Farming Basics

Genetics, performance data, and breeding values are powerful tools for marketing animals, but a championship show title carries a lot of weight, often translating into tangible price premiums and stronger demand from buyers locally and internationally.

In the 1990s, three South African vets developed FAMACHA, a tool that has since evolved into the Five Point Check to help livestock farmers fight parasite resistance in their animals. Dr Faffa Malan explains how it works.

Regenerative agriculture offers a strategic alternative to input-heavy conventional farming. It is a biologically driven, systems-based approach that rebuilds soil health and functioning to support long-term productivity, profitability, and environmental resilience, while reducing farmers’ dependence on external inputs.

At this year’s South African Sheepdog Association Nampo Cape exhibition, dogs herded with precision, reflecting years of training, trust, and patience. Jurie van der Vyver, owner of border collie Cap, showed Glenneis Kriel what it takes to raise a champion.

Octavia Avesca Spandiel reports on how biotechnology has revolutionised agriculture, offering innovative solutions to challenges such as pest resistance, drought tolerance, and food security.

From living stones to wandering dudes, Linda Piegl looks at strangely named plants and how to grow them in your garden.

Hydroponic production offers an alternative for small-scale vegetable growers who without access to arable land or sufficient space. While upfront costs tend to be high, hydroponic farming can be a lucrative venture if approached and implemented carefully.

With climate change intensifying the risk of droughts, and urban development putting pressure on already scarce water supplies, farmers are under increasing pressure to make every drop count.

Lettuce has a relatively short growth cycle and can be harvested multiple times a year, providing farmers with a consistent income stream. However, successful production depends on careful cultivar selection, temperature and soil moisture management, and tackling seasonal challenges.

Rabbit farming is gaining traction in South Africa. Farmer Daisy Moleko spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about the breeds, biosecurity, and market access opportunities driving growth in this niche livestock sector.

As droughts become more frequent and severe across South Africa, farmers are under increasing pressure to adapt their practices to protect their livelihoods.

As global human populations surge and climate volatility intensifies, the pressure on South Africa’s agriculture sector continues to mount. The demand for more food, produced more sustainably, has never been greater.

During the warmer months, birds have access to plentiful seeds, fruit, and insects, so supplementary feeding is unnecessary. It’s also an important time for fledglings to learn how to forage. However, in winter, when food sources are scarce, feeding your garden birds helps them survive the harsh conditions.

Feed quality is influenced by many factors. Magda du Toit spoke to feed manufacturers to find out how they ensure quality, from the handling and storage of raw materials to the processing and distribution of feed.

Bonsai, the traditional Japanese art form of cultivating miniature trees in containers, involves the careful pruning, pinching, and wiring of trees to train them into various shapes.

It is well known that feeding newborn mammals sufficient volumes of good-quality colostrum in the first hours after birth sets them up for a productive life. This is especially true in the dairy industry, where heifer calves are raised in intensive systems.

South Africa’s cannabis industry faces regulatory challenges, with medical cannabis and industrial hemp as the only legal cultivation routes. Trenton Birch, co-founder and CEO of Cheeba Africa, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about these complexities and the barriers to market entry.

Instead of farmers incurring huge costs to install drain fields, French drains, or septic tanks in areas without municipal infrastructure, they can create their own multipurpose irrigation systems, says Shane Brody.

When choosing which vegetables to plant, factors like demand, shelf life, and pest resistance should be considered. Shane Brody says onions are a good option in this regard, and explains how to grow them.

Dry beans are highly water efficient, making them an ideal crop for drier production areas. They are advantageous in crop rotation systems, helping to reduce input costs and manage risk.