Farming for Tomorrow

South Africa’s expanding data-centre sector must be carefully aligned with the country’s constrained electricity grid, water resources, and municipal infrastructure.

South Africa needs a balanced artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure strategy that protects sovereign control over critical systems while using affordable international services where appropriate and ensuring that data-centre expansion does not impose disproportionate electricity, water or environmental costs on agriculture and surrounding communities.

In Botswana’s Tuli Block, where farmers measure every millimetre of rain, Manjo Stiglingh has transformed almost 5ha of veld into a thriving food forest. She spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about harvesting water, rebuilding soil, and designing a resilient farming ecosystem.

Priya Seetal, sugar and health policy manager at the South African Sugar Association (SASA), spoke with Octavia Avesca Spandiel about the complex intersection between public health policy and the sustainability of South Africa’s sugar industry.

Brazil is playing a vital role in the global agriculture space. Implementing modern agriculture practices while protecting the environment are at the heart of the sector.

In rural Eswatini, shade netting protects Mbuso Vilakati's vegetable patch from the harsh sun, one of several ways farmers are adapting to increasingly unpredictable weather. Farmer's Weekly spoke to him, other farmers, and role players about the challenges they face.

In South Africa's dryland farming systems, successful farmers aren’t necessarily those who receive more rain but those who lose less of it. Farmer’s Weekly spoke to Prof Nomali Ngobese and Prof Jacques Berner of North-West University about how producers can conserve more moisture in their soils.

Fungi are the engines of soil health, says University of Pretoria mycologist Prof Cobus Visagie. He spoke to Farmer's Weekly about how a better understanding of fungi will give farmers and agronomists a much stronger foundation for conservation agriculture.

Farmer’s Weekly in 2024 reported on promising field trial results for RegenR8, a plant growth enhancer combining biochar and volcanic rock, on wheat at Tygerhoek Research Farm near Riviersonderend in the Western Cape. Clayton Postma spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the latest developments with the product and shared his thoughts on how it is working.

Just as livestock farmers must manage herd health and nutrition, so must beekeepers nurture their bees to keep them in top shape. Lindi Botha reports on how beekeepers can ensure optimally productive hives.

The demarcation of South Africa’s first butterfly conservation servitude on a property owned by Letsitele farmer Gustav Van Veijeren marks a positive step for rare species protection. He and Etienne Terblanche, a Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa custodian, spoke to Farmer’s Weekly.

Angelo Marman is a farmer with big dreams for himself and his community. He knows, however, that these dreams will only bear fruit with the help of the right companions, both in his vegetable beds and in his business ventures.

For many farmers, conservation has long felt like a trade-off, as more land for wildlife often means less land for crops or grazing. But new research from the University of Pretoria shows agriculture and conservation can coexist.

Butterflies are regarded as less efficient pollinators than bees. However, in some instances, their services have even greater value.

Biotechnology is set to transform South African crop production over the next two decades. Chantel Arendse, plant biotechnology lead at CropLife South Africa, unpacks how genome editing, drought-tolerant traits, and regulatory reform can help farmers boost yields, improve sustainability, and remain competitive.

Plant biotechnology uses tools like genetic modification and bioengineering to enhance crops’ resilience, nutritional value, and sustainability in the face of challenges like climate change. Biosafety South Africa’s Dr Hennie Groenewald spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about how this technology can shape the future of crop farming around the world, stressing that field testing and commercialisation are the next critical steps.

Namibia is experiencing its worst drought in 100 years. Annelie Coleman spoke to several farmers in the Mariental district, who shared their experience of the impact of several rainless years.

A high number of livestock are being stolen every year in South Africa. Insurance is expensive and farmers are battling to find solutions to the problem, says Dr Lindie von Maltitz, agricultural economics lecturer in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State.

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the University of the Western Cape recently hosted an inaugural research symposium with the theme ‘Healing through food’. Dr Reckson Mulidzi, manager of the soil and water science research team at the ARC, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the event and the partnership.

Bee-Tech Group is transforming South African agriculture with pollination technologies that boost crop yields and enhance sustainability. Founder Michiel Bruggeman spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel.