Table of contents for 16 May 2025 in Farmer's Weekly

Nampo Harvest Day is once again upon us! The current Nampo has come a long way since the first show, then called the SAMPI (South African Maize Producers’ Institute) Harvest Day, in 1967. SAMPI was held on the farm Donkerhoek near Bloemfontein and was initiated by three maize farmers: Moos Haddad, Hannes van Wyk, and George Stegmann. The aim of the event was to showcase the latest agricultural machinery and allow farmers the opportunity to compare machinery and equipment, as mechanisation was becoming increasingly important at the time. The first show saw only eight exhibitors, with just 203 visitors attending. As the years passed, the event quickly gained traction within the maize-farming community and, by 1968, over 600 visitors attended, and significant transactions were reported. As the harvest day continued…

Power lines and wind farms continue to devastate South Africa’s critically endangered vulture populations as expanding human development increasingly encroaches on vital habitat, forcing these beautiful and misunderstood birds into deadly conflict with infrastructure. Recent data from Vulpro, South Africa’s leading vulture conservation organisation, reveals the shocking scale of the crisis: 191 vultures (Cape, white-backed, and lappet-faced) were reported dead or injured due to power lines over the period 2020 to 2025. In a single year alone, approximately 40 vulture fatalities were recorded due to power line-related incidents, with an average of three vultures per month lost to electrocution or collision. Since Vulpro’s inception, they have recorded a total of 473 fatalities. These figures likely under-represent the true mortality rates as many incidents go unreported. MULTIPLE EMERGENCIES Speaking in mid-April…

The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism recently engaged directly with leading industry bodies, including AgBiz, Agri Western Cape, Hortgro, South Africa Wine, the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA), the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO), Milk South Africa, the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation and the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, to deepen their understanding of the agriculture sector. Noko Masipa, standing committee chairperson, told Farmer’s Weekly that by engaging directly with industry leaders instead of relying solely on formal parliamentary questions, members gained critical insights that will strengthen their oversight capabilities. For him, a highlight of the day was hearing about the industry’s commitment to skills development, with such initiatives as bursaries offered by Hortgro and South Africa Wine to ensure a continuous pipeline of expertise…

The recent conviction of Thabo Masihlelo, a professor at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Gauteng, for animal cruelty (after starving captive lions were found in his possession near Tweeling in the Free State) highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reform in South Africa’s captive lion industry. This was according to Fiona Mills, director of FOUR PAWS South Africa. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Mills said: “This case is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of systemic issues within the commercial breeding and exploitation of big cats. None of these captive-bred animals will be released into the wild to help wild populations, therefore they are not a true conservation effort.” She cautioned as early as November 2022 against the local captive lion industry. Bones and other parts of the…

Do you remember the impossibly named volcano in Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull? After slumbering peacefully for 200 years, it suddenly started disgorging vast clouds of smoke and ash in April 2010, and kept it up for over a month. Prevailing winds spread ash all over Europe, often reaching heights of 5km. It shut down Europe’s air traffic. About 100 000 flights were cancelled, stranding some 10 million passengers. This was a textbook example of what Nassim Nicholas Taleb, in The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, called a classic ‘black swan’ event. Taleb defined it as an extremely rare event, completely outside our range of expectations, having a massive impact. The COVID-19 disaster was a vastly more impactful black swan. Pandemics of course had been experienced before, but never in…

BRIEF HISTORY In the 17th to 18th centuries, English horse breeds were brought to the American colonies and were crossbred with swift, agile horses of Spanish descent. The Spanish horses were acquired from Native American tribes who had obtained them from early Spanish explorers. In the 19th century, as settlers moved westwards, the American Quarter Horse’s (AQH) versatility became invaluable. They were hardy enough for long rides, agile, possessed ‘cow sense’ for working cattle, and had the speed for short sprints. During this time, particularly in Texas, they were further refined by crossbreeding with Mustangs and other breeds, enhancing their cow-working abilities and resilience. Influential early sires like Steel Dust and Shiloh became legendary and contributed significantly to the breed’s development. The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was formed on…

Sorghum is one of Africa’s oldest grains and a staple crop for around 500 million people in 30 countries. It is a highly versatile crop with a wide range of uses, from human food and beverages to animal feed and industrial manufacturing. In South Africa, sorghum is primarily cultivated for human consumption, with the main production areas being Mpumalanga, North West, the Free State, and Limpopo. Deeply embedded in the country’s cultural heritage, sorghum is used to make traditional foods like ting ya mabele (fermented porridge) and traditional beer, and despite the popularity of maize, it has remained a staple food for many rural communities. Sorghum can also be found in cereals, soups, and baked goods. A nutrient-rich grain, high in vitamins and essential minerals like iron, magnesium, and potassium,…

Scientists have developed a new machine-learning tool that can train itself to distinguish between flowering and non-flowering grasses in aerial images – with minimal human input. The system was tested on thousands of Miscanthus grass varieties, which all flower at different times. This breakthrough could significantly speed up crop research and reduce the time spent on manual inspections in the field. “Flowering time is a key trait influencing productivity and the adaptation of many crops,” explains Andrew Leakey, a professor of plant biology and crop sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US. Traditionally, identifying these traits is a repetitive, labour-intensive task. Thus, by using drones to capture images and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse them, the process becomes far more manageable. To make the AI smarter without needing a…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer’s Weekly. This article was written by Dr Karen Parry, theme leader for equity and inclusion in the Circular Food System at Australian National University; André F van Rooyen, principal scientist on innovation systems for drylands at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research; and Henning Bjornlund, a research professor in water policy and management at the University of South Australia; with contribution from Suwilanji Sinyangwe, technical assistant to the CEO of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network. The article was first published by The Conversation. To read the original, visit bit.ly/42AQZE3. “The world has to feed a growing population with the same area of land and less water. Irrigation is key to…

Six years after starting a dairy, former chartered accountant John Knipe not only milked a massive Friesland herd but marketed the final product himself, as this article revealed. In difficult times there’s an increasing demand for farming skills to be combined with economic knowledge, and Knipe is living proof of that maxim. He purchased his first farm in 1959 but didn’t farm the land, and in 1963 swapped it for Witpan Farm, some 10km from Kimberley, Northern Cape. He started out part-time farming, and by 1979 was running Boer goats, Dorpers, Nguni and Brahman cattle, and growing several crops on almost 40 000ha. He then retired from accountancy to concentrate on farming. In 1984, he started a dairy without knowing anything about dairying. Starting cautiously, to ‘learn the game’, one…

Addressing the skewed nature of agriculture should be a priority for the G20 Agriculture Working Group. This was according to Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen in his speech during the opening of the working group in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, in April. Steenhuisen added that the group needed to be honest that the benefits of agricultural development had not been shared equally – not within or between countries – and that the group presented an opportunity to rethink structures that kept most producers, especially women and young people, on the margins of the sector. Therefore, the working group’s four main priorities were inclusive market participation, to move smallholders, women, young and marginalised communities from the periphery to the centre of food systems; the empowerment of youth and women, not as beneficiaries of…

President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to South Africa on 24 April, in a historic official visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the first by a Ukrainian head of state. The visit, which followed Ramaphosa’s June 2023 trip to Ukraine as part of the Africa Peace Initiative, opened the door for deeper co-operation between the two nations, particularly in agriculture, trade and education. Speaking to the SABC, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen spoke about the significance of Ukraine’s interest in South African agricultural products. “Ukraine is looking to become the hub in Europe for the distribution of South African beef. There is also a major opportunity for South Africa to have access to fertilisers. Fertiliser prices in South Africa have gone up by 300% in…

South Africa’s agricultural output could face significant disruption unless urgent steps are taken to protect the country’s indigenous honey bee populations, the Western Cape Bee Industry Association (WCBA) has warned. According to WCBA chairperson Chris Nicklin, honey bees play a pivotal role in food production through pollination and biodiversity enhancement. “Unlike other parts of the world where there are serious declines in honey bee populations, especially in the US, South Africa’s indigenous honey bee subspecies are not facing the same degree of threat. Nonetheless, we have some very serious challenges, which make the future of our honey bees quite precarious,” he told Farmer’s Weekly. Nicklin explained that South Africa was home to two indigenous honey bee subspecies: the East African lowland honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata), found in the summer…

Fruit South Africa (Fruit SA) recently announced key changes to its board of directors. Anton Rabe, executive director of Hortgro, will take over as the new chairperson from Anton Kruger, CEO of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, who served in this role since April 2023 and will continue to contribute as a board director. Rabe will be supported by Derek Donkin, CEO of the South African Subtropical Growers’ Association, who assumes the position of vice-chairperson. Fruit SA bid farewell to Justin Chadwick and Vangile Titi-Msumza, who retired at the end of March. Chadwick served as the CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) for 25 years, and as a founding director of Fruit SA played an instrumental role in establishing and growing the organisation. Titi-Msumza served on…

Onions are one of the most widely consumed vegetables around the world, and South Africa is no exception. There is always high demand for this vegetable, and production costs are relatively low. When asked about a good vegetable to plant, I advise producers to consider not only demand but also factors like such as shelf life and resistance to pests and fungus. In this regard, onions are a good choice. BEST VARIETY One of the best varieties to plant is the widely cultivated Texas Grano, known for its high yield, excellent storage quality/shelf life and adaptability to different climates. Texas Grano onions are characterised by their yellow skin, white flesh and sweet, mild flavour. They are also relatively resistant to diseases such as fungal infections and pests like thrips. Planting…

Land reform statistics have been a source of controversy and confusion in South Africa. Why is this? Deductions are often wrong, either because the data on which assumptions are based is incorrect, or the people who gathered and analysed the data have limited insight into land reform. Then, you also have people who manipulate information to suit their political agendas. How or why might data be wrong? A good understanding of agriculture, the geography, economics, history and politics of an area is required to spot and avoid mistakes. A person with such understanding would know that a farm in the Karoo might constitute over 1 000ha, while one closer to Stellenbosch in the Western Cape would probably be smaller than 100ha. I have seen in some reports that ‘metres’ were…

Regular changes in weather patterns are complicating grain production in many parts of South Africa. Sorghum, as an alternative, can simplify grain farmers’ lives, as it is an ideal additional crop to grow during drier conditions or in more marginal areas. Sorghum can be used to produce food, feed, beverages, and biofuel. Irrespective of the end market, sorghum provides masses of crop residue that can be used for soil coverage or livestock feed. PRODUCTION CHALLENGES Although sorghum has many advantages, some farmers are still cautious when it comes to planting it as an alternative grain crop. At the sorghum working group meeting during the Grain SA Congress held in March 2025, it was noted that maize yields still outperform that of sorghum during a good production season. Furthermore, the sorghum…

BYD, short for Build Your Dreams, has shown immense growth over the past few years, becoming the first manufacturer to produce 10 million new-energy vehicles. By offering the most powerful bakkie in South Africa, with a host of firsts for the segment, at under R1 million, the ambitious carmaker is confident of making inroads. The BYD Shark, the first plug-in hybrid bakkie in the country, is powered by what the manufacturer calls a Dual Mode Offroad powertrain. This is a combination of a 1,5l turbocharged petrol engine producing 170kW of power and 310Nm of torque, and a 29,5kWh battery hooked up to a 150kW/340Nm electric motor. TAKING THE RAPTOR’S THRONE The result is an eye-watering total of 321kW of power and 650Nm of torque. This is 28kW/67Nm more than the…

Avocado, kiwi and mint smoothie SERVES TWO 1 to 2 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned, and quartered 2 to 3 kiwis, peeled and halved 1 handful baby spinach leaves, rinsed ½ cup crushed ice ½ cup water ¼ cup fresh mint • In a blender, combine all the ingredients and purée until smooth. • Divide the mixture into two glasses and serve with mint leaves to garnish. Dairy-free avo smoothie SERVES ONE 1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned, and chopped 1 banana, sliced 125ml (½ cup) chopped pineapple 1 handful baby spinach leaves, rinsed 180ml (¾ cup) orange juice, plus extra lemon juice, to taste • Freeze the avocado, banana, and pineapple overnight in an airtight container. TIP: if you don’t have time to freeze the fruit, blitz them fresh with a…

Proteas of the Fynbos by John Manning (Struik Nature, R340) Manning is a renowned Cape-based botanist, acclaimed for his work on systematics – researching how, where, and when plants originated, as well as naming plants and classifying how they’re related to each other. This book focuses on proteas – you might be able to say, “That flower is a protea,” but which is it of the 330 species found in the fynbos region, home to 90% of South Africa’s proteas? To get you started, Manning’s field guide features 165 of the most common and eye-catching species in a well-organised, no-nonsense section taking up 170 of this book’s 200 pages. But don’t skip the fascinating introduction! Manning manages to squeeze in background information on protea prehistory, and how protea species adapt to…

The agricultural discussions within the G20 Agricultural Working Group are pointing to a promising direction for global agricultural growth and food security, particularly for the African continent. At the time of writing, I was in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, attending the G20 Agricultural Working Group sessions. Under its leadership, South Africa has set four G20 agricultural priorities, namely: 1. The promotion of policies and investments that can lead to improved food and nutrition security. 2. Empowering the youth and women to participate in agrifood systems. 3. Fostering innovation and the transfer of useful technologies in agricultural industries. 4. Building climate resilience for sustainable food production. I want to highlight that the themes which emerged are primarily aligned with some of the points I have raised in this column. These include the need…

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Thembeni MadlophaMthethwa delivered a rallying speech at the G20 Food Security Task Force (FSTF) Meeting in late April in Durban, calling on global partners to “empower youth, women and smallholders” and embrace technology to ensure a more resilient and inclusive agriculture sector. Madlopha-Mthethwa spoke about the province’s readiness to contribute meaningfully to global food security efforts, saying: “KwaZulu-Natal presents a significant opportunity for South Africa to make a lasting impact on sustainable agriculture and farmer development.” The meeting, which followed the G20 Agriculture Working Group sessions earlier in the week, drew delegates from around the world. The MEC highlighted four key priorities: inclusive market access, youth and women empowerment, innovation and technology transfer, and climate resilience. In a push for inclusivity, Madlopha-Mthethwa said:…

New Zealand shearer Aiden Copp and South African shearing contractor Tienie du Plessis recently set a world two-stand shearing record by shearing a total of 970 Merino lambs in nine hours near Steynsburg, Eastern Cape. Copp and Du Plessis sheared 523 and 447 lambs, respectively, for the record attempt, which is the first of its kind. According to the World Sheep Shearing Records Society Incorporated, Dwayne Black set the last nine-hour solo record with Merino lambs in 2004, when he sheared 664 lambs in Western Australia; while Ethan Harder holds the eight-hour record for shearing 624 lambs in Western Australia. Du Plessis, who grew up on a sheep farm near Steynsburg and has his own farm there today, told Farmer’s Weekly that he developed a passion for shearing after doing…

South Africa’s status as an arid country has focused much attention on water-saving technologies, placing farmers in a good position to better manage water resources. However, with the increasing incidence of floods, farmers now also need to consider technologies that manage too much water. Michael Esmeraldo, managing director of Netafim Southern and East Africa, told Farmer’s Weekly that water storage capacity and drainage systems had traditionally been neglected in South Africa. “We are seeing within the irrigation community in South Africa that there is a rise in queries about drainage systems because farmers are increasingly struggling with waterlogged fields as rainfall patterns are bringing more intense downpours. If farmers can guide the water out of their fields and into reservoirs, then it’s a win for their crops and water demands,”…

During 2024, red meat markets traded in a close band (see figure below) and profitability was under pressure. Lethargic price growth was the result of multiple factors, ranging from animal disease to ongoing pressure on consumer income. As 2025 picks up speed, the question is whether these conditions will continue to hold throughout the year. INTEREST RATE AND INFLATION Interest rate cuts provided much-needed relief to consumers in 2024, as numerous central banks around the globe embarked on a cutting cycle. On 30 January 2025, the South African Reserve Bank cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7,5%. Initially, analysts were of the view that there could be room for a deeper cutting cycle, but international developments, specifically relating to new policies implemented by the US administration under…

“The nationwide average tells us that 80% of the time, rails are purely used to transport farmworkers and only 20% for actual livestock. Nowadays, all the bigger farms use trucks to carry their livestock,” says Ludwig Nel, co-owner of Bloemfontein-based Stockman Cattle Rails (Stockman). “In some areas, they are used to carry smaller livestock and in others purely for dogs or naughty children. We have seen some interesting things, like a farmer who bought rails purely to carry flowers. And a customer from Botswana wanted rails just to keep his Jack Russells from jumping off,” he adds. STURDY SET-UP Stockman, founded in 1988, constructs its cattle rails from 50mm × 2mm steel tubing that is treated and painted black. The rails are not welded but rather bolted together, with their…

Dear Prof McCrindle, Recently, I heard about ‘agrivoltaic’ business models being used for mutton and wool production overseas. It sounds technical but promising. Could you explain how it might work in the South African farming context? Kind regards, Sheep Farmer Dear Sheep Farmer, The basic principle behind the agrivoltaic business model is that you can generate solar power and keep wool or slaughter sheep on the same property. In South Africa, several factors are important. The first is the location of the farm. The second involves legalities in different areas. The third is the distance to market for sheep, mutton, and wool. Reliable water sources are also essential. Having solar power means pumping water, and even purifying it, would be easier and more affordable. It might also be useful to…