Caxton Magazines
Get ready for the spekboom revolution
Cape Town-based entrepreneur Wynand Odendaal says spekboom is ready to take the carbon market by storm – and earn some farmers big money. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Satellite can help improve veld production estimates
Satellite images could soon be used in South Africa to quantify veld production, estimate livestock carrying capacity and help farmers plan fodder flow, reports Roelof Bezuidenhout.
‘Overhaul needed, not an oil change’
After describing her communications department as “incapable of writing a letter”, agriculture minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has hired the services of slick corporate propagandist Rams Mabote.
Are farmers supporting illegal trade?
Recently there’s been a lot of buzz about the illegal practices of “off-market fresh produce agents”. But they can only function with farmers’ support, and it’s up to farmers to help the Agricultural Produce Agents Council (APAC) stamp out these activities, says the APAC’s Lizel Pretorius.
The unexpected demand for free-range chicken in SA
Jeanne Groenewald never expected her attempt to feed her family healthy food to turn into one of South Africa’s great poultry success stories. Starting out by rearing 100 chickens in her backyard, she today supplies almost 75 000 free-range chickens per month to leading South African retailers.
Extension officer turned emerging farmer
Bone Mokomele is an emerging farmer who served as an extension officer for the agriculture department for more than 10 years. A land restitution beneficiary, he farms wheat near Brits in the North West. Peter Mashala spoke to him about the challenges facing new emerging farmers.
Using cane residue to cogenerate powe
The sugar industry is under pressure to reduce cane burning before harvesting – creating new possibilities for cane residue to cogenerate electricity. Joe Spencer reports.
Cosy log-building in Gonubie
Bev and Dave have bought into a gated housing development, overlooking the Gonubie River and the ocean beyond.
However, while views always take precedence, that...
Fitness tips for racing pigeons
To properly understand fitness indicators in racing pigeons, we need to identify the actual demands of the specific race event we intend to enter. We also need to realise that there are different degrees of fitness and that the fitness curve can be manipulated.
Dealing with soil compaction – part 2
When it comes to farming, soil compaction can't be prevented. But it can be managed to maintain crop yield and irrigation efficiency, and to reduce production costs, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
Why measuring your land is essential!
Measuring your land will tell you how much of a crop you can plant and how much livestock you can keep, writes Susan Pletts.
Reviving Ongeluksnek’s farms
Coerced by apartheid legislation in the late 1970s, white commercial farmers left the highly productive Ongeluksnek region near Matatiele in the Eastern Cape to make way for a larger Transkei - a forced removal that heralded the collapse of commercial agriculture in the area.
How to be a horse whisperer
There's no mysticism involved. To build a beautiful friendship with your horse, you just need to know how to speak its language, writes Kim Dyson.
Marigolds don’t control eelworm
Reading about using marigolds to suppress eelworms piqued my curiosity, so when the opportunity arose, I tried it for myself.
Practical experience achieves 16t/ha maize
The latest agricultural technology can help farmers improve their maize yields. But, as farm manager Lorenz Freese proves, decades of practical experience combined with old-fashioned hands-on management can get the job done just as well.
New Consumer Protection Act
The new Consumer Protection Act gives consumers a lot of power. Since farmers share the responsibility for product quality, they need to stick to good agricultural practices - or risk being sued.
The good, the bad & the ugly of agriculture
As an ally of the commercial farming sector, Prof Mohammed Karaan’s election to President Zuma’s National Planning Committee gave renewed hope to commercial agriculture in South Africa. Addressing the inaugural congress of the Young Farmer’s Forum in Rawsonville in the Western Cape, Prof Karaan outlined the global issues that will shape the future of farming.
Thatched Game farm home near Vryburg
Gill, Adele and Dick gave me a call to see the proposed development site on their 5000ha game farm near Vryburg.
Managing a sow – part 2
A sow is a female pig used for breeding, and a healthy female can give six or more litters. This week we look at handling a pregnant sow.
Dealing with soil compaction – part 1
Small-scale farmers often overlook the damage caused by bad tillage methods, leading to compacted soil, destroying their hard work, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
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