Caxton Magazines

Just as much as a farmer without a bakkie is still a farmer, an Nguni without horns is still an Nguni. So says retired Limpopo farmer Henk Holtzhausen. Susan Botes chats to this legendary polled Nguni breeder to learn more about the man behind the herd.
Issue Date 25 May 2007

Roses and mining have little in common. But Goldfields, the giant mining company, has ­established the Living Gold rose farm near its Carletonville mines. Gwenda van Zyl finds out about the corporate social investment project that has become a highly successful business.
Issue Date 25 May 2007

The revival of Qamata, once one of SA's top irrigation schemes, has been on the cards for years. But when Farmer's Weekly ­visited Qamata basin this month there was plenty of finger-pointing but little evidence of agricultural activity. Stephan Hofstätter reports.
Issue Date 25 May 2007

In the light of the increased popularity of ultrafast-growing maize cultivars, Gideon Britz, an agriculturalist from Ficksburg and expert on hail damage, investigated the influence of defoliation at the same growth stage on the crop yield, by comparing a medium- to long- and ultrashort-season cultivar.
Issue Date 25 May 2007

Omnia Fertiliser has launched its Chemtech Agri lab in Sasolburg, which specialises in biological analysis and the analysis of soil, sap and ­irrigation water. MD Trevor Grant has called the lab 'the Nasa of agriculture,' and says the most effective farmers today are those who apply a range of sophisticated technologies to ­realise the highest yields, product quality and profits. Yet at a recent SA Fertiliser Society symposium, Prof Martin Fey of ­Stellenbosch University suggested the current emphasis on soil health was little more than 'agricultural ­homeopathy' and said farmers could make discerning and self-interested decisions about nutrient management. Gwenda van Zyl asks Omnia's Dr Johan van Biljon why they feel scientific analysis is so important for the farmer.
Issue date 18 May 2007

Ken Clark began dairy farming back in 1980 in the Dordrecht district with five hand-milked cows. Using valuable savings, he increased the size of his herd.
Issue date 18 May 2007

TAU SA's Strategy for Sustainability warns the government of the disastrous impact its ­policies, such as those on land reform, are having on food security and rural economies. Global warming provides an ominous backdrop. TAU SA ­general manager Bennie van Zyl summarises the issues.
Issue date 18 May 2007

SA farmers are starting to see the advantages of mechanical handlers, which can ­perform a wide variety of tasks including those performed by conventional tractors. One Manitou rough terrain telescopic handler replaced three tractors at the ­Thorneycroft dairy farm near Alexandria in the ­Eastern Cape, with dramatic results. Joe Spencer reports.
Issue date 18 May 2007

Twelve years ago the SABC,sponsored by Total SA, ran a country­wide nature quiz on radio.
Issue date 18 May 2007

'Farmers must keep their eyes open, for export opportunities will open up again.'
Issue date 18 May 2007

With farmers and organised agriculture continuously seeking better ways to catch and effectively prosecute stock thieves, a determined Mpumalanga anti-stock theft crusader has suggested an additional legal method to punish those behind the scourge.
Issue date 18 May 2007

SA red meat producers have BEEN warned that it is highly likely that imports of red meat into the country will increase during the course of 2007, adding pressure to the profitability of local red meat producers.
Issue date 18 May 2007

Funds generated by the statutory levy on the sale of livestock for red meat production, that was implemented on 5 November 2005, have been responsible for a number of valuable developments within SA's red meat industry.
Issue date 18 May 2007

The KZN Red Meat PRODUCERS' ­Organisation (RPO) announced that its overall objective for 2007 is to strive for optimal producer profitability. However, KZN RPO chairperson Mike ­Phillips told the Mooi River regional meeting recently that this could only be achieved if producers themselves identified the relevant information required and notified the organisation of this information.
Issue date 18 May 2007

Woolworths is the first SA RETAILER to offer free-range beef that is guaranteed to be free from growth hormones, according to Peter Gordon, commercial manager for meat at Woolworths.
Issue date 18 May 2007

The Limpopo Red Meat Producers' Organisation (RPO) will request the implementation of a moratorium on the transfer and relocation of blue wildebeest, carriers of the dreaded cattle illness snotsiekte (bovine catarrh).
Issue date 18 May 2007

Scientists met recently with US government officials in New York to discuss early findings and future plans with regard to colony collapse disorder, the name given to the disappearing bee syndrome.
Issue date 18 May 2007

Wool prices rose on the back of solid demand from all sectors of the trade and Cape Wools' indicator gained 1,8% to close at R40,63/kg (clean).
Issue date 18 May 2007

NZ dairy sector booming
Pet food crisis worsens
Issue date 18 May 2007

Living Land, an SABC Education television programme on developing agriculture, is back on air with a fresh look and an even more upbeat, informative approach.
Issue date 18 May 2007