Table of contents for 23 September 2022 in Farmer's Weekly

With the high cost of living and continuously rising food prices in South Africa, many people are struggling to put food on their tables. In light of this situation, and because spring has officially sprung, now is the perfect time to try your hand at growing your own food. “What better way to enjoy the warmer and longer spring days than by planting your very own vegetable garden? You’ll have lots of fresh vegetables to add to your meals, giving you the nutrients you need for a healthy diet, making this both affordable and worthwhile for South African families,” says Sibongile Mooko, marketing executive at Premier FMCG, a local food-manufacturing company. “Not only will you be saving money, but there is also something really rewarding about eating fresh food that…

Organised agriculture has expressed concern about new draft regulations that could erode advances in seed technology and, subsequently, food security in South Africa. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) has published new draft regulations for the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act. These include allowing farmers to hold back and replant a total of 2,5t of soya bean and wheat seed, and 3t of maize seed. Subsistence and small-scale farmers could do so without any limitations, while medium- and large-scale farmers needed to inform and pay the holder of the breeders’ rights a reasonable remuneration for the seed, according to the regulations. According to Lukeshni Chetty, general manager of the South African National Seed Organisation, the policing of the informing and payment system was problematic. She said…

Ireland has the highest per capita methane emissions of all EU countries, with much of this ascribed to the country’s beef production. According to Euronews, cattle outnumbered people, and agriculture accounted for more than 37% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In its latest climate action plan, Ireland set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector by 25% by 2030. This was part of that country’s pledge to halve its overall carbon emissions by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. However, Euronews said these calls to reduce emissions were at odds with the government’s advice to the dairy farming industry in 2015 to ramp up production in an effort to exploit increased milk quotas for EU producers. “Many farmers invested and have huge financial commitments. They…

This year’s Arbor Week was particularly successful at creating awareness of how important trees are to the ecosystems in which they live. The Tree of the Year campaign also created valuable publicity for individual tree species, according to Naas Grové, president of the Dendrological Society of South Africa. South Africa celebrates Arbor Week every year in the first week of September as part of Heritage Month, and it is during this time that the Tree of the Year is announced. This year, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment decided to name trees from three categories as Trees of the Year. The categories were Common Tree, Tree for Promotion, and Tree for Appreciation. The pompom tree (Dais cotinifolia) was crowned Tree of the Year in the Common Tree category,…

Helichrysum petiolare, commonly known as kooigoed or silver bush everlasting, is a flowering evergreen shrub that grows about 25cm high and has furry, grey-green leaves and small white flowers. It is is native to South Africa, where it is found in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, the north-eastern Free State, the Cape Drakensberg and the coastal areas of the Eastern Cape. H. petiolare is also sometimes called the liquorice plant, as its leaves have a faint liquorice scent. However, it is not closely related to the true liquorice plant of Europe and Asia, Glycyrrhiza glabra, which is used as a herbal medicine and food flavourant. The Afrikaans name kooigoed reflects its traditional use as bedding material for livestock. The plant flowers in spring (September to November) or summer (December to…

Shennong, translated into English as ‘Divine Farmer’, is a culturally significant legend in China, and speaks of the man Shennong who taught Chinese hunter-gatherers how to farm. He was also essential in the development of traditional Chinese medicine. Shennong is considered one of the Three Sovereigns in China, and thus occupies a space of great importance. Chinese mythology has it that Shennong was born Jiang Shinian, of a princess who ingested the vapour of a divine dragon. He was born north-east of China’s ancient capital Xian, in the Hua Shan mountains, according to ancient-origins.net. People knew that he was destined for greatness, as he began speaking three days after birth, walked within a week, and ploughed fields at three years old. AFTER PLANTING THE CROPS, HE PRAYED TO THE GODS…

Dear Jonno, My wife and I are looking to build a bed-and-breakfast lodge on our newly acquired farm in the northeast of Botswana, and need your help to design it for us. The area is popular with tourists, so we would like to build a lodge that can accommodate 10 or more people. The idea is for our accommodation to be on one side of the lodge, guest bedrooms on the other, and the entertainment between the two. Attached is a sketch of the layout we have in mind. We plan to be completely off the grid, and have borehole water available. Kind regards,Johan and Elsa Dear Johan and Elsa, Thank you for your request and the rough sketch for the lodge. I’ve improvised on the layout and room sizes.…

Eastern Cape ALBERT • Mooiefontein (222ha) sold by George Troskie to Mooivlei Boerdery for R5,3 million. EAST LONDON • Farm 822 (11ha) sold by Roux Partners to Bam Partners for R2,4 million. • Farm 171 (9,2ha) sold by Coenraad Nel to Mkangeli Nkebengeshe for R500 000. GQEBERHA • Kragga Kamma (20ha) sold by Lirbag (Pty) Ltd to Eddelene Bouwer for R5 million. JOUBERTINA • Kleinrivier (1 182ha) sold by Ferreira Partners to Kouga Wildernis for R9 million. Free State BLOEMFONTEIN • Glendearg (9ha) sold by RMO Marketing & Development Trust to Kruger Partners for R6 million. BOSHOF • Vryheid (857ha) sold by Louwrens Steyn to Bersunel Brangus for R5 million. DEWETSDORP • Morgenzon (428ha) sold by Johannes van Aswegen to LDP Trust for R1,4 million. • Vaalbank (789ha) sold by…

“Trees, forests and sustainable forestry can help the world recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and combat looming environmental crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss. But this requires societies to better recognise the considerable value of forests and their crucial roles in building inclusive, resilient and sustainable economies. There are three pathways along which societies, communities and individual landowners, users and managers can derive more tangible value from forests and trees while addressing environmental degradation, preventing future pandemics, increasing resilience and transforming economies. These are: • Halting deforestation and maintaining forests. This could avoid emitting between two gigatons (Gt) and 3,6Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) per year between 2020 and 2050, including about 14% of what is needed up to 2030 to keep planetary warming below 1,5°C, while…

The first-ever licence for the wholesale importation, distribution and marketing of hemp seed for the production of hemp fibre in South Africa was recently awarded to local company Hemp Seed Solutions. This followed an announcement by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) in October 2021 that hemp had been reclassified as an agricultural crop under the Plant Improvement Act (No. 53 of 1976). At the same time, minister of agriculture Thoko Didiza announced the opening of the application process for hemp permits. She said in a statement that this allowed for the importation, exportation, cultivation, sale of and research into hemp in South Africa. According to Johan Jacobs, the CEO of Hemp Seed Solutions, hemp production for industrial use offered South African farmers an additional…

Conservation farming trials started on the farm Waterboerskraal near Hopefield in the Western Cape in 2018, are bringing valuable insights into the sustainable production of wheat, lupines, canola and cover crops on sandy soils. At a recent farmers’ day hosted by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and held on Waterboerskraal, owner Gideon Melck said the region had experienced a challenging start to the production season due to late rainfall. Canola had been worst affected, with three of his canola lands needing replanting, and he questioned whether it was worth investing in more inputs for some of these lands for the rest of the season. Melck said there had been a clear difference between crops planted in poor and good soils. Some of the canola planted with a tine planter…

The AgTech Breakthrough Awards, which are held annually by AgTech Breakthrough, a market intelligence organisation, recognises the top companies, technologies and products in the global agricultural and food technology markets. According to the company, the purpose of the awards programme is to conduct the industry’s most comprehensive analysis and evaluation of agricultural and food technology categories. “This [includes] Internet-of-Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI)-based agricultural technologies, farm management, indoor farming, food quality, data analytics and many more. “This year’s [programme] attracted more than 1 600 nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world.” There are 19 categories, including farmmanagement solutions, automation and robotics, in-door farming solutions and livestock innovation, among others. This week’s article takes a look at the winners in the farm-management solutions category. PAIRTREE INTELLIGENCE Farmers across…

There is an intrinsic link between education and the economy. Government’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 states that improved education leads to higher employment and earnings, while economic growth in turn helps to generate the resources needed to improve education. According to various stakeholders in South Africa’s agriculture sector, one of the many challenges hindering the country’s economic growth is the poor state of educational programmes at national institutions. They also agree that this is having a negative effect on the country’s unemployment rate. In its Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2022, Statistics South Africa reported that about 63,9% of the country’s youth (those aged 15 to 24) were unemployed, while the national unemployment rate was 34,5%. The existence of a skills shortage in South Africa…

Marietjie Kruger is passionate about fungi, and one species of fungi in particular, namely Agaricus bisporus, commonly known as the button mushroom. Kruger, owner of Chanmar’s Humble Mushrooms near Heidelberg in Gauteng, describes mushrooms as one of the wonders of the world. “All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms. A. bisporus is, for us humans, an important part of the edible mushroom family. It belongs to the division Basidiomycota of the kingdom Fungi, and is the familiar white mushroom found in supermarkets,” she explains. After starting to grow mushrooms in Limpopo’s Waterberg region in 2003, Kruger moved her production operation to Heidelberg in 2015. The business is named after her daughters Chantell and Marlize, whom she describes as her “pillars of strength”. Button mushrooms comprise 80% of…

The African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), also known as the Old World bollworm, has many hosts, including a number of food crops and many weeds. The moths lay up to 700 creamy-white eggs, depositing them singly on tender shoots or flower buds. The eggs turn brownish and hatch in three to five days. The larvae immediately start feeding on the youngest leaves, and can easily be seen at this stage. From here, the larvae bore into the fruit, stems or flowers. When targeting fruit, they usually move from one fruit to another, rendering each unmarketable. They are typically found halfway into the fruit, where they’re easy to spot. When they’re resting on leaves, however, they are well camouflaged. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE VALUE OF A FEW DAMAGED FRUIT MAY BE…

SERVES FOUR TO SIX 500g macaroni (you can also use rigatoni) For the avocado sauce 2 large avocados, peeled and stoned 1 clove garlic 2 Tbsp lime juice Salt and pepper, to taste For the white sauce 2 Tbsp butter 3 Tbsp flour 1½ cups low-fat milk 1 cup strong white Cheddar cheese, grated Salt and pepper, to taste • Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a casserole or oven dish. Cook pasta according to the package directions until it is al dente. (To bring out the flavour of the pasta, add salt to the cooking water.) • To make the avocado sauce, place the avocados, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender. Pulse to break up the ingredients, then use a spatula to…

I’m a single mother of two ready to settle down with a gentleman aged 35 to 40. I’m a born-again Christian who loves the quiet life. I’m fun, witty, and enjoy reading and watching movies. A man of any race may respond, as long as he is kind, considerate and faithful. LOVABLE 28 I’m a white, 57-year-old widow who is looking for white man aged 57 to 75. He must be financially secure and willing to commit. He should also enjoy love dogs and enjoy the outdoors. I’m down to earth, believe in integrity, and lead a simple life. Send me a note and let’s see if we could be soulmates. ALL YOURS, 9480 I am a European lass in my mid-50s. I grew up on a smallholding, and now…

Government had placed a temporary ban on the movement of all cattle nationwide in a bid to curb the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, and auctions were therefore also suspended. However, at the time of going to print, the ban had just been lifted. Livestock prices will again be published once auctions resume. TO PLACE AN UPCOMING AUCTION EVENTS in the Classifieds Auctions section, contact René Moonsamy on 010 971 3771 or at renea@caxton.co.za, or Natasha Kock on 010 971 3770 or at natashakock@caxton.co.za. Doornpoort Genetics Boer Goat Production Sale HIGHEST: (RAM) R42 500 Bela-Bela – The Doornpoort Genetics Production Sale was held at the Warmbad Veemark on 3 September. The highest price of the day was paid for a potential stud ram, which was sold to Denise and Gerhard Grobler…

20 to 30 October, Stellenbosch Garden Town Stellenbosch is one of the country’s most prominent garden lifestyle festivals and returns this year after its inauguration in 2021, promising a fresh milestone for South Africa’s village of oaks. Activities this year include horticultural tours; flower art; hiking; guest garden specialists; DIY vegetable gardening; wine tasting; painting; guided bird walks; wreath crafting; moss educationals; drawing with thread; and honey sampling, among others. Visit Stellenbosch.org, or phone 021 886 4310. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 17 TO 18 NOVEMBER Agribusiness Conference 2022, Protea Hotel, Sandton. Email Buhle Ndokweni at buhle@mathema.co.za, or phone 011 862 4001. 17 TO 18 NOVEMBER Sustainable Innovative Producers and Emerging Farmers Conference, Protea Hotel Balalaika, Sandton. Email Karabo Ramabu at karabo@mathema.co.za. 24 TO 25 NOVEMBER Drones and Unmanned Aviation Conference 2022,…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA MIXED RESULTS EXPECTED FOR SA’S AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS IN 2022 South Africa’s agricultural exports saw a 12% (around R51 billion) quarter-on-quarter increase in the second quarter of the year, according to the latest trade data released by Statistics South Africa. Read the full article at bit.ly/3Bno20P, or scan here: Posted: 7 September 2022. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA FW posted a link to an article titled ‘Grave concern about sheep scab outbreak in the Northern Cape’, and some followers shared their thoughts on this serious issue. Posted: 6 September 2022. READERS’ COMMENTS Onabo Mazibuko: “I have the same problem in KwaZulu-Natal.” Alida Esterhuizen: “Try hemp [feed]; its medicinal value to animals is stunning.” PHOTO OF THE WEEK MaSibisi @Samke5 “Just picked some of my Bright…

The Crop Estimates Committee’s (CEC) latest forecast for soya bean production in South Africa of more than 2,17 million tons clearly shows the value of soya bean producers’ decision to invest in the industry by means of the Breeding and Technology Levy. This was according to Dr Theo de Jager, chairperson of the Southern African Agri Initiative. When the levy came into effect in 2019, Corné Louw, senior economist at Grain SA, said the collected levies would be distributed among seed companies in South Africa according to their market share, for the purpose of technology and cultivar development. He added that this would give local soya bean farmers access to the latest genetically modified technology. According to the CEC’s seventh production forecast for the year, the expected soya bean production…

Four wines from the Stellenbosch area were among the top performers in the Absa Top 10 Pinotage competition, which received 130 entries. These included two wines by winemaker Abrie Beeslaar, Beeslaar Pinotage 2020 and Kanonkop Pinotage 2019; as well as the Beyerskloof Winemakers Reserve Pinotage 2018 by Anri Truter; and the Simonsig Redhill Pinotage 2019 produced by Michael Malan. Other wines that made it to the top 10 were the Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2020 from the Breedekloof Valley by winemaker Gerhard Swart; the Neil Ellis Bottelary Hills Pinotage 2018 from Bottelary by Warren Ellis; the Brink Family Vineyards Pinotage 2019 from the Swartland region by Dewald Huisamen; the Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2016 from Tulbagh by Adriaan Jacobs; the Vondeling Bowwood Pinotage 2019 from Voor-Paardeberg by Matthew Copeland; and the…

The largest study ever to be conducted on a free-ranging population of rhinoceros has revealed that one in every seven rhino in the Kruger National Park (KNP) is infected with Mycobacterium bovis, the pathogen that causes bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The study was conducted by Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Animal Tuberculosis (TB) Research Group, South African National Parks (SANParks), and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in the US. The researchers tested samples from 437 rhino collected from 2016 to 2020 in the KNP, and found an estimated prevalence of M. bovis infection of 15,4% in black and white rhino populations in the park. While these results are worrying, the evidence provided by the study is crucial to the effective conservation of the already vulnerable rhino population. In addition to this, scientists…

Two remarkable scientific developments, namely sexed semen and genomic evaluation (DNA analysis), have proved hugely beneficial to dairies in recent years, thanks to the way they improve selection. Rebekah Mast, associate vice-president of genetic dairy solutions and talent development at World Wide Sires and Select Sires, explains that genomic evaluations improve the accuracy of genetic predictions, thereby accelerating genetic gains, while sexed semen gives better control over the number of female animals produced, enabling farmers to be more intensive in their selections. Mast was speaking at the Dairy Management Consulting conference held in August at Durbanville in the Western Cape. Indeed, so successful are these techniques, that many dairies today end up with an excess of heifers, which then have to be culled. According to Mast, using sexed semen on…

Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium), which originates in South America, is a branched, semi-herbaceous annual plant, growing up to 1,5m high. It is an invasive weed in South Africa, where its seedlings are toxic to animals. Adult plants have deep, sturdy taproots and the stems are reddish brown with red speckles, which makes them appear coarse. The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, egg-shaped (ovoid) to heart-shaped (cordiform), and with saw-toothed (serrate) margins. The fruits are up to 2cm in length, brown, woody, crowned with two sturdy horns, and covered with hooked spines that cling readily to clothes and animals’ coats. There are two seeds per fruit, with one larger (about 1,5cm in length) than the other. They are blackish and ovally flattened. DISTRIBUTION Cocklebur is a strong competitor of annual crops and…

Nick Stubbs and his father have farmed in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands for many years. They run a dairy, and grow maize and ryegrass for cow feed. Stubbs is general manager of the Stubbs Farming Partnership, and says the operation is always developing. It recently diversified into avocado production. Stubbs manages a herd of Holstein cows that ranges between 2 500 and 3,000 animals. “Our aim is for high input and output. We are breeding animals of about 550kg, which produce 8 000-litre lactations,” says Stubbs. “With cattle feed at a premium, our biggest challenge is trying to find a balance between using expensive feed to drive production versus feeding pasture-based grasses that give us production at a more affordable cost, and drives the profitability of our operation,” says Stubbs. He…

ACROSS 1. Fabric made from fine, soft goats’ hair (8) 5. Southern African antelope, dark brown with a white facial blaze (8) 11. P lace in danger (7) 12. An untanned animal skin (7) 13. South American beast of burden of the camel family (5) 14. Relating to a woman getting married (6) 15. Miserable or pitiable person (6) 16. Drainage trench (5) 19. Fit of anger (4) 23. Small songbird (Troglodytes) with short, rounded wings (4) 24. Young hare in its first year (7) 25. Flat-bottomed cargo boat used on rivers and canals (5) 26. Warning signal or system (5) 28. Enclosed field for horses (7) 30. Wild, uncultivated country (4) 32. Oven for drying hops (4) 35. Colour in plants and algae imparted by chlorophyll (5) 38. Desert…