Table of contents for 3 February 2023 in Farmer's Weekly

As we enter the second month of the new year, and South Africa continues to be hit with stages four, five and six of load-shedding, I am reminded that 2024 is now only 11 months away, and there are many things that government must act on to ensure that 2023, 2024 and the years to come are successful ones for the agriculture sector. As an essential employer of South African people, and the key to our food security, the agriculture sector must be bolstered and supported as much as possible. This doesn't mean handouts; local farmers are more than capable of running successful capitalist businesses without the aid of the taxpayer. However, this does mean that government must provide the basic services which it has a constitutional duty to provide.…

As we start the new year, there is probably no issue more urgent for South Africa's agriculture sector and agribusinesses than the worsening energy crisis. Farmers who rely on irrigation have all expressed concern that persistent rolling blackouts are having a negative effect on production. In key field crops, about 20% of maize, 15% of soya bean, 34% of sugar cane, and nearly half of wheat are produced under irrigation. Fruit and vegetables, too, rely heavily on irrigation and are therefore in much the same position. Producers of red meat, poultry, pork, wool and dairy are also concerned that rolling blackouts beyond Stage 2 make operations and planning difficult, as these industries all require continuous power for day-today functioning. Agribusinesses involved in downstream processing, such as millers, bakeries, abattoirs, wine…

The levels of storage dams in the Western Cape are falling rapidly, while dams feeding the southern parts of the Eastern Cape remain at crucially low levels. This is according to Johan van den Berg, independent agricultural meteorologist. Van den Berg said in a statement that the average level of storage dams in the Western Cape had dropped to below 60% by the first week of January, compared with levels close to 80% at the same time in 2022. During the same period, the level of the Theewaterskloof Dam stood at about 64% of capacity, which was about 30% lower than in January 2022. The Clanwilliam Dam's level was at 56%, compared with 92% last year. "The level of the Clanwilliam Dam is of particular concern at the moment, dropping…

While the problems at the country’s ports that affected stone fruit exports and prices last season have largely been resolved, it will be some time before farmers, particularly plum producers, return to preCOVID-19 pandemic profit levels. Pietie Wolfaardt, owner of Ceres Cascade Farms, said farmers usually bounced back from difficult seasons within a single year, but due to the particular challenges of the past three seasons, recovery would take longer this time. He put this down to extremely high input costs and to pressure on consumer spending in Europe and the UK, where most of South Africa’s stone fruit was sold. Farmers also had to deal with rolling blackouts, which were driving up costs and affecting fruit quality. Wolfaardt said he was fortunate to have invested in generators five years…

In a watershed ruling late last year, the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein stated that government was responsible for veld fires that originated on state land. It therefore had to pay compensation to neighbouring farms for damage caused by the fires. Koos Boshoff, a macadamia farmer near Barberton in Mpumalanga, won his case against government after 10 years in court. This came after a fire, which originated on a neighbouring state-owned farm in 2012, destroyed 6ha of his macadamia trees. "We fought the fire for days, but every time it seemed to be under control in one area, it jumped to another," he said. "This was one of many occasions on which we had to fight fires that started on neighbouring farms owned by government. "The land is either…

Many communal farmers prize horned cattle, as horns play a part in certain cultural and ritual slaughter practices. However, cattle with sharp horns can cause severe, price-reducing damage to other cattle. This happens particularly when cattle are loaded onto trucks or placed in handling facilities to receive medical and other treatment. Horns also pose a risk of injury in a crowded feedlot, where cattle are in close proximity to one another. Feedlots are certainly not keen to spend extra money to dehorn calves and tend to downgrade weaners with horns. Dehorning should be done as carefully as possible to avoid causing undue pain and stress to the calf. It should be carried out when the calf is still young (between two and three months old), as the horns are not…

When did the first concerted marketing effort to increase consumption of avocados start in South Africa? Glynnis Branthwaite (GB): Protactic launched the first communications strategy for SAAGA [the South African Avocado Growers’ Association] more than 20 years ago. The goal was to educate consumers and key opinion leaders about the health benefits and versatility of avocados, and ultimately to assist with increasing consumption on the local market. Initially, there were a lot of misconceptions about avocados and these needed to be addressed through distribution of scientific research results. One of the first aims was to educate cardiologists about the beneficial fats found in this fruit. Health messages have remained an important component of marketing avocados, and research done over many years shows that avocados are widely perceived as a healthy…

Creep feeding is a strategy designed to introduce piglets to a solid diet and prepare their digestive system for weaning, according to osbornelivestockequipment.com, the website of Osborne, a supplier of pig farming equipment. Within three weeks of birth, a piglet's nutritional requirements outpace the ability of the sow to provide these nutrients. In fact, a sow's milk production peaks in less than a month and then slowly declines. Creep feeding is used to increase piglets' nutrient intake and familiarise them with solid food before weaning. Although creep feeding cannot guarantee greater weaning weights, it enhances post-weaning feed intake, leads to better development of the gastro-intestinal tract, and improves the overall health of the piglet, say the experts at Osborne. This is particularly important with weaning being such a stressful period…

SERVES EIGHT ¾ cup coconut flakes ¾ cup crushed ginger biscuits 3 Tbsp melted butter 240g cream cheese, softened 285g sweetened condensed milk 2 eggs 2 Tbsp lime juice 1 Tbsp lime zest 1 Tbsp coconut essence 2 cups fresh mango, cubed 1 tsp white sugar, or more, to taste • Preheat the oven to 165°C, and lightly grease a 23cm springform tin. • Combine the coconut, biscuits and melted butter in a bowl, and mix until evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared tin. •Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until browned and set. Set aside to cool. • Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C. • Beat softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl…

EASTERN CAPE 22 FEBRUARY Jordaan Family Angora Production Sale, Geluk, Somerset East. On offer: 1 150 full-mouth kapaters (castrated goats), 400 4T to full-mouth ewes, 200 ewe kids, 200 2T kapaters, 200 2T ewes, 200 ewe kids, 200 kapater kids, 20 old ewes, 30 in-lamb Dormer ewes and 30 Dormer ewe lambs. Phone Tjaart Troskie on 072 122 0904. 23 FEBRUARY Colett Farming Meatmaster Sale, La Rochelle, Venterstad. On offer: 120 rams, 200 ewes and 200 commercial female animals. Phone Mario Kruger on 060 522 3906. FREE STATE 11 FEBRUARY Bloodline Boran Production Sale, Johannastroom, Dewetsdorp. On offer: three stud bulls, 50 SP bulls and 25 commercial animals. Phone Zippo Lamprecht on 082 396 9071, or Fanie Els on 083 409 7381. 16 FEBRUARY • Kromspruit Dohne Merino and Bovelder…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly. This article was first published by The Conversation. To read the original article, visit bit.ly/3Xge4GY. "It's a grim and all too common sight for rangers in some of Africa's nature reserves: the bullet-riddled carcass of an elephant, its tusks removed by poachers. African elephant populations have fallen by about 30% since 2006. Poaching has driven the decline. Some reserves, such as Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nyerere National Park in Tanzania, have lost hundreds of elephants to poachers over the past decade. But others, such as Etosha National Park in Namibia, have been targeted far less. What might explain this difference? We investigated why poaching rates vary so…

January is traditionally a time when commentators provide their outlooks for the year ahead. However, the view for 2023 is about as unpredictable as the schedule for rolling blackouts, which is no surprise, as the two are inextricably linked. The agriculture sector had an exceptional year in 2020, and again in 2021. In 2022, the positive agricultural conditions prevailed, namely above-average rainfall and high international commodity prices. However, this strong performance was also hamstrung last year by a multitude of factors, including rising input costs, unsustainable global shipping costs, and a declining business environment brought on by deteriorating service delivery from municipalities, public institutions and network industries. And this trend has continued into 2023, with uncertain consequences. UNPREDICTABLE CHALLENGES To be fair, many of the issues that the agriculture sector…

Promising new technology to turn agricultural waste into a source of clean energy could not have come at a better time, as rolling blackouts continue to cripple South Africa. Household and agricultural waste is a valuable source of power that could be used to take clean energy to communities, complexes and individual homes at lower cost, and provide a faster return on investment than solar energy. This is according to Prof Vincent Okudoh of the Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, who has been conducting research into biogas. Okudoh is concentrating on automated, self-contained home biogas systems in which home owners could dump all their food waste and generate their own power. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) recently reported that…

Mexico and Nigeria have signed an agreement paving the way for increased exports of Mexican agricultural products to Africa's most populous nation. This also allows for expanded access for Nigeria's agri exports into Latin America's third-largest market after Brazil and Argentina. Through the agreement, Mexico has sought to widen the scope of its agricultural trade with Africa, as 15 African countries currently export to Mexico. Products include sesame seeds, hibiscus ('Jamaican flowers'), rice, strawberries, maize, apples, cocoa, walnuts, pears, tobacco, grapes, poultry, lobster, mojarra (fish) and sardines. Hydrated hibiscus flowers are used to make tacos, salsas, and salad dressings. "In order to increase the presence of Mexican products in Africa in the medium term, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is working to increase the shipment of Mexican products…

Changes made to a federal agency tasked with upholding the sanitary standards of Brazilian agricultural products are drawing criticism from civil servants in that country's agriculture ministry. Instituted by the new government of President Luiz a Lula da Silva, documents seen by Reuters showed that a 1 January decree, which revealed the reshuffling of staff at the agency, could undermine food-inspection services and a network of six federal laboratories responsible for controlling vaccines, veterinary drugs and phytosanitary pesticides. The agriculture ministry did not comment on the changes, which were part of broader efforts by the new administration to cut government spending, Reuters reported. The changes, which affected 84 jobs, according to a separate internal memo, were taking place as the world grappled with bird flu outbreaks, and the Brazilian meat…

Farmers in Zimbabwe significantly increased the production of crops such as tobacco, sugar cane, pecan nuts and blueberries in the 2021/22 season. This was according to a report by Africanews.com, which stated that this upswing formed part of that country’s drive to reduce its import bill as well as increase exports in order to earn much-needed foreign currency. Zimbabwe expected to harvest between 380 000t and 400 000t of winter wheat in 2023, which was more than the national annual demand of around 360 000t. Tobacco output increased by 1% to around 213 000t in 2022, which translated into a 10% increase in producers’ income. Total export earnings from tobacco were expected to increase to more than R17 billion this year. Dr John Basera, permanent secretary of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of…

It is clear that rolling blackouts will remain in South Africa in the long term, and that they have the potential to force the entire country to its knees, financially, economically and emotionally. This was according to Jaco Minnaar, Agri SA president. Following a meeting between Agri SA, Grain SA and Jan Oberholzer, COO of Eskom, in January, Minnaar told Farmer’s Weekly that government had a moral imperative to address the electricity disaster as a matter of high priority. “Eskom confirmed during the meeting, which was held virtually, that rolling blackouts were expected to continue indefinitely. This is completely intolerable. It is unacceptable for the country as a whole and the agriculture sector in particular. The rolling blackouts have a severely negative impact on the psyche of our nation. It…

The Top Employers for 2023 have been announced, and the Agriculture Research Council (ARC) has been named among them. Being certified as a top employer showcased an organisation's dedication to a better world of work, and it exhibited this through excellent human resource (HR) policies and people practices, according to a statement by the ARC. The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of its HR Best Practices Survey. The latter covers six HR domains comprising 20 topics, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, and well-being. "This recognition is the commitment by the ARC to walk the talk as the employer of choice. "Our employees are valued, and they are the pillars for excellence in research and development," said…

Employers are often confronted with situations where it is difficult to differentiate between misconduct and incapacity. It is crucial, however, that the employer conduct a proper investigation before taking any disciplinary steps to ascertain whether the employee’s conduct leans towards misconduct or incapacity, as this will determine which process the employer should follow to address the issue. Although both the disciplinary hearing and incapacity consultation are deemed fair procedures (if executed correctly), the employer should take care to apply the right procedure according to the employee’s conduct. In many cases, employers follow the wrong procedure and then dismiss the employee. This poses a real financial risk to the employer if the employee refers the matter to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration and the commissioner issues an award and/or…

The relaxed way in which he makes the wonders of nature easier to appreciate and understand, his own sense of awe and, quite often, humour, and his visible anger with those who have wrecked treasures of the natural world all make Sir David Attenborough everybody’s favourite natural-history presenter. These attributes also explain why his landmark documentary series still feature so regularly on TV, despite being more than 30 years old. Each of these series took years to make, and were accompanied by a book. Two decades later, the second edition of Trials of Life (William Collins, R430) has been infused with fresh life, thanks to full updates from Attenborough and science consultants. Another memorable offering from this great man. WE'RE GIVING AWAY THREE COPIES OF TRIALS OF LIFE! TO ENTER:…

According to research at Cornell University in New York, US, juice, pulp and other waste from apples injected into chicken eggs before hatching show signs of boosting the animals’ intestinal health, the website Successful Farming recently reported. In the study, researchers injected juice, pomace and pulp into the amniotic fluid of the developing embryo inside a chicken egg. After the eggs hatched, samples were collected. Cydney Jackson, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in food science, said he and his team found that introducing apple juice and pomace into the egg could increase the young chicken’s transport system for amino acids, improve the bioavailability of iron, boost the microbial populations in the animal’s large intestine, and support the growth of potentially beneficial gut bacteria. “Apples are comprised…

Dear Prof McCrindle, We have a rat problem in the homestead and outbuildings of our farm, which is in Bathurst in the Eastern Cape. Please could you offer advice? We're aware that, if left unchecked, rats can cause damage to electrical wiring, wooden floors and harvested crops, and they can carry diseases and attract snakes. If rat poison must be used, which one is safest for pets and livestock? Would it be worthwhile to put up owl houses or use cats? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Rats are problematic on farms during the rainy season or in winter, when they seek shelter. Species in South Africa include the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the brown rat (R. norvegicus). The former weighs 150g to 200g and is often found in ceilings,…

ARCHIVE In this second instalment of a two-part article that focused on raising pigs in outdoor enclosures, and how such a system could be profitable for farmers, we continue with housing for gestating sows. If the pregnant sows are kept in a permanent large enclosure, it is worth setting up a row of individual feeding stalls. No matter how far they wander, they will come running to the stalls when called at mealtimes. If sows in large herds are farrowed in batches, it is worth visiting the huts every day to take newborn pigs from big litters and add them to small ones. Evening up litter size in this way makes for a more uniform mass at weaning. When outside, sows seem to take to changelings more readily than when…

Farmers and consumers, both of whom are already under severe financial pressure, will struggle to absorb the 18,65% increase in Eskom's electricity prices recently approved by South Africa's National Energy Regulator (NERSA). This was according to Jannie Strydom, CEO of Agri Western Cape. The hike would take Eskom's electricity price from 146,48c/kWh to 173,8c/kWh during the 2023/24 financial year, and this would be followed by a 12,74% increase for the next financial year, raising the price to 195c/kWh, according to a NERSA statement. Municipalities would have an opportunity to apply for a tariff increase and were likely to add a surcharge. The hikes would come into effect on 1 April for direct customers of Eskom and on 1 July for municipal customers. Strydom said that although the increase was lower…

Actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba have called for more investment in agriculture as hunger, malnutrition and poverty were heightening the risks faced by the world's poorest nations. Inadequate funding in these countries was stifling the ability of small-scale farmers to contribute to food security in their communities. The pair made their plea at last month's World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Their work of advocating on behalf of small-scale farmers across the globe saw them presented with the 2023 Crystal Award, which honoured exceptional artists and cultural leaders. They were both also Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). According to IFAD, small-scale farmers helped produce one-third of the world's food, and more than 70% of the food produced…

FRANCE Danone, one of the world’s largest dairy companies, has announced its plans to cut absolute methane emissions from its fresh milk supply chain by 30% by 2030. It would do so by working with farmers, other companies and governments on regenerative practices. The company, which works directly with 58 000 dairy farmers in 20 countries, said it expected to remove 1,2 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of methane emissions by 2030. UK The environmental benefits of dry-stone walls are at risk unless the government rethinks subsidy rates. This was according to the Northumbria Dry Stone Walling Association in Cumbria, UK, which said the government recognised the walls’ contribution to “biodiversity recovery”. However, association chairperson Paul Foster said the subsidy for the “skilled and physically demanding job” was “woefully…

Nearly two-thirds of the crimes that farmers reported to Free State Agriculture’s (FSA) safety risk desk during the recent festive season involved stock theft, according to Dr Jane Buys, safety risk analyst at FSA. In December 2022, a total of 724 sheep across 26 farming communities in the province were reported stolen, as were a total of 919 head of cattle, Buys said. She added that the animals had been stolen mostly at night. The perpetrators’ modus operandi was generally to cut farm fences and then herd the animals to a central location, where they were either slaughtered or loaded onto vehicles for transport elsewhere. “We had four cases where animals were slaughtered after being stolen. In one case, 35 sheep were slaughtered at the scene of the crime. “[The…

Make no mistake, high-quality management is the magic touch that delivers great businesses. Not even the most brilliant manager can do it alone. From executives to managers to shop stewards, great management is always a team effort. Just ask André de Ruyter, highly qualified and experienced business executive, Eskom’s 10th CEO in 10 years, who departs at the end of March. Eskom’s sole shareholder, the South African government, seems to have done its best to undermine his and the board’s efforts to turn the ailing company around. No doubt there are many loyal and dedicated managers at Eskom, but they face impediments at every turn, such as state-imposed bureaucratic and discriminatory procurement rules and disciplinary processes and procedures that hamper and frustrate them beyond words. Adding to the difficulties they…

The Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) identified beef as one of the local industries with a huge potential to unlock investment and economic growth in rural areas. Of the country’s cattle herd of roughly 12,8 million head, about 41% is produced and owned by black farmers. In 2021, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) estimated that an additional 750 000 weaners could be supplied by black farmers on land-reform farms and in rural areas, provided their herd productivity was improved. This would require investment in rural infrastructure such as dipping tanks, fencing of grazing fields, and better-yielding cattle breeds. Moreover, the BAFP noted that improvements in herd productivity, coupled with government’s efforts to regain South Africa’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-free status, could potentially increase the share of beef…

Senegal is located in the drought-prone Sahel region of West Africa, and has a population of roughly 17 million people. Despite unfavourable weather conditions for agricultural production, around 77% of Senegal’s working population is employed in the sector, which contributes around 15% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Senegalese agriculture is dominated by dryland production, with only around 5% of land under irrigation, and most of the country’s producers are subsistence or small-scale farmers. The primary food crops grown in Senegal include millet, rice, maize and sorghum. Cash crops grown there include groundnuts, sugar cane and cotton; and horticultural crops include melons, mangoes, green beans and tomatoes. Despite this wide variety of crops under production, Senegal remains a net importer of agricultural products, importing around 70% of its demand.…

Hillbilly Homes LIFESTYLE Dear Jonno, My wife and I have bought a site in the Klein Karoo, inland from Mossel Bay. The site has a slight slope (about 10°) from back to front. We would like a double-storey home with two bedrooms on the ground floor, and a third bedroom upstairs. This floor can be fully open-plan; we’ll divide it up with timber walling at a later stage to suit our requirements. Attached is a rough layout of the ground-floor level that we’ll start off with. We would like a thatched roof, as the area isn’t prone to veld fires. We hope these details will be enough to guide you, and look forward to seeing your ideas. Kind regards, Matt and Lauren Dear Matt and Lauren, Thanks for the detailed…

In the wake of the Seventh Cape Frontier War (1846-47) between the British and the Xhosa, Sir Harry Smith, the impulsive new governor of the Cape, reinvented British policy on the colony's Eastern Frontier. Among his ideas was the settling of retired soldiers along the frontier to serve as a buffer to Xhosa incursions. This 'land grab' fuelled great resentment among the Xhosa, and, as we shall see, led to devastating results. SMITH: A HEADSTRONG GOVERNOR Prior to his appointment as governor, Smith had been famously involved in the Sixth Frontier War (1834-35), after which he reported for duty elsewhere in the British Empire. He returned to the Cape as governor in late 1847, complete with the formidable reputation he had acquired in the time since his departure from the…