Field Crops

The mountainous district of Barkly East in Eastern Cape is best known for its livestock and lucerne, but as Mike Burgess discovered, farmer Piet Steyn has broken with tradition and introduced a colourful alternative in tulips.

Since buying Pongola Mill in 2009, TSB Sugar Holdings has made considerable investments in the mill and its staff and is developing its relationship with growers. This strategy promises to lay a solid foundation for the future.

Shortly after Lyell van Rensburg settled on the 3 000ha farm Rietvlei near Graaff-Reinet in the 1980s, Grootfontein Agricultural College recommended she produce aloes instead of roses. She wasn’t convinced. Armed with a degree in biochemistry and genetics, she overcame myriad challenges to transform Rietvlei Roses into an award-winning cut-rose enterprise.

We look at using pine needles, leaves, lawn clippings, straw, compost and straw manure as mulch.

The Van der Merwes of ALG Estates recently received the National Agricultural Writers 2010 Farmer of the Year Award. After the deregulation of agriculture, brothers All and Gerrit started marketing and exporting their own fruit, aiming to control the entire value and distribution chain from tree to customer. Gerrit Jr recently joined them. Denene Erasmus reports.

Imported, inferior-quality chicory has severly hurt local production. Almost half South Africa's producers left the industry in the last few years, causing a huge drop in production. But Chicory SA's Loddie Greyling believes the industry can be saved. Lourens Schoeman spoke to him.

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 largest landowners on the Sand/Vet irrigation scheme near Bultfontein. Starting off growing vegetables on a leased plot, he now plants maize, wheat and groundnuts on 800ha irrigated and 3 300ha rainfed land.

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 the Year finalist.<

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 before. Its success led him to adopt conservation agriculture practices on all 2 200ha of his arable land. Peter Hittersay reports.

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.

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, supplying Cape Town with 80% of its fresh produce. But urban development and crime could put an end to this proud farming community. Denene Erasmus reports.

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 conditions has made it worth his while. Robyn Joubert investigates.

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 with his brother John Paul and mother Fernanda has maintained a share in the highly competitive local fresh produce market. Annelie Coleman visited Angelo on Lucky Farm near Westonaria.

The declining profitability of maize on a Viljoenskroon farm in the Free State forced Cobus van Coller to diversify into livestock.

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 its orchards. Hayden Green visited Mike Leslie to find out more.

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 in the three years since then.

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 long term.

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.

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, he began producing vegetables under irrigation that today contributes 89% of his turnover, a feat that recently resulted in his crowning as the 2010 Eastern Cape Toyota / Agri SA Young Farmer.

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 job done just as well.