Tomatoes year-round – new cultivars
Producing tomatoes in tunnels is highly scientific, expertise-intensive and efficient in terms of area, water, nutrient and resource use. Keri Harvey visited Amanda Viljoen to find out how she does...
About bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is a “system of administration distinguished by its clear hierarchy of authority; rigid division of labour; written and inflexible rules and regulations; and impersonal relationships.
The risks of nematodes in potatoes
Nematodes are often referred to as ‘eel-’ or ‘roundworms’ because they resemble the common earthworm, but these parasites belong to a different grouping or phylum.
It’s Conference season again
On 22 and 23 August, the Produce Marketing Association of Southern Africa (PMA) will host its annual international conference, ‘Fresh Connections’, at the University of Pretoria.
Likely potato insect pests
One pest will invariably occur if provision isn’t made to deal with it. This is cutworm.
Supervision is all
In the 22 June issue of Farmer’s Weekly, Paul Lynch, chairperson of the SA Wool & Mohair Buyers Association, bemoans the lowering of wool classing standards, saying: “Farmers are not...
Controlling nitrogen application is important
Your basic fertilisation of the potato crop should have been done according to a soil analysis, leaving the main variable, nitrogen, to be managed as circumstances require.
Food safety
A market may not process food, but it can surely be classified as a ‘food distribution facility’, the food here being ‘fresh produce’.
Weed control and ridging of potatoes
Management of the potato crop after planting depends on various factors. One is weed control. The procedure you use will depend on what sort of weeds you can expect in...
Lofty objectives
A reader emailed me recently about his fruit being rejected at the market by a department of agriculture inspector because the cartons weren’t properly marked with all the information required...
Why potato irrigation is so important
As potatoes can have a confined and intense root system, together with a fairly large leaf area, it stands to reason irrigation requirements will differ from other crops.
Now’s the time!
While I’m on a roll about the positive developments taking place on markets, there’s another issue which I believe needs attention in the sector.
