Farmer's Weekly 14 October 2022

On 27 September, Danish and Swedish officials announced that two leaks had been identified along the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. Only a few hours prior to this, those same officials had announced a similar development concerning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. These gas pipelines have dominated news headlines in recent months due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries. In early September, delivery of gas from Russia to Europe via Nord Stream 2 was suspended citing a “technical fault”. However, widespread speculation was that Russian President Vladimir Putin was responding to sanctions imposed on his country. At the time, Europe and the US were discussing implementing caps on the price of Russian oil.…

“Inflation is a global problem. At the end of August, it was 8,3% in the US and 9,1% in the Euro area. It was 20,3% in Nigeria, 25% in Malawi, and over 30% in Ethiopia and Ghana. The impact on Africa has been devastating. The International Energy Agency estimates that by the end of the year, 30 million more Africans will be unable to afford fuel for cooking. The World Bank estimates that the number of Africans living in extreme poverty will increase from 424 million in 2019 to 463 million this year. There is no agreement on why this is happening. Some argue that it is primarily a supply side problem. The dislocations in supply chains caused by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have reduced…

The five-day Beef Cattle Short Course is designed to help attendees apply basic beef cattle production skills to their farms to ensure that their ventures are as profitable as possible. The course covers the following modules: cattle breeds and breeding, nutrition for the beef herd, veld management, animal health, reproduction, and beef-production management. Phone AgriSkills Transfer on 012 460 9585, or email admin@agriskills.net. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 17 TO 18 NOVEMBER Agribusiness Conference 2022, Protea Hotel, Sandton. Email Buhle Ndokweni at buhle@mathema.oo.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, Emperors Palace. Email info@bussynet.co.za. COURSES AND TRAINING 16 TO 21 OCTOBER Wilderness Trails Skills, Makuleke Concession. Email Roxanne Cragg at enquiries@ecotraining.co.za, or phone 013 752…

A return to the Eston Show The Eston Show took place in mid--September after a two-year absence due to the COVID19-related lockdowns. Now in its 68th year, the 2022 Eston Show, one of the oldest agricultural shows in KwaZulu-Natal, attracted farmers and community members alike. The weekend was jam-packed with activities and entertainment for everyone to enjoy (from storytelling and trail running to a horseback outride and a tug-of-war competition), and great fun was had by one and all. - The Eston Show Finding love through FW Dear Fanner's Weekly, I would like to let you know that I met a lovely farmer through 'The Hitching Post'. We built a fantastic connection, and then started making plans for me to move to his farm in Wartburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Sadly, though, my farmer passed away before this could…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA BOTSWANAN CITRUS FARMERS JOIN CITRUS GROWERS' ASSOCIATION The Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has welcomed a decision by Botswanan growers to join the association. According to Justin Chadwick, CEO of the CGA, the organisation looked forward to sharing its knowledge and expertise with these farmers. Read the full article at bit.ly/3fp4II2, or scan here: Posted: 28 September 2022. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA When we posted a link to an article titled 'Growing hemp: SA takes a step closer to commercial cultivation', a few of our followers shared their thoughts on the topic. Posted: 18 September 2022. READERS' COMMENTS David Muhadi: “The problem we have with [the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority] is that isn't available to [enable the] application process. I know several people who tried many times to get…

43 YEARS AGO 1911 25 July 1979 2022 In this article, a poultry breeder near Potchefstroom claimed that his new fast-maturing broiler was the heaviest in South Africa at slaughter age. About 3,5 million chicks of a new broiler breed, claimed to possibly be the heaviest broiler in South Africa at slaughter, have found a ready market here and in adjoining countries, in spite of a selling price that's above that normally asked for by other breeders. The breeder, Jan Serfontein, who farms with his uncle near Potchefstroom, North West, believes in putting a price on quality. A director of the poultry establishment TA Serfontein Ltd [now Serfontein Poultry], Serfontein says their new broiler was bred from five pure varieties of Cornish game males and nine pure varieties of white females of other breeds, mainly Plymouth Rock.…