Tabla de contenidos para 14 March 2025 en Farmer's Weekly

At the end of February, Senzo Mchunu, the current minister of police, announced the quarterly crime statistics for the third quarter (Q3) of the 2024/25 financial year. Crime has a negative impact on every person in South Africa and is a threat to social cohesion and, ultimately, economic growth. Industries that rely on visitors, such as tourism, are particularly economically affected by the increasing number of violent crimes that impact South Africans on a daily basis. High crime rates scare away investors and make it increasingly difficult for farmers to continue producing food for the nation, for example. Other crimes – such as farm attacks, murders and stock theft – target farmers and their farmworkers directly, making farms and rural areas among the most dangerous places to live in the…

In an innovative approach to business strategy, South African author and business coach François J Lubbe has released Bush Lessons 4 Business: Unlocking Your Possibility, a transformative, easily accessible book that draws on the wisdom of nature to offer powerful insights for modern business challenges. Lubbe has over two decades of corporate experience and has been a business coach for 16 years. But it is the lessons he learnt from nature, having spent countless hours observing wildlife in the Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and numerous other game reserves, that have shaped his approach to tackling various business challenges the most. As a result, his book presents 25 concise, practical lessons from nature that bridge the gap between the natural world’s time-tested survival strategies and mankind’s modern business challenges.…

South Africa’s agriculture sector remains constrained by long-standing domestic challenges, including deteriorating infrastructure, inefficient municipalities, unreliable transport networks and the slow release of government-owned land to beneficiaries with title deeds. These structural issues limit the sector’s ability to grow sustainably and must be urgently addressed. While global trade risks and geopolitical developments are important considerations, the primary focus should remain on fostering a more self-reliant agriculture sector. Strengthening local agribusinesses, particularly smaller and emerging players, will be key to building resilience and ensuring food security. This necessitates a shift towards policies that empower local producers through investment in infrastructure, access to financing, and streamlined regulatory processes. EXPORT, DIVERSIFIED APPROACH A robust agriculture sector must be export-driven, but with a diversified market approach. South Africa’s over-reliance on specific trade agreements, such…

Goss’s wilt, recently detected on farms in South Africa, is an increasing threat to maize producers in the country. This was according to speakers at the recent Pannar Seed (Pannar) Extravaganza 2025 in Val, eastern Mpumalanga, which saw agricultural experts discuss pressing issues affecting the industry. Goss’s wilt (Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis) is a bacterial infection of maize that can lead to significant reductions in crop yields. Rikus Kloppers, a crop disease specialist at Pannar, spoke about the importance of raising awareness about Goss’s wilt, which was recently detected on maize crops in the Free State, North West, Gauteng and Eastern Cape, according to a statement by the Department of Agriculture. Infected crops had poor standability and lodging, which led to yield losses and lower-quality grain. “In heavily infected fields,…

About 10 years ago, premium wine producer DGB initiated the Travelling Classroom, or ‘the school that comes to you’. Since then, it has partnered with various like-minded organisations to buy two mobile computer and library classrooms, of which the second was recently unveiled at Alfons Primary School in Paarl, Western Cape. Tim Hutchinson, executive chairperson of DGB, told Farmer’s Weekly that the latest classroom was made possible by a financial investment equally shared between the DGB Charitable Trust and his family trust, Hutch – Giving Children A Chance Trust. It was also backed by leading donors Daimler Truck, Ardagh Glass Packaging and Rhenus Logistics, as well as an ever-expanding network of individuals, businesses and organisations who, Hutchinson said, shared a common ethos. “If we can change the beginning of the…

While recent police operations have led to a 4,5% decrease in stock theft, crime remains a significant challenge for farmers, particularly in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape. According to a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) had intensified its efforts to combat stock theft, as demonstrated by high-impact raids in the Eastern Cape in February, which resulted in the recovery of stolen livestock worth millions of rands. “During the operation, officers from the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, supported by [Visible Policing and Operations], mounted, and [canine] units, recovered 208 stolen cattle worth R2,8 million, along with 15 sheep, 25 goats, and two unlicensed firearms. The raid also led to the arrest of three suspects for illegal firearm possession, one of whom was wanted for an…

As attention shifts to the maize production outlook for the current season, it’s essential to examine the production dynamics of South Africa’s neighbouring countries, their season progression, and upcoming production prospects. In Southern African countries, maize prices hit record highs at the start of the year, driven by growing concerns of another challenging period as rainfall remained scarce at the start of their production seasons. The prices peaked towards the end of January and have followed a decreasing trend over the past few weeks, driven by improved weather and positive short-term weather forecasts. For major players in the region, such as South Africa and Zambia, the focus has shifted from the drought-stricken 2023/24 season, when maize production more than halved in Zambia and dropped by 22% in South Africa, to…

What, in your opinion, motivated Prof Jan Bonsma and his team to embark on the development of the Bonsmara breed in the 1930s? Bonsma wanted to develop a cattle breed that combined the adaptability of indigenous breeds (Nguni, Afrikaner, and so on) with the meat and carcass quality of imported breeds (Hereford, Sussex, and so on). The biggest problem that the local beef industry faced in the 1930s was the fact that the indigenous cattle adapted to survive under Southern African conditions did not have the meat and carcass quality for profitable production. The cattle breeds imported from the US and Europe had the meat and carcass characteristics needed but struggled to produce due to sub-tropical degeneration where the animals struggled to adapt to the Southern African environment and climate.…

In an era when rising energy costs and environmental concerns dominate global conversations, South African farmers are increasingly seeking renewable energy solutions to power their operations. Agriculture, known for its high energy demands – particularly in irrigation, refrigeration, and processing – stands to benefit significantly from embracing sustainable energy sources. The challenges of load-shedding and volatile fuel prices have made traditional energy sources unreliable and costly. For many in the agriculture sector, renewable energy presents not only a cost-effective alternative but also a path towards environmental stewardship and operational resilience. WHY RENEWABLE ENERGY MAKES SENSE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN FARMERS Reliable energy supply is crucial for farmers. Inconsistent power supply can lead to significant losses, especially for those reliant on cold storage facilities or sophisticated irrigation systems. Renewable energy, encompassing options…

Zander Spammer, agricultural resource manager at Southern Oil (SOILL), advises farmers to focus on the following to get the most out of canola production: • Know the chemical history of the crop. • Plant at the right density. Canola should ideally be planted at a density of between 1,8kg/ha and 2,5kg/ha, depending on the thousand kernel weight of a particular cultivar. Spammer says planting at higher densities in the Western Cape, which has an average annual rainfall of 250mm to 300mm, could lead to plants not receiving sufficient moisture or nutrition. • Don’t neglect canola. Farmers should consult their chemical consultants and do soil analyses to guide their fertilisation decisions and ensure the canola plants get the nutrients they need at the right time. Spammer says canola fertilisation programmes are…

ALTERNARIA BLACK SPOT CAUSED BY: Alternaria brassicae and A. brassicicola TRANSMISSION: airborne spores. Infected crop residue and seed can serve as sources of inoculum. SYMPTOMS: dark brown to black spots on leaves, stems, and pods, as well as seed discoloration. MANAGEMENT: crop rotation; use clean seed; apply fungicides; and practise good crop hygiene. BLACKLEG CAUSED BY: Leptosphaeria maculans TRANSMISSION: spread by airborne spores from infected crop residue. Infection can also occur through seedborne inoculum. SYMPTOMS: stem lesions (cankers) at the base of the plant, often leading to stem girdling and lodging. Leaf spots are also present. MANAGEMENT: crop rotation, planting resistant cultivars, applying fungicides, and managing stubble to reduce the amount of inoculum present. SCLEROTINIA STEM ROT CAUSED BY: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum TRANSMISSION: soil-borne. Infection occurs through spores in the soil. These spores are dispersed…

As time goes on, many new facts come to light about our past in South Africa. The one relayed here is a positive one about a friendship that developed between two great leaders of their time. Their statues stand close together in Durban to this day. Louis Botha was born in the village of Greytown, Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal), on 27 September 1862. He was one of seven sons and eight daughters born to Louis Botha Sr and Salomina Adriana van Rooyen, both from Somerset East in the Eastern Cape. His parents moved to the Vryheid district in Natal and obtained the farm Waterval on which the young Botha spent most of his childhood. He became an expert cattleman and had many friends among the Zulu boys from the area. He…

Dear Prof McCrindle, We purchased a registered Bonsmara bull from a fellow farmer, as he wanted to avoid inbreeding in his own herd. The bull is six years old and was fine in 2024. He was definitely fertile, as all the cows were in calf. It’s wet and muddy on our farm at present, and last week we noticed that the bull was very lame in one hind leg. We sprayed the hoof with purple spray and injected him with tetracycline. Is there anything else we can do? Kind regards, Free State Farmer Dear Free State Farmer, The most important thing to do is find out exactly what caused the lameness. There are several different joints in the hind leg of a bovine, and lameness is not always caused by…

Dear Farmer’s Weekly, After reading the article titled ‘How to manage heat stress in cattle’ (FW, 14 February), I was devastated to learn how severely cattle are suffering in extreme heat. However, in the same issue, I was glad to read about two ‘women in agriscience’, Dr Miekie Human and Dr Nicole Hart, who are showing other young people what they can accomplish. Please publish more information about what this country’s leaders can do to support these women in their dedicated work for South Africa. Yours sincerely, Carol Mast-Ingle, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal…

The South African citrus industry faces significant logistical hurdles as it prepares for another season of increased production, having experienced a more than R5,2 billion loss in 2024 due to inefficiencies at ports and in transport. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele, incoming CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), said that while some progress had been made at Transnet-operated ports, more decisive steps were needed. “The progress made by Transnet at the ports must be built upon further; a renewed focus on reducing mechanical failures and administrative delays while increasing capacity is critical. But what is needed most is urgency. [This year] must be the year of action on logistics. Public-private partnerships must be prioritised at ports and in rail. The competitiveness of South African…

Agri-Expo recently announced three new projects aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector. Firstly, the non-profit organisation has become an agent for the World Cheese Awards, which will allow it to take South African cheese to this international competition. At the announcement made at Soetmelksvlei near Simondium in the Western Cape, Breyton Milford, general manager of Agri-Expo, said the World Cheese Awards attracted over 4 000 entries each year from more than 40 countries. Participants can benchmark themselves against others, with the winners gaining international recognition which helps to promote their reputation as cheesemakers. “Klein River Cheese won a Supergold award and was crowned as the Best South African Cheese at the World Cheese Awards in 2024, which resulted in their cheese prices increasing by 20%,” Milford said. He added that…

The South African sugar industry is set to implement phase two of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030, which aims to address long-term challenges faced by over 24 000 black small-scale sugar cane farmers (SSGs) in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. This commitment was reaffirmed by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen during a meeting with industry leaders and growers at KwaShukela in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on 21 February. The meeting was attended by the South African Sugar Association (SASA), the South African Farmers’ Development Association (SAFDA), the South African Cane Growers’ Association, and the South African Sugar Millers’ Association. Steenhuisen told Farmer’s Weekly that while phase one of the plan successfully provided immediate financial relief to small-scale growers, phase two will focus on structural changes supporting long-term growth and sustainability. “The industry…

During his State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the provincial legislature in late February, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane reaffirmed agriculture as a key driver of economic growth in the province. “Agriculture remains our niche growth frontier to accelerate economic growth, employment and food security. During this term, our focus will be on massive primary production, agroprocessing, beneficiation and developing value-added products,” Mabuyane said. He also spoke about the province’s efforts to boost exports of high-value commodities, including citrus, deciduous fruit, red meat, livestock, animal fibre, hemp and cannabis to “unlock thousands of jobs in our communities”. Mabuyane said that to support black-owned citrus and deciduous fruit farms, the provincial government aimed to increase production to 40 000t and 45 000t, respectively, per season. He also mentioned the significant…

This article looks at the demand for dairy, the cost of producing these products, and price trends. INTERNATIONAL SITUATION Six countries supply the bulk of dairy products traded globally. The changes in annual milk production in these countries are shown in the table below. Total production recovered from the low levels of 2023. At the end of November 2024, total milk deliveries in these countries were 0,8% higher than in the period to November 2023, but still 0,7% down on November 2022. Dairy product prices decreased sharply from the 2022 post-COVID-19 peak. From June 2022 to September 2023, the dairy price index of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization decreased by 30%. Since then, prices have recovered by 24%. The December 2024 index is however still 12% lower than…

Bonsmara SA consistently receives enquiries from emerging farmers who want to start cattle farming operations, asking about the best way to go about this. There is a misconception among some farmers that anyone can become an instant stud farmer, or that a person can become a successful farmer by reducing costs and cutting corners. Unfortunately, these approaches to farming will only lead to heartache and future financial losses. The adage ‘you must learn to crawl before you can walk, and learn to walk before you can run’ is very true when it comes to farming. Aspiring farmers must remember that the foundation they set up when starting out is crucial for long-term success. If you start with an unstable foundation, sooner or later your investment in cattle is going to…

Piet Lombard, the scientific technician who runs the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s canola evaluation trials, has the following advice when it comes to choosing which canola cultivar to plant: • Consider which cultivars are performing the best in cultivar evaluations in your region, and neighbouring farmers’ and your own experiences with these varieties. • Order your seed early, as the availability of seed had been challenging over the past few years. Subsequently, some farmers might have ended up with varieties that they did not plan to plant. • Short- or long-period growers? Long-period growers should preferably be planted in regions that stay cool and wet for longer. From our evaluations it is clear that long growers benefitted the most from the wetter and cooler conditions in the spring of…

A group of computer scientists from the University of California (UCR), Riverside, in the US has developed a sensor-based system to help beekeepers reduce colony losses and labour costs. The system, called the Electronic Bee-Veterinarian (EBV), uses lowcost heat sensors and predictive models to alert beekeepers when hive temperatures reach dangerously high or low levels. Stressors like extreme weather, disease, pesticide exposure and forage shortages, among others, can cause such changes in temperature. The EBV offers a simple ‘health factor’ score for evaluating hive strength, where ‘one’ indicates optimal health. This allows keepers to take fast action, even if they lack technical knowledge of the system. This technology addresses the decline in honeybee populations, which are vital for pollination. Honeybee populations around the world have and continue to suffer due…

This story showed that a farmer could make good money with slaughter lambs, provided they had the right stock and followed the correct breeding programme. Crossbreeding for slaughter-lamb production has many advantages, not least of which is the fact that a farmer can work with relatively inexpensive ewes, and can still get the full benefits of hybrid vigour. This is the view of Flip Snyman, of Frischgewaagd Farm at Bethal, Free State, who buys commercial Merino ewes due to be culled because their wool production is beginning to decline as a result of their age. These are used once only, when they are mated to stud Ile de France rams. When their offspring are weaned, both ewe and lambs are put into a feedlot for rounding off and are marketed…

South African avocados have quickly gained popularity in China since the first shipment arrived there in October last year. South African avocados are known for consistently good quality, compared to Peruvian avocados. Strong competition from South America in the Chinese market, however, means that this new market will not be plain sailing. This was according to speakers during a recent International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) webinar between South African and Chinese stakeholders in the avocado industry, whom noted that demand for avocados was growing in China, as the fruit was relatively new and unknown in that country. Grace Shi, vice-president of Mr Avocado in China, said the growing Chinese middle class increasingly sought healthy food, which boded well for increasing avocado consumption. The Chinese market is currently dominated by Peruvian…

In 2024, the Lowveld experienced the highest incidence of veld fires in 10 years, and climatologists have warned that this trend is likely to continue. A recent webinar, hosted by a consortium of insurance companies, including Hollard, Old Mutual and Santam Insurance, addressed concerns that the risk of runaway fires was growing. Annette Botha, a meteorologist at Vox Weather, said that since satellites only picked up fires once they had reached a large scale, and did not take into account those that had been successfully extinguished, it was difficult to pinpoint whether the incidence of fires were increasing. “Statistics from 2003 to 2023, however, showed an upward trend of large fires in the Lowveld. [There was] a massive jump [in 2024], far exceeding the number of fires seen in previous…

Much has been said about breeding values and the use of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) values in breeding cattle. Many are of the opinion that using breeding values is the only way to move forward in terms of cattle production, while others believe that traditional stockmanship is the only way. As such, one of the most frequently asked questions in the field is whether BLUP values or animal conformation matters more when it comes to making breeding decisions. The answer is simple: a farmer must use both in order to make a calculated decision when it comes to buying their next bull or female animal to improve the herd. THE VALUE OF BOTH In a competitive market in the age of technology, buyers know exactly what they’re looking for.…

The One Thing by Bruce Whitfield (Macmillan, R330) Whitfield’s renowned for grasping your attention and getting you thinking, whether he’s writing or broadcasting. In his latest book, he has some of South Africa’s most interesting and influential people grappling with a problem question so tough that several backed out. He asked contributors to name, in about 500 words, ‘the one thing’ that could drive sustainable change in the country if we really focused on it – “small ideas, big outcomes, a brighter future’, as he sums it up in the subtitle. It would be too much of a spoiler to go into detail on the short pieces, but they make excellent, thoughtful daily reading or journalling prompts, especially with the local government elections on the horizon, which Whitfield pinpoints as the…