Business

The cost of farm machinery is a major challenge for small-scale and commercial farmers. Nick Hoffman, general manager at Linebooker, and Jehiel Oliver, creator of Hello Tractor, explain how new digital platforms are being used to source equipment with ease.

While farmers in the Western Cape’s Witzenberg district initially started Witzenberg PALS to boost black farm ownership in the region, the company is now also involved in transformation in other parts of the value chain. Company CEO, Lennox Plaatjies, spoke to Glenneis Kriel.

Small commercial beef producers and stud breeders make up a large and valuable part of Canada’s cattle value chain. While in Alberta, Gerhard Uys, who recently visited Farm Fair International, a Canadian agricultural show, visited three farming families that run small, profitable commercial herds.

Berene Damons, the department of agriculture’s 2017 Female Entrepreneur of the Year in the agro-processing category, started work at the Hamilton Russell Vineyards 17 years ago. Promoted almost immediately to a marketing assistant, she soon developed an interest in winemaking, and went on to produce an award-winning, export-quality Pinot Noir wine, Tesselaarsdal.

Former extension officer, Sithembele Malgas, started farming in the Idutywa area of the former Transkei in 1990. Today, he produces cabbages, spinach and butternut in rotation on 3,5ha under irrigation and farms more than 500 beef cows near Cathcart in the Eastern Cape.

Yolandi Joubert’s oyster mushroom operation, launched just three years ago, is an important lesson in what passion and discipline can achieve in small-scale agriculture.

At the beginning of 2017, plans aimed at cashing in on the growing demand for donkey meat and hides were announced in North West. Glenneis Kriel reports on the viability of donkey production in South Africa.

With its high start-up costs and complex export rules, the subtropical fruit industry presents formidable barriers to new entrants. Alita van der Walt spoke to ZZ2’s Tommie and BJ van Zyl about the models that the company is putting in place to assist developing farmers to become successful subtropical producers.

Replacing a burnt-out electric motor can cost a great deal, whereas rewinding it can return it to tip-top condition at much lower cost. Rashad Williams and Fa-eez Appollis spoke to Jeandré du Preez about how their rewinding business saves farmers money and production downtime.

Not only is indigenous iMbuzi goats’ hair used to produce cashmere at the Ivili Loboya production unit near Butterwoth, but local smallholders are also empowered.

It takes a fine balancing act for Grain SA chairperson, Jaco Minnaar, to serve the interests of members while still leaving enough time to pursue his true passion – being a farmer. Sabrina Dean visited him recently on his family farm near Hennenman in the Free State.

Communal farmers can benefit from using more advanced farming practices, such as artificial insemination (AI), to improve herd genetics. Basimane Makgetla spoke to Gerhard Uys about how AI has worked for him as a weekend communal farmer running a small, but improving, herd.

Switzerland has long been famed for what some describe as ‘stinky and holey’ cheeses. However, as Lloyd Phillips discovered, there is much more to Swiss cheeses. Some, for example, are produced and matured under highly unconventional circumstances.

*Farmer’s Weekly reported in November 2019 that Coniglio Rabbit Meat Farms was liquidated in October 2019.

In 2012, the South African fruit industry launched an initiative to develop a set of environmental and ethical standards in line with international norms. As part of this, a programme was established to assist black citrus farmers to comply with those standards and expand their exports. Alita van der Walt outlines how the programme works, and examines its successes.

If South Africa’s beef industry wants to become a serious competitor on the world stage, it must replace exports of ‘cheap meat’ with higher-value cuts, says livestock genetics consultant, Dr Michael Bradfield. He spoke to Lloyd Phillips about the way forward for the industry.

Eleanore Swart produces tomatoes under cover near Botrivier in the Overberg. Having recently secured a long-term contract with a major fresh produce retailer, she plans to significantly expand production.

Winemaker, Chris Mullineux, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how producers have turned the Swartland from a bulk producer into one of South Africa’s premium wine-producing regions.

Young black farmers are tech-savvy and willing to learn, but is the government taking them seriously? Gerhard Uys spoke to Dimakatso Nono Sekhoto, AFASA Youth chairperson and MD of apple and beef producer, Makolobane, about how new black farmers can get ahead and why they should take pride in being involved in agriculture.

Miniature or ‘baby’ vegetables grown on the Yukon Group’s farms around South Africa are increasingly finding their way to supermarket shelves in the UK, France, Sweden and the UAE. Sabrina Dean recently visited one of these operations near Bothaville in the Free State.