Success with small-scale herb production

Husband-and-wife team, Miki and Cathy Clark, knew nothing about farming when they began their small-scale herb production operation on 1,2ha of land five years ago. Now they produce over 2t...

Shelf life: a price driver

Senescence is the aging of fruit and vegetables until final decay, when they have to be discarded.

Pest control with benefical insects

If allowed to flourish, predators and parasitoids can control certain pests almost entirely.

Why we bank on butternuts – Drotskie brothers

Francois and Danie Drotskie run a mixed farming operation comprising vegetables, cattle and game. Surprisingly, their butternut crop is amongst their most valued enterprises. Gerhard Uys visited them.

The four pillars of the fresh produce market

Market management and agents. Infrastructure. Farmers. Buyers. These are the four pillars of the fresh produce market.

Using IPM for diamondbacks

My interest in integrated pest management (IPM) was sparked many years ago when carrying out brassica trials.

Benefits of vermiculture

David Leslie and his son James use vermiculture to keep their potato, bean, maize and soya crops healthy – and it’s paying off. Gerhard Uys visited them on their Free...

Farmers need constructive feedback from market agents

Ask any market agent what the toughest aspect is about dealing with farmers, and the reply will probably be: “Criticising their products.”

The benefits of holistic pest control

Integrated pest management (IPM) combines various methods to control pests.

The relationship between producer and market agent

The trust relationship between producer and market agent is the oil that lubricates the fresh produce engine.

Fine-tuning your lettuce

I often see a large amount of lettuce left behind on the land after harvesting.

A fine fynbos business

Fifteen years ago, Jacky Goliath and Elton Jefthas planted 1 000 fynbos plants in Elton’s back garden, establishing De Fynne Nursery. Today, operating on 22ha, De Fynne is a renowned...

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.

Crops