Crops

Christmas is associated with a host of traditions, and nowhere more so than in the UK. Here, it’s not really Christmas unless you have a real fir tree at home. Sabrina Dean visited a Christmas tree farmer in Berkshire, UK, and spoke to forestry manager, Paul Mather, about the operation.

You can trick onions into providing an out-of-season crop ready for market when the price is just about at its peak by planting small bulbs called ‘sets’.

Johan Esterhuyse, who produces a range of stone fruit varieties has introduced mechanisation on his farm to ensure profitability and long-term sustainability. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the positive impact of these innovations.

Louis and Nadine Kuys produce a range of colourful leaf vegetables in an urban aquaponics system in Vredenburg on the West Coast. Keri Harvey visited Forest Friends Aquaponics to learn more.

To ensure successful fertilisation, you need to do more than simply carry out a soil analysis to determine the crop’s basic requirements. You also have to consider the needs of the seedlings.

The Greenleaf Olive Company near Cape Agulhas in the Overberg planted its first trees in 2006. Just 10 years later, the olive oil produced here is one of South Africa’s premium local brands.

Grain producer, Danie Slabbert, wants to manage soil sustainably so that it remains productive for future generations. Annelie Coleman visited him on his farm in the Free State to learn more.

South Africa’s macadamia industry is expected to double production over the next few years. But processors will have to find new markets and add value to nuts to maintain exports, according to Alex Whyte, sales and marketing manager for Green Farms Nut Company.

Sabrina Dean spoke to Deon Marais, combine harvester operator, and Richard Godfrey-Thom, a cotton farmer in the Vaalharts region of the Northern Cape, about the innovative cotton picker revolutionising and reviving South Africa’s cotton industry.

Protecting stored grain from insect pests is essential for Africa’s future food security. University of KwaZulu-Natal doctoral candidate, Mohamed Saeed, describes his successful tests with a widely known fungus to help achieve this.

Strawberry production in South Africa is expensive, with exhorbitant set-up costs. The market is also very competitive. Mark Miller, operations manager at Redberry Strawberry Farm in George, spoke to Jay Ferreira about how the company has tapped into the local and export markets, and how agritourism has given them an extra edge over local competitors.

Gerhard Scholtemeijer, Protein Research Foundation chairperson, is an ardent advocate for soya bean production in South Africa, and has promoted the crop for the past 20 years. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about the industry’s inception, its challenges, and his thoughts on its future.

Despite extremely dry conditions, Ceres Valley farmer, Retief du Toit, recently succeeded in producing his two best harvests ever. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he achieved this.

Producing tomatoes is expensive and can make or break a farmer. If you plan to grow this crop, first do your homework and investigate its economic viability.

Over the past 15 years, Alan and Russell Heger have grown their farming operation into a major supplier of cucumbers in the Eastern Cape. Grant Hollins spoke to this father-and-son team about their successes, as well as the challenges they face in trying to grow the business.

Free State Young Farmer of the Year 2017, Johan van Huyssteen, is working to ensure the sustainable productivity of his family farm for future generations.

Clement Tshuma believes his small-scale vegetable operation near Kempton Park in Gauteng, not only ensures the sustainability of his own future, but a similar model could be the answer to food insecurity due to large-scale urbanisation in South Africa.

Grant Pringle, an agronomist with Pannar Seed, tells Lloyd Phillips how a farmer can get the best out of a silage maize crop by using the correct planting and management methods.

Readers frequently ask me for specific fertiliser programmes for their crops. I would happily oblige if all crops were the same!

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is funding research to stimulate and sustain the growth and development of minor crops in the province, a move that promises to transform the guava industry in the region.