Farmer's Weekly

Every day, South African farmers, not least of all rural farmers, face so many barriers to production. These hurdles cover everything from economic struggles – such as limited access to capital, loans and markets – to infrastructure issues like outda

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor Janine Ryan, janiner@caxton.co.za Deputy Editor Jenna van der Walt, jennag@caxton.co.za Senior designer Louis Kruger Designer Mario Ferlito Copy editors Fanie de Villiers, Yvonne Fontyn and Richard Goller Digital editor Sindira

The Piersol variety, developed in France, is resistant to many ailments afflicting tomatoes, especially Verticillium, Fusarium and nematodes. Tomatoes must be the most temperamental crop he has ever had to handle, but, says veteran grower Christo Lou

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) hit the Eastern Cape for the first time this year in May and is probably going to spread throughout most of the country. This was the warning issued by Dr Ariena Shepherd, a veterinarian and farmer from Bergville in KwaZu

At the National Wool Growers’ Association of South Africa (NWGA) Congress held recently in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, the association called on government to support the long-term reintroduction of its genetic improvement programme in communal areas. Le

A three-year study at North Carolina State University (NCSU) in the US has validated wool’s ability to provide greater thermal comfort for outdoor ‘stop-go’ sport, such as hiking, cycling and rock climbing, in both activity and rest phases. According

The International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) is working hard to establish wool as a sustainable textile under new EU draft legislation aimed at reducing pollution and waste in the textile and footwear industries. This was according to Dalena Wh

Dependence on individual dairy farmers to help track the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza ((H5N1) is leaving the US federal government without the data necessary to understand and slow the spread of the virus in that country. Agriculture a

China has launched an anti-dumping investigation into certain pork products from the EU. This comes just days after the EU increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement in mid-June that it had

The South African cling peach harvest is estimated to decline by 20%, from 139 337t to 112 884t, making it the smallest harvest in five years, according to the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association (CFPA). Jacques Jordaan, CEO of the CFPA, ascribed th

Ecologists and agriculturists believe that the growth and survival of a large number of fruit trees, vegetables and cereal crops have become possible in the city of Chitral, Pakistan, due to the climate change phenomenon triggered by global warming.

The Guava Producers’ Association (GPA) has adjusted its guava production estimate down from 25 200t to 22 500t, making the harvest 16% smaller than the 26 641t harvested last season and the smallest harvest in the past three years. The harvest runs f

Dean Barnard, a farmer from George in the Western Cape, was recently named the Agri Western Cape Santam Young Farmer of the Year and will go on to represent the province at the Toyota SA/Agri SA Young Farmer of the Year competition later this year. T

The ongoing severe drought in Namibia has developed into a humanitarian crisis that has left many farmers financially destitute, with many of them unable to put food on the table. This situation is the result of regular ongoing droughts that have rav

Bona fide marula oil producers are one step closer to achieving better prices for quality oil after an official standard was published by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). It is hoped that this will eradicate fraud in the industry, which

Seedling growers are struggling to keep up with fluctuating market trends, as farmers adjust plantings according to consumer demand. The Seedling Growers’ Association of South Africa (SGASA) held their annual symposium in June in White River, Mpumala

With a focus on superfood, plant-based food, healthy food, and alcohol-free drinks, the Good Life Show in Cape Town gave crowds a chance to see and sample a variety of healthy lifestyle options. The 5 500 visitors gathered at the Cape Town Internatio

Selling focuses on the needs of the seller. The seller’s objective is to get the product into the hands of the buyer in exchange for as much cash as possible as quickly as possible. It’s a ‘push’ activity with the physical product and price top of mi

Communal farmers, because of the largely uncontrolled environments in which they farm and, in many instances, due to a lack of animal health biosecurity regimens, are at risk of losing vast sums of potential income due to external parasite outbreaks

Section 1 of the Public Holidays Act defines public holidays to mean “the days mentioned in Schedule 1, and any other day declared to be a public holiday under Section 2”. Section 2 of the Act determines that “the days mentioned in Schedule 1 shall b

Thoko Didiza has started her new role as the Speaker of the National Assembly in Parliament, leaving behind an agriculture sector that is in good shape. As the sector’s leader from 2019 to 2024, she provided political leadership and strategic oversig

What does SD Guthrie International SA do? It is part of a global company called SD Guthrie International, which is involved in the upstream (plantation) and downstream (bulk processing, refining and processing) production of palm oil. We have branche

Botswana often beckons South African adventure seekers, and one of the plus factors of Wildlife of Botswana by Nikos Petrou and Neil MacLeod (Struik Nature, R350) is its eight-page introduction, which succinctly sums up both the nature of the landsca

Anton Roux, fruit-tree specialist and master pruner and grafter at Babylonstoren farm in the Boland, is an extraordinary advertisement for the health benefits of a gardening life. He leaves the idea of 10 000 steps a day in the dust and briskly walks

In a new paper published in The Plant Biotechnology Journal, plant biochemists at the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory detailed the use of modern genetics tools to develop a yellow-seeded variety of Camelina sativa. This culti

Izebo Boran Stud, Kirkwood. On offer: one stud bull and 30 SP female animals. Phone Riaan van Rensburg on 082 877 7226. Beefmaster National Sale, Parys Afridome, Parys. On offer: 30 bulls and 60 female animals. Phone Gerrie Janse van Rensburg on 082

Dear Prof McCrindle, Do I need to treat my dog for ticks, fleas and worms more often if I frequently walk her in our local park? Kind regards, Monique Dear Monique, Yes, dogs need to be treated regularly for ticks, fleas and worms, but always accordi

HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that each row and column, as well as each of the 3 x 3 squares, contains all the digits from 1 to 9. Look out for the answers to this week’s Sudoku puzzles in next week’s magazine. ■

ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT AT 15% Products and prices were correct at the time of going to print and reflect prices as at 3 June 2024.