Are you literate – financially literate?

'Income and expenditure I understood, but when I heard our auditors talking about depreciation, I panicked.
Issue Date: 16 February 2007

Lessons from UK pigeon analyst Kevin Winter

Kevin Winter is a self-taught health researcher and pigeon analyst. He has tested the health of more than 44 000 pigeons in his own laboratory in Sunderland in the UK over the last five years. Issue Date: 23 February 2007

Racing pigeons flying high in the Border

The joy is in the management of these small super-athletes. The fact that enormous odds are stacked against racing pigeons in their lonely flights back home is what makes the sport unique for Charl du Plooy, 2006 Queenstown Homing Club champion with the third-best bird in the Border in 2006. Issue Date: 26 February 2007

Despite many challenges, 2007 holds hi0gh hopes

Crop and beef farmer Neels Ferreira from Leandra in Mpumalanga wears many hats. He is not only Grain SA's chairperson, but is also vice-president and chairperson of Agri SA's commodity chamber. He talks to Peter Hittersay about current issues facing agriculture and farmers in South Africa. Issue Date: 23 February 2007

What’s the deal with food prices?

Farmers and producer organisations have expressed concern that while food prices are increasing at retail level they aren't receiving more for their products.
Issue Date: 16 February 2007

Can farmers increase their share of the retail Rand?

'Well-planned and correctly managed on-farm value adding can become a very lucrative business. Issue date 23 February 2007

Bioethanol may boost prices – but not for long

by Dr Koos Coetzee an agricultural economist at the MPO
Issue Date 16 February 2007

What’s going down the tubes?

Agri Africa Trust has in the past been forced to sell grain at a 'take it or leave it' price due to some silo companies mixing grain grades and thereby jeopardising the original security certificate. Managing director Jaco de Villiers says the organisation has now committed itself to stop these grain 'tricksters' in their tracks. Issue date: 23 February 2007

Smarter tomato harvesting

The largest - and what some say, the smartest - three-row tomato harvester has made its debut on the agricultural scene. Joe Spencer describes this impressive implement with its nine pumps that run 38 hydraulic motors to operate various functions. Issue date: 23 February 2007

Born in 1831 but still going strong

Cyrus McCormick's invention of the first successful mechanical reaper in 1831 revolutionised harvesting productivity. Issue Date:16 February 2007

Protea nutrition: food for thought

Research conducted in Hopefield, Western Cape, aim to show that with an understanding of protea nutrition farmers could improve their protea yields while supporting biodiversity. Issue date: 23 February 2007

How to convert a pen-raised human

In the fourth article of our habitat planning series, habitat designer Ben Breedlove explains to Roelof Bezuidenhout how to cater for stressed-out but affluent visitors from the city. Issue date: 23 February 2007

Learn, earn and come back to farm

Young South Africans appear to be in high demand in the United States, especially as seasonal farmworkers.

Stop African horse sickness in its tracks

Issue date: 23 February 2007

Stock theft tops the agenda, but solutions are in sight

Sheep farming in KwaZulu-Natal is reeling from the effects of rampant stock theft, and as a result many farmers have either switched to cattle farming or left agriculture altogether. Issue date: 23 February 2007

SA’s breadbasket lies fallow while children starve

The fertile valleys and flood plains of the former Transkei boast some of South Africa's best agricultural land. Yet, the region imports most of its food, while infant mortality from malnutrition is rife.

Contract growers could capitalise on katambora

Zimbabwean expatriate Paul Hanly has persevered since he began promoting local katambora rhodes grass seed production for export to the Middle Eastern dairy industry. Issue Date: 16 February 2007

Restore soil tilth free of charge

In the second part of our habitat planning series, habitat designer Ben Breedlove explains how to return the pre-European topsoil to the farm and re-establish the soil tilth necessary for land use optimisation. Roelof Bezudenhout reports. Issue Date: 9 February 2007

Where animals and humans meet

In the third part of our habitat planning series, biologist and habitat designer Ben Breedlove exlains how to create optimal animal-human meeting points. Issue Date: 16 February 2007

Spiritual clash over land resolved

The historic Anglican St Augustine Mission near Ladybrand - also known as Modderpoort Mission - sacred for Anglicans and African Independent Church pilgrims, is an example of how land and its emotive value can lead to direct conflict. Mike Burgess visits the mission to uncover how history brought the Anglicans and African Independent church pilgrims to a head and how this has been resolved.

Caxton Magazines