Farmer's Weekly 17 June 2022

Mass shootings in the US aren’t an unknown phenomenon. Recently in Uvalde, Texas, an 18-year-old boy walked into a school and killed 19 learners and two teachers with an assault rifle. US President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have seen this as an opportunity to call for greater gun control in that country. By contrast, in South Africa, mass shootings don’t happen particularly often. However, the issue of gun control and citizens’ access to firearms here has been a hot topic for a number of years. Minister of Police Bheki Cele has, on more than one occasion, declared that South African citizens should not have access to firearms. Government has also made it increasingly difficult for law-abiding citizens to buy firearms. The Firearms Control Amendment Bill, for example, seeks to make…

“Inflation is a process of sustained increases in the general price level over a period of time (typically 12 months). Inflation can be calculated for a country, for specific regions in a country and for different income and demographic groups, such as pensioners. These different calculations are important because the spending patterns of regions and groups differ. That means that their rates of inflation also differ. It is therefore important for each household to have a clear understanding of its own inflation rate. A number of countries allow for the development of this improved understanding. For example, South African households can use an Internet tool such as the personal inflation calculator of Statistics South Africa. A personal inflation calculator, based on the spending patterns of households, is also available for Europe, Canada and…

8 July, Gauteng This Calf Rearing course combines practical know-how with prescribed solutions to better empower the farmer or breeder to deal with various scenarios that may be encountered in a cattle operation. It is often overlooked that better preparation of the cow before calving can drastically improve the survival chances for her calf. When dealing with the management of calves, there is more than one way to do it properly. This course looks at these methods. The most important inoculations and treatment processes are also addressed in detail. Email Rothman Livestock and Training Services at office@RLTSafrica.com. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 16 JUNE Delheim Estate Wild Mushroom Foraging, Stellenbosch. Email Delheim Estate at marketing@delheim. 21 TO 22 JULY Precision Farming and Technology, Protea Hotel, Sea Point, Cape Town. Visit mathematraining.co.za/upcoming-events-bookings. COURSES AND TRAINING 22 TO 24 JUNE Basic Sheep Production Course, Groenkloof,…

Trouble with cabbages Dear Bill Kerr, I am a small-scale farmer who plants cabbages in the Eastern Cape. My area was also affected by the recent floods. My cabbages have developed weird root bulbs. When I googled the condition, I discovered that it’s clubroot disease. Is it curable? If so, what can I use? I would greatly appreciate your help. Regards, Zukile Malamlela Hi Zukile, Your cabbages do indeed have clubroot. The most effective way to deal with it is to raise the pH level of your irrigation water to 7,3, as this will prevent the disease from causing this problem. You can use agricultural lime to raise the pH level. Get your soil analysed and contact your fertiliser salesperson for advice on which lime and what quantity to use. Blessings, Bill Tru-Cape veteran bids farewell to legendary apple breeder Pioneering British-Australian apple breeder…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA ‘AGRI JOB FIGURES POSITIVE, DESPITE QUARTER-ON-QUARTER DECREASE’ The employment figures for the first quarter of 2022, announced by Statistics South Africa on 30 May in its Quarterly Labour Force Survey, highlighted the importance of the agriculture sector as an employer in South Africa. Read the full article at bit.ly/3GIDLIX, or scan here: Posted: 1 June 2022. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA Farmer’s Weekly posted a link to an article titled ‘SA citrus exported through Maputo port again’, and some followers shared their opinions on the situation. Posted: 1 June 2022. READERS’ COMMENTS David Fincham: “Great for Mozambique, but at what cost to [South Africa’s] economy and markets?” Gerrit Conradie: “Angola just completed the refurbishment of its ports and a new railway line [from DRC to its ports] in record time. Soon all the minerals will [be…

In this article, a leading South African livestock expert gave his outlook on the country’s sheep industry. While South African wool farmers were riding the crest of the wave last season, a slight decrease in demand has occurred during the present wool-selling season. This decrease, says John Ronald, senior sheep consultant at Stock Owners, is partly attributed to the mild winter experienced in the Northern Hemisphere. Aggravating the situation is the fact that China is not buying wool this season due to its internal unrest problems, foreign-debt repayments, and the fact that it overbought wool last year. Australia is experiencing balance-of-payment problems, and it is expected to devalue its currency shortly. There are also other political implications in that country that could affect wool availability. BUYING MORE However, Japan is again buying more wool in…