Opinion

Distance from police assistance does not create a separate right to shoot and has no bearing on whether force is justified. South African law asks whether an unlawful attack was under way or imminent and whether the response was necessary and reasonable.

When is the best time to buy or sell a farm? It’s a question almost every farmer, investor, or heir has asked. The truth is that while there is no simple answer, economic cycles, agricultural prices, interest rates, and even seasons play a major role. Vleissentraal Properties explains further through a Q&A.

Land Bank will keep new applications for its Blended Finance Scheme (BFS) suspended despite the additional R500 million pledged by the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, saying the money is insufficient to meet overall demand for grants.

The Desert Bloom Club, a children’s book written by Chifuniro Kandaya, a senior research associate at the University of Johannesburg, has been launched.

Genetics play a critical role in sustainable beef farming. Why do genetics matter and how can they be conserved?

Starting a beekeeping enterprise is less about buying the right equipment than learning to understand the colony. South African beekeeping development specialist Sidwell Banne says beginners should spend their first year learning to read bees, understand their environment, and know when to intervene, or when to leave the colony alone.

From farm to market, better post-harvest practices, cold room management, and refrigerated transport can help protect the quality of fresh produce and reduce losses. This practical guide looks at the measures farmers and other industry players can take to maintain quality throughout the value chain.

A farm auction might sound like an old-fashioned world: a fast-talking auctioneer, an excited crowd, and a raised paddle indicating the highest bid. But modern farm auctions are highly structured, professional processes driven by transparency, market forces, and precise time management. Vleissentraal Properties explains through a Q&A.

Selling a farm is both emotional and strategic. For many farmers, it marks the end of a lifelong relationship with the land, yet it also requires careful financial consideration. In this Q&A, Vleissentraal Properties addresses the key questions every seller should consider.

South Africa’s dependence on imported fuel is once again under scrutiny as renewed conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s temporary ban on diesel exports, and rising global oil prices coincide with government’s proposal to overhaul the country’s strategic petroleum reserve system.

Prof Nick Binedell, a renowned leadership and strategy speaker, founding dean of the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and an authority on business education in Africa’s global economy, spoke to Magda Du Toit.

The overwhelmingly positive response to Willie Aucamp replacing John Steenhuisen as minister of agriculture belies deeper problems that, according to industry experts, have hampered successive agriculture ministers, including a broken animal health governance system, outdated legislation, and officials who are a law unto themselves.

While government's recent settlement allowing greater private-sector involvement in importing and administering foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines has been welcomed by many stakeholders across the livestock industry, vaccination must be supported by other measures.

Nearly 30 years ago, Mike Burgess travelled through Syria, exploring the multi-layered and ever evolving ancient cities of Aleppo, Palmyra and Damascus. Rich in history, culture and intrigue, these cities left a lasting impression and revealed stories stretching back thousands of years.

Supplemental lighting in hydroponic greenhouse systems can contribute significantly to the quality of produce grown in such systems, but it has to be utilised optimally as it adds significantly to the capital outlay and running expense of such a facility.

Consolidation in agriculture is undeniable, but success is not reserved for the biggest players. Increasingly, it is the most efficient and well-managed farms that are enduring.

When I suggested that Farmer’s Weekly start running adventure stories to encourage readers and their families to reconnect with nature, our general manager, Gary Wium, said: “You should keep a daily diary.” Risky business, considering some of the things that stay safely locked inside my head, but here goes.

Biogas promises farmers lower energy costs, improved waste management, and protection against load-shedding, but results have been mixed. Mauro Delle Donne, owner of Zandam Cheese and Piggery, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the challenges he’s faced and how he plans to make it work in future.

Regenerative agriculture was once primarily viewed as a sustainability conversation, but it is rapidly becoming a commercial necessity. Climate volatility, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and rising input costs are creating a new operating environment where long-term productivity and profitability depend on rebuilding the natural systems that underpin farming.

With the application deadline for the current round of Gauteng’s R100 million agro-processing blended finance programme imminent, only four applications have been approved and finalised, highlighting the slow uptake of a fund intended to support black farmers and emerging agro-processing businesses.