Sabrina Dean
Multimedia journalist active in print, radio and online platforms.
Bullish grain forecast for SA will help ‘tame’ food inflation
The Crop Estimate’s Committee (CEC) has revised the expected commercial maize crop for 2020 up another 1,7% to over 14,8 million tons.
Interest rate cut good news for farmers, economists
The announcement on Thursday by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) monetary policy committee of a 100-basis-point cut, or one percentage point, in the repo rate from 6,25% to 5,25%, was positive news for farmers.
Consistent quality ensures success for popcorn exporter
A popcorn factory in a small Northern Cape town has doubled production since expanding into the export market. Sabrina Dean asked director Koos de Wet and chief financial officer
Jacques Louw how Biggi Brands continues to grow its niche agro-processing business.
Agri SA calls on Ramaphosa to ‘stop talking and take action’
The agriculture sector has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to focus on the issues that will enable South Africa to bounce back from slow economic recovery and lack of service delivery when he presents his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday.
Volatile tomato prices ascribed to ‘extreme weather’
The tomato price increased more than 80% week-on-week in the week ending 24 January, and was up more than 57% year-on-year, according to the Absa Fresh Produce Market Trends report.
5 200 weaner calf net R54 million in video sale
What is being described as possibly the largest ever weaner calf sale in the country, has highlighted how a digital sales platform can be used to trade large numbers of cattle quickly and easily.
Low CPI reflects sluggish economy – economist
Consumer price inflation increased slightly from November to December 2019, but still remained at its lowest level in nearly a decade, and was expected to remain low throughout 2020.
Court case to lift ban on auctions to be heard on Tuesday
A court application filed by two auction companies, a co-operative, a commercial farmer and a group of 50 emerging farmers to lift the national ban on auctions will be heard in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on 14 January.
Breeding a million-dollar bird
Pigeon breeding and racing remains a popular pursuit, with some fanciers aiming for the ultimate goal of turning their hobby into a career. Sabrina Dean visited brothers Daniel and Justin King of Kingslea Lofts in Bloemfontein to find out more about the demands, and thrills, of the sport.
Costs mount as FMD infections spread across Limpopo
The ban on livestock auctions due to the recent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Limpopo is resulting in mounting costs, with BKB confirming it had suffered a R350 million drop in turnover during November and December.
Cold-pressed sunflower oil: a hot new product
Vergezocht Plant Oils is the first factory in Africa to produce cold-pressed, high-oleic sunflower oil. Sabrina Dean visited the plant in Bloemfontein in the Free State to find out more about Vergezocht’s business plan, which is built around using a niche sunflower cultivar to produce a high-demand product in a world moving towards healthier lifestyles.
Foot-and-mouth disease now confirmed in 10 locations
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) cases have now been confirmed in 10 locations in Limpopo. This was according to the latest report on the outbreak issued by the Directorate of Animal Health at the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
Intensive lambing system produces better weaning percentages
Theron Swanepoel of AM Swanepoel Boerdery near Smithfield in the Free State began converting his extensive lambing operation into an intensive system more than a decade ago. At the Free State National Wool Growers’ Association Congress, Swanepoel explained why the system works so efficiently.
Foot-and-mouth disease spreads to four feedlots in Limpopo
In an attempt to curb the spread of the latest foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) has called on role players in Limpopo, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga to adhere to safety protocols.
SA’s top sheep and cattle farmers announced
All problems can be solved as long as you have access to good feed. This was according to Cobus and Magdel van Coller, the husband-and-wife team who won the Sheep Farmer of the Year award at the recent Best of the Best Sheep and Cattle Farmer of the Year Awards in Bloemfontein.
Diarrhoea in lambs: prevention and treatment
Thousands of lambs and calves have died in South Africa and Botswana in recent years due to a virulent, fast-spreading Cryptosporidium and Escherichia coli disease complex. Veterinarian Dr Liezel Wasserman, who has been investigating the problem, spoke to Sabrina Dean.
Tuli stud cattle flourish in Karoo small-stock environment
Tuli breeder Ben Raath believes his indigenous cattle hold their own against top feedlot breeds in terms of profitability on a weight per hectare basis. Sabrina Dean visited his farm near Britstown to learn about the commercial potential of the cattle, particularly with worsening climate change.
New foot-and-mouth disease case confirmed in Limpopo
A case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been confirmed in a herd of cattle on a farm in the Molemole district of Limpopo.
Feeding cattle during and after a drought
During a cattle information day hosted by the Berg Farmers’ Association in Barkly West, Johan Mouton, manager of research and development for ruminants at RCL Foods, shared some advice on how to manage feeding for livestock after a drought.
Concerns raised over state of SA’s wheat crop
Weather-related challenges are expected to negatively impact the prospects for South Africa’s wheat harvest, with some dryland producers in the Free State expressing concern that they will not harvest even 1t/ha.
