The Weekly Wrap

In this latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Denene Erasmus, editor of Farmer’s Weekly, discusses some of the features from the 31 July issue, which will be in stores from 24 July to 31 July.

This week readers can learn more about tractor tyres and traction in an article that focuses on the effect of tyre pressure and tractor ballasting on fuel efficiency and productivity.

Also read about why aardvark numbers are dwindling in the Kalahari and how bush encroachment is threatening the Eastern Cape’s livestock industry.

Farmer’s Weekly journalists write about the work being done by members of the community in Sutherland to support farmers who are struggling due to the drought and about a farmer who has adjusted his livestock management strategy to emphasise maintaining reproductive health in a herd.

The issue also features an article on the future of South Africa’s shrinking groundnut industry and what needs to be done to see production of this crop increase again.

As in previous episodes, Erasmus also highlights some of the top performing news articles from Farmer’s Weekly’s various platforms.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with a print or digital subscription to Farmer's Weekly visit farmersweekly.coza

Farmer’s Weekly is back on shelf with a new edition every week and in this latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Denene Erasmus, editor of the magazine, talks about some of the features from the 24 July issue, which will be in stores from 17 July to 24 July.

Earlier this year, the Biggs family from the Eastern Cape sold a proven Nguni herd sire for a world-record price of R310 000. In the 24 July issue, Farmer’s Weekly speaks to Clive Biggs about his family’s goal to preserve the original Nguni traits, and also about how their Nandi Nguni stud developed into one of the top breeders of Ngunis in South Africa, adapted to sourveld and harsh winter weather.

Farmer’s Weekly readers can also look forward to learning about the latest developments in sugar cane propagation and insect farming.

This issue also features Hannes Richards, a pig farmer, who, earlier this year, launched his farm-to-table pork business with a single social media post.

As in previous episodes, Erasmus also highlights some of the top-performing news articles from Farmer’s Weekly’s various platforms.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with a print or digital subscription to Farmer's Weekly visit farmersweekly.coza

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus discusses more of the features from the 17 July issue of Farmer’s Weekly, which will be in stores from 10 July to 17 July. With this issue, Farmer’s Weekly resumes its regular weekly printing schedule, which means that readers can again look forward to a new magazine every week.

The 17 July issue features farmers who are making the most of farming on small pieces of land by placing the focus on increasing yield and quality.

Succeeding in a tough market, Simply Salads based in Barberton, Mpumalanga has managed to carve out a niche market within a very competitive fresh produce segment for their cherry and mini plum tomatoes. The tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, which not only allows the farmer to lower spending on inputs such as water and pest control, but to also maximise output.

This issue also features a mother-and-son farming team who farms with Dohne Merino sheep on 95ha of rented commonage land in Saron, Western Cape. To make the most out of farming on such a small piece of land, Gary Patience and his mom Therecia aims to introduce top-quality genetics in their herd to improve the wool quality and growth efficiency of this dual-purpose sheep breed.

In this episode, Erasmus also highlights some of the top performing news articles from the magazine and from the Farmer’s Weekly website and other digital platforms.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with a print or digital subscription to Farmer's Weekly visit farmersweekly.coza

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus discusses more of the features from the 3 & 10 July double issue of Farmer’s Weekly, which will be in stores from 26 June to 10 July. She also highlights some of the top-performing news articles on farmersweekly.co.za (Links below).

In one of the main features in this issue, Farmer’s Weekly spoke to some farmers about how they cope with uncertainty in their businesses, and what advice they may have for those who work in other sectors who might now, because of the coronavirus disease pandemic and the lockdown, may be facing more uncertainty about the future than they are used to dealing with in their work and daily life.

In this issue’s guest editorial Dr Sifiso Ntombela, chief economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council, writes that while previous growth and development initiatives focused mostly in growing the commercial farming sector, a ‘new school of thought’ advocates for the co-existence of smallholder and commercial farmers to achieve household-level food security in South Africa.

The 3 and 10 July issue also profiles a young, self-taught worm farmer from Hammanskraal near Pretoria. Thato Lekonyane uses red wriggler earthworms in his worm farm to convert waste, such as kitchen scraps and manure, into compost.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with print and digital subscription to Farmer's Weekly visit farmersweekly.co.za

Agricultural research council plans to cut 1000 jobs:

farmersweekly.co.za/agri-news/south-africa/agricultural-research-council-plans-to-cut-1-000-jobs/

Nampo harvest day to go virtual in 2020:

farmersweekly.co.za/agri-news/south-africa/nampo-harvest-day-to-go-virtual-in-2020/

Imminent price hike could exacerbate diesel shortages:

farmersweekly.co.za/agri-news/south-africa/imminent-price-hike-could-exacerbate-diesel-shortages/

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus discusses some of the features and news from the 3 & 10 July double issue of the magazine. This issue will be on shelf from the 26th of June until 10 July.

This issue of Farmer’s Weekly places the spotlight on those investment decisions that have paid off well for farmers. In one article we interview some of the buyers and sellers of rams and bulls sold for record prices at auctions during the last few years to find out if these animals proved their worth, and if the money spent on quality genetics was earned back with dividends within the buyers’ studs.

In another article we investigate which five fresh produce products achieved the greatest producer price-, and sales volume increases over the past five years, and we take a look at the five new, niche crops that have performed best on fresh produce markets over this period.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with print and digital subscription to Farmer's Weekly visit www.farmersweekly.co.za

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus speaks to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, about his book ‘Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity and Agriculture’ that will be officially launched on 23 June. They discuss some of the major themes in this book including land reform and agricultural development.

For details on joining the webinar for the virtual launch of Sihlobo’s book visit: https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/tour-and-events/a-must-read-for-farmers-first-book-by-top-agri-economist/

Erasmus discusses farmersweekly.co.za’s most popular news articles for the week and she highlights more of the features from the 19 & 26 June double issue of Farmer’s Weekly which will be on shelf until the end of June.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with print and digital subscription to farmer's Weekly visit www.farmersweekly.co.za

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus discusses some of the features and news from the 19 & 26 June double issue of Farmer’s Weekly.

This issue will be on shelf from next week until the end of June. Farmer’s Weekly anticipates, according to Erasmus, that should South Africa remain under level 3 or a lower level of the COVID-19 lockdown, the magazine’s normal weekly publication schedule early in July.

The main feature in the 19 and 26 June issue profiles Lynne Griesel from Viljoenskroon in the Free State’s, Tulanie Chickens business. Griesel started the business 15 years ago as a regular broiler production business, but she later decided to switch to free-range broiler production which not only allowed her to tap into a more lucrative niche market, but opened further avenues for value adding.

In the Livestock section Deal Miles, a beef, mutton and wool farmer in the Cedarville area of the Eastern Cape shares some advice on producing high-quality stored fodder.

Some of the news featured include a report on a farmer from KwaZulu-Natal who ran what essentially amounted to a pyramid scheme for leasing dairy cows who has now been sentenced to 25 years in jail, as well as an investigation into the vegetable pricing structure in South Africa which was prompted by reports from several farmers who are arguing that the they receive an unfair share of the profit earned within the fresh produce value chain compared to the share they carry in terms of risk.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with print and digital subscription to farmer's Weekly visit www.farmersweekly.co.za

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast, Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus discusses more of the features from the 5 + 12 June double issue of Farmer’s Weekly. Erasmus focuses on Trudi and Rina Kasselman of Kasselhoft estate near Leeudoringstad in the North West. The Kasselmans grow lavender and rosemary, and distil oil from these herbs for the production of a range of value-added products.

The episode also includes a discussion of some of the top news from farmersweekly.co.za during the first week of June. These stories include the impact of the recent fuel price increases on the farming sector, delays on vessel turnaround time and container shortages at the Cape Town Container Terminal, which are posing major challenges for fresh produce exports from South Africa, as well as an update on the long-term effect of the ban on alcoholic beverages during levels 4 and 5 of the coronavirus disease lockdown on wine producers.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with print and digital subscription to farmer's Weekly visit www.farmersweekly.co.za

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus gives listeners a preview of the top news and feature articles from the 5 & 12 June double issue of Farmer’s Weekly.

The magazine will be on shelf for the first twee weeks of June.

Top news stories in this issue include an update on the 2020 production outlook for summer grains and oilseeds, well as a discussion on the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and related trade and move restrictions on the wildlife and game industry.

Some of the features discussed by Erasmus from the issue include a profile on an Afrikaner cattle breeder, the production of sunflowers in rotation with maize in the East Griqualand region, and an agribusiness that is growing lavender and rosemary, and distilling oil from these herbs for the production of a range of value-added products.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with a print or digital subscription to Farmer’s Weekly visit www.farmersweekly.co.za

In the latest episode of the Weekly Wrap podcast Farmer’s Weekly editor Denene Erasmus and journalist Sabrina Dean give listeners a preview of the top news and feature articles from the 22 & 29 May double issue of Farmer’s Weekly.

The magazine will be on shelf from Monday, 18 May until the end of the month.

Top news stories in this issue include an update on the outlook for wheat supplies given certain export quotas imposed by countries in the Black Sea Region. While industry players said there was no real concern that the implementation of an export quota by a country such as Russia would affect South Africa’s ability to secure supplies, there could however be cost implications. The news section also features a profile on Dr Jeanne Tarrant of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Threatened Amphibian Programme who has just won a prestigious international Whitley Award for her amphibian conservation work.

One of the features discussed in this episode is a guest opinion piece by Roux Wildenboer, head of agriculture at Absa Corporate and Investment Banking, in which he writes that among the lessons the farming sector needs to learn from the COVID-19 crisis is that food consumption patterns will most likely change in many African countries. Due to economic hardship, it is expected that expenditure will increasingly be aimed at basic foodstuffs, and more expensive food will, on aggregate, represent a smaller portion of the expenditure basket.

Erasmus also discusses the technical crop feature in the 22 & 29 May issue which focusses on the identification, prevention and treatment of diplodia ear rot on maize.

Stay up to date with the latest agricultural news, views and analysis with a print or digital subscription to Farmer’s Weekly visit www.farmersweekly.co.za