Field Crops

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.