Crops

A small-scale farmer recently told me that he supplied spinach to a client on contract, and sent his surplus spinach to the market.

The ZZ2 farming business’s nature-friendly agricultural practices have secured it a reputation as a world leader in the field. Wilma den Hartigh visited ZZ2’s farm in Limpopo to find out...

If only some farmers realised that it takes remarkably little effort to improve product presentation – and get a higher price as a result.

Globally, the fate of bees, as well as their important role in pollination and food production, have been in the spotlight. Wilma den Hartigh spoke to industry experts about the...

Thinking of using uncertified plant material in your fruit orchards? Think again. The cost of doing so might be far higher than you imagine, according to researchers from the South...

A number of onion diseases are highly destructive and all prospective onion growers can benefit from knowing about them.

Growing pecan nuts requires long-term commitment. Dries Duvenhage of Hartswater in the Northern Cape planted his first hectare of pecans 16 years ago and patiently waited for the return on his...

I paid an early morning visit to the Joburg Market recently. It was an icy Tuesday, and the place was hectic.

The infamous cutworm occurs in all vegetable crops, including onions, yet still seems to catch farmers by surprise.

When Stefan and Anné Pretorius established Katlego Sitrus more than a decade ago, they decided to re-evaluate everything they knew about farming. This involved introducing new technology to improve production...

Those who believe that market agents are no longer relevant remind us that more than 50 years ago, when supermarkets started buying directly from farmers, markets and market agents did nothing...

For small-scale mushroom farmers in South Africa, production can be a challenge. But Wilmaré Lotz of Boland Mushrooms succeeded in doubling production in her first year as manager. Specialising in...

For the small-scale onion grower, it pays to stay in production as long as possible in order to satisfy a local rural market.

Four years ago, the Imasa introduced an award for a market, market agency or fresh produce-related business that had excelled in customer services.

Farming granadillas can be profitable, but growers should realise that the crop requires intensive management and significant capital investment. Wilma den Hartigh visited Kosie Eloff’s farm in Limpopo to find...

Fertilising vegetables is not like baking a cake, where we get a consistent result as long as we follow the recipe. With vegetables, we have to deal with different soils...

In days gone by, it was common practice for a youngster to work alongside his father or uncle in a market agency and learn the trade in that way.

Many small-grain farmers in the Southern Cape have added brassicas in the form of canola to their crop rotation programmes. Jose de Kock talked to Glenneis Kriel about how he...

Some 16 years ago, Johannes Joubert introduced canola to his crop rotation system on the family farm Kweekkraal. This not only contributed to the health of his soil, but led...

Peter Da Rocha farms cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce near Delmas in Mpumalanga. The operation's focus on cultivar selection for better production efficiency has had a significant impact on the business’s...