Crops

When Charles Hamilton left his post as CEO of Cape Town Market in the early part of the new millennium, he opened his own market using an entirely new business model: he replaced market agents with salespeople employed directly by the market authority.

Many farmers think that using a knapsack sprayer is taking a step backwards as large spray rigs are fast and effective. However, knapsack sprayers still have their uses on big farms.

Had I written this 15 or more years ago, I would have bemoaned the attitude of market agents and said that the sooner they adapted to transformation, the better, otherwise change would be forced on them.

Since the introduction of industrial agricultural practices in South African sugar cane production, soil compaction has led to a steady decrease in average yield and profitability. Dr Rianto van Antwerpen, a senior scientist at the SA Sugarcane Research Institute, advises farmers on how to care for their soil to avoid this problem.

In the Paardeberg near Wellington, Slent Farms are producers of superior quality olive oil. Michela Sfiligoi and Attilio Dalpiaz spoke to Jay Ferreira about their successful operation.

Non-systemic products have to be sprayed thoroughly to be effective. This applies particularly to fungicides.

Poland’s agricultural sector has undergone significant changes over the past 25 years, and the country now has the potential to become Europe’s major food production and processing hub.

The recent drought in the Swartland made Abri Richter realise that he had to adapt his farming techniques to ensure his operation’s long-term sustainability. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he was improving his conservation farming techniques.

Walking through the Joburg Market vegetable hall recently, I came upon a senior salesman selling red peppers at R300 for a 4,5kg-carton – and he was having no problem moving them.

When I first began planting tomatoes in soil in tunnels, the soil was infested with eelworm, which killed susceptible varieties before they could even start producing.

Gerhard Dreyer, owner of The New Nut Company in North West, says there is always demand for groundnuts in the local and international markets, and farmers in the right climatic conditions could reap rich rewards from investing in this crop. Gerhard Uys reports.

Markets and market agents throughout South Africa use Freshmark Systems (FS) software to manage their sales and administration.

Even with the correct crop chemical, efficacy will be reduced if the spraying technique is not up to scratch.

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 how the avocado operation combines organic farming principles with technology to achieve high yield.

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 decline in bee numbers, the causes thereof and what can be done to safeguard global populations.

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 African Plant Improvement Organisation Trust.

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 investment.