New opportunities to generate a sustainable income are opening up in SA’s poultry industry.
Security advisor Henk Boshoff says that farmers should avoid becoming soft targets for potential farm attackers. He spoke to Gerhard Uys about making a farm and its surrounding communities safer.
Raising cattle properly requires money, land and skill. Do you have enough of each to enter this business? Equally importantly, do you have a genuine interest in cattle?
Plough for more
Farmers in the US have turned to social media to show how far behind they are with the planting season this year, due to the severe weather conditions the country...
After a massive increase in production of more than 110% during the previous season, cotton plantings in South Africa have decreased by 25% due to low prices.
An increased chance for above-normal rainfall between spring and late spring over the north-eastern parts of the country is expected, said Cobus Olivier, prediction scientist at SAWS.
“It should not be necessary to change the Constitution to solve land reform problems,” said Roelf Meyer, guest speaker at the launch of the Bien Donné Agri Cape Week in...
The number of farm attacks in the Free State has risen to 35. The latest attack took place on Friday between Theunissen and Winburg.
Now is the time for consumers to bargain hunt, according to Koos van der Ryst, vice-chairperson of the National Red Meat Producer’s Organisation (RPO).
Mahuhudi Masipa of Zuurbekom in Johannesburg’s West Rand left the corporate world to become a pig farmer in 2009. She says farming is a business just like any other and...
Jannie and Wouter Kriel from Montagu, Western Cape have ensured the commercial viability of their olive farm by buying in and processing olives while waiting for their orchards to mature....
In 2009, the managing director of Nerpo, Aggrey Mahanjana, took charge of the 5 000ha Carnarvon Estates land reform farm in the Eastern Cape. Today he can look back on...
Agricultural co-operative Buffalo City Organic Producers (BCOP) has gone from producing organic vegetables in back gardens to harvesting 10t tomatoes per month hydroponically. This has won them a provincial award....
Having too few production divisions can cause financial stress if markets fail. A Tanzanian operation has minimised the risk by launching a variety of enterprises in a relatively short time....
Ivy Mzamo has come a long way on the Luthando citrus farm near Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape. Beginning as a packer, she progressed to general manager and today is...
Here is a sketch of a three-bedroom traditional exterior and conventional interior retirement home, with open-plan areas and en-suite bathrooms.
Jonno designs a beautiful four-bedroom house for Patience and her family.
There are times in a braai connoisseur’s life when he or she gets to wondering what to serve after the boerewors, chops and well-aged rump steak, but before the ice...
Dear Jonno One of my employees, a widow, owns a shack in the township, and is in the process of building herself a better home. She hired help, made bricks and...
Chameleons may look like mini dinosaurs, but they're a highly evolved kind of lizard with unique abilities, "modifications" and "specs". But their numbers in South Africa are declining, writes Abré...
Just when you thought you had heard them all, along comes something else you can do with a mealie. Thanks to the Thai-style dipping sauce, these delicious fritters can be...
For generations, the Bongas have been proudly rooted in the Xhosa cattle herding tradition. While herding cattle elsewhere, Freddie Bonga used his hard-earned cash to build his own herd. Today,...
A long-distance ride in southern Turkey provides an interesting challenge to endurance riders, says Dr Mac.
The coming winter looks set to be hard. Horse owners should plan ahead to ensure they have enough food to take their horses through this difficult time, says Dr Mac.
Dairy farming is difficult, with high overheads and tight margins. Dairyman JK Basson believes that focusing on detail and personal supervision is key to survival in this demanding industry.
The mother of the 2007 Vleissentraal-ARC Special Performance Test Class bull, NJB 01 0148 now has an Elite Cow title of her own. Chris Nel reports.
Dr Roland Larson, a vet who has practiced in the Graaff-Reinet district for 27 years has made it his life’s mission to help farmers manage livestock parasite loads by encouraging...
Late blight in potatoes is caused by airborne spores of the Phytophthora infestans fungus. The disease manifests as irregular dark lesions on the stems and leaves and spreads quickly.
When a farmer decides to buy a new tractor, does he choose the shiniest, most expensive model?
Occasionally, I like to break away from the norm and take a look at the bigger picture of fresh produce trading globally. Here are some snippets gleaned from recent industry...
Drought in the northern Eastern Cape played havoc with this season’s raspberry crop of the Berrynice Berry Company. Fortunately, a small land of strawberries planted as a trial provided a...
In addition to seedling hardness, there’s also the matter of seedling size, which, of course, depends on the size of the cell – or plug – in the seedling tray.
Ask any market agent what the toughest aspect is about dealing with farmers, and the reply will probably be: “Criticising their products.”
