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.
Challenges of banana farming in South Africa
While Steyl Willemse’s farming operation near Kiepersol in Mpumalanga is still dominated by bananas, he is gradually switching to macadamias to keep the farm running optimally.
Imasa 2013
If you consider the role it has been playing in the fresh produce sector in recent years and its limited resources – both financial and human – then you can’t...
Understand your market
How many farmers load up their truck with fresh produce, dispatch it to the market, and say to themselves: “I’ll leave it up to the agent now. It’s his job...
Growing melons
Melons are more sensitive to disease than most other cucurbits. As the diseases that attack melons are generally associated with rainfall and humidity, the fruit is normally grown in low-rainfall...
Beating out a new path in sugarcane
Introducing biological practices was a brave move on the part of Pongola sugar farmer Ernst Holl – but a current yield of 120t cane/ha from 16-year-old cane shows he’s on...
SA’s top barley producer trusts crop rotation
Barley farmer Willie Beukes of Haasjeskop Boerdery near Caledon has a proven strategy for success: a crop rotation cycle that ensures effective weed and disease control. Denene Erasmus reports.
Moringa makes an easy meal with a nutritious punch
There are many pots on the boil on the farm of DAFF’s Best Female Entrepreneur of the Year, but the main course is based on Moringa.
Fresh Produce industry – more competitive
In the fresh produce business today, competition among role players has risen to unprecedented levels as individuals and companies all vie for a share of the proverbial pie.
Producing butternuts: Spacing, yield, diseases
The essentials of growing butternuts are similar to those of other cucurbits. Spacing may vary, however, depending on the cultivar. Some butternuts are compact growers, while others produce long runners.
A new grain industry for SA
The newly formed NuGrainSA Consortium recently introduced the so-called pseudo grains quinoa, buckwheat, millet and grain amaranth to the South African agricultural fraternity. William Weeks says the consortium’s vision is...
