drought - search results

There seems to be some reprieve ahead from searing heat farmers in the northern regions have experienced over the last couple of weeks. Early last week farmers in Limpopo and North West expressed concern that, despite good early rains, the scorching sun was killing new grass. Buks van der Walt, a farmer in Limpopo's Koedoesrand district, says he fears another “green drought” - a phenomenon where the veld appears green, but has too little moisture to facilitate enough growth to sustain livestock.
Issue date: 30 November 2007

Miles Dicke, born into a pioneer Brahman breeding family, believes the breed's economic value lies in the hybrid vigour produced when Brahman bulls are crossed with other recognised beef breeds. Mike Burgess visited him on the sour coastal plains near Kei Mouth, where he runs a combined commercial and stud herd of 500 cows.
Issue date 23 November 2007

To generate heat to keep their temperature constant, all mammals must eat regularly.'
Issue date 16 November 2007

In the early 1970s Marc Vergnet, an engineer working in Burkina Faso, saw the terrible suffering caused by drought
Issue date 16 November 2007

JL Erasmus and H Fourie of the ARC-Grain Crops Institute in Potchefstroom explain how to identify and choose the best soya bean cultivar for your region using information from the 2006/07 National Soya Bean Cultivar Trials.
Issue date 16 November 2007

Sakkie van Zyl, Grain SA's economist for market research, argues that SA has the capacity to produce more grain crops, like oilseeds, wheat and maize - but before producers jump in, they should consider what sort of markets they'll find for their extra produce. He told Annelie Coleman about potential risks and rewards.
Issue date 9 November 2007

Anyone searching for a wonder fodder crop for semi-arid regions need look no further than the cactus pear
Issue date 26 October 2007

The Southern African Biofuels Association has released a briefing paper challenging arguments that bioethanol production would worsen food inflation and reduce food security. Glenneis Erasmus gives a summary.
Issue Date: 12 October 2007

Tshabeni Mangwana began his farming career as a communal farmer back in 1958 in the Herschel district of the former Transkei. After acquiring a farm in 2002 through the Eastern Cape Land Affairs' flagship LRAD programme, he started successfully marketing quality livestock to the former homelands and proved sceptics wrong. Mike Burgess reports.
Issue Date: 12 October 2007

A land reform farm in KwaZulu-Natal had everything going for it: prime land, capital, market access and top-notch mentorship. Today the estate is thriving - despite the best efforts of land affairs officials to throw a spanner in the works. Stephan Hofstätter reports.
Issue Date: 12 October 2007

Good rains in the interior could mean the end of the wait-and-see phase prevailing in agricultural business confidence, as reported in Farmer's Weekly last month. With ongoing showers in the summer rainfall area, particularly North West and the Free State, soil moisture should be at workable levels again.
Issue Date: 12 October 2007

Aggressive competition among buyers at the most recent wool auction continued to fuel the positive mood in the local wool industry, according to Ken Craig of BKB. “This is perhaps the single most important intangible factor we have with which to measure the perception of wool buyers as a group.
Issue Date: 12 October 2007