Sustainable game farming in the bushveld
On his 2 500ha game farm near Lephalale in Limpopo, Willem Frost aims to provide local and international hunters with an authentic hunting experience, which promotes the farm’s overall sustainability goals.
Intensive sheep farm achieves 180% per year weaning rate
Sheep production has become a numbers game, with an operation’s profitability being largely dependent on the farmer’s ability to produce large numbers of sheep at low cost. Farm manager Dirk Liebenberg spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he achieves this goal.
The often-abused business budget
A lazy ‘last-year-plus’ budget is an exercise in futility and bad management, but worse is to enter the new financial year with no budget at all.
A new era for livestock auctions: Going, going, gone online!
Digital technologies are revolutionising auctions, resulting in better exposure for sellers and a broader purchasing base for buyers.
John Deere’s small, but strong utility vehicles
Some jobs on the farm are too small to be done using regular farm machinery, but too large to be done by hand. John Deere’s range of turf and utility vehicles are just the right size to perform these smaller tasks.
All you need to know about cutworm control
The common cutworm is a prominent maize pest in South Africa. Professors Johnnie van den Berg and Hannalene du Plessis, researchers at North-West University’s Integrated Pest Management Research Group, provide some useful tips on identifying and controlling this pest.
On a quest to breed ‘the perfect Brahman’
A dream to farm Brahman cattle saw Auldrich Spies switch from construction to farming. Ironically, it was his initial ignorance that led him to become a successful stud farmer today. Lindi Botha visited SS Brahmane in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
How insect predators can help you
Beneficial insects used in integrated pest management (IPM) can sometimes completely eliminate the need for crop chemicals, or at least reduce chemical spraying to a minimum.
Breaking the cycle of child labour in agriculture
Across the world, child labour is practised more in agriculture than in any other sector. This is despite the numerous hazards involved in farm work, including unprotected exposure to chemicals, working with potentially dangerous livestock, and carrying heavy loads over long distances. Moreover, a lack of access to quality education means these children not only suffer in terms of development, but are unlikely to escape the poverty trap. Janine Ryan investigates.
Dealing with colic during COVID-19
Colic is the leading killer of horses around the world, and COVID-19 has made it harder for vets to go out to stables to diagnose horses. Virtual diagnosis and colic first-aid kits may be the solution, says Dr Mac.
Easy-to-grow brinjals ensure steady profits
Any farmer will tell you that there is no such thing as a perfect crop, as each has its own challenges. From a production point of view, brinjals are as easy as they come, but limited demand puts a brake on large-scale production. Theuns Kotzee, a director of AAL Boerdery
in Limpopo, explained to Lindi Botha how they manage this crop.
Ensuring food safety in a family-run cheesery
South Africa’s deadly listeriosis outbreak in 2018 showed how a food brand could suffer devastating consequences from shortcomings in its food safety system. The Gourmet Greek, a dairy business in KwaZulu-Natal, is taking no chances in this regard.
