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Lloyd Phillips joined Farmer’s Weekly in January 2003 and is now a Senior Journalist with the publication. He spent most of his childhood on a Zululand sugarcane farm where he learned to speak fluent Zulu. After matriculating in 1993, Lloyd dreamed of working as a nature conservationist. Life’s vagaries, however, had different plans for him and Lloyd ended up sampling various jobs in South African agriculture before becoming a proud member of the Farmer’s Weekly team.

Expert tips on producing better silage

Grant Pringle, an agronomist with Pannar Seed, tells Lloyd Phillips how a farmer can get the best out of a silage maize crop by using the correct planting and management methods.

Investing in animal welfare pays off for German piggery

With the welfare of farm animals under close scrutiny in Europe, farmers there are increasingly utilising technologies and systems that balance animals’ well-being with profitability. Lloyd Phillips recently toured a modern sow unit near Magdeburg in Germany to witness this approach first-hand.

Foot-and-mouth outbreak could cost SA billions

A study by South Africa’s Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) has found that if the country lost its foot-and-mouth disease-free (FMD) status in the foreseeable future, SA’s economy would lose around R6 billion every year.

Grabbing hold of the golden kiwifruit export market

Golden kiwifruit is in high demand in Europe and Asia. New Zealand is currently the largest producer and exporter of the fruit in the southern hemisphere, but South Africa is ideally placed to take advantage of an annual gap in production.

SAPA wants compensation for ‘bird flu’ farms

With thousands of chickens and other poultry having died or been culled due to the outbreaks of the H5N8 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) has stated that government needed to compensate affected producers and agribusinesses.

DAFF confirms 16 avian influenza cases across SA

August has reportedly seen more cases of the H5N8 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in South Africa.

Netherlands scrambles to undo eggs disaster

The Netherlands poultry industry is making a concerted effort to undo the damage to its reputation after eggs it produced and exported was found to be contaminated with insecticide.

July tractor sales jump 11%

The 502 tractors sold nationally over July 2017 were 11,3% more than the 451 units sold in July last year.

Brazil gives GM sugarcane a go

Brazil, the world’s largest sugarcane producer, recently approved the commercial use of genetically modified sugarcane.

Eastern Cape beef production needs improvement

If the quality and consistency of beef production among the Eastern Cape’s emerging cattle owners could be rapidly improved, the province would be the leader in top-quality beef production nationally.

Court rules for DAFF in fishing rights allocation

A recently granted Western Cape High Court order will allow the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to resume its Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP) to include previously disadvantaged new entrants in South Africa’s inshore trawl fishery for hake and sole.