Wine estates committed to value of biodiversity

Nearly 90% of the Western Cape's wine is produced in the threatened Cape Floral Kingdom, which hosts more plant species than are found in the entire northern hemisphere. In just 2,5 years, 82 farmers and five cooperatives have conserved over 50 000ha of land that could have been used for agricultural production, while ways are being investigated to reward these efforts with market premiums and increased shelf space. Glenneis Erasmus reports.
Issue date 24 August 2007

Recognise the threat of bacterial diseases

Bacterial diseases are a real THREAT to vegetable production. They are seed-transmitted and can destroy your crop
Issue date 24 August 2007

Putting an end to brown ear ticks

Peter Louwrens, a Hereford breeder in KZN's Kokstad district, has invented a dipping machine which is highly effective in eradicating the brown ear tick
Issue date 24 August 2007

Wheat: saving seed versus buying seed

By saving wheat seed to avoid paying for certified seed, farmers are depriving research programmes of vital funding. But by relying on a shrinking pool of customers to subsidise its funding, certified seed is pricing itself out of the market. Glenneis Erasmus deconstructs this vicious cycle, and possible solutions.
Issue date 24 August 2007

Labour contracting: a new approach to workers

In 2001 Former farmer Philip Swart experienced any farmer's worst nightmare
Issue date 24 August 2007

Land reform: time for farmers to get real

Can South Africa go the same way as Zimbabwe, even by default? If land reform is conducted in South Africa without a structured process of expertise transfer, we could go the same way as Zimbabwe; except for the fact that we could be confronted by an accelerated process of collapse
Issue date 24 August 2007

Beyond crisis point

The Movement for Democratic Change's policy co-coordinator general, businessman and former farmer Eddie Cross of Bulawayo, has chronicled Zimbabwe's decline online since 2001. Here is his first-hand account of the havoc wrought by price controls.
Issue date 24 August 2007

No tapeworms!

Your horse acts as a host for many internal parasites, including fly larvae (bots), roundworm and tapeworm
Issue date 24 August 2007

Little dragons

Lizards can't seal their lips and CAn never drink milk, but my grandfather told me that leguaans wrap their tails around cows' legs and suck out all their milk
Issue date 24 August 2007

Managing shortages

'In their operational planning farmers must ensure that they secure the future supply of strategic requisites.'
Issue date 24 August 2007

Tierhoek organic jams it up

With just one season under its belt, Tierhoek's Organic apricot jam and peach jam were declared winners in the category of the recent Sunday Times Good Taste Awards 2007.
Issue Date: 24 August 2007

Farmer’s wife to tackle ‘Comrades of cycling’

South Africa's farming community will showcase its cycling talent in France when Tonia Cason - a 51-year-old farmer's wife, mother of two boys and primary school teacher from Mpumalanga - participates in the 16th Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur event from 20 to 24 August 2007.
Issue Date:24 August 2007

Local wine workers jet-setting to France

Three members of the Graham Beck Wines team, Sylvia Booysen, Johanna Johannes and Sanette Piedt, were recently selected to attend a wine exchange programme in Beaune, France.
Issue Date: 24 August 2007

Rescuing SA’s ‘dirty’ wool clip

A report compiled by Cape Wools warns that wool contaminated due to poor shed management damages the reputation of the South African clip and can result in big claims against buyers or processors.
Issue Date:24 August 2007

Milk producers and government forge stronger ties

A large upper-management delegation from the National Department of Agriculture (DoA) has assured South Africa's beleaguered milk production sector that the department will work closely with it in future to guarantee the sustainability of the country's milk supply.
Issue Date: 24 August 2007

WORLD NEWS – 24 August 2007

UK outbreak of FMD under control
Sheep taught to lay off grapes
Imprison a bull
Issue Date 24 August 2007

R4,7 million for dirty water research

The Water Research Commission has made R4,7 million available to the Department of Food Science at the University of Stellenbosch for research into the relationship between irrigation water quality and food safety.

Massive turnaround plan

Last week Farmer's Weekly exposed how the Eastern Cape's Massive Food Programme degenerated into large-scale looting of the public purse. Now the province's agriculture department has circulated a candid report among its managers on the scheme's shortcomings and how efforts to fix them are bearing fruit. But as Stephan Hofstätter reports, dodgy contractors are trying to derail the reform drive as it makes it harder for them to rip off government.
Issue Date:24 August 2007

Africa News – 24 August 2007

Dismal wheat harvest in Zim
Donkeys sold as beef
Fighting disrupts Kenya's farmers
Issue Date: 24 August 2007

Afma fights for cheap feed

The Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (Afma) wants a reduction in regulatory costs that are harming the competitiveness of the animal feed industry. De Wet Boshoff, Afma general manager, said they wanted the safeguard duty on the importation of lysine [an amino acid that limits milk production] and the import duty of 6,6% on soya oilcake removed.
Issue Date: 24 August 2007

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