Vegetables

Watermelons are a warm season crop, but can be started in winter in areas where conditions are milder.

Allée Bleue started growing and selling herbs on a small-scale in 2000, but driven by high consumer demand the estate is flourishing.

There are two species of leaf miner that can cause a problem – Liriomyza huidobrensis and L. trifolii. The former prefers temperate climates, the latter warmer climates.

Most of us read the financial and economic news, but how many of us really understand the language of economics so fluently used by economists?

Pumpkin fly is a pest every cucurbit grower will know. It is similar to a fruit fly but, as its name suggests, it parasitises members of the pumpkin family.

Continuing last week’s theme of the ‘Big Five’ of fresh produce marketing, I’d like to consider a few aspects of demand.

The sooner you spot the first signs of infection among your cucurbits, the more effectively you’ll be able to slow down the spread of the virus.

I often refer to the ‘Big Five’ of fresh produce marketing: supply, demand, quality, continuity and communication. This week I want to focus on continuity.

Apart from powdery mildew (discussed in last week’s column), viruses are the next challenge that almost every cucurbit grower will face at some stage.

Last week, I wrote about trust between the producer and the market agent, focusing particularly on the role of the producer.

In The Speed of Trust, Stephen Covey explains how ‘trust’ can be measured in monetary terms just like any other activity or product in a company, and can make either a positive or negative contribution to the finances of the business.

As with any crop, there’s a risk to planting cucurbits and then doing ‘bakkie’ farming – skirting the land with your head half-way out of the driver’s side window.

As I write this, the new draft Agricultural Produce Marketing Agencies Bill (APMA) is under public review. The department of agriculture, which is ‘driving’ the bill, has met with many roleplayers in the fresh produce markets and livestock and export sectors.

It’s important to get the timing right for post-planting nitrogen, cultivation and irrigation if you want to optimise Cucurbit production.

In the past, this column carried numerous appeals for government assistance in saving South Africa’s fresh produce markets.

I wonder how many farmers appreciate the work involved in selling their produce? When you walk onto a busy market floor, you’ll see agents engaged in animated debate with buyers and the whole scene looking and sounding decidedly chaotic.

In frosty areas, growers usually want to start planting as soon as it’s safe to do so. But due to late frosts, the timing isn’t always easy to determine.

Controlling weeds has become a big issue with the increasing cost of labour. Fortunately, when it comes to the cucumber family, there are several options to reduce weed growth as well as your need for labour.

Readers of this column will know that I have written many times about the ‘oil’ that drives the fresh produce engine – that all-important trust between the farmer and the market agent.

The challenges of agriculture and the highly competitive nature of international trade make it absolutely essential for us to have support services that supply statistics, information, research, market access, transformation, education and training so we can stay abreast of developments – and even forge ahead on occasion.