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Head off to the Magalies Meander for a tranquil, self-catering farm stay.

In an era where small to medium-sized farms are struggling to stay afloat, Charlesford Farm near Knysna is bucking the trend with a combination of traditional agriculture, value adding, and agritourism. Owner Cathy Shearer and farm manager Cobus Erasmus spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their approach.

AgriCulture Mpumalanga’s Young Farmer of the Year 2025, Hendy-Hein Mathews, does not mince his words when it comes to the challenges the youth face in the agriculture sector. But he is certain that farmers will overcome and continue to provide food for the nation.

Growing Swiss chard is simple, making it an easy crop for new and small-scale farmers. With its ability to withstand cooler temperatures, it can be cultivated across South Africa.

For the past 114 years, Farmer’s Weekly has been a leading voice in agriculture, not only in South Africa, but also further afield in Africa. Over more than a century, we have dedicated our time and resources to serving agriculture by informing you, our readers, and by inspiring up-and-coming farmers.

Before planting, it is essential to consider the market, as well as climatic and overall farming conditions. South Africa has over 80 potato cultivars available, although commercial producers primary focus on fewer than 20.

The challenges facing small-scale farmers during winter are significant, and there seems to be very little government support for these farmers. Cattle farming plays an important role in South Africa’s agricultural economy and even more so in the emerging and small-scale farmer sector, which accounts for 5,7 million head of cattle.

Potatoes are a high value crop that requires a well-thought-out production strategy. With high demands for moisture, fertiliser and crop protection, farmers considering this crop need to pay attention to the basics to reap the rewards.

In 2024, Blackpool Senepol sold a bull for a new South African record price of R165 000. Owner Chris Sheard spoke to Mike Burgess about how he built a stud capable of producing one of the best Senepol bulls the country has ever seen.

Kobedi Pilane, CEO of African Poultry Producers and a commercial poultry farmer in Brakfontein, near Parys in North West, spoke to Sinenhlanhla Mncwango about the first steps that small-scale farmers must take if they hope to scale up to commercial production.

After the introduction of the new flagship in Great Wall Motor’s bakkie line-up, the P500, the old P-Series moniker, is now being changed to P300. The Citizen’s Charl Bosch explains the carmaker’s new bakkie structure.

Over the years, NMI has built a reputation for importing a comprehensive range of high-quality agricultural machinery. At Nampo, they unveiled the first bale wrapper in their offering, named the Sitrex WR 3100.