Farmer's Weekly

Two important pieces of draft legislation that will shape the way that land reform in South Africa will be implemented were published recently, and are currently open for public comment. Any interested and/or affected individual or entity has the opp

When we read about the agricultural economic history of South Africa in years to come, 2019 will stand out as one of the toughest the sector has experienced in the past decade. On a macro level, the country has witnessed sustained despondency among f

In the new year, government will have to urgently look at certain priorities. These include the challenge of Eskom’s perennial non-performance; the implementation of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s economic plan; introducing a hard-hitting anti-corru

Cabinet has accepted 60 of the 73 recommendations made in the report by the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, including the recommendation to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land withou

Within the first month of the official fire season, which began on 1 December 2019, the Western Cape, which largely receives winter rainfall, experienced approximately 25 wildfires of varying sizes, which collectively burnt 21 000ha of land. The burn

According to the 2019 Global Food Security Index (GFSI), South Africa’s food security ranked first out of 28 sub-Saharan African countries, and 48 out of 113 countries surveyed worldwide, despite the climatic, economic and political challenges facing

The bulk of animal production in South Africa takes place on natural veld and mainly in the savanna, grassland and karoo biomes, which constitute 93,5% of the country’s total veld grazing capacity. According to Dr Louis du Pisani, the National Wool G

Brazil’s apple production dropped 2% year-on-year in the 2018/2019 season, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, production was expected to increase 2% during 2019/2020 to reach 1,095 million tons. In terms of grape productio

Multiple cases of the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza virus have now been confirmed in turkey populations in eastern Poland, according to local authorities. This strain of the virus, which causes the disease commonly referred to as bird flu, i

The approximately eight million food-insecure people in Zimbabwe desperately require assistance from the international community to prevent starvation. This was according to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which was in the process of doubling th

The latest annual report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on prospects for South Africa’s citrus industry for 2020 indicated strong growth in both production and exports. “While oranges are the biggest citrus type produced in Sou

With South Africa’s main barley consumer, South African Breweries (SAB), unwilling to risk producing cloudy beer, it has been a challenging season for producers. The chairperson of Grain SA’s winter cereals working group, Richard Krige, said untimely

While some provinces have received rain, the drought is still not over. This is according to Wandile Sihlobo, head of economic and agribusiness intelligence at Agbiz. Sihlobo said provinces such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal had received s

While many summer cropping producers had a late start to the season, it appears that numerous farmers may have managed to plant the maize hectares they intended. Petru Fourie, Grain SA agricultural economist and research coordinator, said that indica

The latest crop and production update for the wine grape industry will be announced at the annual Vinpro Information Day, to be held in Cape Town on 23 January. Meanwhile, however, Conrad Schutte, the manager of Vinpro’s viticultural consultation ser

Employees of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department), as well as politicians holding public office, are among those who will not qualify to apply for access to land via one of the state’s land reform

Invasive plant species pose a serious threat to South Africa’s biodiversity, and this could have a detrimental ecological and socio-economic impact on the country and its population. This was according to a recent report by Heidi Hirsch, a postdoctor

The blushed Forelle pear variety offers lucrative prospects for South African growers, especially in South East Asia, where demand for this variety seems to be growing. This was according to a statement by Tru-Cape Fruit, the largest exporter of Sout

Cattle, sheep and goats worth more than R1,2 billion were stolen in South Africa during the 2018/2019 financial year, according to statistics by the National Stock Theft Prevention Forum (NSTPF). Willie Clack, chairperson of the NSTPF, said this figu

The world’s donkey population is under threat, with the demand for donkey hides skyrocketing over the past few years. The hides are used in the manufacture of the traditional Chinese medicine, ejiao, which is used to treat illnesses such as anaemia.

The national ban on livestock auctions remains in place and any rumours to the contrary are false. This was according to a recent statement by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, which stated that the national ban on auc

The Dutch Reformed Church in the Northern Cape, in conjunction with the Caritas Therapy Centre in Kimberley, has launched a 24-hour telephone support service aimed at helping victims of the relentless drought in the province. The objective of the ser

While we do not yet live in a failed state, we do live in a country where government’s service delivery at municipal, provincial and national level has largely failed. The recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Limpopo is a good example o

Bloat, or ruminal tympany, is easily noticed. The animal’s stomach will be swollen on the left side, and the animal will defecate often, seem to be restless, and/or stand and lie down a lot. It might also stand with its hind legs stretched out backwa

I am sometimes left confused when I read that small-scale and emerging farmers have limited access to markets. My personal experience paints a different picture. The large majority of farmers I meet at various events, as well as those I know personal

What is the value of the edible insects industry? Insects are consumed by over two billion people worldwide. The UN estimates that the global edible insect market will be worth $8 billion [about R115 billion] in 10 years. According to the UN, the wo

White goosefoot (Chenopodium album) is an annual, multi-branched, erect herb that can grow as tall as 1,5m. This weed has a sturdy taproot and the stems are ribbed, green-yellowish, often reddish striped, and hairless. The leaves are simple, alternat

In a society that often measures success by external factors such as size and market share, it is hardly surprising that some business owners and management teams become overconfident in what they are doing. In the fresh produce trade, we know all to

We now know that heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), if not correctly addressed, can result in serious complications, including scarring, constriction, ulceration, and ultimately, cancer. Recent studies also show that damage from po

The PHILIPS AVANCE DIGITAL ELECTRIC PASTA MAKER allows you to make delicious, fresh pasta without hassle. All you need to do is add the ingredients, and the pasta maker does the rest: mixing, kneading and extruding. You can make 450g of fresh pasta o

Yes, it was a darn confusing year, Zapiro is saying, but you have to find some laughter along the way. This 2019 selection of his cartoons from the Daily Maverick reminds you that, in Zapiro’s world, Donald Trump is prone to borrowing Zuma’s shower ‘

Weeding need no longer be a chore for gardeners, thanks to Tertill. Joe Jones and veteran roboticist Rory MacKean founded Franklin Robotics in 2015, and launched the pumpkin-pie-sized solar-powered 4x4 robot with a weed eater attachment on its underb