Caxton Magazines
Benefits of CA
Trials conducted by the Agricultural Research Council at its Zeekoegat experimental farm in Roodeplaat have compared conventional farming practices with conservation agriculture, and have identified many benefits to CA. Peter Hittersay reports.
Banking feed in the silage pit
Silage eases fodder flow and bridges the hungry gap between the first frosts and the first flush.
Adding value
Marketing fresh produce is a competitive and frequently expensive business as producers seek ways to improve margins.
Getting rid of paspalum
A type of kweek grass, called couch paspalum (Paspalum distichum), is gaining a foothold on many vegetable farms. Also known as ‘kweek paspalum’, many farmers confuse it with common kweek (Cynodon spp.).
Empowering emerging farmers
The government claims that it wants to develop tens of thousands of new farmers in the next few years, yet its support for emerging farmers remains hopelessly inadequate.
Spreading it all out
Jonno designs a single storey house for FW reader Alan.
Commitment is all
Since I seem to be lambasting politicians and bureaucrats all the time, permit me to illustrate the sort of situation I come across almost without exception in markets.
Working with loam
This is the easiest type of soil to manage, and is ideal for those with limited farming experience, says vegetable expert Bill Kerr.
Understanding the labour law changes
The newly released bills amending the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act offer more clarity to questions surrounding the future of labour brokers in South Africa. Jan du Toit, Senior Labour Law Consultant at SA Labour Guide, highlights key amendments.
Biological bollworm control
A Swiss-produced biopesticide containing a virus targeting the African bollworm is currently on trial in South Africa – and is proving remarkably effective against this destructive pest. Robyn Joubert reports.
The basics of Angora farming
Farming with Angora goats can be easy once you understand the essentials, says Roelof Bezuidenhout.
Agriculture: the best is yet to come
The Nampo harvest day festival in Bothaville was a hive of positivity, breaking through the cloud of negativity that often surrounds the agricultural sector.
Nampo attracts crowds from every sphere
The Nampo harvest day in May attracted visitors from all over the world with large groups descending from Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.
Monsanto’s warms hearts with 600 blankets
Monsanto celebrated the 100 year existence of Dekalb maize with a blanket collection project that will keep the needy warm this winter.
New JSE contracts introduced for wheat
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has introduced two new wheat contracts.
Investigation into suspect Mpumalanga land transaction ‘in full swing’
The investigation into the R36,48 million sale of a 414 hectare Mpumalanga Province farm is in full swing.
From business exec to farmer
Andy Tladi was 53 when he swapped the life of a business executive for full-time farming – on the land he once ploughed as a small boy. Today, eight years later, his business has grown to four farms, one of which is in the Republic of Congo. Lindi van Rooyen reports.
Ineptitude or blatant discrimination?
Recent court cases dealing with water use licences to farmers were a slap in the face for the Department of Water Affairs. The courts held, in effect, that the department’s method of looking solely at a water use licence applicant’s race was wrong. Jaco Visser looked at the judgements.
The issue of price volatility in the Maize Futures Market
The issue of how prices are "set" in the maize market has been a topical issue recently and it seems as if this has been for good reason.
Market structure analysis as an orientation for research in agricultural economics
In research projects involving market structure analysis big business are many times reluctant to cooperate because of the critical attitude of the researchers.
