Innholdsfortegnelse for 15+22 August 2025 i Farmer's Weekly

I recently came across an article by StartUs Insights on the trends likely to shape agriculture in 2026 and beyond. It has become common knowledge that with the global population growing and the demand for food ever increasing, farmers need to produce more food with less. However, government regulations, such as the banning of certain chemicals used in crop production (whether in the interest of public health or not), have made it more difficult for farmers to keep producing food efficiently. According to StartUs Insights, it is this challenge that will drive agricultural trends in 2026. Adverse weather and climate conditions will also have a significant impact on agriculture in 2026 and beyond, says StartUs Insights. The top trend, according to StartUs Insights, is bioengineering. “With 295,3 million people in…

The Department of Agriculture has called on all stakeholders to welcome the sale of meat analogue (alternative protein) products in South Africa. The department said in a statement that any product labelled as a ‘meat replacer’, ‘meat substitute’, ‘meat alternative’, ‘plant-based protein’, or any similar terminology, must contain a minimum of 9% protein. This stipulation applied specifically to claims made on the primary packaging display, ensuring that products marketed as meat substitutes meet consumer expectations for nutritional content. A meat analogue could be defined as products that mimics its functionality, bearing similar appearance, texture, and sensory attributes to meat, according to sciencedirect.com. The regulations set out minimum standards for meat analogues and prescribe the labelling requirements, and compliance to the standards for meat when presented for sale. “The regulations specify…

RUSSIA The Russian Ministry of Agriculture has kept its grain and legume harvest forecast for 2025 at 135 million tons, according to APK-Inform.com. The department added that unfavourable conditions for grain crop formation had developed in some regions in the south of Russia. However, in most regions in the Central, Volga and North Caucasus federal districts, the grain yield is higher compared with yields achieved in the previous season. ARGENTINA President Javier Milei recently announced that he would be cutting down on tariffs imposed on Argentinian exports of soya bean and beef, Bloomberg reported. According to the report, Argentinian farmers have called on these tariffs to be cut for some time, as they claim they hold back rural development, and aided Brazil in becoming the continent’s “agricultural powerhouse”. Tariffs on…

NWK Group’s profit after tax decreased by 50% (R114,3 million) in the 2024/25 financial year, although its total income increased by R156 million to R5,99 billion. The company, with its headquarters in Lichtenburg, North West, announced on 28 July 2025 that the profit contraction could largely be ascribed to the devastating drought that resulted in 43,4% fewer grain receipts than the previous year. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that producers were forced to cut expenses significantly. Alf White, NWK Group’s chief financial officer, said in a statement the 2023/24 season was one of the driest in NWK’s operating area in the past 52 years and also the driest since 2012. “The effect on the company’s financial performance is clearly visible this year. “Income generated by the grain segment…

THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY THE RED MEAT INDUSTRY The Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) is a member organisation for primary cattle, sheep and goat producers. The organisation’s primary objective is to represent its members during high-level discussions that could influence the business and sustainability of the primary producer. Through its affiliation with other organisations such as the National Stock Theft Prevention Forum, the Predation Management Forum, and the National Genetic Export Advisory Committee, the RPO fulfils a wide range of functions in the industry to the benefit of the red meat producer. As a registered affected group at the National Agricultural Marketing Council, the RPO is included in all official government forums that concern red meat producers. The RPO also has a seat at the general agricultural organisations such…

New vegetable cultivars offer improved yields, better flavour, disease-resistance and longer shelf life. A pumpkin with a yield potential 40% above standard, a tomato tolerant of spotted wilt virus (a scourge in the Western Cape) and a super-hot, easy-to-harvest cayenne pepper are some of the new cultivars available from Cape-based seed company Starke Ayres. As well as many of the company’s vegetable favourites, new varieties of thick-walled sweet peppers with long shelf lives were on view at the farmers’ day held recently at Delmas in Mpumalanga. Farmers were taken on tractor and trailer rides to the various trial fields. Nico van Rensburg of Starke Ayres introduced Star 7022, a new grey hybrid pumpkin. He pointed out that about 40 000ha of pumpkin are grown yearly in South Africa. Although the…

Farmers and agricultural companies alike are reluctant to share data about their businesses. Yet, without a collaborative mindset, they will be unable to solve the most pressing challenges facing food production. This was the key message at this year’s Potatoes South Africa (Potatoes SA) Innovation Symposium, which took place in July in Pretoria, Gauteng. Murray Thompson, chairperson of Potatoes SA, noted that innovation is likely to come from two main sources: formal scientific research, and practical experience of farmers and agronomists. For the industry to flourish, all parties needed to share their knowledge to speed up the rate of learning and problem-solving. ‘FARMERS NEED TO MONITOR PESTS AND WORK TOGETHER IF INFESTATIONS APPEAR’ EFFECTS OF CONSOLIDATION He painted a stark picture of the current agricultural landscape, in which consolidation meant…

Power, performance and profit – that is what the Serfontein family believes the Brahman represents on the veld. At 81 years old, Jan Serfontein is still the captain of the Serfbred Brahman Stud, while his children run the Serfontein Group and their other farming businesses. The Serfontein Group is located just outside Potchefstroom, North West. All three of Jan’s children, Carla, Jan Jr and Petrie, head various sections of the businesses. Jan Jr and Petrie lead the Serfontein poultry business, while sister Carla de Kock works alongside her father in the stud and makes sure that everything runs smoothly. The business is centred on productivity and family. “From a young age, I urged my children to work on the farm. Today they know the business inside out,” Jan says. In…

With South Africa facing increasingly unpredictable weather and prolonged dry spells, drought-proofing farms has become essential for survival. Vivian Beukes, owner and founder of Green Sprouts Solutions, says the first step for farmers is to thoroughly understand their farm’s water resources and soil conditions. This foundation is key to building a resilient and productive farm in challenging times. “It is important to do a survey of the water available on the farm from all the sources. That is where you should start. If there’s enough water, you should look at the type of soil on the farm, because that will determine how much water you’re going to use and what type of crops you’ll be able to produce,” he says. According to Beukes, understanding the adaptability of the farm is…

Ignition: 3 Steps To Drive From Newbie Presenter To Expert Speaker by Dineshirie Pillay (Quickfox, R495) Speaking in public is a nightmare for many and a genial fix for the few. Most of us need help, especially when a speech can’t be avoided. So, how do you prepare? It is here that Pillay comes to the rescue. Driving a car (or perhaps a John Deere in the Farmer’s Weekly context) is her metaphor for the art of speech preparation and delivery. She uses this to lay out: your roadmap; catalytic combustion; active acceleration; full throttle; road ahead; and continue your journey. Under those headings, in clear English and using cartoons, charts, tables and punchy phrases, she breaks down the whole process of preparation, delivering the speech and dealing with questions. As…

We continue to see an encouraging outlook for the 2025/26 global grains and oilseeds production. The latest organisation to release an upbeat forecast is the International Grains Council, which predicts a 2025/26 global grains and oilseeds harvest of 2,38 billion tons, a 3% increase from the previous season. Indeed, the Southern Hemisphere regions will only start preparing the land for the new season in two months. It is only the Northern Hemisphere that has planted their crop. Still, the optimistic view is partly based on a favourable weather outlook and expectations that farmers will plant in the typical areas, or slightly more in all the key production areas. Encouragingly, these forecasts also suggest that the heatwaves in Europe were unlikely to have caused significant damage to the crops as we…

CapeNature recently welcomed a new intake of 475 people into its expanded public works programme (EPWP), offering training, mentorship and hands-on experience in conservation and eco-tourism across its nature reserves. Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said at the event held at the Kogelberg Nature Reserve, that Cape Nature’s EPWP was unique in that it offered three-year contracts, compared to the standard one-year period. “The EPWP programme is a government initiative aimed at creating work opportunities for unemployed people. We have seen that the Cape Nature EPWP is offering people an opportunity to build real careers by enabling long-term personal and professional growth,” Bredell said. “Remember that life owes nobody anything. There is no limit to what you can achieve if you grab…

According to a report by Agdaily.com, senators in the US have proposed a dairy bill that will ensure that plant-based ‘dairy’ alternatives are prohibited from using terms such as ‘milk’, ‘yoghurt’ or ‘cheese’ on labels. The Dairy Pride Act of 2025 aims to protect consumers and farmers alike, with Agdaily.com reporting that there “have been indications in the past that customers are confused about whether imitation cheese products are indeed dairy foods and whether they carry the same nutritional value”. According to the website, while current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations define dairy products as being from animals, the most recent FDA guidance on liquid dairy products allows for plant-based alternatives to continue using dairy terms in their labelling, despite not containing any dairy, or having the nutritional value…

South Africa’s agriculture sector is facing fresh pressure to diversify its export markets following the US’s imposition of a 30% reciprocal tariff on all imports, a move that threatens the competitiveness of key local products in one of the country’s top trading destinations. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Bhekani Sandile Zondo, economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), said the new tariff regime could have “profound economic and policy implications” for an industry heavily reliant on global market access. “For years, our agriculture sector has enjoyed duty-free access to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). “These privileges helped make the US one of our top six markets, accounting for 4% of our agricultural export value, “ he added. UNREALISED…

South African apple exports increased by 12% in 2024 compared with the previous season, reaching 48,6 million 12,5kg cartons, while pear exports rose by 8% to 20,06 million cartons. This growth was largely attributed to the maturation of young orchards, the introduction of more productive cultivars, and the industry’s recovery from the hail and flood damage experienced in 2023. Additionally, improved weather conditions strengthened overall yields, enabling the industry to capitalise on expanding export opportunities. The Far East and Asia emerged as key growth markets, with India recording a 54% year-on-year increase in apple imports, particularly favouring red bicoloured varieties such as Royal Gala and Bigbucks. Southeast Asia, including Thailand, recently reopened its market to South African apples, also presenting significant export potential. THE EXPORT MOMENTUM HAS BEEN FURTHER ENABLED…

Between the selection of suitable breeding animals and the beef that ends up on the consumer’s plate, there is a chain of actions taking place, all of which can have an impact on the quality of the product that the consumer eventually pays for. Factors that can influence the quality of the beef at the end of the chain are, among others, breed, feed, age of the animal, pre-slaughter handling of the animal, processing, packaging and, of course, the expertise of the chef. However, genetics provide the starting point for beef quality. Following that, the environment has a huge impact on how these genetic traits ultimately manifest in the final product. It is therefore of critical importance to understand both components and their interactions. For Southern African Brahman, the study…

Climate change is a reality that farmers around the world are grappling with. Rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, increased pest and disease pressure, as well as shifting precipitation patterns are making agriculture more challenging. While South African farmers face these challenges together with rising input costs, small adjustments to production methods can make a measurable difference, says Frikkie Janse van Rensburg from Syngenta Vegetables. Farmers should adapt to changing conditions to mitigate risk. It is important to note that solutions that worked for many years are perhaps no longer the answer. “Farmers can adopt several adaptive strategies to build climate resilience. The right cultivation system, hybrid selection, and irrigation approach can reduce risk while also improving efficiency,” says Van Rensburg. According to Andries Wiese, national business development manager at Hollard…

A new study has discovered that the motor protein myosin XI, traditionally known for cellular transport, plays a crucial and surprising role in a plant’s drought response, ScienceDaily.com reported. Researchers found that plants lacking myosin XI struggled to close their leaf pores (stomata) and lost water four times faster than normal, showing reduced survival in dry conditions. This protein actively coordinates stress signalling, enabling plants to conserve water effectively. This breakthrough identifies myosin XI as a promising target to develop more drought-resistant crops amidst adverse weather. The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Prof Motoki Tominaga of Waseda University in Japan. The study’s aim was to determine whether myosin XI actively contributes to drought response in plants and to uncover the processes involved, ScienceDaily.com reported. “Although…

Dear prof McCrindle, It seems that medical facilities are starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) rather than just ‘telemedicine’ to meet the health needs of patients. Could this also be used by veterinarians? We are far out in the bush and with the heavy rainfall just before autumn, it’s really difficult to get vets out to check our herds and treat sick animals. Could an AI approach be used by vets using cell phones? Kind regards, Dairy Goat Farmer Dear Dairy Goat Farmer, This is a very interesting question that was discussed in a lot of detail when we first started using the Internet. However, interest waned when it was found that it was hard to access the Internet in many rural areas. Since then, technology has improved, and it’s…