SA prepares for fire season
Landowners in the central provinces need to burn firebreaks before the end of July in preparation for the wildfire high season of August, September and October.
Disaster relief in the lower Orange region
Payment of disaster aid to farmers affected by the 2010/11 floods in the Lower Orange River region has commenced.
Farmers well prepared for winter weather
Farmers in the Western Cape suffered minimal damage and livestock losses due to heavy rainfall, snow and bitter cold conditions experienced in most parts of the province during July.
SA’s Foot-and-Mouth Disease Protection Zone likely to be reduced
South African government veterinary authorities are likely to reduce the area of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Protection Zone in Northern Zululand.
Dow AgroSciences denies import of 2,4 D resistant maize
Commodity clearance has been granted for Enlist, a 2,4 D tolerant maize, yet the product has yet to be approved in the United States (US).
Milk market misleading
Many producers have walked away from Dairy Belle following drastic price decreases and rumours abound that the company is running out of milk.
When SA froze over
With snow falling and heavy rains in other parts of the country, the weekend of 14 and 15 July saw a huge cold front move over the country. Farmer’s Weekly reporters took stock of the aftermath.
Illegal grazing infuriates Free State farmers
Uncontrolled livestock grazing around the Knellpoort Dam in the Free State could seriously impact on the dam’s water quality and the adjacent commercial farming.
Zille gives bicycles to farm children
Children of farm workers who have benefited from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s farm worker development programme have been treated to new bicycles...
Farmers short-changed by plastic piping companies for decades
It has emerged that anti-competitive activities within South Africa’s plastic piping industry could have been taking place since the 1960s.
Bulk wine exports keep local industry competitive
A rapid increase in bulk wine exports caused total wine exports from South Africa to increase over the past year despite a 13% drop in packaged wine exports. Denene Erasmus reports.
Olive farmers combat EU subsidies
Local olive farmers are positive about the industry’s future, despite the fact that large-scale imports of cheap olive oil from the European Union (EU) are putting pressure on producers.
Ensure drivers comply with law
Farmers must ensure their drivers have valid drivers’ licences before they employ them or the law will take its course.
Cape of snow storms
Heavy snow falls that occurred in the Central Karoo region during a recent cold front in the Western Cape trapped farmers, farm workers and livestock on 10 farms located along the Nuweveld mountains close to Beaufort-West.
More than 50 000 ostriches culled since April 2011
It has been less than 15 months since the H5N2 avian influenza virus was first detected on an ostrich farm in Oudsthoorn and since then more than 50 000 ostriches have been culled in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus which has already cost the industry more than R1 billion.
Drought relief for Nam farmers
Several thousand farmers in Namibia’s northwestern Kunene Region are receiving drought relief from Government after a lack of rainfall severely affected cattle output in the communal area.
Agri SA gets value-for-money at ANC policy conference
Agri SA said that it was pleased with the results of having had a stand at the recent ANC National Policy Conference.
Farmers short-changed by plastic piping companies
The Competition Tribunal has issued administrative penalties totalling tens of millions of Rands to a number of plastic piping companies for participating in anti-competitive practices.
Farm labourers dead in train collison
A freak accident in Mpumalanga involving a train and truck has left 19 people dead and several others injured.
Land reform’s deadline struggles
Staff constraints have been one reason for the delay of the completion of the national land audit, now due by the end of July. Denene Erasmus reports.
