Caxton Magazines

A vegetable farmer in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, who converted to biological crop production, has significantly increased yield, improved quality and reduced input costs. Robyn Joubert reports.

Although watermelons prefer warm conditions, you often have to start in cooler conditions to be in production at the right time for market demand.
Issue date : 22 May 2009

The Cattle Council of Australia is developing a label for grass-fed beef, and producers want stringent standards. Alan Harman reports.
Issue date : 22 May 2009

Sasol has agreed to pay the Competition Commission R188 million for its involvement in cartel activity - the highest settlement ever reached with the commission. While the commission is satisfied, what of Nutri-Flo, the blender and distributor of fertiliser who laid the initial complaint against Sasol? Robyn Joubert spoke to Nutri-Flo MD Bruce Lyle.
Issue date : 22 May 2009

It took hand-milking goats for six hours a day for Morné and Ingrid Olivier to launch a successful cheese business, but to grow they needed capital. Businessman Chris Everitt brought in the cash, and with a five-point milking machine and a cheesery, the dairy is on its way to becoming certified organic. Wouter Kriel reports.
Issue date : 22 May 2009

The agricultural community seems to have reached consensus - President Jacob Zuma's cabinet is an improvement on the previous dispensation as far as agriculture is concerned. Stephan Hofstätter examines the new ministers, where they come from and what agriculture can expect from them.

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The recipe for success in pigeon racing is entirely in human hands, writes Thomas Smit.

A phenomenal 200 000+ men attended this year's Mighty Men Conference. Led by renowned preacher, farmer and Farmer's Weekly columnist Angus Buchan at his family's Shalom Farm outside Greytown in KwaZulu-Natal, men from all over South Africa as well as from overseas heeded his call for a weekend of Christian fellowship. Lloyd Phillips reports.

A massive plague of Achaea lienardi moths and caterpillars will not directly damage fruit, even though A. lienardi is known as the "fruit-piercing moth. The invasion in the Eastern Cape and extending into parts of KZN, is likely to end soon as the country moves into winter.

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US imports have dropped sharply, even more so than US exports, which suffered the largest decline in 40 years, and all this on the eve of South Africa's citrus season. But Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers' Association, said it's too early to tell if our exports to the US would be affected. "It's still early in the season and we've only packed a few million cartons of citrus," he explained. "But the message from the US is all lemon exports, not only those from South Africa, will be affected by the recession."

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The Zimbabwean government could have some of its assets seized and sold off if it doesn't financially compensate 13 Dutch farmers whose land was seized in 2003 as part of the country's controversial land reform programme.

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With time and options running out, Mpumalanga farmers are gearing up for a mass action against the Department of Minerals and Energy should it approve over 200 mining applications for the Mpumalanga highveld.

Monsanto is suing the German government over the banning of the company's MON810 maize, which is genetically engineered to produce the bacterial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is toxic to the maize borer pest.

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The Land Claims Commission expects to delist some farms under gazetted land claims possibly within three months.This follows a recent discussions held by chief land claims commissioner Blessing Mphela and Agri SA over the farmers' union's complaints far more properties were gazetted than had actually been claimed.

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The South African government has offered Zimbabwean citizens a 90-day visitor's permit which would allow them to enter the country without a passport to apply to do casual work during their stay.

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The Land Claims Commission wants the Geluk land claimants to be given their day in court, even though the claimants missed a court deadline to file opposing papers in a case some of the affected landowners brought against their claim.

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Farmer AJ Badenhorst found out at great expense that he should've taken care of contractual details to get his municipality payout.