Farmer's Weekly

Editor Janine Ryan, janiner@caxton.co.zaNews editor Julinda Schroeder, julindas@caxton.co.zaArt director Louis KrugerDesigner Melani de BeerChief copy editor Paul SulterCopy editors Fanie de Villiers and Jenna van der WaltDigital editor Sindira Chett

OneFarm Share is a digital platform that matches farmers with requests for fresh produce from registered charities. Launched in 2021 by Standard Bank, and powered by the HelloChoice digital trading platform, OneFarm Share has since contributed over 7

This article reported on research conducted into the development of a systemic insecticide that could eliminate crop-destroying citrus psylla. Greening disease is undoubtedly one of the most devastating diseases of citrus and it has caused millions o

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) recently announced that despite the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there was no need for South Africans to stockpile food, as the country has enough food to meet dema

South Africa’s agricultural economy is likely to face challenging conditions this year and into 2023. The excessive rainfall at the start of the 2021/22 production season resulted in crop damage, and croplands in various areas of the country required

In my previous column (see FW, 11 March), I commended President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pragmatic approach to supporting business and creating an enabling environment for businesses to grow the economy in his 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA). Howeve

The table grape industry is expected to topple last year’s export figures of 71,5 million cartons this year, despite severe logistical challenges. AJ Griesel, CEO of the South African Table Grape Industry, said that the original estimate was for volu

South African livestock producers who are unwilling to implement sustainable and thorough biosecurity measures on their farms are irresponsible, according to James Faber, chairperson of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation. Following the recent outbr

It has emerged that the Department of Employment and Labour has no record of corporate visas being issued to any foreign nationals to work on farms in the Robertson Valley. This follows a recent clash in the Nkqubela Township between disgruntled loca

In early March, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) published a draft document revising its strategy for the management of African swine fever (ASF). Johann Kotzé, CEO of the South African Pork Pr

There are fears that cases of cattle theft in Botswana are on the rise, following a decision by that country’s police service to halt an operation introduced in 2019 to curb this crime. Botswana’s local police recently confirmed that, following an in

South Africa is sitting on a time bomb as far the contamination of its water resources, and groundwater in particular, is concerned. This was according to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, operations and stewardship manager at CropLife South Africa. “The poor man

The supply of cattle feed to farms, packaging materials to factories, and the delivery of some fresh products to supermarkets have been compromised by striking truck drivers in Spain. This was according to the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Ind

Potato prices in Armenia have increased 71,4% year-on-year due to growing demand, as local residents are increasingly consuming potatoes at the expense of other food products. The average current per capita monthly consumption of potatoes in Armenia

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) has called for a quality assurance mark to be displayed on poultry products once they have been inspected by a health and safety officer. Izaak Breitenbach, general manager of SAPA’s Broiler Organisation,

The production of biofuel will not save South Africans from the current record-high fuel prices, driven by Brent crude oil prices that have increased by more than 70% over the past year. This was according to Dawie Roodt, chief economist at Efficient

The spike in vegetable oil prices due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict does not bode well for farmers and consumers. According to Grain SA’s recent Oilseed Market Commentary report, the price of sunflower oil in mid-March was 74% higher month-on-month

A new study shows that the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” seems to hold true. According to the study, titled ‘The microbiome and resistome of apple fruits alter in the postharvest period’, the microbiome and resistome (resistance ge

South Africa’s wheat demand for the current marketing season, ending in September, has largely been met by imports from Lithuania, Argentina, Brazil and Poland, among other countries. This was according to Corné Louw, senior economist at Grain SA. “C

From mid-January 2022, global maize prices began following an upward trend due to weather-related production cuts in South America. After Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, prices jumped to new highs, as the conflict put added pressure on alrea

Fencing helps protect everything on your property, from your plants to your cattle. A good fence will keep predators away from your crops, animals, and equipment, and will also prevent animals from wandering. This is particularly important for produc

Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman recently warned that South Africa was fast becoming a failed state. He cited lawlessness and crime and government’s inability to take action against these problems. The lack of economic growth, high and growing un

Stripe rust, or yellow rust, is caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici. It produces bright-yellow to orange urediniospores (thin-walled spores produced by the uredium, a stage in the life cycle of rust diseases) that are contained i

Humus is different from decomposing soil organic matter. The latter looks rough and has visible remnants of the original plant or animal matter. Humus has a uniformly dark, spongy, and jelly-like appearance; it may gradually decay over several years

Earthworms produce humic acids, plant growth hormones and vitamins that stimulate plant growth. Humic acids, which are sold in the fertiliser industry, are useful in low-organic soils to fulfil some of the attributes of humus on a temporary basis. Th

Streaming now on Netflix In this fast-paced action adventure, Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) travels back in time and teams up with his troublemaking 12-year-old self (Walker Scobell) on a mission to save humanity from a greedy time-travelling corporation

¾ cup warm water3 Tbsp butter1 Tbsp instant milk powder¼ cup white sugarPinch of salt2 eggs,1 separated egg (white and yolk)3 cups cake flour1 Tbsp active dry yeast¾ cup currants1 tsp ground cinnamon2 Tbsp water ½ cup icing sugar¼ tsp vanilla extract

Foreign-affairs expert Marshall enthusiastically contextualises conflict and its outcomes, making sure the ‘geo’ in geopolitics is well recognised. He underlines the point with ‘Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World’, emphasising how neighbour

A recent study published in the journal Animals suggests that obesity in horses causes structural changes to the animals’ hearts. While obesity has long been known to cause health problems in animals, this study was aimed at determining whether “micr

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. ■

Dear Dr Mac, Dear Prof McCrindle, My horse goes lame as soon as she is put under saddle. I’ve had two saddlefitters come out and both say that the saddle fits. She’s fine out in the paddock, but goes lame after about five minutes of riding. Is this a