In this first delivery of the Weekly Wrap podcast to air after the end of the hard lockdown, listeners get a preview of the top news and feature articles from the 15 May issue of Farmer’s Weekly.
The magazine is back in print and will be available for sale from Friday, 8 May.
Top news stories in this issue include an update on how changes in consumer purchasing behaviour have supported an increase in demand for canned goods, as well as a look at the latest summer grain and oilseeds crop estimates for the 2019/2020 season.
A special report looks at the rise of the online livestock auctions industry in South Africa.
The features section offers readers insight into how local farmers’ over-reliance on imported agricultural inputs places the industry at risk during a time when the global supply chain has been experiencing trade disruptions.
Farmers featured in this issue include KwaZulu-Natal-based beef producer Mike Rennie who tells Farmer’s Weekly how he manages to keep in-calf cows in top condition during the winter months, and potato farmer CT van der Merwe, who implements nature-friendly farming techniques, explains how he achieves input savings and water-use savings without sacrificing yield.