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Communal farmers can benefit from using more advanced farming practices, such as artificial insemination (AI), to improve herd genetics. Basimane Makgetla spoke to Gerhard Uys about how AI has worked for him as a weekend communal farmer running a small, but improving, herd.

Almost 20 years ago, Chris Webb introduced Borans to his crossbreeding programme on the 1 500ha farm, Tharfield, in the Eastern Cape.

The Ugandan Ankole breed could offer many advantages for the local market. SA deputy president and Ankole stud breeder, Cyril Ramaphosa, farm manager and animal scientist Kobus Rall, and embryologist Morné de la Rey spoke to Gerhard Uys.

Sweet piquanté peppers, marketed under the PEPPADEW label, require all the attention a farmer can spare to produce good results. Limpopo farmer, Jaco Kriel, spoke to Gerhard Uys about producing this challenging but rewarding crop.

The Aldam Stockmanschool takes place from 18-20 October 2017 near Winburg in the Free State. The conference will focus on participation in the red meat value chain through improved precision management practices.

From the start of his enterprise, Pierre van Niekerk has sourced Limousin genetics from France to build his Jacre Limousin Stud near Bedford in the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess visited Klipfontein to see why French sires still define this herd renowned for producing award-winning carcasses.

SA Stud Book hosted its annual Elite Gala Awards dinner in Bloemfontein on Monday, May 1, during which it recognised South Africa’s top stud breeders.

Neville Fletcher of Cathcart in the Eastern Cape is an extraordinary man. A war veteran who saw action in the fierce Italian campaign, he returned to South Africa to enjoy a long, highly successful farming career. As if that were not enough, he was a national champion in both tennis and gymkhana. Mike Burgess visited him.

Walter Gouveia and Kobus Schoeman believe it is up to younger farmers to break the mould of conventional farming practices and stereotypes and farm sustainably for the future. They now mentor students to ensure that this message is widely spread.

In this third part of our series on twinning in cattle, Chris Nel highlights some remarkable stud beef cows that have produced multiple twins, and explains why dairy and small-framed cattle are normally unsuitable for twin births. He first reported on this complex topic in January 2000.

In this second part of our series on twinning in cattle, Chris Nel examines various gender combinations for farmers, and the advantages and disadvantages of these in a commercial and stud herd. He first reported on this complex topic in January 2000.

There are benefits to twinning in cattle, but research has also proved that it has certain pitfalls and practicalities that require careful consideration. In this three-part article, Chris Nel revisits this complex topic after first reporting on it in January 2000.