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The Merino Landsheep is rapidly gaining popularity in South Africa due to the breed’s impressive performance in the feedlot as...
"We knew it was going to be something really special. He was just an outstanding animal, backed up by all...
Without economies of scale, Lynne Griesel found it increasingly difficult to compete in the broiler chicken market. Switching to free-range...
‘Exceptional’ Boer goat ram sells for record R375 000
A Boer goat ram from the Lukas Burger Boer Goat Stud near Griekwastad has been sold for a record price of R375 000 during the stud’s 22nd production sale, which...
Mycotoxins in water may have caused Botswana elephant deaths
No definitive answers have yet been found for the mass die-off of elephants in Botswana since May this year. Early research results have suggested, however, that the deaths could be...
China bans German pork imports in response to disease threat
Chinese and South Korean authorities have announced that pork imports from Germany will be banned after the first case of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed there in the second...
The future of pig genetics
Pork producers can look forward to even greater production efficiency, thanks to improved genetics. Jurgens Reynders of DanBred Africa spoke to Glenneis Kriel about these gains.
Signs your mare is going to foal
While mares generally gestate for 11 months, this may vary. With this in mind, you should be on the lookout for signs that your mare is close to foaling, says...
Meet one of SA’s top Merino wool producers
Kleiheuwel Trust, based in Bredasdorp, recently achieved one of the top 10 best prices in the history of South African wool sales, and the highest price during the previous season’s...
Traceability: beyond the tag
Any farmer who thinks that a tag in the ear represents a traceability system for a beef herd is far off the mark; it simply links the animal to a...
Sound animal health ensures success for top emerging beef farmers
Piet Phahlane and Aaron Makena, the Agriculture Research Council National Emerging Beef Farmers of the Year 2019 winners, say one of the most valuable lessons they have learnt as farmers...
How to deal with mites on poultry
Chickens are often targeted by mites, external parasites that can harm the birds and cause a farmer substantial financial loss. The problem occurs in summer, and is made worse when...
Choosing the right lettuce variety
Iceberg lettuce has a good number of outer leaves, which help protect the head during transport and handling.
Don’t be beaten by bollworm
The African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) is normally a sporadic pest; it tends to arrive on lettuce plants in bursts, rather than gradually increasing in number.
Soil health integral to sustainable conservation farming
Conservation agriculture (CA) is an affordable approach for farmers, involving the adoption of regenerative agriculture principles and practices, with the potential to improve food security.
Know your armyworm species
Effective control of armyworm begins with being able to differentiate between the various species. South African crop farmers need to learn and apply this skill, Dr Annemie Erasmus of the...
Ginger: a challenging crop, but well worth the effort
Cultivating ginger is costly on all fronts: time, labour and water. But managed correctly, the crop adds good cash flow to a farming business. Jaco Lubbe of Sabie Valley Ginger...
Family farm harvests 50t of carrots a day all year round
Bloemfontein farmer Johannes Griesel started producing carrots on 0,5ha. Today, he grows thousands of tons of this staple crop, harvesting it on every working day of the year.
Standard Bank: specialist, customised agri assistance
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the strenuous efforts to curb its spread have disrupted industries and global value chains on an unprecedented scale. This is especially true of agriculture, with...
AGCO: A new way forward for distribution in South Africa
AGCO, a world leader in the manufacturing and distribution of agricultural machinery, is adopting a two-tier distribution model that will make it easier for dealers and farmers to connect.
Discrepancies between estimated breeding values and livestock performance have led some farmers to doubt the accuracy of these values. They...
In this article, Dr Louis du Pisani, national manager for production advice and development at the National Wool Growers’ Association,...
This deadly zoonosisis a real threat to all warm-blooded animals.
Foot-and-mouth disease has drastically reduced South Africa beef exports, as importing countries buy animals and animal by-products only from FMD-free...
The sweet thorn tree has been appearing in increasing numbers. Yet this ‘invader’ should be welcomed by farmers, as it...
This article examines how to breed and feed chickens properly, as well as how to maintain good hygiene in order...
This indigenous fat-rumped meat breed does well in arid semi-desert, savanna bushveld and coastal spekboom veld. The lambs mature early.
Keeping sheep and cattle in top shape requires careful management and a balancing act between eliminating vectors and avoiding resistance...
Special focus
Township vegetable garden empowers women
The Siyazama Community Garden in Khayelitsha has changed the lives of a group of women in the township. During a media tour to the garden hosted by Coronation Fund Managers,...
A passion for herbs blooms into business success
The Kasselhoft estate near Leeudoringstad in North West evokes the French countryside with its fragrant lavender and rosemary fields. This is where Trudi and Rina Kasselman run their herbal business...
The long, hard road to profiting from potatoes
In 1998, at the age of 45, Frans Vlok left his job as head of Kynoch fertiliser services in the Western Cape to pursue his lifelong dream of farming full-time....
Agriculture: shining light or fading star?
For most industries, 2020 will probably be a particularly bad year with an abrupt fall in performance, but this should be followed by some degree of recovery in the near...
Farm shop with food and entertainment
Jonno designs a farm shop that includes a shisa nyama/braai area; an entertainment hall/restaurant, a car wash and filling station.
Birdwatching: a novel income opportunity for farms
Avitourism, or birdwatching, has the potential to provide farmers with an additional source of revenue, write Dr Adam Viljoen and Christelle van Zyl, researchers at North-West University’s Tourism Research in...
