Crops

I’ve been devoting so much time to the spacing of Cucurbitaceae because this aspect is so little understood and has been a limiting factor for countless producers over the years.

Last week, I provided a ‘Market Agent’s Checklist’. But, as with most things in life, it turns out this checklist is far from one-sided.

Willie Nel, recipient of Rooibos Limited’s Producer of the Year Award, says sustainable rooibos production depends on a rotation cycle that will ensure consistently good quality yields. Denene Erasmus reports.

In the last issue, the importance of spacing Cucurbitaceae was discussed. Aspects other than climate will influence the spacing.

The list that follows is by no means complete, but should serve as a guide to any producer who wants to check if they’re getting the best value for their money from their market agent.

Cactus pear cladode production is a good enterprise for farmers in semi-arid and arid parts of South Africa. It requires little input costs and is highly sought after as animal feed. Supplier Danie van Tonder can hardly keep up with the demand. Annelie Coleman reports.

Starting as a farm labourer at the age of 10, with no formal education, Ntuseni Nesane became a leading black commercial farmer and an award-winning tomato producer. The University of Venda has recently awarded him an honorary doctorate in agriculture. Peter Mashala visited him on his farm.

Market agents, by the very nature of their occupations – they represent producers in a financial capacity – have a law especially written to regulate their activities and protect the producer’s financial interests.

When planting any pumpkin, marrow, gem or other Cucurbitaceae, it’s important to get the spacing right. Get it wrong, and you could lose 50% or more of your yield.

Only a small amount of hops is needed to make beer, about 40g of the dried product for every 100l, but beer would just not be the same without it. SAB Hop Farms near George grow this essential ingredient in one of South Africa’s favourite drinks.

I’m sure most readers find it perplexing if the management of a business spends precious money on ‘beautification’ when the basic infrastructure is crumbling into non-existence.

It’s extremely risky to plant tomatoes in the open in areas where hail and three-day spells of rain are common.

Bacterial diseases are extremely difficult to control and can be very destructive in tomatoes (and other crops).

One of the stipulations of Act 12 of the 1992 Agricultural Produce Agents Act is that a market agency must comply with the requirements of the Agricultural Produce Agents Council (APAC).

The other day, a market agent told me about a supposedly ‘loyal’ producer who had decided to bypass him and supply directly to an unnamed buyer in the same town, who had offered him a ‘better deal’.

We have already discussed bacterial wilt which sees the leaves and growing tip of an apparently healthy plant hanging due to lack of water.

From humble beginnings, Walter Williams has grown a business that today has three farms as well as a fruit packing business in the Ceres Valley. He spoke to Denene Erasmus about his early days as a farmer and his tried-and-tested production techniques.

On top of the Piketberg, Advanced Potato Propagation propagates mini-tubers in specially adapted greenhouses. Jay Ferreira speaks to APP’s manager, Ferdi Breytenbach.

The eastern Free State’s apple orchards are doing well with a small edge in marketing time over the more established orchards of the Western Cape. Lloyd Phillips talks to Charles Smith of Fyvie Farming.

‘VAC’ is my acronym. It stands for ‘visibility, availability and credibility’, and refers to the need for a market manager (MM) to be on the market floor as frequently as possible.