Crops

The development and evaluation of new potato cultivars are helping local producers meet changing consumer and processing demands while improving yield, adaptability, disease resistance, and long-term production.

Post-harvest handling remains a key challenge in South Africa’s cannabis sector, with expert Natie Ferreira warning that poor drying, storage and consistency issues drive losses.

Macadamia nut borer damage is increasing across farms in Southern Africa. Effective management starts long before symptoms become visible. Understanding the pest’s life cycle, monitoring damage and acting early can make the difference between manageable losses and costly infestations.

The Zunckel name is synonymous with no-till farming in South Africa. Egon Zunckel, a pioneer in the field and a passionate advocate for soil health, shared with Lindi Botha the lessons he has learnt over the years about building resilient soils and sustainable farming systems.

The Camerons from Lobería in Argentina not only farm crops but have also reinvested in their land through regenerative production practices. They have a strong commitment to diversification and innovation, a testament to the transformation that is taking place in agriculture in Argentina.

With an abundance of new apple and pear cultivars entering the market, producers have more choice than ever but also face greater risk, as performance can vary widely under local conditions. Dihan Blom, pome product manager at Delecta, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how on-farm trials can reduce this risk.

Roean Wessels, Syngenta’s head of research and development for field crop seeds in sub-Saharan Africa, attended a pre-conference workshop on nitrogen-use efficiency at the 4th International Wheat Congress in Bologna, Italy, and he shared key takeaways with Farmer’s Weekly.

A cover crop can either become an asset or an expense. The difference lies in selecting species that work with your soils, climate, and maize rotation to deliver measurable benefits.

Lesego Mohube has rapidly scaled her Heidelberg vegetable enterprise from a single tunnel to 5ha. Her market-aligned, precision-driven approach focuses on staggered production and consistency to ensure year-round profitability.

While wheat remains South Africa’s dominant winter grain, diversification into oilseeds and legumes is becoming increasingly common as farmers look to spread risk and improve soil health. Farmer’s Weekly spoke to experts for insights into crop performance, rotation, and management strategies shaping winter grain production.

At 27, Phomolo Sewedi is steadily building a farming business with purpose in Ganalaagte, North West. From humble beginnings, he is carving out a place in agriculture through persistence, adaptability and a strong sense of responsibility to his community. His journey reflects the grit and vision that define this year’s 30 under 30

In the fast-moving world of fresh produce procurement, where weather, markets, and margins collide everyday, 26-year-old agribusiness professional Luphotho Poswa is becoming an integral part of Africa’s supply chains from farm gates to retail shelves.

Groundnuts favour warm, dry climates, but since they are widely planted under dryland conditions, they do require good rainfall. This presents a challenging scenario for disease management, as diseases that attack groundnuts thrive in warm, wet conditions. Lindi Botha investigates effective strategies.

As Peru dominates global blueberry production through scale and efficiency, South African producer Six33 is taking a different approach. By focusing on premium fruit quality, improved genetics and refined labour management, the Franschhoek-based business is positioning itself to compete in an increasingly demanding export market.

By leveraging a global genetics pool at its Camet facility, Syngenta is bridging the gap between Argentinian innovation and South African fields, transforming sunflower from a ‘replacement crop’ into a high-margin, oil-rich powerhouse.

With the expansion of soya bean cultivation in South Africa, growers must prioritise biocontrol for pest risk mitigation. Gustav Venter, technical lead of Insecticides at Syngenta, says the often-underestimated threat of sucking pests in soya bean crops can be managed with early scouting, identification, and thorough chemical control with integrated pest management.

Grain SA agricultural economist Gerhard Burger says South Africa’s grain industry is entering the new production season with strong summer crop prospects, but the improved outlook comes with growing pressure on prices and shrinking producer margins.

Young entrepreneurs Ashley Bennett and Kate Jarvie have launched a macadamia tissue oil that combines their love of Zululand and wellness. Their 100% natural product is helping them forge new roles within their family agribusinesses while building a market for an under-appreciated local resource.

The Zimbabwean government is urging the domestic hemp industry to turn the regulatory framework introduced in 2020 into tangible commercial output and profitability.

On 10 March this year, Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa chaired the year’s fifth cabinet meeting which discussed the country’s winter agriculture production plan. As expected, wheat production was part of that agriculture plan.