed as part of agricultural reforms as that country battles food shortages. Farmers will now be allowed to “do as they wish with their livestock after meeting state quotas, and always with a guarantee that it will not result in a reduction of the herd,” Granma, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party, said. ETHIOPIA The area suitable for cultivating high-quality specialty coffee types in Ethiopia is likely to shrink if climate change continues unchecked. However, computer simulations had shown that the area suitable for average quality coffee could increase gradually until the 2090s, according to Abel Chemura, lead author of a new research report by the Potsdam Institute…

Port efficiency will be paramount in Durban this year, according to Mitchell Brooke, logistics manager at the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, who discussed the upcoming winter export season at a recent Transnet Citrus Readiness 2021 presentation. According to Brooke, the estimates received from focus groups indicated that this year’s citrus crop would amount to about 158,7 million 15kg-equivalent cartons. “This is quite a big jump from the 146 million cartons produced in the previous season,” he added. Brooke said this season’s increase would come mainly from the northern citrus production region. The current estimate for this region was about 89 million cartons, which he described as significant. “The growth is driven mainly by the [uptick] in Valencia [oranges] due to good rain in the Letsitele and Hoedspruit areas.…

While the world is settling into the new normal amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the fresh produce industry is waiting to see whether the trends that unfolded last year would continue. In the latest European Statistics Handbook on the fresh produce industry, published by Fruit Logistica, senior product manager Madlen Miserius noted that the sector had experienced the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic mainly in terms of the availability of labour and increased home consumption of fresh produce. “Europe faced a limited availability of workers, [as] most of the fruit and vegetables produced on the continent [is harvested] by seasonal foreign workers. With travel greatly restricted, there was a notable lack of pickers, especially in the first weeks of the pandemic.” The handbook noted that the travel restrictions that affected…

The combination of good summer rainfall in most parts of the country and warm weather has resulted in favourable conditions for the hatching of internal parasites. According to the latest report from the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa (RuVASA), roundworm infestations, especially of wireworm, had been reported in all provinces, while incidents of resistance were reported in most. Coccidiosis infestations were reported in all provinces except Mpumalanga. Dr Faffa Malan, managing director of RuVASA, said ignorance and the irresponsible use of antiparasitic products were the main causes of failures in anthelmintics (antiparasitic drugs). “We have only 10 registered active dewormer groups in South Africa. “Some farmers, unfortunately, only make use of dewormers for internal parasite management, and then when they run into resistance problems, they switch to another group.”…

BEEF In April the price of Class A beef increased to about R51,50/ kg, up 3,2% from a month before. The Class C price increased only marginally at 0,4% month-on-month (m/m) to approximately R45,10/ kg. Yearly carcass price changes, as indicated in Graph 1, showed substantial increases for Class A and Class C, with the two categories increasing 9,1% and 11,2% respectively. Prices of weaner calves were about 3,7% lower m/m at around R37/ kg. These prices were 27,9% higher than a year ago, and were supported by tight supplies. Historical market data suggests that weaner calf prices usually trade lower in autumn. The price trends presented here are consistent with this pattern, and we thus expect prices to decrease during the coming month. The beef-to-maize price ratio, an indicator…

South African labour law is very clear: an employer cannot dismiss an employee under any circumstances, even with valid reason, without first holding a disciplinary hearing. This will ensure that fair procedure is followed and there is substantive reason (proof) for the employee to be dismissed. In a disciplinary hearing, the chairperson is responsible for conducting the hearing in an orderly manner free of anger, swearing and other insulting behaviour or language. DUTIES OF THE CHAIRPERSON During a disciplinary hearing, the chairperson is expected to take the following actions: • Make it clear from the start that abuse and insults will not be tolerated and that if these do occur, the perpetrator may be ordered to leave the room. • Listen to all the evidence presented during the hearing and…

There is no shortage of challenges in the fresh-produce trade. Farmers, retailers and other role players in the industry continually have to decide how to tackle these, and whether they can be used as opportunities. From a marketing perspective, a challenge could be one of many: is it a distribution problem? Is handling the culprit? Are storage conditions inadequate? Whatever the case, a solution will be needed, and often urgently. And this applies regardless of the scale of the problem. A MEGA CHALLENGE In March, the gigantic container ship Ever Given became stuck in the Suez Canal for six days, blocking the passage of more than 400 vessels. Consider a ship stuck on the Mediterranean side, carrying fresh fruit destined for the Far East. What is the owner meant to…

Thousands of people have their gallbladders removed every year due to gallstones, indigestion and similar ailments. Despite this, many still experience digestive problems afterwards. If you’re in this position, the good news is that you can ensure comfortable digestion after gallbladder surgery through a better diet and eating less at each sitting. HOW THE GALLBLADDER FUNCTIONS The gallbladder is a hollow, thinwalled, pear-shaped organ located on the right side of the abdomen under the liver. Its main function is to serve as a reservoir for bile, a yellow-brown, digestive enzyme produced by the liver. Bile is composed of water, salts, cholesterol, lecithin, and pigments such as bilirubin, and it helps the body break down and absorb fats from food. The liver produces 800mℓ to 1 000mℓ of bile daily, secreting…

There’s plenty of focus on certain African cuisines; Moroccan, Mozambican or Cape Malay are three good examples. But Ghanaian is one of those that receives very little attention. To remedy this, Zoe Adjonyoh has compiled ZOE’S GHANA KITCHEN (MITCHELL BEAZLEY, R475) after plenty of research with her Ghanaian father and aunts. This is a ‘New African’ take on traditional family food, and it includes an “Irish-Ghanaian mash-up”, thanks to her Irish mum and regular holidays with her family in the west of Ireland. Think Ghanaian-Irish Scotch eggs, using black pudding and yam, and steamed mussels in groundnut broth. Where there’s Ghanaian food, jollof, the “party rice” dish, is never far away. And you’ll also find classics such as garden egg stew with tilapia, kelewele (spiced plantain), aboboi (stew with Bambara…

Nigeria remains the largest economy in Africa, with an estimated value of US$443 billion (about R6,32 trillion) in 2020, around 22% of which is the share of the primary agricultural economy. This makes Nigeria’s agriculture sector the largest in Africa, too. Although the sector is not very advanced from a technology and infrastructure point of view, the country has been making a number of regulatory reforms that are beginning to open up space for more growth and development, particularly in the input markets. According to the World Bank, “Nigeria has several features that are currently viewed as good practices in its laws and regulations governing the seed sector, as well as in the implementation of those laws and regulations in practice.” For example, Nigeria now has a catalogue that lists…

Integrated poultry producer Astral Foods (Astral) is hoping that an agreement achieved recently between itself and various national government departments and leaders will finally bring an end to the ongoing financial losses at its operations in Mpumalanga’s Lekwa Local Municipality. In a statement by Astral, the company said that it had recently successfully achieved a High Court order requiring National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to urgently intervene in the Lekwa municipality’s consistent failure to adequately resolve major problems with its freshwater supply system and the provision of other basic municipal services. “The impasse with the municipality with regard to water and electricity supply has had a major disruptive impact on Astral’s operations within Standerton [in the Lekwa Local Municipality]. “The situation, dating back…

The inefficiency and ineffectiveness of COVID-19 relief distribution for small-scale farmers were discussed during a recent webinar presented by the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape. The webinar critically assessed government’s COVID-19 relief fund for small-scale farmers, which has been running from April 2020 to the present. “[With the COVID-19-related lockdowns], small-scale farmers lost access to markets, services, and even their farms and livestock, in some cases. Government [launched] a relief programme specifically for small-scale farmers, which provided subsidies for farming inputs. Alongside food parcels and additional social grants, this was how government aimed to address the crisis,” said Samkelisiwe Mkhize of the Association for Rural Advancement in the opening address. Speaking during the webinar, Sthembiso Ndlovu, a small-scale egg farmer…

Authorities in New Zealand have announced that due to concerns about animal welfare, all exports of livestock by sea will be halted following a transition period of up to two years. Although the ban was welcomed by animal welfare groups, Wayne Langford, a spokesperson for Federated Farmers of New Zealand, said the industry body had “no information about any breaches of the high standards relating to livestock exports”. According to Reuters, livestock exports by sea represented about 0,2% of New Zealand’s primary sector export revenue and, since 2015, had averaged around NZ$60 million (about R616 million) per year. New Zealand exported almost 113 300 cattle by sea last year. New Zealand’s agriculture minister, Damien O’Connor, said at a recent media conference: “We haven’t been able to guarantee the safety of…

Dr Faffa Malan, managing director of the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa, has been awarded the 2021 MT Steyn Medal for his contributions to natural sciences and technological research by the South African Academy of Science and Art. At the age of 75, Malan is still actively contributing his knowledge, locally and internationally, on the holistic management of parasites, and is best known for the FAMACHA chart, which he developed with Dr Jan van Wyk and Prof Gareth Bath. The FAMACHA chart and system revolutionised ideas about parasite control, and is currently used in about 25 countries. Malan has written more than 100 scientific papers and many books on animal health.…

The highest price of R910/kg at the fourth sale of the 2021 mohair summer season was paid for a bale of 23-micron, super-style kids’ mohair from Boeta Grobler of Murraysburg. In addition, a world record price of R821/kg for young goats’ mohair (offered as winter kids’ mohair) was notched up by Jonty Truter of Somerset East. This was for a good-style 24-micron bale. Dawie du Plessis of Cradock also set a world record price for young goats’ mohair (offered as young goats’ mohair) at R768/kg for a super-style 28-micron bale, while Amantis Landgoed of Danabaai achieved a world record price for adult mohair (offered as winter young goats’ mohair) at R746/kg for a good-style 27-micron bale. Threonnie van der Merwe of Murraysburg achieved the best total clip average ever when…

Ramsem recently imported the technology to produce sexed semen straws for cattle, sheep and goats. Over the next two to three years, the company plans to expand this to include pigs and horses. Sexing technology has an efficacy rate of at least 90%, which means that it will result in a 90% chance that a female animal will produce an offspring of the sex of choice. According to Dr Fanie Steyn, managing director of Ramsem, sexing technology promised to generate a significant leap in genetic progress by enabling farmers to use the best breeding material, combined with double the number of replacement animals available for selection. It could also be used to produce male offspring in cases where top breeding beef cows were known to have produced top-ranking stud bulls.…

Players in the poultry value chain have undertaken various measures to protect, grow and sustain the industry in the recent past. Some of these interventions include the development of a Poultry Master Plan, which is now 17 months into its implementation. Since the adoption of the plan, the industry has invested R1,14 billion to enhance local production capacity by 5%, which is equivalent to one million additional birds produced per week The South African Poultry Association has applied to the International Trade Administration Commission for antidumping duties against Brazil, Poland, Spain, Ireland and Denmark. The industry is also considering renewing anti-dumping duties against the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands to maximise protection against what is considered unfair import pricing. These anti-dumping measures follow a successful increment of ad valorem duties…

What is the size of the crocodile industry in South Africa? The exact number of crocodile farms is not known, because each province issues its own permits for keeping crocodiles in captivity. In 2016, the veterinary faculty at the University of Pretoria carried out a survey of crocodile farms in South Africa and arrived at an estimated 85 facilities in existence. The production data collected from 45 of the largest commercial crocodile farms, responsible for more than 80% of total production output, indicated a breeding population of approximately 20 000 adult animals, producing an average of 165 000 hatchlings annually. Statistics show that only 68 000 skins, or 40%, are exported. The balance do not achieve the minimum quality required for export and the reptiles are slaughtered and consumed locally,…