Field Crops

Umkomaas Valley farmer Johnny Sfaelos forged a farming career for himself 52 years ago – and the cost-effective ways of his generation have helped him cap his costs. Robyn Joubert visited him at Valley View.

Successful farming comes not only from hard work and attention to detail, but also through taking good advice, says DAFF’s female entrepreneur of the year Pam Fyfie. Lloyd Phillips spoke to her.

Trials conducted by the Agricultural Research Council at its Zeekoegat experimental farm in Roodeplaat have compared conventional farming practices with conservation agriculture, and have identified many benefits to CA. Peter Hittersay reports.

Investing R1,5 million in a technologically advanced greenhouse has increased tomato yields and profit at Valley Fresh, a social profit enterprise supporting abandoned and orphaned children.

Ben Visser is one of the first and most succesfull olive producers in the Northern Cape. His steadfast insistence on value adding at farm level has resulted in an award-winning business. Annelie Coleman spoke to him.

Peter Mashala highlights new vegetable cultivars now available.

Diversification and crop rotation keep Petrus van der Walt busy 12 months of the year. But the bottom line has been worth the effort for this 2011 Limpopo Farmer of the Year. He tells Lindi van Rooyen about sustainable farming and handing over the business to his children.

SA’s honeybush industry holds great potential. Thanks to careful selection, Van Zyl and Mona Joubert of Bredasdorp have good plant material, putting them ahead of the game.

Edward Taylor, winner of this year’s Hex Valley Table Grape Association’s Block Competition, produced Red Flame seedless grapes with good colour and berry size by employing strict bunch management practices and using new spray application technology. Edward, a member of the ASV Boerdery group, tells Denene Erasmus how he did it.

Henk Conradie adopted no-till practices four years ago on the nine farms he manages in Mpumalanga. He tells Peter Hittersay how he converted to this system and why it has benefited the operation.

A wise farmer adapts his production methods to his farm’s environment. Gerhard Keeve, an award-winning soya bean producer, shares his approach to obtaining the maximum yield under rainfed conditions with Lloyd Phillips.

By early 2012, the maize price had nearly doubled year-on-year, with serious implications for livestock farmers who buy in large quantities of maize for feed. Western Cape dairy farmers, already struggling due to the low milk price, are now opting to plant maize to produce their own silage, despite water and weather constraints.

The ARC-Grain Crops Institute recently published its annual report on the 2010/2011 and the multi-seasonal results going back to 2008/2009 for the national cultivar trials for maize.

The South African-developed African Delight plum cultivar has been enthusiastically welcomed by farmers and consumers, and promises to become the country’s third most-planted variety within five years. Denene Erasmus spoke to Culdevco’s Dr Leon von Mollendorff, one of the driving forces behind the new cultivar, and producer Anthony Dicey, to learn more.

Agri Gauteng's 2011 Young Farmer of the Year Richard de Freitas (28) was honoured for his role in the family farm, which produces cabbage, carrots, lettuce and beetroot. Annelie Coleman spoke to Richard about the secrets behind the success of their vegetable farming business.

Since 2000, Craig Rippon has established almost 7 000 olive trees on his family's former sheep farm. Mike Burgess visited Springvale Olive Estate to find out why Craig pioneered olive production in the region, and how on-farm processing helped him develop a valuable niche market.

Farming has its fair share of risk, but Groblersdal farmer George Barnard has found ways around this to maximise profit. Contract farming, new technology and careful irrigation have put this farmer a step above the rest.

The Nohari family of the Tongaat area in KwaZulu-Natal has been farming succesfully for five generations. They share some of the highs and lows of fresh produce farming with Lloyd Phillips.

A ley pasture gives tired soil a chance to recuperate. It also offers economic benefits, explains rangeland scientist and land reclamation specialist, Dr Wayne Truter.

Koos Mthimkulu, Grain SA's 2011 Developing Farmer of the Year, started off as a farm worker and is today a successful grain producer. He ascribes his achievement to hard work, solid mentoring and the support of Grain SA. Not content with resting on his laurels, Koos plans to expand his business and become an independent commercial farmer, as Annelie Coleman found out when she visited him.