Mad about maize and working the soil
It takes major effort and progress to become a finalist in Grain SA’s Developing Grain Farmer of the Year competition. Lloyd Phillips visited Thabang Tsephe to find out how he...
Maize success in the Overberg
As maize is a summer crop that requires sufficient water and nutrients, most farmers won’t plant it in a winter rainfall area. But John Walker, a Western Cape farmer with...
Small but sustainable
Subsistence farming need not be a struggle. As Nto Mduli shows, if done right, it can be a valuable source of food and income.
Farmers undeterred by disabilities
A KZN vegetable co-op has given its disabled members a sense of purpose, while making a valuable contribution to the nutritional needs of their families.
Are you covered?
Producers send huge volumes of fresh produce to the markets – over three million tons a year at last count. A large proportion of this is either placed in cold...
Know your leaf blight pathogens
When it comes to leaf blight, there are three species of Alternaria that carrot growers have to watch out for: A dauci, A radicina and A alternata.
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...
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.
Other carrot problems
Carrots are not attacked by many pests, apart from eelworm. Nonetheless, there are a few pests that can prove a problem.
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...
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...
