Work your networks, says self-taught veggie farmer
Anastasia Smith won first prize in the 2016 Western Cape Top Women in Agriculture competition’s smallholder entrepreneur category. She spoke to Glenneis Kriel about her farming journey and her attitude...
Biorefining: a value-adding opportunity for SA agriculture
Science is increasingly finding ways to convert what was historically considered waste from agriculture, into beneficial products from renewable resources. Prof Annegret Stark outlines the opportunity that biorefining biomass presents...
Young learners benefit from eco-education
An active return to environmental education practices at Laurus Primary in Oudtshoorn is not only benefiting learners, but also helping boost school income. Ronelle Huysamen, principal of the school, spoke...
How to plan for a maintenance shutdown
End-of-season maintenance at packhouses and fresh produce processing facilities plays an integral role in food safety and should therefore be carried out systematically. So writes Linda Jackson, a director at...
Game & small-stock: different management, the same care
Sheep and antelope production combine the best of two worlds for energetic farm manager, Emilize Vögel. She spoke to Roelof Bezuidenhout about her passion for this demanding job.
A livestock farmer’s thriving rural Wi-Fi network
Many isolated regions in South Africa struggle with unreliable Internet access. To solve the problem in his area, Barkly East livestock farmer, Chris Isted, built his own wireless network, and...
Eastern Cape bee farmer’s commercial success
Kola le Roux has loved bees ever since seeing his grandfather’s hives in the eastern Free State more than 60 years ago. Today he manages more than 2 000 hives, from...
Carton factory cooperative pays off for citrus farmers
When a group of Letsitele citrus farmers could no longer afford packaging material, they started making it themselves. Today, their business is a major industry supplier. By Alita van der...
Karoo cheesery’s big plans for the community
Dean Lategan and Ashley-Ann May of Latana Cheese near Oudshoorn have been producing boutique cheeses since 2012. Now the two are planning to expand production into goats’ milk cheese, while...
Dr Theo de Jager – speaking out for the world’s farmers
Newly elected president of the World Farmers’ Organisation, Dr Theo de Jager, is no novice when it comes to advocating on behalf of farmers at international level. He spoke to...
Advice for aspiring women farmers
Women who venture into farming on their own, or in partnerships with their husbands, have to remember certain basic principles to be successful.
Aquaponics: ‘economy of scale is the key’
Aquaponics, which combines aquaculture and hydroponics, is increasingly becoming popular in many countries due to its ability to boost farm output and reduce waste. Glenneis Kriel spoke to Ruann Coleman...
Linda Zwane, empowering women farmers in Mpumalanga
Linda Zwane, a livestock farmer in Mpumalanga, made it his business to introduce 120 young, black women to livestock husbandry on his farm, as well as mentor those that requested...
The benefits of choosing a career in agri – Nono Sekhoto
Thirty-five-year-old, Nono Sekhoto, joined her father’s farming operation, Makolobane Farmers Enterprises near Senekal, in 2011. Realising the importance of being part of a network, she joined the African Farmers’ Association...
Curiosity: winning secret of a top agri worker
Anton Alexander, 2016 Western Cape Prestige Agri Worker of the Year, started working as a general worker and rose through the ranks to become a human resources officer on Ouwerf...
Solar panels lower cooling costs
In 2013, Ceres Fruit Growers (CFG) installed solar panels on the roof of its controlled atmosphere rooms to reduce its load on the municipal grid. Rahim Hassan, manager of engineering...
Turning pig waste into energy
Zandam cheese and piggery, in partnership with the green energy company, Ibert, recently established a biogas plant to convert waste from the piggery into electricity and heat. Piggery owner Mauro...
Why SA wine exports must move from bulk to brands
South Africa’s wine industry must shift its emphasis from volume to value and from a production orientation to a market orientation. This is according to Anton Smuts, the newly elected...
New market opportunities for South Africa’s macadamias
Alex Whyte, marketing manager of Green and Gold Nuts is convinced that the industry has potential for significant growth.
The science of fruit packaging: SA leads the way
Stellenbosch University is acknowledged as a world leader in research on optimising packaging design for the fruit industry. Prof Linus Opara spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the university’s achievements in...
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