Caxton Magazines
Sprouts for sheep
A livestock farmer, plagued by stock theft, turned to feeding sprouting grain in a feedlot to protect his sheep. And his trial has yielded some impressive results. Robyn Joubert reports.
Why a co-op needs to be ‘open’
A cooperative must be transparent to all its members, so everyone understands and accepts its constitution, writes Susan Pletts.
A celebration of quality
The richest one-loft race in the world, the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race is more than just another pigeon race. It's an institution that tests your skill as a breeder and the consistency of your pigeons, writes Thomas Smit.
Conquer cauliflower mosaic virus
Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is a very destructive cruciferous crop disease that usually occurs unexpectedly. In most cases, by the time farmers notice it it's often too late to stop it. Worse, there's no cure, as it's a viral disease.
Keeping producers producing
Agricultural economist Dr Koos Coetzee wrote about the local market's importance (Global Farming column, 5 November). Some points have a bearing on fresh produce suppliers.
‘I’ve always wanted to farm for myself’
Dolf du Bruyn, a Grain SA 2010 Grain Producer of the Year finalist, only started farming on his own about 13 years ago. He has since become one of the largest landowners on the Sand/Vet irrigation scheme near Bultfontein. Starting off growing vegetables on a leased plot, he now plants maize, wheat and groundnuts on 800ha irrigated and 3 300ha rainfed land.
Get a bigger slice
Primary production is the least profitable sector in a value chain, and the farmer's share of the consumer rand is shrinking. But farmers can share in the profit made upstream through their own farmer-owned businesses.
Increasing crop yields with trees
Evergreen agriculture combines conservation farming and agroforestry to create what proponents call an 'out of the box solution' to increase crop yield, improve soil, make better use of scarce rainwater and absorb atmospheric carbon. Alan Harman investigates.
Quantifying what nature gives for free
The World Bank has launched a new programme that aims to put a value on a country's ecosystems in the same way GDP is measured.
An empowerment success story
Phangisile continues her investigation of the forestry sector and finds a co-op that has empowered emerging black farmers since the 1970s.
Straight talking from a trapper
While organised agriculture tries to persuade government not to fall for the impractical legislation animal-rights activists want to force through on predator management, the black-backed jackal and caracal continue to tear the heart from the small-stock industry. Experienced problem animal hunter and trapper Niekie Mostert, from Smithfield in the Free State, discussed some solutions with Roelof Bezuidenhout.
Start by supporting commercial farmers
Dr Reuel Khoza is a black farmer and chairperson of Aka Capital and the Nedbank Group. His family trust owns a 200ha export avocado and macadamia farm near Hazyview and is a 50% partner in the export packhouse HL Hall & Sons.
Are you insured?
What do farmers and ranchers need to know about agricultural and wildlife insurance? Heather Dugmore speaks to insurance broker Mike Wadge who has 20 years experience in the field. He manages the Port Elizabeth branch of SATIB Risk Solutions, which specialises in wildlife, hospitality and tourism insurance.
Lesotho stock thieves run rampant
Despite promises from Police minister Nathi Mthethwa, the SA Police Service (SAPS) has failed to tighten up security along the Lesotho border in the Matatiele and Maluti region, in the foothills of the southern Drakensberg.
Eskom scrounges for cash
Hundreds of residents in East Griqualand farming communities Cedarville, Matatiele, Kokstad and Swartberg received letters from Eskom's Revenue Recovery Project saying that their meters were faulty and their accounts would be backdated to recover lost revenue.
Equity schemes to make a comeback
The government wants to lift the moratorium on farm equity schemes by January next year, said land reform minister Gugile Nkwinti.
Latest meat levy figures get industry thumbs-up
The latest livestock and meat statutory levies, recently signed into law by agriculture minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, have been met with the full approval of the main roleplayers in the country's single largest agricultural sector.
Grain SA fights for VAT-free farmer development
The Grain SA farmer development programme emerged victorious in a court battle against the South African Revenue Services (SARS) at the Free State High Court recently.
Long overdue organics policy under discussion
The department of agriculture is circulating a sixth-draft discussion paper on a much needed national organic farming policy. It draws attention to several problems in the sector that people involved in organics have known about for a decade.
Three National Land Audits underway
There's been very little research on landownership in South Africa since 1994, but now it seems there are three separate national land audits being conducted simultaneously.
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