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Bovine respiratory disease is caused by several pathogenic organisms. It can lead to substantial economic loss in feedlots.

Kola le Roux has loved bees ever since seeing his grandfather’s hives in the eastern Free State more than 60 years ago. Today he manages more than 2 000 hives, from the Karoo to the Transkei, that produce an assortment of honey, including an organic variety derived from the cat-thorn or drogie bush.

Improving the efficiency of smallholder farmers in Africa is necessary not only to help grow African economies, but also to improve the livelihoods of these farmers and their families. However, research has found that not all farming models aimed at helping smallholder farmers increase production and link in to commercial value chains, are appropriately structured to reach this goal.

Jose Rebelo, of the Rebelo Agricultural Machinery Group, and his team, followed up last year’s successful Vegetable Farmers’ Day with another stimulating event. Joe Spencer was there.

Glenneis Kriel spoke to poultry industry experts about the challenges facing small-scale producers and ways in which these can be overcome.

Readers frequently ask me for specific fertiliser programmes for their crops. I would happily oblige if all crops were the same!

Mike Burgess recently visited Warren Rieger, Wildlife Ranching SA’s (WRSA) 2016 Eastern Cape Best Newcomer, on Benghoil Private Reserve near Cathcart to see how he has managed to establish an award-winning game enterprise in just over 10 years.

When a group of Letsitele citrus farmers could no longer afford packaging material, they started making it themselves. Today, their business is a major industry supplier. By Alita van der Walt.

The Southey family of Middelburg in the Eastern Cape has a long legacy of Merino sheep farming. Generations of dedication paid off last year when Julian Southey was named the 2016 Voermol Sheep Farmer of the Year.

According to Dr Dirk Strydom, Grain SA’s manager for grain economy and marketing, South Africa’s producers are technologically advanced, but lack marketing prowess. However, marketing opportunities abound, particularly in the volatile free market system.

James Martin, an independent agricultural transformation consultant and facilitator, says that transformation is a critical goal, but expecting power imbalances and prejudice to simply disappear is unreasonable. He believes that real change will only happen once we start changing human behaviour to shift perceptions, so that we can meet as equals.

While chilli con carne remains this kitchen mechanic’s favourite US approach to minced meat, meatloaf comes a very close second. Here’s a simplified, classic, carnivorous recipe for beginners.