New farmer moves ahead with skill & understanding

Warren Bam, winner of the deciduous fruit industry novice award and the Toyota New Harvest of the Year competition, spoke to Denene Erasmus about the journey that has led to his managing an organic, export table grape and blueberry farm and starting his own farming business.

Fresh produce markets – choose wisely

Last week, I wrote about how a group of visiting UK potato farmers said that we in South Africa needed to preserve our commission markets system.

Profit through precision farming

The father and son team of Pauciflora Farming in Arlington attribute their success to precision farming and reduced tillage. Dirk and Herman van Rensburg were finalists in the 2013 Grain SA Syngenta Grain Producer of the Year competition.

UK Marketing agents envy us

Along with several other fresh produce sector colleagues, I recently had the pleasure of addressing a group of visiting UK potato farmers and traders hosted by Potatoes SA.

Carrot suppliers success with Woolworths

Being a major supplier of carrots to Woolworths for more than a decade has not been easy. But Greenpak farm has reaped the rewards of being part of this retail chain’s Farming for the Future programme, which has reduced input costs while increasing yields. Lindi van Rooyen reports.

Carrot root diseases

Your carrot crop is looking good. You can almost hear the money cascading into your bank account. Then you harvest it – and all that profit vanishes.

Making SA’s best olive oil

At Andante Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Porterville, quality starts in the orchard with fine-tuned production practices.

Leading fruit farmer’s orchard renewal

Rossouw Cillié, Agri Writers’ SA Farmer of the Year, has a diversified enterprise with several production branches and a value-adding component. He told Denene Erasmus about his latest project – to replant and expand his fruit orchards.

Eelworms love carrots

By far the biggest carrot pest is the root knot eelworm (Melodogyne spp). In many other vegetable crops, these nematodes are not much of a problem, but in carrots they attack the very root that is marketed.

Fresh Produce global round-up

Occasionally, I like to break away from the norm and take a look at the bigger picture of fresh produce trading globally. Here are some snippets gleaned from recent industry publications.

Sugarcane, with tomatoes on the side

Growing tomatoes in Pongola in summer is not for the faint- hearted. But the Terblanche family has fine-tuned its programme and picks tomatoes year-round, with many benefits for the sugarcane operation. Robyn Joubert reports.

Successful carrot fertilisation

Carrot fertilisation is very different to fertilisation in other vegetable crops. It’s crucial to understand this when evaluating a soil analysis prior to fertilising.

Markets need commitment

In last week’s column, I lamented the lack of formal training on markets. I was referring to market management and staff, not market agents, as they have a fully-fledged skills development programme.

Deeper roots, better carrots

Given the right conditions, a carrot’s extensive fine feeder roots can reach 3m into the soil. It’s important to know this, as it will change the way you treat both the soil and the crop.

Getting your carrot stand correct

Good carrot seed is expensive and it’s therefore important to provide optimal conditions for germination.

Free State grain farmer discusses farming practices

Businessman, farmer and Rhodes scholar Anthony Evans, says that GM technology and advanced farming practices have contributed to the success of his family’s farming business. Anthony is Grain SA/Syngenta’s 2013 Producer of the Year.

Markets training essential

I believe it was Mark Twain who said: “The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” His point was that “training is everything”.

Carrots – who said they must be orange?

The carrot – Daucus carota subspecies sativus – has been used by humankind for thousands of years. The vegetable’s wild ancestors look a lot different though.

Counter-seasonal imports

Walking through my local supermarket the other day, I noticed nectarines selling for R60/kg. The sign did not say where they came from, but my guess was Spain.

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