The financial implications of a family agribusiness transition
Handing a family agribusiness over to the next generation involves financial as well as personal decisions. And personal decisions with financial implications are the most difficult of all!
How to make the most of farmers’ days
You’re never too experienced to learn. Roelof Bezuidenhout explains why farmers’ days and other get-togethers are such a valuable resource.
Education is the key to succession preparedness
For many families, succession planning seems too treacherous a journey to undertake, so they simply opt not to set off on it. As a result, they forgo a critical opportunity...
Seven secrets of success for small farmers
Farming is like running any other business: you need to be realistic and practical in how you go about it. Roelof Bezuidenhout lists some crucial pointers to help you out.
Legacy: the importance of family unity
Leading any business is tough. Leading a family business can be considerably more difficult. Family business leaders have to deal with relationships and emotions that simply are not present in...
Are you a ‘people-pleaser’ or an ‘injustice collector’?
‘People-pleasers’ and ‘injustice collectors’ tend to suffer from the same basic problem: a lack of self-esteem. Trevor Dickinson explains these different personality types and how they fit into the larger...
Grasping the economics around succession
A critical juncture in the life of the family agribusiness is the transition from one generation to the next. One of the reasons for this, explains Trevor Dickinson, is that the...
How to keep your farm secure while you’re away on holiday
Are you going away over the festive season? Three leaders in agriculture and security explain how common sense, technology, and good relationships with neighbours can help protect your possessions.
Family businesses: When parents and children clash
Parent and child can work together on the farm, love each other, state their needs, be heard and learn to negotiate their differences. It starts with respect and compromise, says...
Why estate planning is essential to minimising family strife
When business-owning parents leave their children equal shares in the operation, a battle can erupt between those who work for the company and those who don’t. There are better ways...
Health and safety do’s and don’ts for farmers
Navigating your way through the numerous rules and regulations of workplace health and safety can seem a daunting prospect, but labour consultants are there to guide you. Jeandré van der...
How to keep the family business in business
Very few family farming operations transition effortlessly from one generation to another. The process requires careful planning, hard work and a lot of patience. Annelie Coleman spoke to several experts...
Budgeting basics: Every successful farm has one
A comprehensive and all-inclusive budget is critical to the success of any production operation, according to Anche Suurd, an agricultural economist at NWK. Without this basic financial tool, it is...
Irrigation systems for undercover cropping
Maximising water-use efficiency in South African undercover crop farming operations has become both a financial and moral imperative. But selecting the most appropriate undercover irrigation technologies can be a challenge...
The psychology of retirement
Retirement is not a single event; it involves both emotional and financial considerations, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
An app for every farming task
Mobile applications make life more convenient for farmers while enabling them to be more productive. Glenneis Kriel reports on a number of apps that are changing the way farms are...
Don’t allow change to catch you napping
At times, new developments might seem to come like a bolt out of the blue. But if you keep up with trends, you’ll be forewarned of change and have time...
Assessing grazing capacity
The number of grazing camps on a farm should be weighed against the escalating cost of fencing material, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
When your child returns to the farm
Roelof Bezuidenhout, who farmed with his father for 20 years, explores what is needed for a healthy and productive parent-child partnership.
Some cattle fencing basics
At the start, it’s better to erect less fencing than what is indicated by the initial farm plan.
