Plough for more

South Africa was not the only country in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) currently experiencing severe drought conditions.
Cattle farmers in rural North West are losing up to 15% liveweight on their weaners from being transported on unmaintained roads.
The Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Bill 2013 has been approved for public comment by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).
South Africa’s soils are extremely degraded, and over the past 100 years, the country has lost up to 50% of the carbon content in cultivated soils.
The European Union (EU) has announced funding of €35 million (about R507 million) for agricultural development in Liberia, as well as support for the country’s General Auditing Commission (GAC).
The R1,7 million winning bid for an eight-year-old bull sold recently at the National Boran Sale, set a new South African price record for a bull of this breed, far...
Are you a South African woman entrepreneur in agriculture or related sub-sector?
Give each person an opportunity to voice their disagreement in your family business, suggests Trevor Dickinson. Doing so will not only reduce resentment, but will help define the role of...
After producing vegetable seedlings for almost 40 years, Dux Meintjes knows how to adapt to market demands. These days, that may mean less reliance on commercial farmers and more attention...
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...
is a serious poultry disease and can affect any kind of poultry operation, from backyard production to large commercial poultry farms.
As the economic crisis in Europe closes doors to agri-exporters, markets in other parts of the globe are opening. Robyn Joubert reports on export opportunities in Iran, Australia and Vietnam
Dear Sarah and Gary Thank you for the informative afternoon on site and ideas for your new home. Attached here are the layout sketches for the ground and first-floor levels...
Dear Jonno We would like to build a stone cabin in the mountains on our farm in the Karoo. It must be an open-plan design with a kitchen and small...
To assist in the annual struggle against cold weather, make and serve this hearty, warming, comforting and fine-tasting meat-free pie.
Recreation in natural areas is an excellent way of reconnecting people with the environment. Besides the educational function, it is also a possible income stream for farmers.
So, you’ve bought a pork fillet. Should you haul out the trusty wok and go for the old sweet-and-sour pork standby? No, my fellow kitchen mechanics, it’s time for something...
I got a call from a couple in the Midlands who bought a farm with the most magnificent view of the Drakensberg, writes Jonno.
South Africa’s farmers have little choice: they must adapt in order to limit the effects of climate change on livestock production and animal health, according to experts.
With Bonsmaras having been bred for decades in South Africa for local conditions, the standards for this beef breed are firmly established. One Free State farming family is building on...
Beef farmers should take care to match the nutritional needs of a cow to her production cycle to ensure optimal fertility rates, expecially when forage quality is low. Dr Dietmar...
Almost 20 years ago, Chris Webb introduced Borans to his crossbreeding programme on the 1 500ha farm, Tharfield, in the Eastern Cape.
Bites from the hyalomma tick can cause pain and lameness, says Dr Mac.
Although Van Aardt Greyling from the farm Ricksuhill near Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape is better known for his SA Mutton Merinos, his Beefpower Braford Stud is nevertheless home...
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is funding research to stimulate and sustain the growth and development of minor crops in the province, a move that promises to transform the...
Imported, inferior-quality chicory has severly hurt local production. Almost half South Africa's producers left the industry in the last few years, causing a huge drop in production. But Chicory SA's...
The implementation of regenerative agriculture principles is allowing a growing number of farmers to reduce their inputs while producing similar or even better yields than they would have produced if...
While I’m on a roll about the positive developments taking place on markets, there’s another issue which I believe needs attention in the sector.
The latest South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) crop estimate makes for interesting reading, and reminds me once again of just how complex the fresh produce business can be.
On 22 and 23 August, the Produce Marketing Association of Southern Africa (PMA) will host its annual international conference, ‘Fresh Connections’, at the University of Pretoria.