Farmer's Weekly

At the time of writing this column, truckers in Canada were protesting that country’s vaccine mandates. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had recently made it a requirement for truckers crossing into Canada from the US to prove they were fully vaccinated

Continuing on from last week’s column (see FW, 25 February), this article looked at further market constraints for South African paprika farmers at the time, as well as the growing conditions needed to produce this crop. Once the crushed paprika pods

Managing editor Janine Ryan, janiner@caxton.co.za News editor Julinda Schroeder, julindas@caxton.co.za Art director Louis Kruger Designer Melani de Beer Chief copy editor Paul Sulter Copy editors Fanie de Villiers and Jenna van der Walt Digital edito

Recently, I have been seduced into forming agricultural interests, in part by Wouter Kriel’s articles on saffron in Farmer’s Weekly [see FW, 29 October 2021], but also by the author Pat Willard. Her book Secrets of Saffron is charmingly subtitled ‘Th

he African Union (AU) has declared 2022 as the ‘Year of Nutrition’ and is reasserting the continent’s commitment to address food and nutrition insecurity among its people. Ironically, this declaration was made as the Horn of Africa endures the worst

In the years since 1994, South Africa has made notable progress towards growing agricultural production and achieving food security. While the country’s population grew 25% between 2000 and 2021, summer grain production (the country’s staple) more th

As poaching syndicates move their focus from animals in the Kruger National Park towards easier prey, rhino poaching on private reserves in Limpopo and Mpumalanga has increased. Albi Modise, spokesperson for the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has indicated that the legislation governing scrap-metal dealers could be tightened to prevent them from buying material stolen from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). It is estimated that the South A

Christo van der Rheede, executive director of Agri SA, has expressed certainty that the newly installed board of the Land Bank, and a new CEO, who still has to be appointed, will inspire confidence in the bank. “The Land Bank is too big an institutio

Global food prices have remained elevated so far this year due to higher demand, caused in part by panic buying as a result of the uncertainty brought about by geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe. According to Johnny van der Merwe, managing direc

Beef farmers in Botswana have expressed concern that smallholder cattle production could decline, due to the low prices paid by feedlots and meat processing companies. That country’s cattle population had declined from around three million head in 20

Lithuania’s veterinary control agency has announced that China has suspended imports of beef, dairy and beer from that country, amid a growing trade dispute over the Baltic nation’s relations with Taiwan. China’s General Administration of Customs inf

China’s vice-premier Hu Chunhua has called for the expansion of soya bean production in that country. Speaking at a meeting on a spring crop production farm in Shandong province, he also stressed the importance of stabilising the area planted to grai

The Water Research Commission (WRC) recently made research available that could help farmers improve the irrigation of their avocado orchards. The WRC said in a statement that producing a single 250g avocado required between 150ℓ and 200ℓ of water. “

Removal permit requirements for oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) have been lifted for lemons. This means that farmers no longer need to apply for a removal permit to move lemons out of any area where the fly is considered as either present or

The finalisation of the constitution of South Africa’s Grain Research Programme is another step towards the formation of a comprehensive and independent agricultural research unit for the broader agriculture industry, driven by the private sector and

Diseases could be on the rise due to the rapid rate at which various fly populations have increased over recent months. Dr Faffa Malan, managing director of the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa, said biting flies were transmitters of s

Namibia’s Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO), which is affiliated to the Namibia Agricultural Union, has expressed serious concern about the management of Meatco, that country’s primary meat processing, marketing and beef exporting entity. Thinu

The rise in cases of lumpy skin disease in South Africa could have a severe economic impact, as the disease weakens livestock, permanently damages hides, and can lead to 10% more deaths and abortions, experts have warned. “This year’s above-average r

The Income Tax Act provides general principles that are applicable to farming and other businesses alike. However, there are certain nuanced rules and provisions that specifically govern the taxation of farming operations. Producers need to comply wi

Serious food insecurity can be expected in Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique until the start of the grain harvest in April. This was according to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the food security outloo

The price of Class A beef carcasses in mid-February was 2,6% higher month-on-month (m/m), while that of Class C was almost 6% higher (see Graph 1). These increases allowed for a slight improvement of 0,7% in profitability, as indicated by the beef-to

The professional relationship between employer and employee is based on mutual benefits, respect and trust. Inevitably, in some cases, this relationship will sour due to poor work performance, conflict, misconduct, a breach of trust or other factors.

Jack Evans, the long-serving and much-loved company accountant of our business, was something of a philosopher who didn’t take life too seriously. He always had a smile and a joke for the right moment, yet he used to drive me mad. Not once in all the

A successful and profitable farming enterprise is often based on partnerships. While it can be difficult in a communal farming setting to develop such relationships, there is nothing stopping you and a few other farmers in your area from working toge

South Africa has a triple challenge of rising unemployment, poverty, and inequality that has long been part of our society. Recently, however, these socio-economic problems have been exacerbated by a variety of factors, including the outbreak of the

Various production trends are shaping the wine industry, with most of these aimed at increasing the environmental and financial sustainability of farms. Conrad Schutte, Vinpro consultation services manager, says that farmers in general are putting mo

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt the wine industry a severe blow, locally and internationally, with beer, cider and wine sales in 2021 remaining below 2019 pre-crisis levels, according to Lulie Halstead, CEO of Wine Intelligence. Halstead, who spoke a

In a research paper published recently in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports, Dr Britt Burton-Freeman et al reported that the consumption of watermelon reduced blood pressure in their study’s participants. This research was collected and ana

At midnight on 24 May 1842, trader, farmer and big game hunter Dick King and his 16-year-old employee, Ndongeni ka Xoki, were rowed across the bay at Port Natal. Their horses, urged on by their masters, who clutched the reins, swam behind the small r

Razina Theba’s memoir, A HOME ON VORSTER STREET (Jonathan Ball, R260), opens the door on vibrant family and community life in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, in the 1980s and beyond. Theba, an attorney, has written a lively and insightful book that contains

While 72% of the 9 009 bales on offer at the 21st sale of the season tested 20 microns or finer, only 39% of the offering consisted of long wools, with 21,4% of the bales certified as Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) wools. The non-RWS indicator eased

Dear Prof McCrindle, Why does my male Maltese keep marking around the house, even though he has been fixed? Is there anything I can do about this? Kind regards, Ursula Dear Ursula, Urinating in the house is usually territorial behaviour. While this i

MEDIUM DIFFICULT HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that each row and column, as well as each of the 3 x 3 squares, contains all the digits from 1 to 9. Look out for the answers to this week’s Sudoku puzzles in next week’s magazine. ■