Farmer's Weekly 17 February 2023

In many parts of the world, eggs remain the most affordable source of protein for consumers. This is certainly true for a country like South Africa, where the vast majority of people live on very little income and cannot afford to buy red or even white meat. The same can be said for developed nations like the US and UK. Eggs in the US, for example, are suddenly in short supply, which means that prices have skyrocketed over the past few weeks. The New York Times reported in mid-January that, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a dozen eggs cost consumers around US$3,59 (about R61), compared with the $US1,39 (R24) paid for the same number of eggs in January 2022. (For comparison, at Pick n Pay, you'll pay around…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly. This is an edited excerpt from a paper titled ‘Impacts of a trophy hunting ban on private land conservation’, written by Parker, K et al and published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice. To read the full paper, visit bit.ly/3DoJZNN. “Private land conservation areas (PLCAs) have become critical for achieving global conservation goals, but we lack understanding of how and when these areas respond to global pressures and opportunities. In Southern Africa, where many PLCAs rely on trophy hunting as income-generating strategies, a ban on trophy hunting locally or abroad would hold unknown consequences for the future conservation of these lands. In this study, we investigated the consequences of a potential trophy-hunting ban in PLCAs in two…

The Understanding Aquaponics course includes comprehensive aquaponics training for hobbyists and start-up farmers on sustainable food production and food security. Phone Asa Casa on 083 658 0345, or Philip Aust in at philip@asa.casa. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 20 TO 23 FEBRUARY Animal Reproduction and Embryo Transfer and Flushing Seminar, Irene Dairy Farm, Pretoria. Email info@empiretraining.co.za. 20 TO 24 MARCH Africa Regional Apimondia ‘ Symposium, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, Durban. Visit apimondiaafrica2023.org.za. 20 TO 31 MARCH Smart Farming: Transforming Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security in Africa, Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Pretoria Menlyn. Phone Edna Lupiya on 011 862 4001. 24 TO 26 MARCH Cannabis Expo, GrandWest, Cape Town. Visit thecannabisexpo.co.za. COURSES AND TRAINING 14 FEBRUARY TO 9 APRIL The Fundamentals of Macadamia Production (online). Phone Agricolleges International on 063 940 0334, or email info@agricolleges.com. 23 TO 24 FEBRUARY Comprehensive Governance, Risk and Compliance Course,…

Netherwood Farm, owned by well-known South African cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Robert Kleinloog, is situated on a hilltop in the heart of the Midlands Meander in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Having started as the Netherwood Stud in 1997, the farm has since soared to new heights. With three distinct business divisions - Property, Stud Farming, and Hospitality and Leisure - this venture is poised to take the next step in further refining the experiences at its accommodation, restaurants, microbrewery and more. Kevin Hedderwick, former group chief executive of Famous Brands and a long-time friend of Kleinloog, suggested they consider the opportunities that exist for them to apply their knowledge in elevating Netherwood Farm's status to that of a multipurpose tourist destination. Hedderwick has a wealth of experience in the hospitality sector, and currently runs his own…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA LOAD-SHEDDING AND UNCERTAINTY THREATEN FRUIT-PROCESSING INDUSTRY The fruit-processing sector is experiencing tremendous challenges because of the power crisis and uncertainty over the future of Western Cape processing company Langeberg & Ashton Foods. This was according to Jacques Jordaan, CEO of the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association. Read the full article at bit.ly/40nmD4P, or scan here: Posted: 31 January 2023. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA PHOTOS OF THE WEEK We asked our followers on Facebook to post photos of their guard dogs on our page. Here's a collage of canines we put together. Via Facebook. Posted: 26 January 2023. CREDIT: AGRI NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD BIRD FLU SPILLS OVER FROM BIRDS TO MAMMALS, ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES IN THE UK Avian influenza is spilling over from birds into wild ‘scavenger’ mammals such as foxes and otters as the disease spreads…

In this second instalment of a two-part article that looked at the impact of the birth of the first test-tube calf in Africa, we continue with the splitting of embryos after they have been sexed. Embryo splitting is available at the discret ion of the reproductive physiologist. The embryo is split in two for the intentional production of identical offspring. Dallas Shaw, a BSc graduate of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, says the breeder can, in theory, obtain two pregnancies from one embryo. These demiembryos can be twinned without the risk of getting freemartinism, as the halves are of identical sex. Alternatively, each half can be transferred to a recipient of its own. The use of the ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval, or ovum pick-up (OPU) technique, will also enable the production of multiple offspring from…