Farmer's Weekly 31 March 2023

In this issue of Farmer's Weekly, our focus is on intensive agriculture and the technology available to help farmers produce more with less water and fewer inputs and on smaller areas of land. As the global population continues to grow at a rapid pace, so too will the demand for food, which means farmers will find themselves under increasing pressure to meet this demand. Objectively speaking, of course, the best way to meet said demand is through increased production and, in turn, the best way to boost production is through the use of technology and machine learning. In our feature on page 44, we take a look at the latest irrigation technology available to farmers. While they differ in terms of application and use, they all have one thing in common: artificial…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer's Weekly. Dr Elizabeth Mkandawire is a research assistant at the University of Pretoria's (UP) Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being. She is also the network and research manager for the Food Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNet-Africa), a collaborative project between the UP, the University of Leeds in the UK, and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network. Dr Selorm Dorvlo is a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Ghana and a fellow in the FSNet-Africa project. “The world is beginning to recognise that the face of African farming is female. In some parts of Africa and Asia, women constitute up to 60% of the agricultural labour force. They also grow…

CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 30 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. 3 TO 5 MAY Africa International Sustainable Agriculture production, Biotechnology and Engineering Conference, Cape Town Convention Centre. Email at charity@federatedmi.co.za. COURSES AND TRAINING 25 TO 26 MARCH Understanding Aquaponics, Cape Town. Phone Asa Casa on 083 658 0345, or email Philip Austin at philip@asa.casa. 27 TO 31 MARCH Introduction to Broiler Production, Delmas. Apply online at learn.buhle.org.za/learn, or visit buhle.org.za. 29 TO 31 MARCH Water Quality Management and Risk Assessment Workshop, Radisson Blu Hotel, Sandton. Email info@mathema.co.za. 10 TO 14 APRIL Introduction to Piggery Management, Delmas. Apply online at learn.buhle.org.za/learn, or visit buhle.org.za. 14 APRIL Beef Cattle Farmers’ Day, FM Bonsma Auditorium, Irene. Email Frans Jordaan at fransj@arc.agric.za. 16 TO 28 APRIL Academy Pasture, Grazing,…

In the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 2023 State of the Nation Address in early February, “Millions of South Africans are unable to provide for themselves and their families.” While taking action against loadshedding and rising inflation are top priorities in the country, food insecurity and hunger remain a major ongoing crisis, with an estimated 20 million people going to bed hungry every night in South Africa. Organisations like Chefs with Compassion (CWC) play a vital role in the fight against hunger, and yet they fight a daily battle to fund their efforts. In the case of CWC, these efforts are aimed not just at hunger relief in the most vulnerable communities across Johannesburg, Gauteng, but also at rescuing nutritious, edible food that would otherwise go to waste. MILLIONS OF MEALS Since…

52 YEARS AGO 1911 10 December 1971 2023 In this third and final instalment in a series of articles on the encroachment by black thorn trees in the Molopo region of North West, we continued with further methods of the mechanical eradication of these trees. Other methods of mechanical eradication of black thorn (Senegalia mellifera) include bulldozing and axing, which cost about R264 and R230/ha respectively, excluding piling and burning costs. The first method could be very worthwhile where total bush clearance is justified, while axing is slow and difficult, requiring plenty of labour. However, according to Vryburg extension officer Christo Malo, a survey has shown stem-burning to be the most popular, the most effective and one of the cheapest black thorn control measures. Depending on the material used to build the fires, this can cost…

Over the coming months, we will receive various data releases to help guide our thinking about South Africa's agricultural growth prospects in 2023. The available soft insights suggest that near-term growth prospects of South Africa's agricultural economy look weak after subdued growth of 0,3% y/y in 2022. For example, the livestock and poultry industries, which account for roughly half of the agriculture sector's value, are under pressure amid relatively muted cattle and beef prices while farmers also continue to face higher input costs for maize and soya beans. The ongoing load-shedding is particularly challenging for the poultry industry, with the unreliable electricity supply causing significant production interruptions. As various energy solutions are explored on some farms, the financial costs will persist over the coming months. Similarly, the red meat industry faces an…