The farming philosophy of a top maize farmer
American farmer David Hula holds the current world record for maize grain yield. On a recent lecture tour of South Africa’s principal grain farming areas, he shared some of the...
Supreme yield in soya
American farmer Kip Cullers holds the world record for soya bean yield. On a recent lecture tour of South Africa’s grain farming areas, he spoke about maximising yield.
Consistency of supply
I rate consistency as one of the ‘Big Five’ in fresh produce marketing, along with supply, demand, quality and communication.
Keep nutrition up and eelworms down
Swiss chard is easy to grow and exceptionally productive, but it does take a lot of nutrients out of the ground.
So, what’s a fair price?
Getting paid a fair price for a product is surely uppermost in all farmers’ minds. Having said that, what is a fair price?
Planting swiss chard
With Swiss chard, the cork-like ‘capsule’ that you plant is actually the fruit, which contains up to four seeds.
A partnership built on pineapples & a promise
Hluhluwe’s first black, queen pineapple grower has enormous support from his mentor and staff – but a lack of financial continuity from government could upend their best efforts.
Packaging: get it right!
Finding ways to minimise the high cost of packaging is an ongoing challenge.
Hands-on apple success in the Greyton district
Greyton is not known as an apple-growing area. Yet here, the farm Ouplaas boasts profitable apple orchards, thanks to organic compost and hands-on management. Nonetheless, heavy summer rains required smart...
Cultivating pseudo-grains in South Africa
The NuGrainSA Consortium introduced pseudo-grains to South Africa in 2013. Plant breeder at ARC-Roodeplaat, Willem Jansen van Rensburg, says that quinoa and grain amaranth are the most promising for local...
What is spinach?
The term ‘spinach’ refers to different species in different countries. In South Africa, there are two common species that we call ‘spinach’ – Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) and baby spinach...
A culture of care
This is not the first time in this column that I’ve addressed the crucial need for care.
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