Tabla de contenidos para 6 June 2025 en Farmer's Weekly

On 21 May, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his Budget Speech 3.0, which, for all intents and purposes, seems to be the version that will ultimately be passed in Parliament, as no opposition from the Government of National Unity to this third iteration of the 2025/26 Budget has been reported. Of course, versions 1.0 and 2.0 were vehemently opposed due to a proposed VAT increase: initially, a 2% hike was put forward, later revised to 1% over two years, and ultimately scrapped when the DA took legal action against Godongwana. Budget 3.0 has received some mixed reviews. Perhaps the key takeaway is the increase in the fuel levy: from 4 June, South Africans will be paying 16c more per litre of petrol and 15c more per litre of diesel. This…

This past week, more than 87 000 people descended on Nampo Park in Bothaville for the annual harvest day festival and exhibition. It was a fantastic event and credit must go to the Grain SA team who once again put this together with the greatest amount of skill and determination. The event is certainly growing as a highlight on the agriculture calendar as President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, and two Cabinet ministers were in attendance. It is really encouraging to see the interest and commitment from our government leaders. The only regret, I imagine, is that these dignitaries arrived by air and bypassed the local roads to arrive at Nampo. When the captains of industry were given the chance to engage with our top political leaders, they jumped…

South African fresh produce traders could not contain their pride during the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) conference held in Johannesburg, Gauteng from 14 to 16 May. The country was lauded for the trading system used at its municipal fresh produce markets, where an open market system allowed for transparent pricing based on a willing-buyer, willing-seller principle. “I believe the open market system is South Africa’s best-kept secret,” said RSA Group CEO, Jaco Oosthuizen. “It is a stable commercial foundation for producers. It motivates them to take risks. It is where free forces of supply and demand meet and they find an authentic price, contrary to the global world where food production and trading is highly subsidised, chain store-dominated, and contractually oriented. “In the South African context, farmers do…

Farmers should adapt to survive the deep structural changes that are currently taking place in the world. This was according to Graeme Codrington, futurist and lead researcher at TomorrowToday Global, who spoke during a panel discussion hosted by Shell at Nampo. During the discussion, titled ‘Future-proofing South African agriculture: farming for 2050 and beyond’, Codrington said the world was teetering on the brink of profound transformation, as evidenced by advances in drones, robots, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. However, other local and global factors were also at play, such as the impact of the US presidency on international trade; the way in which the Government of National Unity might reshape South Africa; changing demographics, such as people living longer, having smaller families, and moving to cities; and increased pressure on…

The two cases of mass vulture poisoning that occurred in May in the Lowveld can be described as “a vulture genocide”. This was according to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre. Nearly 300 vultures were poisoned in the two incidents. In the first incident, 123 vulture carcasses were found at a poisoned elephant carcass in the Mahlangeni section of the Kruger National Park on 6 May. The elephant was killed by means of a cable snare laced with a highly toxic poison. Eighty-four of these birds were, however, rescued. The second poisoning took place in a game reserve near Marloth Park in Mpumalanga, where 100 critically endangered vultures, including 90 white-backed vultures (Gyps africanus), nine hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus), and one white-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis), died…

In a show of support for emerging farmers, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality MMC for Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture (EDTA) Bassie Kamana, together with officials from the EDTA Directorate, visited Nxele Farm in Kariega, Eastern Cape. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the visit formed part of the municipality’s broader initiative to strengthen local agricultural enterprises, drive job creation, and foster inclusive economic growth in the region. He added that Nxele Farm, which began operating in 2020 after the land was acquired in 2018, produced maize, pigs, chickens, and geese. “The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality supports emerging farmers with the purpose of economic development and the creation of jobs. Through the EDTA Directorate, we aim to create enabling conditions for farmers to grow and become part of…

Cabbages are a popular and nutritious crop that can be successfully grown by small-scale farmers in South Africa. This vegetable is widely consumed across the country, and it offers consumers value for money. Therefore, demand for cabbages at local markets is high, and this is always important when considering starting a vegetable-growing business. Cabbage is a cool-season crop that prefers a soil pH of between 6 and 7, and thrives in temperate climates with moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall. Daily minimum temperatures of 4°C to 5°C and maximum temperatures of between 20° and 25° are ideal. There are many local biomes where cabbages can be planted, but some of the best areas for production are: • The Western Cape, particularly the areas around Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and Paarl, which have…

The wine industry is one of the largest in the South African agriculture sector in terms of its contribution to the sector’s employment, gross production value, and foreign earnings. In addition, the industry plays a crucial role in the growth and sustainability of tourism in the Western and Northern Cape. In 2023, the industry was estimated to have contributed nearly 1,2% to government revenue. Contextualising this within the ambit of the ongoing government budget challenges, if government were to double the size of the wine industry, it could raise the same amount of revenue it intended to generate from the VAT increase. CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES Doubling the size of the wine industry might be ambitious, but not impractical, if the industry considers new opportunities emanating from the changing climate that…

On average, the Toyota Fortuner holds around half of the SUV market share in South Africa, with the Ford Everest a distant but steady second. Third place is an almighty scrap between the Isuzu MU-X and Mahindra Scorpio-N, with the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport also in the mix. But even during months when the MU-X does edge out the Scorpio-N, it doesn’t come close to the kind of market share that the D-Max has established in the bakkie race, even in markets like Australia. Isuzu is not under the illusion that the facelifted MU-X is going to perform miracles. But the Japanese manufacturer hopes it can at least build on the gradual single-digit percentage growth the SUV has achieved since the introduction of the second generation locally in 2021. ADDED STYLE…

SERVES SIX 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 80ml (½ cup) mayonnaise 10ml (2 tsp) wholegrain mustard 5ml (1 tsp) fresh lemon juice ½ stalk celery, very finely chopped 30ml (2 Tbsp) finely chopped chives Salt and pepper, to taste Paprika, for sprinkling Health bread or baguette, sliced, to serve Fresh chives, for garnish • Roughly chop all the hard-boiled eggs and transfer them to a medium bowl. (Alternatively, only chop four of them if you want some whole eggs for presentation.) Mash the eggs slightly with a fork to break up the yolks. • Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, celery, and chives and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. • If using a baguette, slice it in half lengthways and spread the egg salad on the bottom…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer’s Weekly. Dr Sharon Nobuhle Lungu has a PhD in animal science and is a former member of the FSNet Africa project under the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship at the University of Pretoria. "As the global conversation around sustainable farming and healthier food options grows louder, Moringa oleifera (moringa) – a fast-growing, nutrient-rich tree native to tropical and subtropical regions in India and Africa – is emerging as a promising solution that could help address both of these critical issues. Often referred to as ‘a mother’s best friend’, the ‘drumstick tree’ and the ‘tree of life’, moringa has long been celebrated in traditional medicine for its numerous health benefits. ROLE IN ANIMAL PRODUCTION However,…

You may have noticed the news headlines earlier this year about global food prices rising. These headlines weren’t necessarily about retail food prices, but the mild uptick in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Global Food Price Index, a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of agricultural commodities. The index lifted by 1% in April 2025 from the previous month to 128 points. This is up 8% from the same period last year, but still 20% down from its peak in March 2022, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, leading to a surge in grain and oilseed prices. The mild uptick in the prices of grains, dairy, and meat has underpinned the index’s mild increase in recent months. In the case of…

Standard Bank is showing what it means to be “more than a bank” by using its extensive network to help unlock new markets for farmers. Brendan Jacobs, Standard Bank’s head of Agribusiness for Business and Commercial Banking South Africa, told Farmer’s Weekly at Nampo that while the bank had a footprint in 20 African countries, it had agribusiness-specific teams in 15 of said countries. This year, the heads of the agribusiness divisions of each of these countries attended Nampo, along with some of their clients. Their goal was to network and find ways to facilitate and derisk trade between African countries by using Standard Bank’s local knowledge in the various countries to empower potential exporters with data-driven market information. It is also to connect exporters with potential buyers, facilitate engagements,…

The goal of transforming subsistence farmers into commercial farmers across Africa has largely failed, leaving food security continually in the balance. This was according to Jane McPherson, manager of the Grain SA Farmer Development Programme. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly at Nampo 2025 in Bothaville, Free State, she said that most farmers just did not migrate from a subsistence level to commercial status. “There has been a perception that you can take a 1ha subsistence farmer and, with some training and input support, get them to commercial scale. But we just haven’t seen this happen,” she explained. McPherson noted that while access to land was a deciding factor in how much a farmer could grow, the challenging reality of farming was the biggest constraint to any farmer’s growth. “Transformation is taking…

Overexploitation of wild species is one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss, posing a threat to 27% of species in the world. This was according to a statement by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Endangered Species Day, which is observed every year on the third Friday in May. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which assessed the conservation status of plants, fungi and animals across the globe, currently listed 281 species with some or all of their range in South Africa as critically endangered. However, the good news was that a tiny gecko species unobserved for over 33 years had been rediscovered by two Endangered Wildlife Trust researchers, Dr Darren Pietersen and John Davies, in the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga. According to a…

Dr Katye Altieri has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) New Frontiers Research Award. Altieri, associate professor of oceanography at the University of Cape Town, set out to determine whether nitrogen from air pollution improves the ocean’s ability to absorb greenhouse gases, or whether it actually makes the problem worse. The award included a five-year, R7,5 million research grant to examine the relationship between the atmosphere, atmospheric pollution and the oceans, which addressed a lack of knowledge of how air pollution impacts climate change. The OMT introduced the award in 2024 in response to a need to strengthen South Africa’s global reputation for research excellence and to attract and retain early- to mid-career researchers to build diverse, high-performance research teams, foster collaboration, and strengthen South African academics.…

Risk is the likelihood of an undesirable event occurring with negative impact on your business and/or family. It has the potential to harm both you and your business. If you are a farmer, you are operating in a high-risk environment. Your crops are vulnerable to yield destruction due to drought, flood and storm. You face extreme market volatility driven by local and global supply-demand dynamics and trade policies. Pests and diseases can wreak havoc, and they mutate into new forms that threaten your crops and livestock. Input costs for essentials like fertiliser and fuel fluctuate widely due to exchange rates, trade agreements and subsidies. RISK MANAGEMENT Risk management requires a structured approach, involving a cross-section of your staff with guidance from a professional in this field. Effective management involves identifying…

Fish is one of the most highly traded food commodities in the world, with the industry valued at an estimated US$362 billion (about R6,5 trillion), according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). As much as half of the world’s population depends on fish as a primary protein source, while millions of people, mostly in developing coastal communities, depend on fishing and related activities for their livelihoods. It is estimated that one in every five fish caught is the result of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. While the full scale of these clandestine activities is difficult to measure, IUU fishing is believed to account for the loss of around 26 million tons of fish annually, with global economic losses of billions of dollars every year. IUU fishing puts…

Father’s Day is often a time for reminiscence – and a fun nod to that comes with Bok to Bok (R599, Blue Weaver), veteran sports journalist Mike Greenaway’s latest rugby coffee-table book. This time around, the powerful narrative has a more newsy take, showcasing his agile sport-reporting flair and built around one event: the Boks’ tenacious 2023 Rugby World Cup defence or, as his subtitle puts it, ‘4-time world champions, 3 priceless points, 2 cups back-to-back, 1 phenomenal journey’. He opens 14 months before the World Cup with the Springboks’ demoralising first-ever loss to Wales on home ground. Of course, it wouldn’t be sport if part of that journey wasn’t about nail-biting uncertainty, especially around injury and recovery of key players, or players getting a break – Cobus Reinach’s expertly told…

Having given up the stresses of a hectic business life, a couple found satisfaction and success in farming grass, as this article showed. Crossing over from supermarket operator to instant lawn grower is no easy task. But Hannes Engelbrecht of Zwartkop, near Pretoria, was compelled to do just this when the pressures of a hectic business life started affecting his health. Engelbrecht and his wife, Ronelle, sold their supermarket and recreation resort at Hartbeespoort Dam and bought a piece of land at Zwartkop. “Hannes has an in-born feeling for business opportunities,” says Ronelle. “When he announced we were going into the production of instant lawn, I had my doubts, since the previous owners of the farm apparently did not fare too well here. The place was, to my mind, nothing…

Nampo Harvest Day 2025 broke records across the board. A record 87 191 visitors attended the agricultural expo, while President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, and Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson were also in attendance. Five provincial MECs and leaders from various other political parties also visited the expo. In addition, an unprecedented number of journalists from mainstream media publications covered the event. “[US President Donald] Trump’s shining a spotlight on the challenges facing farmers in South Africa, and the departure of the [49] refugees to the US, elevated the profile of agriculture,” Dr Tobias Doyer, CEO of Grain SA, told Farmer’s Weekly. “Ramaphosa being at Nampo also drew a lot of attention from the mainstream media. We are grateful for…

Kynoch released a new urease inhibitor at Nampo 2025 to reduce nitrogen volatilisation while using urea as fertiliser. Dr Chris Schmidt, senior agriculturist at Kynoch Fertilizer, told Farmer’s Weekly that urea was the cheapest source of nitrogen available to farmers, selling at a significantly lower price per kilogram than other sources. Its nitrogen content of 46% was also higher than the 28% of limestone ammonium nitrate and 21% of ammonium sulphate. The problem with urea, however, was that it was highly susceptible to volatilisation losses, meaning that large volumes of nitrogen were lost before plants could absorb them, especially under warm, dry conditions and in soils with a high pH. Schmidt said some famers applied more urea to compensate for these losses, but research had found that increased volumes accelerated…

Jay Jay Farming, a rural youth-led farming business in the Eastern Cape, recently achieved its first-ever soya bean harvest, yielding between 1,5t/ ha and 2t/ha. The crop, valued at more than R1,3 million, was grown in the village of Baziya near Mthatha through the support of the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA). Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, ECRDA CEO Simpiwe Somdyala said: “This is not only their achievement; this is a provincial triumph in the development of emerging farming. They have shown that the Eastern Cape can do it big in agriculture.” He added that the soya bean harvest marked a significant step for Jay Jay co-owners Mzimasi Jalisa and Siphe Joyi, who planted the crop for the first time this season. “I feel very positive and hopeful about this…

Livestock prices are higher year-on-year (y/y). Compared with a month ago, beef prices increased notably throughout April and the start of May, while pork prices remained under pressure, despite improved local demand. BEEF South African beef prices saw a longanticipated increase in April, with Class A carcass prices surpassing the R60/kg mark as the cumulative effect of improved demand conditions, ranging from lower fuel costs to cuts in interest rates, began to manifest in carcass and weaner calf prices. As a result, Class A and Class C carcass prices increased by 5,8% and 4,6%, respectively, month-on-month (see Graph 1). Profitability, as measured by the beef-to-maize price ratio, increased notably by 26,3% month-on-month (m/m) as a result of lower yellow maize prices, coupled with the significant beef carcass price increase year-on-year…

Sleeping on duty can be unintentional when an employee dozes off without the intention of doing so. It can also be deliberate, such as when an employee isolates themselves by hiding somewhere, getting comfortable, and building a temporary bed using material from the workplace. However, that kind of deliberate misconduct is generally seen as a more serious offence. When the employer suspects an employee of sleeping on duty, it is vital to obtain proof that the employee is actually sleeping. The employer can confirm whether an employee is, in fact, sleeping by: • Recording the employee’s behaviour and appearance in writing. Request witnesses to also record their observations in writing. Check for the following common signs: – Is the employee conscious? In what position is the employee and where were…

How are local potato farmers being affected by the decline of municipal fresh produce markets? The primary impact is twofold. Firstly, the markets have not kept up with the growth in fresh produce volumes delivered to them over the past three decades. This means they don’t have the capacity to handle the current volumes, with significantly greater negative impact when volumes start peaking in a season. Floor space, cooling facilities, loading and parking bays, and transaction systems aren’t adequate. The severe lack of maintenance in certain cases means the floors have potholes, so forklifts owned and operated by market agents – because the markets haven’t provided these – get damaged. Frequent power outages mean lighting is often absent, cooling facilities aren’t working, and transaction systems are offline. If the latter…

Traditional soil analysis entails surveying what nutrients are available, knowing what the crop requires for optimal growth, and topping up elements as required. But this method fails to take into account whether elements are plant-available or how they interact, often leading to increased nutrient applications that have little effect on the crop. It’s a lose-lose situation in which farmers spend money on inputs that bring no value, and nutrient run-off creates further problems. This is where the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS), used to interpret plant tissue analysis data and assess plants’ nutritional status, can be of great value. The benefit of DRIS over traditional plant analysis is that it helps identify imbalances, deficiencies, and excesses of plant nutrients by analysing the ratios between different nutrients, not just their…

Researchers from University College London in England and Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland have developed a technique to recover cellulose – a natural fibre found in plant cell walls – from cow dung and turn it into useful manufacturing materials. These include fibres, films, and meshes used to produce items like surgical masks, food packaging and textiles. While cellulose is already used in many industries, it is often made from harmful chemicals. This new method, called horizontal nozzle-pressurised spinning, is cleaner, uses less energy and avoids toxic substances. The researchers used gentle chemical reactions to break down cow dung, turning it into a solution. By injecting this liquid into calm or flowing water using a sideways-spinning machine, they were able to form high-quality fibres. Then, when they altered the consistency…

5 KEY WORDS: CONNAL D EARDLEY You need a lot more than honeybees for better pollination and crops, says Connal D Eardley, whose identification guide, Big Bees of South Africa (R165) has been published by the South African National Biodiversity Institute in its Suricata series. “People know the honeybee and why it should be conserved,” he says, “but knowledge of other bees is generally poor – and you can’t conserve what you don’t know. We need identification guides for bees like we have for plants and birds.” Eardley grew up with a love of the veld, and his first thought was to go into conservation, but fate and logistics conspired against him. He moved into entomology and discovered taxonomy and decoding the family links between bee species. Here are his five…

Dear Prof McCrindle, Recently, I read your previous article on bluetongue (FW, 2 February 2024). I farm Damara sheep in the Northern Cape, and many farmers in my area are losing animals due to bluetongue. How can I prevent this infection in my sheep? Kind regards, Quinton Dear Quinton, Treatment of sheep infected with bluetongue is symptomatic. High doses of injectable vitamin B12 will stimulate recovery, and antihistamines can help reduce inflammation. Ointments containing peppermint and eucalyptus oil can be put in their nostrils to help them breathe. Bluetongue is transmitted to sheep by biting midges known as Culicoides. Outbreaks usually occur when there are high daily temperatures combined with high rainfall in summer and autumn, as that is when the eggs laid by midges during the previous year hatch…