The pick of Porcini
Big timber companies may not consider porcini mushrooms to be worth much effort, but an Italian mushroom picker has made a meaty business out of this gourmet food. Robyn Joubert...
Training tomorrow’s farmers today
The closure of many agricultural colleges has left a skills shortage in rural communities. Nutritionist Perseverance Madoda started Thuto-ya-Sechaba training centre to fill the gap. Peter Mashala reports.
Romac rolls with the times
A father and daughter team from Zimbabwe bought a hydroponic farm and packhouse in Ballito in 2008. They positioned their business for growth by embracing government’s desire to advance black...
Teach farming skills before it’s too late!
Too few SA youngsters are interested in agriculture as a career. Puso Segoe feels this is due to farmers failing to expose their children to farming from an early age....
Tobacco farming – the growers’ view
New proposals from the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to regulate international tobacco farming have raised concerns among Africa’s tobacco growers and processors. Francois van der Merwe,...
Orchids of Eden
Duckitt Nurseries was initially built on passion and four orchid species, but it is now the biggest cut flower and Cymbidium orchid farm in South Africa with a few hundred...
Diversification: spreading the risk on a Tanzanian farm
Having too few production divisions can cause financial stress if markets fail. A Tanzanian operation has minimised the risk by launching a variety of enterprises in a relatively short time....
Swazi pots of gold
Eswatini Kitchen Honey is re-invigorating Swaziland’s honey industry through the promotion of bee-keeping as an income stream for poor communities. Robyn Joubert reports.
Local food markets: are they the answer?
Go big or get out is the current trend as farmers chase economies of scale. But any system which relies on shedding jobs and increasing monopolisation in order to reduce...
Rewarding productivity lifts performance
Training and performance monitoring are key to encouraging productivity in the workforce. Labour consultant Walter Blore shifts the paradigm and puts farming businesses on track. Robyn Joubert reports.
Hands-on grass farming
It’s a hard day’s work for the team as livestock farmer Gary Mitchell runs his commercial Drakensbergers and stud Dorpers in the KZN Midlands with minimal labour.
Alternative energy: Throwing caution to the wind?
Clean renewable energy or an imperfect solution? Are wind turbines the magic bullet for energy problems? Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
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