Innholdsfortegnelse for 7 February 2025 i Farmer's Weekly

Recently, the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) issued a statement in which it urged the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission to reverse its latest recommendation to increase the NMW by inflation plus 1,5%. This, the IRR said, was in light of the fact that the NMW had cost the country an estimated 430 000 jobs over a period of only five years. The IRR added that the “team of experts” the commission relied on to make its recommendations (the Development Policy Research Unit or DPRU), found that the NMW had a negative “statistically significant” impact on employment. The IRR said that its legal team engaged with the DPRU, which said the number of jobs lost to the NMW in 2024 alone was around 227 800, or 3,4% of…

The collaboration between the African Conservation Trust (ACT) and the Social Employment Fund (SEF) is not only transforming lives and landscapes, but is a catalyst for meaningful change. Francois du Toit, CEO of ACT, says: “As one of the Strategic Implementing Partners of the SEF, we connect unemployed individuals with meaningful work that benefits both communities and ecosystems.” ACT has a large footprint across four provinces – KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Limpopo and Mpumalanga – and manages diverse projects. These include community food gardens, agro-ecological training, invasive species-eradication programmes, soil erosion rehabilitation, rock art monitoring projects and energy solutions for small businesses. All are aimed at building a legacy of sustainability in the environmental and conservation sectors. Collaboration with traditional structures and community-based organisations ensures these initiatives are hyper-local and…

Road transport has steadily taken over from rail transport in South Africa over the past 20 years. Rail has an inherent cost benefit over road for long-haul transport, but reliability is paramount for perishable products. This trend is not good for the country at large as it leads to increased costs in the value chain and puts significant pressure on our road system. The Presidency convened a core group of experts under the banner of Operation Vulindlela to reverse the trend. The teams’ proposals were captured in the Freight Logistics Roadmap adopted by Cabinet towards the end of 2023. The roadmap recommended a fundamental shift towards an open, competitive system between different train operating companies (TOCs). To facilitate this, a number of building blocks were put in place during 2024,…

The corruption case involving R4,9 million in alleged fraud against poultry producer Rainbow Farms in Rustenburg has been postponed to 19 February for disclosure. Johan Buitendag, along with his companies Bosman Droers and Stetner Transport, and his alleged accomplice Jan Antonie van der Nest, with his company Ruton Trade and Invest, are at the centre of the case. The Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court granted bail of R25 000 each to the two accused. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Sivenathi Gunya, the charges arose from an investigation into corruption affecting Rainbow Farms. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the NPA said in a joint statement that Van Der Nest was reportedly employed by Rainbow Farms as an agricultural executive between 2019 and 2022 when the alleged crimes…

NETHERLANDS Last year, the value of agricultural exports from the Netherlands increased to €128,9 billion (about R2,5 trillion), up 5% from 2023, mainly influenced by price changes. Dairy, eggs, meat, and ornamental plants remain the country’s top export products, with the EU, and Germany and Belgium in particular, being its largest export market. Two-thirds of the Netherlands’ agricultural exports comprised locally made products, and these generated 90% of export earnings. UNITED STATES On solar energy farms in rural Texas, sheep have become unlikely key players in managing grass beneath solar panels. At SB Energy’s 1 620ha site near Austin, 3 000 sheep have replaced gas-powered mowers. This approach, known as solar grazing, is part of agrivoltaics (a dual-use method combining agriculture with solar energy production). With more than 60 solar…

Following three years of record sales from 2020 to 2023, agricultural machinery sales have returned to normal. According to the recently released sales statistics of the South African Agricultural Machinery Association (SAAMA), year-on-year tractor sales were down by 23% from 8 737 units in 2023 to 6 465 units in 2024, while combine harvester sales fell by 60% from 506 to 201 units. December 2024 tractor sales declined by 16,2% from 530 to 444 units compared with December 2023, whereas combine harvester sales fell by 81,3%, from 32 to six units. Willie Human, chairperson of SAAMA, said the moderation in sales had to be viewed against the backdrop of the sector experiencing very high machinery sales since 2020, thanks to favourable production conditions and improved farmer incomes. Along with this,…

India is rapidly becoming a critical market for South African citrus and other top fruit, driven by a combination of the country’s large population, dietary preferences, and rising demand for fresh produce. South Africa’s citrus exports to India have seen a remarkable increase, tripling to 30 000t since 2020. Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, told Farmer’s Weekly: “India, with its 1,4 billion people, vegetarian consumption habits, and love for fresh fruit, should be a major destination for South African citrus. While we’ve made great strides in exports, addressing the tariff barrier could yield even greater benefits for both growers and consumers.” South Africa has been in talks with India since 2017 to establish a new in-transit cold treatment protocol. This would ensure that South…

Zimbabwe has lifted its livestock import ban on animals originating from South African provinces Gauteng, North West, the Northern Cape, and Western Cape, a move expected to revitalise trade between the two nations. The decision follows South Africa’s confirmation that these regions have been free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) since 18 October 2024. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Dr Mpho Maja, director of animal health at South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, said farms in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal remained under quarantine. “Movements of live animals from these premises are not allowed except for direct slaughter. This ensures continued biosecurity while trade resumes in unaffected areas,” she said. Phillip Oosthuizen, COO of the Red Meat Industry Services, said Zimbabwe’s decision to resume imports from South Africa was a sign of confidence…

South African food prices are largely dependent on international prices and exchange rates, as well as local production. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ food price index shows that although food prices did increase steadily during 2024, the overall index for 2024 is at 122, down from the 124 level in 2023 and much lower than the peak of 144,5 reached in 2022. Weaker demand and more favourable production conditions resulted in the slow growth in grain and oilseed prices. In South Africa, cereal prices at farm level increased by 21,9% from November 2023 to November 2024, while the prices of animal products decreased by 7%. Grain prices on Safex reflect the sharp increase, especially in white maize prices. Grain and oilseed prices and futures prices are…

The agriculture sector is undergoing significant changes due to digitalisation, with global corporations and Big Tech companies playing a key role. In a recent study published in the journal Big Data & Society, researchers from Germany’s University of Bonn examined how digital platforms are affecting agriculture. The research points out that while these platforms can help farmers work more efficiently, they also risk making them more dependent on a few big players, thereby reinforcing existing power imbalances in the sector. The study introduces the concept of ‘oligopolistic platformisation’, which describes the collaboration between agricultural giants like Bayer, John Deere and BASF and tech corporations like Amazon, Google and Microsoft. To help farmers enhance their operations, Big Tech companies have developed technologies like cloud services and artificial intelligence. However, rather than…

5 KEY WORDS: BRITA LOMBA & RUTH PARKER Photographer Brita Lomba (above, right) and writer Ruth Parker are passionate about nature and conservation -particularly that of trees. A classic coffee-table book has emerged: Tree Encounters (Jacana, R580). It’s alluring, entertaining and informative, and will have you picking it up again and again. Read on for five of Lomba and Parker’s key guiding words: 1. Memory. “My first tree memory is the apricot tree in a friend’s garden that was loaded with fruit in summer,” says Brita. “It was old, leafy, and very shady on hot summer days in Johannesburg. We spent many hours climbing the tree, eating the fruit and enjoying the shade.” Ruth’s tree memory comes from a roadside stop: “We picnicked under a leadwood, and my father pointed…

The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) recently released a guide aimed at inspiring farmers and landowners to look at their land through a ‘biodiversity lens’ and consider their entire farms as ecosystems. The guide, authored by horticulturist Marijke Honig and Shelly Fuller, WWF-SA sustainable agriculture: fruit and wine programme manager, explores the implications of farming in a global biodiversity hotspot like the Western Cape, and provides practical suggestions for creating, managing and increasing biodiversity on a farm. “The guide is based on needs we heard from farmers regarding which species to plant for which purposes to increase biodiversity on their farms. For instance, [plants could be used] as wind breaks, hedge rows, to increase bee forage or restore land to its natural state,” Fuller explained to Farmer’s…

South Africa’s freight and logistics sector is in a period of transformation that is marked by challenges and opportunities (see page 13). With the recent publication of Transnet’s Network Statement, a significant step has been taken to open South Africa’s rail network to third-party operators. This move is regarded as a turning point for freight logistics in the country, but it is not without hurdles. According to Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association, the Network Statement represented “an important step forward” in revitalising the rail sector. He acknowledged the extensive reach of South Africa’s rail network and its potential to serve as a cornerstone of the national economy. “Rail needs to carry its load,” he stressed, highlighting the strain that excessive road freight has placed on South Africa’s…

December 2024 and early January 2025 showcased varied dynamics across vegetable categories, driven by fluctuations in supply, demand, and external factors like weather conditions. Cabbage prices experienced significant increases due to reduced volumes, while carrot prices faced pressure from crop damage as a result of heavy rains. Onion prices showed a steady upward trend, supported by lower supply levels, whereas potato prices remained elevated. Tomato prices were volatile, with quality concerns and lower supplies influencing market dynamics. CABBAGES The average price of cabbages in December was R2 807/t, slightly higher than it was in the same month last year. This was due to lower volumes being supplied at the end of December 2024 compared with 2023. As the new year commenced, monthly trends showed a 29,1% increase in average prices…

South African labour legislation provides employees with a multitude of different entitlements to leave, including annual leave, sick leave, family responsibility leave, maternity leave, parental leave, adoption leave, and commissioning parental leave. However, there still seem to be many farmworkers who confuse family responsibility leave with other forms of leave, and aren’t aware of when they are entitled to take family responsibility leave. Currently, the main legislation on family responsibility leave for farmworkers is Sectoral Determination 13 (SD13), gazetted under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (No. 75 of 1997) as amended. SD13 sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment for most farmworkers in South Africa. THE SPECIFICS OF FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY LEAVE Family responsibility leave allows an employee to attend to certain specified familial responsibilities, such as when…

For the mango cook-in sauce 1 red chilli, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 very ripe mango, peeled, stoned and mashed 30ml (2 Tbsp) sugar Juice of 1 lime 80 ml (1/3 cup) apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper For the fajitas Olive oil, for frying 1 red pepper, sliced 1 onion, sliced 400g pork fillet, sliced into strips 4 tortillas ½ mango, peeled, stoned and thinly sliced For the mango slaw 500ml (2 cups) grated cabbage and carrot 60ml (¼ cup) mayonnaise 2 spring onions, thinly sliced Handful coriander, chopped, plus extra Juice of 1 lemon, to taste ½ mango, peeled, stoned and cubed Salt and pepper SERVES FOUR • To make the cook-in sauce, mash together all the ingredients until a sauce forms. Season to taste…

Pieter Hendrik Kritzinger was born on the farm Wildemanskraal in the Alexandria area of the Eastern Cape on 20 April 1870. When he was 12 years old, his family trekked north and settled in the Ladybrand district of the then Orange Free State. The move was possibly caused by the tension between the Eastern Cape Boers and the English population. During the First Boer War (1880–1881), the Boer forces were victorious at the Battle of Majuba, and the Transvaal won back its independence. This encouraged more Boers to get away from British rule in the Cape Colony and Natal, and so many moved up into one of the Boer republics. Kritzinger’s early education comprised teachings by Dutch Reformed Church ministers and various travelling teachers of the period. It should be…

This article showed how Ayrshire cows are ideal for dairy production in a mixed farming enterprise. A farmer who mixes dairy farming with maize and wheat production has little time to spare for many of the finer points of intensive dairy farming and therefore requires a breed of cattle with minimum attention. Petrus Schabort, of Glen Alphen Farm in Frankfort, Free State, finds that Ayrshire cattle are hardy enough to thrive and to produce well under the extensive conditions of the northern Free State. NEVER LOOKED BACK Schabort’s father started the herd in about 1945. He had been working with various other dairy breeds, but was not completely satisfied with them. Then he met Alan Drysdale, who was something of a pioneer of the Ayrshire in South Africa. On his…

Canning fruit producers remain in limbo due to uncertainty about the future of Tiger Brands’ canning factory, Langeberg & Ashton Foods, in Paarl, Western Cape. In 2020, Tiger Brands decided to divest from the factory, saying that the decision was made as canned fruit production no longer aligned with its greater brand strategy, and was not producing high enough returns for its shareholders. Since then, various parties have expressed interest in taking over the factory but, up until now, no deal has been reached. Jacques Jordaan, CEO of the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association (CFPA), told Farmer’s Weekly that headway was made with negotiations towards the end of last year, but that these had come to a standstill in December. He was unable to give further comment due to a non-disclosure…

South Africa has received just over R145 billion in climate change funding from developed countries so far in the form of development aid-type loans and grants. This was according to Prof William Gumede, associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance. However, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has warned that South Africa had no effective plan in place to mitigate the shock to the economy caused by a climate change transition, as required by the country’s commitments to its climate change goals. The SARB said that six South African industrial sectors were disproportionately exposed to a climate change transition. This included the transport, mining and agriculture sectors. About R980 billion in corporate credit loans by South African banks were tied up in the “transition-sensitive economic sectors”,…

Foreign-held US farmland has raised concerns in Congress, despite the fact that it only accounts for 3,6% of privately held agricultural land, according to Agriculture Dive. Recent tensions between the US and China have drawn particular attention to Chinese-owned farmland, which peaked at just over 155 370ha in 2021. In response, several states passed laws restricting foreign ownership of agricultural land. Between 2022 and 2023, Chinese investment in US farmland decreased by 27% to just over 43 000ha, due to factors like the sale of a Texas renewable energy project by a Chinese billionaire, and the reclassification of some properties as US-owned. While countries like China, Iran, and Cuba now own less US farmland, others like Canada and Australia are increasing their investments, especially in renewable energy projects. According to…

The youth and those in less industrialised countries are more accepting of transformative technologies like new genomic techniques (NGT) in agriculture and cultivated meat. These were some of the findings from one of the largest surveys conducted to date on global public sentiment towards transformative technology, conducted by Bayer, Boston City Group (BCG) and market research agency Ipsos. The study was conducted in 13 key countries, including South Africa, and focused on four transformative technologies: NGTs, cultivated meat, artificial intelligence in healthcare, and cell and gene therapies. Speaking at a media briefing on the results in late January, Matthias Berninger, executive vice-president at Bayer, said transformative technologies would have no impact if they weren’t accepted by the public. “Merchants of doubt are having a field day spreading misinformation about these…

Namibia’s Liveestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO) considered South Africa to be a vital market for the country’s livestock farming industry, with 80% of its sheep farmers’ income and 40% of cattle producers’ income originating from South African consumers. “However, it is of major concern to us that South African consumers are subject to economic pressures leading to a shift towards cheaper types of meat,” LPO chairperson Jaco van Wyk said in a statement. “In addition, South African livestock producers, similar to their Namibian counterparts, are grappling with a 60% increase in production costs since 2017, while the producers’ output prices are basically on the same level,” Van Wyk added. Meanwhile, Dr Frikkie Maré, CEO of the South African Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO), told Farmer’s Weekly that while red meat imports…

It’s totally impossible to ignore the burgeoning growth of artificial intelligence (AI). It’s everywhere, permeating almost every facet of our lives, at home and at work. While this is daunting for many people, including me, this technological tidal wave brings with it a host of new opportunities, not only to save time but also to assist in improving our effectiveness in many ways. I used the quietude of the recent festive season to learn more about AI, and my eyes are now open to its amazing power and myriad ways in which it can help us unlock new levels of efficiency. As part of my learning process, I decided to test ChatGPT, one of the first AI tools I became aware of. Posing as a young, inexperienced farmer, whom I…

Provinces have a mandate to develop subsistence and new farmers so they can be integrated into commercial agricultural value chains. Most new farmers, irrespective of race, farm size and produce farmed, struggle to gain access to markets, finance and networks. During the development of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) from 2020 to 2022, sector stakeholders evaluated various models that could be used to address the challenges faced by new farmers. They reached a consensus that production schemes are an ideal approach to developing farmers and resolving the sector’s coordination problem. WHAT IS A PRODUCTION SCHEME? For meaningful and impactful transformation in agriculture, a production scheme is a model designed to coordinate support to farmers and forge strong partnerships between private- and public-sector players. They leverage on the skills,…

Dear Prof McCrindle, My bull is trying to mate with my cows but cannot. I’ve attached a photograph; what’s wrong with him? Cattle Farmer, Mpumalanga Dear Cattle Farmer, This bull has a prolapse of the prepuce, which is a flap of skin that protects the penis from injury when the bull is grazing. Certain breeds of cattle – such as the Brahman, Santa Gertrudis and Afrikaner, which are described as the Bos indicus type – often have a very large, loose prepuce that makes it more prone to prolapse. Prolapse has also been observed more frequently in polled cattle. These days, it is more often seen in bulls on communal grazing, because an experienced stud breeder can use selective breeding to eliminate the gene that causes this problem. Prolapse can…