Table grape farmer's success
This year, top honours in the Hex Valley Table Grape Association Block Competition went to Hannes du Toit, who successfully manipulated the tricky and relatively new Sugrasixteen grape variety to produce a good quality, high yield crop with big berries. Denene Erasmus reports.
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Get the rotation right, says leading rooibos producer
Willie Nel, recipient of Rooibos Limited’s Producer of the Year Award, says sustainable rooibos production depends on a rotation cycle that will ensure consistently good quality yields. Denene Erasmus reports.
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Cladodes make good business
Cactus pear cladode production is a good enterprise for farmers in semi-arid and arid parts of South Africa. It requires little input costs and is highly sought after as animal feed. Supplier Danie van Tonder can hardly keep up with the demand. Annelie Coleman reports.
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SAB Hop Farms puts the bitter into beer
Only a small amount of hops is needed to make beer, about 40g of the dried product for every 100l, but beer would just not be the same without it. Denene Erasmus visited SAB Hop Farms near George to find out how to grow this essential ingredient in one of South Africa’s favourite drinks.
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Ceres fruit farmer’s journey to success
From humble beginnings, Walter Williams has grown a business that today has three farms as well as a fruit packing business in the Ceres Valley. He spoke to Denene Erasmus about his early days as a farmer and his tried-and-tested production techniques.
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Mini-tubers for the seed potato market
On top of the Piketberg, Advanced Potato Propagation propagates mini-tubers in specially adapted greenhouses. Jay Ferreira speaks to APP’s manager, Ferdi Breytenbach.
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Loads & loads of apples coming in
The eastern Free State’s apple orchards are doing well with a small edge in marketing time over the more established orchards of the Western Cape. Lloyd Phillips talks to Charles Smith of Fyvie Farming.
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Cucumbers save the day
Janie Cilliers became a farmer out of necessity, but soon fell in love with it. And, after much hard toil, seven years down the line JC Trading in Brits has grown from four tunnels to 29, delivering nearly 25 000 cucumbers a week. Lindi van Rooyen reports.
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Conservation farming offers reprieve from mining threat
In the drive to mine the wealth of Mpumalanga, many productive farms
have been turned into open cast mines while others wait to be dug up. Investing in soil which is soon to be mined presents some challenges
to the farmer. Lindi van Rooyen visited Ivan Enslin to see how an
appropriate soil management plan can save money and optimise yield.
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SA’s canola growers poised for success
Canadian canola expert Phil Thomas says producers can improve yields with innovative technology and better farming practices. Kobus van Tonder reports on Phil’s recent visit to SA.
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