Crops

According to Mike Muller, a visiting adjunct professor at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Graduate School of Governance, low and unpredictable rainfall is not the only cause for South Africa’s water crisis. As a result, no single solution can address water challenges across the country.

Chicken farming is the only type of animal production that can provide an income in the short as well as the long term.

The growing scarcity of farm labour due to factors such as urbanisation will see an increase in the demand for self-driving farm equipment. In response to this, John Deere recently unveiled its latest autonomous concept tractor, an all-electric model.

Global agriculture has to increase its output dramatically to meet the needs of a rapidly growing human population. John Hassell, Koch Agronomic Services’ customer support manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, highlights the challenges and urgently required solutions for meeting this unprecedented demand.

Many South Africans will be watching President Cyril Ramaphosa deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 12 February, some hoping against hope and some with enthusiasm and renewed hope.

Kubota has partnered with Escorts Ltd to produce the E-Kubota tractor range, which caters to all farmers, regardless of scale. These tractors are sure to find a ready market in South Africa.

A farmers’ day in Paarl afforded wine farmers the chance to look at some of the best viticulture equipment from Italy.

Irrigation water in South Africa is at a premium. Instead of investing in hugely expensive digital technology or relying on inaccurate intuition, use this old-fashioned, yet accurate, method to schedule your irrigation.

Unfavourable climatic conditions, poor commodity prices and rising production costs are making it increasingly difficult for farmers to stay productive and run profitable enterprises on their farms. Glenneis Kriel asked three experts for tips that could help farmers weather the financial storms.

In theory, South Africa has strong laws to protect the property ownership and inheritance rights of all women. However, a 2018 study conducted by Bongi Owusu for her master’s dissertation in social science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal found that these laws are often not implemented in rural Zulu-speaking communities. She explains how this prejudices widows in particular.

Several Argentinian implements were showcased at a farmers’ day that focused on no-till and conservation farming.

It’s been a rough period for optimists, so take a trip to Hoedspruit.It’s an instant cure for pessimism about South Africa.

Dr Sifiso Ntombela, a trade economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council, writes that as technological advances are being achieved at an ever-faster rate, countries that fail to invest sufficient resources in research and development risk falling behind and becoming uncompetitive.

This slow-cooked shredded beef is the perfect stuffer for a roti, flatbread or sandwich. It’s even a delight on a bed of white rice!

A new camera system that combines a regular digital camera with a miniature infrared camera could provide a cost-effective way to monitor crop temperatures and help irrigate crops.

Drought seems to have become a permanent part of Southern Africa’s weather patterns, but many farmers are still caught unaware, and suffer accordingly.

A new empowerment model championed by a Limpopo-based farming company, Schoonbee Landgoed, and Thebe Investment Corporation aims to establish long-term partnerships between white commercial farmers and black institutional investors while helping new-entrant farmers achieve financial viability, writes Gert Schoonbee.

According to Michael Petersen, lead agronomist at US-based Orthman Manufacturing, the main pillars of success for strip-tillage are vertical tillage, residue management, seedbed preparation and fertiliser placement. Stehan Cloete explains the technical aspects of these factors.

The world’s drylands are becoming hotter and drier. Expanding commercial agriculture and investing in sustainable land management practices are two ways in which governmentscan mitigate this form of land degradation, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The Husqvarna toy collection makes great gifts for young and old and are great collector’s items.