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Don’t be caught napping by changes in dietary trends. They could hit your profits hard. The data is there; analyse it and adapt your product range accordingly.

A fruit-manufacturing business at Piket-Bo-Berg in the Western Cape has created a market for rejected produce by turning it into jam, chutney and similar products. Jeandré van der Walt spoke to general manager Liebré Jacobs about her company’s achievements.

In 2018, Compac Sorting Equipment, part of TOMRA Food, launched its Field Research Unit, which can be deployed on lands to research the fresh produce industry’s most challenging issues. James Flocchini, Compac’s regional director for South Africa and Asia, spoke to Denene Erasmus about how the Field Research Unit will be used to develop solutions for the citrus industry specifically and how the technology can ultimately help limit food waste.

Research by the International Food Policy Research Institute and the International Institute for Sustainable Development analysed progress in agricultural development in 117 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to understand which policies have succeeded or failed. It then provided policy guidelines to help countries still at the subsidence farming stage to transform their agriculture sectors.

As a proud member of the South African media and agricultural landscape for the past 108 years, Farmer’s Weekly is celebrating a significant milestone today.

Before planting a land to any of the cucurbits, you should kill off all broad-leaved weeds nearby, preferably well beforehand.

Spa therapy is now easily available in South Africa to treat injuries in sport horses, says Dr Mac.

Cotton production in North West can be extremely lucrative, according to Arno Janse van Vuuren, manager of agricultural management at agribusiness NWK. A comprehensive survey by the company shows that the province is well suited to cotton cultivation if production is managed effectively.

Growing up on a farm gave Lion du Plessis insight into the problems faced by farmworkers. But after studying human rights he gained an even deeper understanding of these issues,which spurred him on to create a charity that uplifts rural communities.

Due to its insistence on uncompromising quality, Frontier Bonsmaras in the Eastern Cape has sold every one of the bulls on offer at its annual sale over the past 12 years. Sabrina Dean joined the group on its pre-sale tour to find out how this event fits into Frontier’s formula for success.

Dr René Uys, director of Thinking Fusion AFRICA, argues that young South African farmers need to have the emotional fortitude to face up to the often harsh realities of agriculture in this country. In short, they have to be both skilled and brave, which is why self-development is crucial.

Since its launch four years ago, agri tech company Aerobotics has been working on algorithms to improve the interpretation of aerial data. James Paterson, Andrew Sheard and Marloe van Niekerk spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the software.