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Dr Piet Croucamp, political analyst and Namibian sheep farmer, spoke to farmers at Agri Limpopo’s annual congress on agriculture in South Africa over the next 20 years.

For generations, the Bongas have been proudly rooted in the Xhosa cattle herding tradition. While herding cattle elsewhere, Freddie Bonga used his hard-earned cash to build his own herd. Today, he is an up-and-coming commercial cattleman with a thirst for knowledge. Susan Botes-Marais visited the Bonga family on their farm.

Which grazing system is the best? It’s a question that evokes much debate, but the answer is really quite simple, suggests Roelof Bezuidenhout.

This year the annual Grassland Society of South Africa’s Peter Edwards Award was shared by Arnold Griesel and Kobus Marais. They discuss how conservation farming has worked for them.

Farmers in semi-arid grassveld regions should not graze recently-burnt veld too soon. Ecologically, this is the worst thing to do as it compounds grazing problems.

Thanks to new hybrids under trial at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, popcorn production in South Africa is set to explode.

I subscribe to a selection of newsletters from overseas that keep me in the loop with what’s happening on the international fresh produce scene. What happens abroad frequently affects our fresh produce sector at home.

Highest: (bull) R70 000

Maize producers who didn’t hedge some of their production earlier in the year when prices were still above R2 000/t, probably found it difficult to cover term debts over and above their production costs, according to Keneilwe Nailana, Standard Bank’s agribusiness manager.

Toxic plants can cause disease and death in livestock, and must be vigorously controlled.

It is often said that the most innovative and creative solutions to problems are found during tough times. And in many cases, new solutions change the way we live or do business.

The National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA) chairperson for the Joe Gqabi district, Lawrence Maduna, is a developing sheep and wool farmer who runs a self-sustaining farming operation in the tough, dry conditions of the northeastern Cape. Grant Hollins visited him on his farm, Elsieskraal, near Lady Grey, to discover the secret of his success in these harsh conditions.