Farmer's Weekly 8 July 2022

On 21 June, I facilitated the Potatoes South Africa (PSA) round-table talk on the state of fresh produce markets in the country (see page 21). During the discussion, attendees were encouraged to interact with each other to find solutions to the problems currently plaguing South Africa’s fresh produce markets. While the current challenges facing fresh produce markets were debated to offer context, the aim of the round table was to find solutions to these issues, and to discuss how the public and private sectors could collaborate to improve the markets. Unfortunately, only the Joburg Market was represented on the panel. In a dialogue as important as this one, I was hoping for a greater presence of the markets. Some of the challenges spoken about included maintenance issues and problems with safety and…

“Maize is produced across South Africa by both small- and large-scale operations to support household consumption and the livestock sector. The most important field crop produced in the country, it is a staple food and the main source of nutrition for most of the population. It provides an effective supply of carbohydrates, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and essential fatty acids. When processed, white maize feeds millions of South Africans in the form of porridge. When made into other products such as maize flour, it provides the basis for many baked goods, an array of snacks, and much else. Yellow maize, in turn, is used as feed by livestock farmers. National consumption of the grain has grown by 27% over the past 10 years (see Graph 1). RISING FERTILISER AND FUEL PRICES Despite all the…

18 to 22 July, Pretoria This Aquaculture course offers a basic understanding of the aquaculture sector, how to start an aquaculture venture, the overall needs for fish farming to be profitable, and the opportunities and challenges facing the industry. Some of the modules covered include fish biology and physiology, water quality requirements for fish, fish nutrition, fish health and diseases, and various production systems, amongst others. Email Mpho Makhanya of the Agricultural Research Council at makhanyam@arc.agric.za. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND EXPOS 21 TO 22 JULY Precision Farming and Technology, Protea Hotel, Sea Point, Cape Town. Visit mathematraining.co.za/upcoming-events-bookings. 21 TO 24 JULY Cannabis Expo, Globe at Suncoast, Durban. Visit thecannabisexpo.co.za, or email info@thecannabisexpo.co.za. COURSES AND TRAINING 19 JULY Wilderness Trails Skills, Makuleke Concession. Email Lizaan Viljoen at enquiries@ecotraining.co.za, or phone 013 752 2532. 20 JULY Calf Rearing, Gauteng. Email Rothman Livestock and Training Services…

SA Canegrowers celebrates the future of South African sugar farming On 16 June, South Africa commemorated Youth Day and the contribution that the country’s youth have made to the fight for freedom. The South African Cane Growers’ Association (SA Canegrowers) also celebrates the efforts of today’s youth who are charting a new course in the agricultural industry. With the recent graduation of another class from SA Canegrowers’ youth internship programme, the sugar industry can be proud of the work that the association is doing to empower the youth and create a place for a new generation of farmers. SA Canegrowers launched the internship programme in 2019, in partnership with the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) and funded through the sugar industry’s transformation fund. It is aimed at equipping aspiring young farmers with both…

MOST POPULAR ON FARMERSWEEKLY.CO.ZA PLANS AFOOT TO RETURN ANGOLA COFFEE PRODUCTION TO FORMER GLORY Angola has set its sights on the global coffee market, and so far two companies have invested in the expansion of coffee production in the historical coffee-producing areas of that country. Read the full article at bit.ly/3A5ztKa, or scan here: Posted: 20 June 2022. Follow us at @FarmersWeeklySA FROM FACEBOOK @FarmersWeeklySA When Farmer’s Weekly posted a link to an article titled ‘Records abound at South Africa’s national Ankole auction’, some of our followers shared their thoughts on the matter. Posted: 22 June 2022. READERS’ COMMENTS Rianette Kemp: “This is going to go the same way as wildlife auctions. Men are bidding with their egos, and in a few years the market [will] crash.” Thembelani Msomi: “Why would an investor buy them from Phala Phala, when they can…

There are more advantages to using an ultrasound scanner on sheep than simply saving money, as this article showed. Ultrasound scanning of ewes for pregnancy between 42 and 100 days more than pays for itself in reduced feeding costs of singletonbearing ewes and those that aren’t in-lamb. There are many more important advantages, however, says Dr Ian Herbst, a veterinarian from Caledon, Western Cape, who, together with his colleague, Dr Ricky Wilson, pioneered commercial scanning in South Africa in 1985. “Identification of the ewes that aren’t in-lamb saves feeding costs in areas such as Caledon, where supplementary feed is given to in-lamb and lambing ewes, ” Herbst explains. “Feeding costs are 40c/kg [about R2,90/kg], so if ewes are given 500g a day for 100 days, it costs R20 [R145] per ewe (R20 000 [R145…