Crops

Peter Nicholson of Roselands farm near Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal believes organic farming can be used to sustainably feed the world. He shares his vision with Lloyd Phillips.

‘Ugly produce’, it seems, is finding its way onto retail shelves around the world.

An alternative to the traditional seedbed method for transplants is to use seedling trays. One advantage of this is that you can place the trays in a warmer environment if...

With citrus orchards that extend for more than 60km along the Eastern Cape’s Sundays River Valley, Sitrusrand is one of the largest producers in the area, and exports to many...

To many farmers and market agents, price is all that matters. Of course price is important, but these days there’s a lot more to the equation.

I’ve met a few senior people in the fresh-produce sector who don’t know what plant breeders’ rights (PBRs) are.

Jacques Beukes is a table grape farmer in the Western Cape, and is always searching for new ways in which to expand and improve his business. Since joining the family...

At a recent conference, Tommie van Zyl, CEO of the ZZ2 group, talked about the agency system being a good ‘enabler’, and his remarks got me thinking.

Choosing the right type of onion can be difficult, as the variety has to suit both the area and the planting seasons.

Erika Oberholzer produces microgreens and elfin vegetables for local and export markets, as well as herbs and medicinal plants for the essential oils industry, on 7ha in Midrand.

Regular readers of this column will know that I am strongly opposed to political interference in markets.

One of the challenges of growing onions is getting the planting date right. Farmers unfamiliar with this crop would expect to plant it earlier in cool areas and later in...

Lephalale vegetable producer, Pieter Pieterse, spoke to Gerhard Uys about the challenges of sustainably farming numerous crops in tunnels, on open land and under netting.

One of the basic tenets of good marketing is to always ensure you have your product available and in front of the buyer’s eyes. Admittedly, that’s easier said than done,...

Andrew Jonker runs a wheat and livestock operation near Riversdale in the Western Cape. He explained to Glenneis Kriel how he combined conservation farming principles with the latest precision farming...

Congratulations to Durban market for introducing the ‘cash deposit device’. The first of its kind in a South African market, this enables buyers to deposit cash directly into their accounts...

Records show that people have been harvesting onions for about 7 000 years. The Egyptians were cultivating them around 3500BC, and used onions to treat many medical conditions.

The Ernst family of Allesbeste Boerdery is renowned for its pioneering work in the avocado industry. Through innovative methods, improved genetics and research, the aim is to increase the fruit’s...

Warren Buffet, one of the world’s richest men, is reputed to have said: “Look for three things in a person – intelligence, energy and integrity. If they don’t have the...

The recent announcement that aphids and not leaf hoppers are the vector for the spread of the brassica stunting disorder virus (BSD) makes sense.