An open letter to black market agents
Dear black market agents, over the years I’ve met most of you and have noticed two consistent themes.
Successful, small-scale organic farming in the city
Organic farmer Geoffrey Green of Sparrow Village Farm has created a farming operation on just 0,4ha of land in Maraisburg, Gauteng.
How to deal with big-vein virus and tipburn in lettuce
Lettuce big-vein disease is transmitted by the soil-borne fungus (Olpidium brassicae).
Integrated pest management system
The international farming community must contend with numerous pest and disease threats to their crops, as the pressure of an increasing global population mounts. According to Schalk van der Merwe,...
Problems with immature fruit
According to a FreshPlaza.com report by Anton Bothma, Kenya has set about improving avocado quality standards in order to compete better in Europe.
Bacterial diseases of lettuce
There are two fairly common bacterial diseases of lettuce that most lettuce growers will come across from time to time:
Technology takes farming to new levels
Paul Cluver, managing director of Paul Cluver Wines, and his sister, Karin, the production manager, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about new technologies used to improve fruit and wine production efficiency,...
Producer complicity?
In the previous issue, I wrote about justice being done when a market agent, Vian Coleske, was sent to prison for fraud affecting producers and others.
Did irrigation wheat beat the heat in 2015?
The ARC-Grain Crops Institute’s recently published 2015 National Irrigation Wheat Cultivar Evaluation trial results suggest a considerable number of cultivars produced profitable yields, despite high temperatures.
Market agent fraud
When a market agent is caught defrauding a farmer, a long and complex legal process is put in motion. Yet often it seems as if nothing is being achieved.
When lettuce goes viral
We focus on spotted wilt and lettuce mosaic virus. Both can be controlled, and even avoided, with the correct agronomic practices.
Visit the market!
I hammer on about the importance of farmers visiting the market whenever there is an opportunity.
Proactive fruit farming techniques
Oak Valley Estate in the Elgin Valley grows apples and pears, among many other product lines, on a commercial scale. Key to the farm’s production for the export market is...
Dealing with thrips and the pea leaf miner
The pea leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis) probably originated in South America.
The Produce Marketing Association welcomes new representative
The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) recently announced the resignation of Marianne van der Laarse as its Southern Africa representative.
Planting vegetables: 3 things to consider
What should you ask yourself when deciding which vegetables to plant? Vegetable expert Bill Kerr explains.
Economical pest control
Having already addressed bollworms, this week we discuss the control of aphid, cutworm and leaf miner in lettuce crops.
Simonsig: SA wine route pioneers
Wine estate Simonsig pioneered Méthode Cap Classique – a traditional style of producing sparkling wines – in South Africa. The method has since been adopted by a number of estates....
Keep the market free!
I’ve heard rumblings from on high that it should be compulsory for bigger farmers to allocate, say, 20% of their produce to a black-owned market agency.
