Mentorship beats government money
Dirkie Willemse, an emerging farmer from Suurbraak, and his mentor Dirk van Papendorp, a livestock and crop farmer, have learnt through experience that the state's land reform and farmer support programmes don't take timeliness in agricultural production into account.
Rift Valley fever
This highly contagious disease originated in the Rift Valley of East Africa, and occurred for the first time in South Africa during the 1950's.
‘I couldn’t let my family starve while I had two hands and a brain’
After losing his job four years ago, textile worker Mike Moloto set out to provide for his family by starting a farming operation. Initially, things were tough, but he made a go of it, despite struggling to compete against larger enterprises. Peter Mashala visited him on his plot in Soshanguve.
Growing groundnuts
Groundnuts is a drought-toleraGroundnuts are rich in protein and can be eaten raw, cooked or roasted. The upright types are mostly cultivated under drier conditions, while the runner kinds are often irrigated.
Newcastle disease (NCD)
is a serious poultry disease and can affect any kind of poultry operation, from backyard production to large commercial poultry farms.
Understanding cash flow and expenditure
It's very upsetting knowing you have to pay an account when you don't know where the money is going to come from. That's why keeping track of your expenses is so important, writes Susan Pletts.
Another one bites the dust
Some 13 years after the Tafelkop Farmers Association "invaded" an unused irrigation scheme in Groblersdal, they still haven't acquired the title deeds promised to them by the then minister of agriculture Derek Hanekom, and a once flourishing agricultural project is now in shambles. Peter Mashala visited the farmers to find out what went wrong.
Ngunis go commercial
After 25 years of trading and farming in Elliotdale in the former Transkei, Zolani Tyali eventually settled on Brooklyn, a commercial farm near Morgan’s Bay in the Eastern Cape. He transferred most of the family’s Ngunis to the new farm and improved his herd by introducing bulls acquired from farmers belonging to the East Cape Nguni Club. But without fencing on his farm, that herd’s integrity is at risk.
Mushrooms: income for the poor
Poverty alleviation and improved food security in KwaZulu-Natal has found an ally in the tasty and sought-after oyster mushroom. With help from the Chinese government, KwaDindi residents are now diversifying their diets and earning much-needed cash.
Extension officer turned emerging farmer
Bone Mokomele is an emerging farmer who served as an extension officer for the agriculture department for more than 10 years. A land restitution beneficiary, he farms wheat near Brits in the North West. Peter Mashala spoke to him about the challenges facing new emerging farmers.
No land for this promising pig farmer
Ivan Cloete started farming with pigs in Blackheath near Cape Town seven years ago.
Farming one herd: answer to communal poverty?
Getting communal cattle farming to work has always been difficult, as many farmers refuse to cooperate. But the Vuvha community in Venda has found that sharing resources and managing all community cattle as one herd, is a great way to ease poverty in the community, writes Peter Mashala.
