How tomato growers can practice IPM

When it comes to Integrated Pest Management (IPM), tomatoes have quite a complex array of requirements which will depend on the varieties planted and the region where they are grown, as some diseases and pests only occur in certain areas.

New Holland in Lusaka

Danatrac is now New Holland’s official distributor in Zambia. Joe Spencer reports.

Who’s educating consumers?

Ill-informed consumers who demand less crop protection chemicals and have irrational fears of genetically modified food are a risk to farmer’s survival. Who is taking responsibility to ensure that the truth about food is getting to the consumer, asks Lindi van Rooyen.

It’s a right royal disgrace

Government has no money for small-scale farmers, but millions to spare for King Zwelithini’s sixth wife.

A stomping family success

World-renowned for its award-winning wines and olive products, Kloovenburg also produces table grapes and figs for export. With four sons all wanting to farm, Annalene and Pieter du Toit are planning to diversify their farming enterprise even further. Keri Harvey paid them a visit.

DAFF annual report

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries presented its 2011/12 annual report and once again an unqualified audit report, to the Parliamentary oversight body the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, focusing on the implementation of Outcomes 4, 7 and 10.

Beware of the angry poor

High unemployment and empty promises from government have created a volatile population prone to violent protests.

Not all fish are born equal

Prospective fish farmers take the risk of using poor quality breeding stock when they buy fingerlings of unknown ancestry. Such fish will not grow rapidly to market size, despite good husbandry.

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Building a family business

After completing agricultural studies and gaining work experience, Ananias and Mphai Rapholo returned home to Limpopo to start a family business, the Mohloma Agricultural Co-operative, with their father. The brothers intend building a top Dorper stud. Peter Mashala reports.

Buying a farm

Base the decision to buy a farm on sound business principles, not on emotion and sentiment, cautions Susan Pletts.

Subsistence farming

It is no use debating about subsistence farming vs commercial farming. Subsistence farming practices must improve and can’t always be achieved through commercial farming models.

Greetings from Ireland

I’m an Irish tillage farmer who enjoys reading your magazine. I visit South Africa annually and seem to catch the end of your harvest season every year.

Jobs in fracking?

Is there anyone who can explain to me about the ‘job opportunities’ argument mentioned by pro-fracking people?

Give us more inspiration

Your editor’s call to action ‘Let’s reinstate civic pride’ (24 August, pg 5) is a good tonic for the end of winter blues and I think this could be a bigger story for the year ahead.

Time to get to work

With reference to the news feature ‘Trevor’s plan for land reform & agriculture’ (31 August pg 18), the pressure is on. The recent Marikana tragedy serves to remind us of the sinister political forces at play.

It’s not all in the genes

High genetic merit in a dairy herd cannot overcome inadequate management.

Game on for Kruger Park Wildlife Services

Every year, hundreds of wild animals are moved from SA’s national parks to other parks, reserves and game farms within the region. Game capture and translocation is a highly specialised field, as Dr Markus Hofmeyr, SANParks’ head of Veterinary Wildlife Services, told Peter Mashala.

Responsible rural citizenship

In early 2010, the South African police began work on a new rural safety strategy. The architects of that plan reached out to organised agriculture. A positive, committed response from Agri SA and its provincial organisations has resulted in a renewal of healthy relations between farming communities and the police. Sean Christie spoke to Kobus Visser, of Agri SA’s Rural Safety Committee and André Botha, chairperson of the committee, about the strategy.

Eastern Cape bamboo initiative up and running

A small co-operative, based near Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape, has been granted R2 million to develop a bamboo plantation.

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