Table of contents for 10 November 2023 in Farmer's Weekly

At the time of writing, the South African national rugby team was preparing for the final match in the Rugby World Cup 2023, which was held in France this year. After only narrowly beating England in the semi-final the week before, the hype around the Springboks yet again competing in a World Cup final is quite astonishing to behold. Indeed, this whole World Cup has been a marvel to me, although I have never been a massive rugby fan and I rarely watch rugby matches. But this tournament has been different. Every weekend since the beginning of the competition, I have walked around in shopping centres or elsewhere in various parts of the country and have observed a vast majority of South Africans wearing their rugby jerseys. As we witnessed…

The 2023 Road Freight SME Summit at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton enjoyed a highly successful debut, with topics delivering to the needs of the audience and the broader trucking sector. Targeting small fleet owners with five to 100 trucks on the road, topics included critical success factors for road freight SMEs; safety and compliance; the transportation of mining commodities, industry trends on effective and efficient fleet management; the complexities of securing funding for trucking SMEs in the country, and various topics about the next step towards growing a business. Many industry specialists, topic experts, government department heads and academia occupied the high-level speaker platform. They included Mark Makhubalo, CEO of MLM Logistics; Kgomotso Selokane, chairperson of the transport sector B-BBEE Charter Council; Jonathan Mphake, SBV national fleet manager; Professor…

New biodiesel policies in US are set to increase prices for soya beans, while reducing prices for soya bean oil cake over the long term. The US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), has reported that growing US demand for soya bean oil, driven by low-carbon fuel mandates, will continue to suppress soya bean oil exports in 2023/24, widening the trade gap and pushing the US out of the global soya bean oil export market. Agata Kingsbury, a senior economist at the FAS, noted that until recently, the US was a major supplier of soya bean oil to the world. “Exports peaked at 1,5 million tons in 2009/10 and averaged 1 million tons between 2010 and 2021. Then over the last year, exports fell drastically to only 200 000…

One person had died and two people were seriously injured as a result of a recent veldfire that occurred between Dealesville and Bultfontein in the Free State. According to Johan Breytenbach, general manager of the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association, the tragedy occurred in the Dealesville district on 22 October. He told Farmer's Weekly that a total of 6 005 potential burn scars covering an area of 575 665ha was recorded in the province since 1 May. Recorded livestock and big game losses amounted to 1 159, including three buffalo bulls. “The average size of recorded burn scars amounted to about 96ha. The biggest fire occurred in the Winburg/Theunissen area where 32 317ha were destroyed between 30 September and 1 October. “Eighty-nine percent of the total area burnt in…

The Cambodian government recently released a statement on the country's dried fish production methods that has affected production in the Tonle Sap Lake region. According to the government, residents who live in the region rely on the lake's resources for daily meals and income. Many families have been producing dried and fermented fish and selling it at markets to earn a living. A new project thus aimed to help local farmers meet health standards so they could register with the Department of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation to run fullyfledged businesses that can trade nationally and internationally. According to a statement from the project organisation, CapfishCapture, the aim was to enable farmers to contribute towards the development of post-harvest fisheries through establishing a regulatory and institutional system, as well as…

One in five South African households does not know where their next meal will come from and by 2025, nearly half of the population will be food insecure, with 48,96% of the population potentially not having enough to eat. This was according to research commissioned by the Shoprite Group on food insecurity to garner the attention of the country and mobilise South Africans to explore ways to end hunger by 2030 in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The Food Index leveraged data on food insecurity from World Data Lab and was released on World Food Day on 16 October. Despite the unfavourable numbers, the incidences of people escaping food insecurity was improving. In 2020, 52% of South Africa was food insecure. The projections for 2025 showed this falling…

ClemenGold, a South African brand that specialises in premium citrus fruit, has garnered a reputation for excellence that extends far beyond the country's borders. Its journey from a humble citrus farm to international recognition is a testament to the company's commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainable practices. There are several key reasons for ClemenGold's remarkable success. EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY The cornerstone of ClemenGold's success is its unwavering commitment to producing top-quality citrus fruits. The brand has established a reputation for consistently delivering the sweetest, juiciest, and most flavourful citrus. This quality assurance is achieved through a combination of factors, including careful orchard management, advanced agricultural techniques and meticulous harvesting and packing procedures. ClemenGold meticulously selects the best fruit from their orchards, ensuring that each piece meets stringent quality standards. The company's…

SERVES 6 200g maize meal, preferably coarse braai pap 750ml (3 cups) water + extra 250ml (1 cup) 15ml (1 Tbsp) salt 410g whole corn kernels, drained 100g Parmesan cheese 60g butter Avocado or olive oil to fry For the avocado guacamole 2 ripe avocados, peeled and stoned 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 15g (½ punnet) fresh coriander plus a little extra for garnish 1 tomato, deseeded and chopped 1 chilli, deseeded and chopped (optional) 3 to 4 spring onions, finely sliced Juice and zest of 1 lemon •Grease and line a baking tray. •To make the pap squares: In a medium-sized pot, bring the three cups of water to a rolling boil and add the salt. In a separate bowl, mix the maize meal with the remaining one…

Dear Prof McCrindle, I bought two new cows and both got sick. The vet said it was redwater. Can I vaccinate against it? Kind regards, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Yes, you can vaccinate against redwater, but it is complicated. The redwater vaccine used in South Africa is made from blood, and it is freeze-dried and expensive. It has to be kept on dry ice. Once it has been defrosted, it has to be used within four hours. Veterinarians and agricultural co-operatives do not usually keep it in stock, but you can order it from Onderstepoort Biological Products (obpvaccines.co.za). There are two types of the disease, African redwater (Babesia bigemina) and Asiatic redwater (B. bovis), and therefore also two types of vaccine, each in a 5ml bottle (a dose for one cow).…

ARCHIVE According to this article, choosing the correct paprika cultivar and attention to production requirements are vital factors for success. Paprika, as an alternative crop, has saved a number of former tobacco farmers in the Brits and Ohrigstad areas from ruin. Not only is the domestic market for paprika growing steadily, but the export market is also favourable. The success of the South African paprika industry on the export market depends on the quality of its product, says Kobus Serfontein, plant pathologist at the Vegetable and Ornamental Plants Research Institute at Roodeplant. EXPORT MARKET Because paprika is prone to a number of diseases, injudicious use of agrochemicals is sometimes made. Serfontein says such use will certainly affect the good name of local paprika producers on the export market. European countries,…

Although the country has been plagued with social and economic challenges, agriculture played, and was still playing, a crucial role in society, said Minister Thoko Didiza of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. In her address at the Agri SA congress in Kempton Park recently, she told attendees that the expectation was that the sector would have to do even more to contribute to food security, employment creation and equality in the country. She acknowledged that the agriculture sector had performed well over the past few years, despite the challenging conditions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, power crisis, biosecurity threats and weather-related constraints. She said that the size of the agricultural economy was 25% larger than it was three years ago. Agriculture exports have expanded by R47…

In spite of the limiting impact of the ever-decreasing national vineyard surface area, isolated cases of frost and extensive flood damage in some regions, the wine industry is optimistic about the new season's potential, according to Rico Basson, CEO of South African Wine. He said that continuous innovation at farm level in combination with excellent conditions during winter could tip scales in favour of producers in 2024, with informed decision-making and agility to harness the full potential of the season now being of key importance. According to feedback compiled by the industry bodies Vinpro and South African Wine Industry Information and Systems (Sawis), cool, wet conditions that prevailed throughout the 2023 harvest continued into autumn, and brought much-needed relief during the crucial period when vines were recovering from the harvest.…

With large parts of the country currently reporting poor to reasonable veld and livestock conditions, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is urging farmers to be on the lookout for daily extreme weather warnings and implement risk-reduction measures. With land preparations underway for summer crops, veldfires in several provinces have resulted in damage to grazing land and infrastructure, as well as contributing to livestock fatalities, according to the department's climate advisory for the 2023/24 summer season. According to the department, assessments were being conducted by province to quantify the damage. Fortunately, the average level of major dams remained high at around 80% of capacity in most provinces. The Seasonal Climate Watch, issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS), said that above normal rainfall was anticipated for…

The majority of land in Vermont in the US is primarily used for agriculture and the country's food security is largely dependent on the region. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont said that a freak storm dumping 147mm of rain in the area had devastated farms. The association said that close to 100 farmers reported severe flooding in the area with damages ranging from losses in fields to complete destruction. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the rainfall that occurred in under 24 hours had less than 1% chance of occurring in that part of the country. On the first day of the storm, the local government declared a state of emergency due to localised flooding. The government said that the damages have not been completely…

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa recently facilitated a tour of the Joburg Fresh Produce Market for leading Dutch agribusinesses. The tour began at 6am, well into the market's daily routine, and included conversations with producers, sales agents, market management and others who are essential to the dayto-day running of the market at different fruit and vegetable floors. They shared personal reflections on working in the agriculture sector, how the industry functioned and how their own careers had grown within it. The tour was followed by a session at RSA Group offices at the market, where RSA Group CEO Jaco Oosthuizen offered the visiting party a detailed overview of how South Africa's fresh produce market ecosystem functioned. Emile Mulder from the Embassy of the Kingdom…

Grain markets and especially the wheat market was seriously disrupted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prices soared to record levels. As Ukraine is the major supplier of sunflower, prices of the crop increased sharply. Sunflower import parity increased by more than R5 000/ t within a few weeks. As markets recover prices started to trend downwards. The FAO cereals price index decreased by 17% from October last year to September this year. Vegetable oil prices fell by 21%. Indications are that future prices may decrease further. In its latest Global Market Analysis, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts a smaller wheat crop in the 2023/24 season than the record one harvested in 2022/23. Total supplies have fallen as lower production in Australia, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia are not fully…

The 1,5ha Cripps Red orchard that won Two-a-Day's Stewart Murray Champagne Orchard Trophy earlier this year was manipulated to produce 157t of apples per hectare to help reduce plant vigour. One would think such high yields would negatively impact packouts, but it did not. About 128t of the apples went to Two-a-Day's packhouse, of which an impressive 94% was graded as Class 1. What's more, apple counts averaged at 135, which is the best count possible and means each apple measured between 67mm and 72mm in diameter. The orchard, consisting of old strain Cripps Red on MM109 rootstock, was planted at Dunmanway Farm in Grabouw in 2016, at a density of 2 272 trees per hectare. Granny Smith is used as the pollinator, planted every third tree in every third…

Rooibos tea, also known as ‘red bush tea’, has taken the world by storm in recent years. This South African herbal infusion has earned a special place in the hearts of tea lovers and health-conscious individuals around the globe. There are some compelling reasons behind the remarkable success of rooibos tea. HEALTH BENEFITS One of the primary drivers of rooibos tea's success is its impressive array of health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants, including aspalathin and quercetin. Rooibos tea helps combat oxidative stress and inflammation, potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases. It is caffeinefree, making it an excellent choice for those who want to avoid the jitters associated with traditional caffeinated teas. Rooibos tea is also low in tannins, which means it will not interfere with the absorption…

Eikendal Vineyards, situated between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, produces a range of red wine varieties on-farm, but only one white wine variety, namely Chardonnay. Their recent release of Janina Chardonnay 2023 is testimony to the success Eikendal is achieving with this variety and why the estate is considered a leading Chardonnay producer. The Janina Chardonnay, which retails at R140 per bottle, is unwooded with flavours of green apple, lemon and fresh pineapple, along with nuances of honey and orange blossoms and a fresh, flinty finish. The wine was named after the first granddaughter of Eikendal's owners, Janina Saager. Winemaker Aldert Nieuwoudt ascribes their success with Chardonnay to the farm's unique terroir. Their vineyards are planted on eastern slopes of what is considered the ‘golden triangle’ – a top wine-growing region…

Amid myriad challenges the world faces, agriculture demonstrates an exceptional resilience that has endured throughout history. This sector not only sustains humanity with food, but it also fuels economies and fosters self-reliance. In the face of geopolitical issues and commodity price instability, agriculture perseveres. The ever-shifting geopolitical landscape may disrupt global supply chains and create fluctuations in commodity prices, yet agriculture continues to provide the foundation on which these supply chains rely, maintaining a consistent source of sustenance for billions of people across the world. Here at home challenges like the energy crisis, food inflation, rising interest rates, continuous fuel price hikes and dysfunctional local municipalities which struggle to provide service delivery to the majority of South Africans, paint a complex picture of the world's economic landscape. ANCHOR Yet amid…

Natural fertiliser brand, ReStore, has recently entered into a distribution agreement with the Bio Agri Group. Kobus Stoop, CEO of ReStore, said the collaboration signified the importance of the foray of this innovative solution into European markets, with an initial presence in France and Switzerland. The ReStore fertiliser consisted of biochar derived from alien trees in the Overberg and free-range chicken manure. Stoop said that the move towards regenerative agriculture, in combination with greater environmental awareness, was the driving pressure for the use of more environmentally-friendly solutions, such as ReStore. In the EU, the Farm to Fork Strategy, which formed part of the Green Deal, aimed to reduce the use of chemical and hazardous pesticides by 5% by 2030. Stoop said that ReStore supported these shifts by reducing farmers’ dependence…

Increasing challenges and uncertainty in the agriculture sector are resulting in decreased investment. Trends showed that farmers were opting for cheaper, short-term solutions as uncertainty over their future likelihoods prevailed. While the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index rebounded by six points from the second quarter in 2023 to 50 points in the third quarter, the index had remained below the 50-point mark for three consecutive quarters. The readings above the neutral 50-point mark implied that agribusinesses were optimistic about business conditions in South Africa. However, Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, said that the long-standing problems of weakening municipalities, deteriorating roads, rising crime, inefficient logistics, and persistent load-shedding remained major challenges that could undermine the sector's long-term growth. In terms of irrigation equipment, sales trends showed that over the past five…

High levels of food insecurity are expected by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in 2023/24 in Zimbabwe. In its latest Reliefweb report, the OCHA pointed out that double-digit food inflation could be expected in 2023/24. Nearly 3,5 million people in Zimbabwe were projected to be acutely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance at least until March next year. This was caused by exceptionally high food prices that, combined with weak economic growth, had markedly eroded consumers’ purchasing power. Reduced agricultural outputs in the southern and western provinces further added to low food security. Maize meal prices increased sharply in September this year and were more than four times higher on a yearly basis. This meant the annual food inflation rate accelerated to 23%…

UNITED STATES The Iowa Department of Agriculture reported that the highly pathogenic bird flu has been reported in close to 50 000 turkeys in the country recently. According to the government, entire flocks have been culled to prevent the spread of the virus, which is believed to be transmitted by migrating birds. The department said the virus has also infected turkeys in nearby regions, including five in Minnesota and three in South Dakota. These flocks had a total of about 373 000 birds, they said. SCOTLAND Storm Babet in Scotland has cost farmers millions. According to Scotland's weather association, the areas affected most included Angus and Aberdeenshire. Farming organisations in the area said there have been reports of crops being destroyed and livestock farmers had to rescue sheep as soon…

Sheep farmers are at their wits end as damage caused by warthogs is threatening their livelihoods. Discussions that warthogs must be declared as predators is rampant, although the implications of such a decision is still unclear. Research conducted in 2012 by Monlee Swanepoel from the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology at Stellenbosch University showed that warthogs are invasive due to their negative impact on farms in South Africa. Damage caused to fences was the major concern, since these openings allow other predators to gain access to vulnerable livestock. Uprooting the veld and preying on lambs was also of concern. Derek Alexander, a Merino farmer in Trompsburg, Free State, told Farmer's Weekly that the warthogs ran right through the fences on his farm. “It's a continuous struggle to replace fences…

Twelve years ago, farmers in the Rooiberg district, which runs from between Robertson and Worcester, came together to see what they could do to protect the region against veldfires. “Most of the farms and tourism establishments in the region have large parts of mountain land, and we often had fires started by lightning, especially after dry seasons. These fires would burn until they naturally were extinguished, generally after three days, but more often than not only after 10 days,” Adrian says. He is speaking from experience as there was a fire on their farm at the start of last year that burnt for five days in the mountains. Many of the farmers also wanted a conservancy, and as conservation and fire protection marry so well, the decision was made to…

Branding is the art of creating a distinct identity for a product or a business, and in agriculture, it has transcended the notion of being merely a logo or a label. A strong agricultural brand goes far beyond visual elements; it embodies the values, ethos, and commitments of the farm or agribusiness. It tells a story that resonates with consumers, making them feel a sense of connection to the food they consume. Branding within the agricultural sector is no longer limited to large corporations; it is equally vital for small-scale farmers and local producers. In fact, small farms can benefit tremendously from creating a unique brand identity that sets them apart in the competitive market. Whether it is using memorable logos, catchy slogans, or compelling narratives about their farming practices,…

A group of researchers from the University of Tokyo in Japan looked at a new approach to assit farmers to find the optimal harvest time by using artificial intelligent (AI) drones. In the research paper, ‘AI drones to help farmers optimise vegetable yields’, published on ScienceDaily, the team wrote that a new approach to make use of AI and drones could possibly improve the estimation time of harvest by accurately analysing crops to assess growth characteristics. “We have demonstrated a largely automated system to improve crop yields, which can benefit many and may help pave the way for future systems that could one day harvest crops directly,” the group said in a statement. One of the team leaders from the Laboratory of Field Phenomics, associate professor Wei Guo, said that…

Blood Has A Voice: Stories From The Autopsy Table by Hestelle van Staden (Tafelberg, R320) There's great TV demand for true-crime docu-dramas, especially if a particularly sensational and gruesome murder is involved. The genre often combines a traditional murder story with the work of a professional forensic pathologist, a profession that is unlikely to disappear soon, given our high murder rate. Van Staden is one of South Africa's leading forensic pathologists and has conducted more than 7 000 autopsies, we're told. In the clipped language of the professional, she ably leads the reader through nine of the most interesting cases she's had to deal with, explaining the circumstances of death, details of her investigation, and how she determined cause of death. Though she does not indulge in sensation, it is…