Farmer's Weekly 13 May 2022

The year is certainly flying by at lightning speed, and it’s incredible that we are already entering the annual cycle of agricultural shows in South Africa. Grain SA’s Nampo Harvest Day, the biggest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere, is back with a bang this year after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown restrictions. Nampo has been a mainstay of the local agricultural calendar since the 1960s (see pages 48 to 50), and has become a place where farmers and other agricultural role players can network and socialise. Nampo is, after all, not only about highlighting new advancements in agriculture; it is also about the people who drive the sector forward. In addition, it gives city dwellers a chance to be a part of the farming…

“The global population is expected to reach 9,7 billion in 2050. To meet the increasing demand for food, overall food production will need to be raised by about 70% above 2009 levels. New food sources imply those that have not been widely consumed, either because their consumption has been historically restricted to certain regions in the world, or because they have recently emerged in the global retail space thanks to technological innovations. PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVES The growing trend in adopting plant-based diets is propelling advancements in the plant-based-alternatives industry. However, from a public health perspective, there has been limited research on the nutritional aspects of plant-based alternatives. • Food safety implications Contamination of plant-based food products with pathogens can occur through contact with sources like animal manure or contaminated water. Various proteins found in plant-based…

The Delheim Estate Wild Mushroom Foraging event offers expert-tutored excursions during the annual season’s short window period, following the first winter rain. Participants will learn which mushrooms to scout for, as well as the benefits of mushrooms for human health. Email Delheim Estate at marketing@delheim. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 12 TO 13 MAY Drone and Unmanned Aviation Conference, Emperors Palace, Kempton Park. Email info@bussynet.co.za. 25 TO 27 MAY Irrigation, Drainage and Water Management Summit, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cape Town. Email Charity Wockelmann at charity@irrigationfmi.co.za. 1 TO 3 JUNE Pump Operation and Maintenance Workshop, Protea Hotel, Sandton. Email Mathema Conferencing and Training at info@mathema.co.za. 21 TO 22 JULY Precision Farming and Technology, Protea Hotel, Sea Point, Cape Town. Visit mathematraining.co.za/upcoming-events-bookings. COURSES AND TRAINING 9 TO 13 MAY Introduction to Poultry Production, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria. Email Mpho Makhanya at makhanyam@arc.agric.za. 23 TO 25 MAY Tractor Operation…

The outbreaks of foot-an-mouth disease (FMD) around South Africa don’t only pose a threat to livestock farmers; they threaten the veterinarian profession and medical science field in the country. Until recently, South Africa’s veterinary services were held in high regard around the world. The danger that the country’s veterinarians now face is their inability to efficiently discharge their professional duties decisively through the management and control of animal diseases, largely due to a lack of vaccines in some instances. The standard and quality of a country’s veterinary services is judged by how said country manages outbreaks of controlled animal diseases such as FMD, brucellosis, anthrax and African horse sickness. CORRUPTION AND MISMANAGEMENT The once revered Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) is a shadow of its former self as a result of corruption and mismanagement over…

According to the North West producer featured in this article, Smuts finger grass increased his farm’s carrying capacity tenfold. Smuts finger grass (Digitaria eriantha), planted on exhausted lands and the stony slopes and gravelly ridges of hills, has increased tenfold the carrying capacity of the beef farm Wagkraal, owned by Rubin Redelinghuys, who farms in the Potchefstroom district of North West. Although results of government trials to measure the stocking rate of Smuts finger grass do not reveal such a high carrying capacity over veld, Redelinghuys explains that his farm was in a very poor condition when he began experiments with the grass seven years ago. The grass cover at Wagkraal is now extremely dense, the tall, robust stalks all but concealing grazing animals, while passage through it is difficult. Farmers, grass experts and…

Despite being mostly semi-arid, South Africa produces ample agricultural output. As a country, we export about half of what we produce in value terms per year. These exported products were worth a record US$12,4 billion (about R189 billion) in 2021. The exportable products are diverse, including wine, maize, citrus, nuts, berries, grapes, wool, fruit juices, beef, apples and pears, among others. South Africa’s export markets are also diverse, spread across the African continent, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. We have achieved this progress, in part, due to the openness of South African policymakers, agribusinesses and farmers to technological advancements, both mechanical and biological, which have been instrumental in driving productivity higher. The reality of our environment means that we cannot produce all products we need in South Africa. For example,…