Producing onions out of season
You can trick onions into providing an out-of-season crop ready for market when the price is just about at its peak by planting small bulbs called ‘sets’.
Mechanised fruit farming: increase profits and create jobs
Johan Esterhuyse, who produces a range of stone fruit varieties has introduced mechanisation on his farm to ensure profitability and long-term sustainability. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the positive...
Realising a dream with urban aquaponic farming
Louis and Nadine Kuys produce a range of colourful leaf vegetables in an urban aquaponics system in Vredenburg on the West Coast. Keri Harvey visited Forest Friends Aquaponics to learn...
Seedlings: Balancing fertility & hardening
To ensure successful fertilisation, you need to do more than simply carry out a soil analysis to determine the crop’s basic requirements. You also have to consider the needs of...
Olive oil success through innovation
The Greenleaf Olive Company near Cape Agulhas in the Overberg planted its first trees in 2006. Just 10 years later, the olive oil produced here is one of South Africa’s...
Using no-till practices for long-term sustainability
Grain producer, Danie Slabbert, wants to manage soil sustainably so that it remains productive for future generations. Annelie Coleman visited him on his farm in the Free State to learn...
Macadamias: a growing industry, but challenges await
South Africa’s macadamia industry is expected to double production over the next few years. But processors will have to find new markets and add value to nuts to maintain exports,...
Cotton gains ground with up-to-date harvesting tech
Sabrina Dean spoke to Deon Marais, combine harvester operator, and Richard Godfrey-Thom, a cotton farmer in the Vaalharts region of the Northern Cape, about the innovative cotton picker revolutionising and...
SA scientist’s maize weevil control breakthrough
Protecting stored grain from insect pests is essential for Africa’s future food security. University of KwaZulu-Natal doctoral candidate, Mohamed Saeed, describes his successful tests with a widely known fungus to...
Strawberries: overcoming the stumbling blocks
Strawberry production in South Africa is expensive, with exhorbitant set-up costs. The market is also very competitive. Mark Miller, operations manager at Redberry Strawberry Farm in George, spoke to Jay...
The benefits of soya bean production in South Africa
Gerhard Scholtemeijer, Protein Research Foundation chairperson, is an ardent advocate for soya bean production in South Africa, and has promoted the crop for the past 20 years. He spoke to...
Ceres farmer achieves best-ever harvest, despite drought
Despite extremely dry conditions, Ceres Valley farmer, Retief du Toit, recently succeeded in producing his two best harvests ever. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he achieved this.