Farmer's Inside Track

With El Niño weather patterns bringing heightened climate risk across Southern Africa, managing input costs while maintaining crop productivity is a critical priority for growers. Dr Michael Southwood, founder of the Agri Vision Foundation and organiser of the SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium, highlights how precision measurement tools, from moisture probes to sap meters, empower producers to reduce water and fertiliser use without sacrificing final yields.

Southwood explains how managing irrigation is fundamentally about oxygen management in the root zone. He outlines the importance of tracking soil water potential down 10-centimetre increments, using drone and NDVI satellite imagery to spot early plant stress, and monitoring water source quality to prevent salt and bicarbonate issues.

In this episode, he also breaks down real-time sap testing to prevent over-fertilisation and explores targeted band placement and dripper technology. Southwood invites producers to attend the upcoming SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium in Stellenbosch to learn more about advanced fertigation techniques.

In this episode of Farmer Mentor, we speak to Mogale Maleka of AB Farms, a hydroponics specialist and mechanical engineer who turned an urban farming research project into an agritech business. Maleka discusses how hydroponic systems can help farmers overcome land and water constraints, improve production efficiency and explore new market opportunities.

He shares insights into building a hydroponics business, accessing funding, choosing suitable crops and the importance of starting small, being patient and embracing technology. The conversation also explores how collaboration, farmer training and innovation can support food security and create opportunities for young people in agriculture.

Escalating input costs and climate shifts require growers across Southern Africa to bridge the gap between global agricultural research and immediate field execution. Dr Michael Southwood, founder of the Agri Vision Foundation, highlights how the upcoming SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium connects international scientific developments with practical application to optimise crop performance and export quality across 15 SADC countries.

In this episode, Southwood breaks down practical strategies for managing El Niño weather threats. He explains how cover crops, mulching, and biostimulants enhance photosynthetic capacity and carbohydrate levels to buffer plants against extreme heat, drought, severe winds, and frost.

Southwood also shares event registration details and explains how symposium proceedings support the Agri Vision Foundation’s mission to foster food security and entrepreneurship in impoverished communities.

In this episode of Farmer’s InsideTrack, Sibo Molo, founder of Molo Consulting, unpacks tax compliance, agricultural funding and credit management. He explains why proper financial records, separate farm banking, asset registers and tax compliance can help farmers access funding.

Molo also discusses personal credit scores, VAT and diesel refunds, Coida registration and common compliance mistakes. He shares practical advice for emerging farmers looking to become more finance-ready and build financially sustainable farming businesses.

The “fifth quarter” – including offal, cheeks, and trotters – is becoming an essential commercial and nutritional strategy for South Africa’s red meat industry. Supported by findings from the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), Dr Carmen Muller, a researcher at the University of Pretoria, highlights how moving beyond standard muscle cuts captures hidden carcass value while addressing broader socio-economic challenges.

Drawing on recent nutritional testing and industry data, Muller demonstrates how organ meats deliver concentrated doses of bioavailable heme iron, complete proteins, and vital micronutrients to budget-conscious households facing food insecurity.

In this episode, she breaks down the resource-efficiency benefits of whole-animal utilisation. She advocates for integrating offal into mainstream food security policies and consumer education, positioning the fifth quarter as both a practical sustainability win and a high-margin opportunity for the livestock supply chain.

Dr Michael Southwood, agricultural consultant and founder of the Agri Vision Foundation, explores why securing the future of agriculture demands a fundamental shift from chasing quick harvests to investing in soil health and seamless farm succession.

In this episode, he examines how closing the gap between lab research and field practices creates lasting stability for growers facing market volatility.

Grounded in over two decades of field experience, Southwood details practical strategies for managing biological, chemical, and physical soil balances, avoiding widespread agronomic pitfalls like nitrogen over-application, and managing pest resistance dynamically. He also shares advice on implementing precision diagnostics, such as sap testing and soil carbon tracking, and more.

Southwood highlights how attending the upcoming SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium on 19–20 November 2026 in Stellenbosch connects producers with actionable agronomic tools while supporting regional food security initiatives.

In this episode, Lukas Meyer, business manager at Pannar Seed, breaks down why record yields no longer guarantee farm profitability in the face of depressed grain prices and sustained input costs. He unpacks why producers must shift their focus from maximising tonnes per hectare to understanding the true net return generated by every field.

Drawing on practical agronomic and commercial insights, Meyer outlines why indiscriminate cost-cutting can backfire and explains how to transition to a smarter investment strategy. He also shares tips on choosing risk-resilient seed hybrids, optimising plant populations, maximising fertiliser efficiency, and aligning production costs with an early, disciplined grain marketing plan.

Meyer urges farmers to know their break-even position, using precise agronomy and portfolio management to protect margins against market volatility.

In this episode of Farmer's Inside Track, Reneilwe Selialia shares lessons from building a young vegetable farming business, Kopano Holdings, and working towards commercial markets. She discusses the importance of networking, finding and maintaining reliable markets, planning production for consistent supply, managing irrigation and understanding the true cost of getting produce to market. Reneilwe also shares practical advice for new farmers: stay humble, ask questions, learn from others and build relationships that can open doors to new markets.

In this episode, Daneel Rossouw, head of sales for agriculture at Nedbank, shares key takeaways from Nampo Cape 2026 on how collaboration, innovation, and strategic expansion are shaping the future of South African farming. He discusses the sector’s growing push toward unity, highlighting critical dialogues among agribusinesses, financial bodies, organised agriculture, and national leaders on issues like Western Cape grain viability, foot-and-mouth disease vaccinations, and rural infrastructure.

Rossouw explores how producers are using precision technology, renewable energy systems, and no-till practices to lower costs and protect natural resources. He breaks down why moving beyond primary farming into vertical integration – such as local processing, packaging, and export logistics aligned with the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan (AAMP) – is essential for capturing extra margin and protecting farms from commodity price volatility

African swine fever (ASF) remains one of the greatest threats to pig farming in South Africa, but knowledge and strong biosecurity can make all the difference.

In this episode of Farmer's Inside Track, animal health technician Kenneth Malatji and Dr Thandi Chiappero, veterinarian at SAPPO, unpack what every pig producer needs to know about ASF – from recognising the early warning signs and understanding how the virus spreads to the legal obligation to report suspected cases.

They also share practical, cost-effective biosecurity measures and explain the risks of swill feeding and buying pigs from unknown sources. Whether you are a commercial producer or a smallholder farmer, this episode is packed with practical advice to help keep African swine fever off your farm.