Farmer's Weekly

On 27 September, Danish and Swedish officials announced that two leaks had been identified along the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. Only a few hours prior to this, those same officials had announce

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor Janine Ryan, janiner@caxton.co.za Managing editor Ellis Mnyandu, ellis@caxton.co.za News editor Julinda Schroeder, julindas@caxton.co.za Art director Louis Kruger Designer Mario Ferlito Chief copy editor Paul Suiter Copy editors

After two years of solid growth for South Africa's agriculture sector, the performance for 2022 is likely to be disappointing, and I am already in the camp of those who forecast a mild contraction. A number of things concern me. The livestock industr

In September, South Africa experienced Stage 6 rolling blackouts, the third time since Eskom introduced so-called load-shedding in 2008. One of many people criticising the ANC government was former president Thabo Mbeki who, in a speech, questioned w

The pome fruit industry has had a tumultuous year, as prices did not keep up with record-high volumes. Increased input costs and shipping rates further eroded on-farm profitability. South Africa's exported crop of apples and pears reached 33 million

A new bill released for comment will place a greater emphasis on the responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to act against property trespassers. The Unlawful Entry on Premises Bill will replace the current Trespassing Act, and whil

With input costs at an all-time high and the summer rainfall region's planting season almost here, grain and oilseed farmers must ensure that their production and marketing risk mitigation strategies are better than ever. This was according to Corné

School leavers and students looking to pursue a career in the agriculture sector need to be aware that the deadlines for applications for bursaries are fast approaching. “Agricultural businesses employ experts from a wide variety of fields, including

Conservationists have expressed their concern about the alarming involvement of international organised crime networks in the trafficking of rhino horn. They were speaking during a World Rhino Day 2022 webinar hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature

The government of Botswana has approved the slaughtering of about 9 600 cattle in the villages affected by foot-andmouth disease (FMD) in the north-eastern part of that country. Botswana's Ministry of Agriculture recently confirmed FMD cases in cattl

The powerful Tropical Storm Fiona caused havoc for farmers in Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island (PEI), when it made landfall on that country's east coast in late September. Dairy farmers lost power, resulting in shutting down of their

The federal government of Pakistan is pledging to provide subsidised seeds and fertilisers to farmers in flood-ravaged areas during the upcoming sowing season. This was according to that country's Minister for National Food Security and Research Tari

Denmark's agriculture ministry has announced that it won't extend a ban on mink breeding when the current ban expires at the end of the year. The temporary ban was introduced after the government ordered the culling of about 17 million mink in 2020 d

It is inconceivable for anybody to remain a part of South Africa's agriculture sector without a forwardlooking and calculated hope in the future of the industry. This was according to Senwes CEO Francois Strydom, who addressed delegates at the recent

Government's recently published draft National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency Bill and its draft regulations on fracking are threatening water security in South Africa, according to agriculture sector stakeholders. Minister of Water and Sanita

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects economic growth in Zimbabwe to drop to around half of what it was last year due to rising fiscal instability and a decline in agricultural output. In a statement, the fund said that it expected Zimbabwe's

With the rise in seed prices, industry stakeholders are worried that organised crime syndicates are targeting the lucrative seed market. “Every year, our producers struggle with seed theft, but the problem has become exacerbated due to the rising cos

Murray Thompson, a farmer from North West, was selected as the Syngenta National Potato Farmer of the Year during the Potatoes South Africa (PSA) biennial congress held in Johannesburg recently. According to a statement by PSA, Thompson farmed 300ha

Inflation figures released last month indicated that US inflation eased from 8,5% in July to 8,3% in August (see graph). A similar trend was apparent in the UK, where inflation dropped 0,2% month-on-month (m/m) to 8,6% in August. The EU, however, rec

Eskom's dismal performance can seriously damage a farmer's sustainability. Many farmers are therefore trying to become less dependent on Eskom by installing solarpowered systems or even, in extreme cases, by going completely off the grid. A farmer wh

September saw the price of sweet peppers in South Africa jump by more than 40%. In fact, pepper prices reached R20,05/kg, with red peppers in particular rocketing to R40/kg. This drastic price hike is due to a number of reasons, including the weather

Vegetable production is central to South Africa's agriculture sector. The availability of fresh produce markets, retailers and supermarkets, as well as informal markets such as hawkers and bakkie dealers, make vegetable farming a profitable option fo

Many experts will tell you that it's essential to have a mixture of breeds on a farm. Some farmers, for example, have terriers that stay inside their houses at night, while their larger dogs stand guard outside. Whatever your preference, a large-bree

International research, which is being repeated in South Africa, has found that B-carotene and vitamin E levels are often low 20 days before to 40 days after calving, when they are needed most. Colleen Engelbrecht, a ruminant nutritionist, explained

Hydroponic systems don't use soil for production; instead, the plants' roots are submerged in a solution that contains macronutrients. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and magnesium, as well as trace elements such as iron, chlorine, mangan

1 large or 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and stoned ½ cup maple syrup, honey or agave syrup ¼ cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup plain flour ½ tsp baking soda ½ cup cocoa powder ½ tsp salt or pinch of sea salt ½ cup chocolate c

Researchers from Irish agriculture authority Teagasc, the University of Murcia in Spain and the University of Lyon in France are conducting a study using the saliva from piglets to determine how rapidly they learn to become independent of their mothe

In 1987, respected British journalist Bridgland published a largely positive biography of the Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi. Bridgland's new book on the guerrilla commander, who was the hero of the West, has an unusual sting in the tale. Bridgla

Dear Prof McCrindle, I have been struggling to get hold of the African horse sickness (AHS) vaccine, and my horse therefore hasn't been vaccinated. It's already late in the season, so can I still vaccinate my horse if I only get the vaccine some week