Farmer's Weekly 12 August 2022

The consequences of climate change are apparent throughout the world. There have been heatwaves across Europe, for instance, with temperatures in some regions soaring to record highs. Of course, enduring heatwaves and limited rainfall have major effects on agriculture. And while scientists are constantly developing cultivars that are more heat- and drought-tolerant, the world’s farming practices have to change in order to ensure that sufficient food is produced. And farmers are certainly doing this. As agriculture is the most climate-sensitive industry in the world, farmers are well aware of the consequences of climate change. According to a 2021 study conducted by economist Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, associate professor at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University in the US, warmer temperatures are particularly detrimental to agricultural growth.…

“The world’s food systems have developed in a way that is not serving health and sustainability. People are increasingly eating industrially produced foods that are low in nutrients and high in fats and sugars. For example, in South Africa between 2005 and 2010, sales of snack bars, ready meals and noodles all rose by more than 40%. These are associated with increasing levels of obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes. The diets of people living in poverty are typically monotonous, dominated by refined grains with an impact on nutrition, especially for children. Healthy diets remain unaffordable for most South Africans. The way food is produced, processed and transported also has environmental impacts. Among these are loss of biodiversity, high levels of water extraction and greenhouse gas emissions. At the heart of the…

16 October to 5 November, George Email Rothman Livestock and Training Services at office@RLTSafrica.com. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 16 TO 18 AUGUST South African Sugar Technologists’ Association Congress, ICC, Durban. Email sasta@sugar.org.za. 17 TO 18 AUGUST Southern Africa Conference, Century City Conference City, Cape Town. Email membershipsa@freshproduce.com. 29 AUGUST TO 2 SEPTEMBER Southern Africa’s Agri-Tech Trends and Technology, Pretoria. Visit africa-agri.co.za/#goingforward. COURSES AND TRAINING 15 TO 19 AUGUST Introduction to Poultry Production, Pretoria. Email Mpho Makhanya at makhanyam@arc.agric.za, or phone 012 672 9153. 22 TO 26 AUGUST Academy Poultry Module, George. Email Rothman Livestock and Training Services at office@RLTSafrica.com. 28 AUGUST TO 3 SEPTEMBER Wildlife Management, Mpumalanga. Email Rothman Livestock and Training Services at office@RLTSafrica.com. 7 TO 9 SEPTEMBER Basic Sheep Production Course, Groenkloof, Pretoria. Phone AgriSkills Transfer on 012 460 9585, or email admin@agriskills.net. 8 TO 13 SEPTEMBER Commercial: Mushroom Substrate Design, Cultivation, Marketing and Business Planning (virtual…

As part of this year’s Mandela Month celebrations in July, the late Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela, through her Thembekile Mandela Foundation, partnered with Ford South Africa to donate school shoes and bags to 1 150 learners at the Clarkebury Agricultural School, located in the Chris Hani District of the Eastern Cape. Madiba himself was enrolled at this school in 1934 at the age of 16. The initiative honours his legacy by supporting underprivileged communities, and providing more children with the opportunity to attend school. ‘TO TURN THE TIDE ON POVERTY, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY LEARNER RECEIVES A GOOD EDUCATION’ “We are honoured and privileged to be supporting an initiative that was very close to [Madiba’s] heart,” says Esther Buthelezi, executive director of government affairs and transformation at Ford South Africa.…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA IMPORTANCE OF VIGILANCE STRESSED AFTER KESTELL FARM MURDERS The murder of seven people on Lismore Farm in the Kestell district on Friday, 15 July has reaffirmed the importance of vigilance and having an up-to-date rural safety plan in place to empower farmers against farm attacks. This was according to Uys van der Westhuizen, chairperson of Agri SA’s rural safety committee. Read the full article at https://bit.ly/3zEwZ5a, or scan here: Posted: 21 July 2022. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA We posted a link to an article titled, ‘Considering the switch to solar energy? Read this first!’, and some of our followers shared their views on the subject. Posted: 19 July 2022. READERS’ COMMENTS Berdine Nel: “Not all households have R250 000 to install [solar panels].” Manfred Schmidt: “Solar power is definitely the answer to South Africa’s…

In this article, a cattle farmer in the Drakensberg area of KwaZulu-Natal revealed how he raised sleek, hardy animals under harsh conditions. It is late August. A cold, biting wind blows off the snow-capped Drakensberg and the veld is short and not very palatable, yet grazing on it are some of the sleekest cattle you’ve ever seen. Their coats are shiny and they’re in beautiful condition, despite the fact that they only have the remains of the grass and a lick to eat. These are obviously hardy animals, and that is just what JM Smythe of Bester, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), has bred them to be. JM is this year’s winner of the NLK trophy for the best general farmer in northern KZN, and trophies for the best general farmer, best cattle farmer and best…