Consistency on the market floor
There’s a truism among market agents: ‘Product is power’. The more product and variety you have on your floor, the more buyers you can attract and the better you can...
Sporadic, yet serious, cabbage pests
Several cabbage pests may be sporadic or seasonal. One of these is thrips.
Why all this wastage?
According to a 7 November Farmer’s Weekly news item, we throw away roughly one-third of all the food produced on the planet – about three billion tons – annually.
Dealing with aphids on brassicas
Aphids are a problem in two ways. Firstly, they cause physical damage when feeding on the crop.
Defeating the cabbage moth – biologically
Nearly everyone who has ever grown brassicas has had a problem with the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). Small wonder it is also called the ‘cabbage moth’.
Change and growth in the markets
The traditional route for a person entering the market agency business has seen the youngster working alongside an older person, receiving on-the-job training.
Kill the weed, not the cabbage
As soon as you have planted your cabbage crop, you should apply herbicide with insecticide to eliminate cutworms.
Leadership for markets
In his excellent book ,In the Driving Seat – Lessons in Leadership, Brand Pretorius quotes Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric: “Before you become a leader, success is all...
Space cabbages correctly
Many factors play a role in the spacing of cabbage – the process is not quite as simple as you might imagine.
Playing with inflated prices
Some (but not all) market agents have been doing it for years, but that does not make it acceptable.
Nitrogen: the key to high cabbage yield
A shortage of nitrogen is the single most common reason for a cabbage crop not reaching its full yield potential. This applies equally to the quantity applied as to how...
Fresh produce sector attracting more youth
Traditionally, the fresh produce sector has been lax in attracting youngsters into the fold. But this is changing, and it’s encouraging to see the developments in recruiting that have taken...
How to plant cabbage correctly
Cabbage can be planted by hand or mechanically. For hand planting, the best tool is a home-made miniature hoe. This can be constructed by cutting up an old implement disc...
True farmer’s markets?
Farmers have been selling their own produce for centuries, in fact since the dawn of time.
Global roundup from the fresh produce sector
I subscribe to a selection of newsletters from overseas that keep me in the loop with what’s happening on the international fresh produce scene. What happens abroad frequently affects our...
Start fertilising your cabbage before planting
Getting a full stand and a vigorous getaway is crucial for high yield. Some important aspects in this regard have been mentioned in previous articles.
Getting the land ready for cabbages
The first consideration when preparing land for cabbage is to get the soil’s nutrient content right.
APAC: Protecting your money
The Agricultural Produce Agents Council (APAC) was established in 1992 in terms of the Agricultural Produce Agents Act.
Choose the right cabbage seedlings!
The seedling is the start of a very valuable crop and the stand and speed of initial growth will have a significant effect on profit.
The quality equation
I recently conducted a training session on marketing for a group of small-scale farmers. As always, it was a pleasure to do so because they were eager to learn.
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