‘I’ve always wanted to farm for myself’
Dolf du Bruyn, a Grain SA 2010 Grain Producer of the Year finalist, only started farming on his own about 13 years ago. He has since become one of the...
‘Don’t plant yourselves out of business’
Maize farmers mustn't plant themselves out of business, but rather diversify to other crops and livestock for long-term survival, says Tom van Rooyen, a 2010 Grain SA Grain Producer of...
North West success with conservation agriculture
When Farmer's Weekly last reported on Hannes Otto (19 October 2007), he was about to adopt no-till on a quarter of his farm's arable land, after trials conducted the season...
Solving pineapple’s problem
James and Brett Domleo are providing pineapple farmers with an alternative outlet in a prickly market. Robyn Joubert spoke to them about their pioneering idea.
Historic farming community under threat
The Cape Flats Agricultural Association is one of the oldest agricultural associations in South Africa, celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Descendants of German immigrant farmers still farm in Philippi,...
Persevering with biological pineapples
Making the transition from conventional farming to organic farming, and then to biological farming, hasn't been easy for this Hluhluwe pineapple farmer. But achieving a higher yield in extremely dry...
Adding value with frozen vegetables
Angelo De Andrade has earned Agri Gauteng's Young Farmer of the Year award by processing his own produce on the farm while still supplying fresh produce markets. His family partnership...
Cowpeas replace maize on a Free State farm
The declining profitability of maize on a Viljoenskroon farm in the Free State forced Cobus van Coller to diversify into livestock.
Apple farming at Clan Leslie – take less, waste less, make more
By incorporating vermicomposting and worm-casting tea in its apple production system, Clan Leslie Estate has improved its fruit quality, reduced input costs and improved the soil and tree health in...
Long-term success with no-till
In 2007 Farmer's Weekly reported on the success of father and son Dirk and Frik van Sittert's no-till practices. Peter Hittersay looks at the continuing no-till success Frik has enjoyed...
Green manure for soil rehabilitation
Vegetable farmer Gary Fyvie is using green manure crops to replenish tired soil and to fight weeds.He told Robyn Joubert how he sacrificed 6% production for healthier soil over the...
Is planting less maize the only option?
Despite repeated calls to plant less maize, producers still managed a bumper maize crop of nearly 14 million tons in the 2009/10 season, pushing maize costs down to import parity.
Vegetable production in Queenstown
When Brad Turner began to farm in the Queenstown region in 2005, many in the area warned him about the size limitations of his 900ha stock farm, Mountain Glen. Undaunted,...
Practical experience achieves 16t/ha maize
The latest agricultural technology can help farmers improve their maize yields. But, as farm manager Lorenz Freese proves, decades of practical experience combined with old-fashioned hands-on management can get the...
Weeds don’t deserve their bad reputation
Farmers exterminate weeds without understanding their role in soil ecology, says Nutritech Solutions CEO Graeme Sait. An expert on high-production sustainable agriculture, he spoke to Sonja Burger about the potential...
Choosing your maize cultivar
Seed companies are outdoing themselves in developing new maize cultivars.The national maize cultivar trials, conducted by the Agricultural Research Council, looked at newcomers and old favourites to give maize producers...
SA pear producers get cheeky
Cheeky, the newest blushed-pear variety to be released to the South African industry, is the result of 16 years of hard work by renowned plant breeder Taaibos Human. Industry sources...
Diversified farming, booming business
A mission station in the rural hilltops of KwaZulu-Natal has diversified into a range of agricultural activities, but peppers grown under state-of-the-art greenhouses and export avocados are the main commercial...
Double-crop your way forward
Local farmers would do well to emulate the UK's approach of double-cropping, ecologist Ben Breedlove tells Roelof Bezuidenhout. So, instead of just harvesting a planted crop, why not also slash...
Soil organisms for sustainable farming
Ben Krog, MD of fertiliser company Profert, understands there’s more to soil health than piling on chemicals. He told Annelie Coleman about the vital role played by soil microorganisms, especially...
