After the announcement by President Cyril Rampahosa that, on 1 May, South Africa will gradually be emerging from its five-week lockdown that was imposed to slow the infection rate of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in South Africa, Farmer’s Weekly is excited to bring its readers even more good news.
(If you are a Zinio, Magzter or Mags at Home subscription holder your magazine will be sent to you, alternatively, you can read the magazine below:)
Due to the lockdown, printing of the magazine had to be temporarily halted in April in order to comply with national regulations and to ensure the safety of workers, especially those involved in the printing and distribution of the magazine.
READ Egg demand ‘shoots through the roof’ during lockdown
As a result of the two-week extension, the first magazine to be printed again will be the 15 May issue.
However, the good news is that the editorial team has decided to produce digital magazines for both the 1 May and 8 May issues, and to make these magazines available for free on multiple digital platforms.
“We know that our readers have, over the last few weeks, missed their weekly delivery of the latest farming news and information as featured in the Farmer’s Weekly magazine. Even though we have been very busy producing daily news for the website about how COVID-19 is impacting agriculture and food supply chain, the team has also been eager to again start working on putting together our flagship publication,” said Farmer’s Weekly editor, Denene Erasmus.
The first of two free, digital magazines, the 1 May issue, will be available from today (Friday, 24 April) and the second free, digital issue, the 8 May edition, will be ready to access on the final day of the national lockdown, Thursday, 30 April.
READ Lockdowns must not disrupt food supply chains – FAO, AU
Featured in this 1 May issue is one of South Africa’s leading pig stud breeders and farmer CP Kriek, who has brought his operation, Taaibosch Piggery, in line with European standards of group housing.
Coupled with the latest technology, this has resulted in increased production and higher profits.
Also featured in this issue is a group of land reform beneficiaries in KwaZulu-Natal who, having suffered several setbacks in their efforts to make their agribusiness profitable, at last got the help they needed from an agricultural transformation organisation.
The chief economist for the National Agricultural Marketing Council, Dr Sifiso Ntombela is the guest columnist for this issue.
He writes that due to agriculture being declared an essential service during the COVID-19 outbreak, it should not suffer the same level of trade disruptions as other sectors.
However, the impact of the pandemic will be exacerbated by the fact that agriculture was already posting negative growth before the outbreak.
In the news section, the avocado industry provides an update on the how the current harvest season is progressing, and barley farmers are advised to consider planting alternative crops in consideration of the possibility that the ban on the sale of all alcoholic beverages during the COVID-19 lockdown period may have a serious impact on the amount of beer that will be produced in South Africa this year.
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