Innholdsfortegnelse for 12+19 September 2025 i Farmer's Weekly

The public perception of meat, particularly red and processed meat, has shifted significantly over the past few decades, largely driven by media coverage and reports from major health and research organisations. There has been a growing public belief that high consumption, or even consumption in general, of these products is linked to negative health outcomes, including cancer, and even higher mortality. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), for example, released a report in 2015 in which a working group of 22 experts from 10 countries evaluated more than 800 studies and reached two key conclusions: 1) processed meat (such as bacon, sausages, hot dogs and deli meats) is “carcinogenic to humans”; and 2) red meat (beef, pork, lamb and goat) is “probably carcinogenic to humans”. The IARC said…

In many African households, pots bubble with maize porridge, soya beans roast in the pan, and sweet potatoes bake in the oven. These humble crops, maize, soya bean, and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), are staples in our diets. But when combined with a simple age-old process called fermentation, they can become a powerful tool in the fight against childhood malnutrition. A PERSISTENT CHALLENGE Childhood malnutrition remains a critical public health issue in low- and middle-income nations, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. Rates of stunting, wasting, and vitamin A deficiency remain alarmingly high, even after years of interventions. While breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months provides all the nutrition an infant needs, from six months onwards, complementary foods must be introduced alongside continued breastfeeding. Here lies the problem:…

Over the past decade, citrus value increased from R14,23 billion to R34,53 billion in 2024, pome fruit value more than doubled to R17,98 billion, while table grapes, despite a dip after peaking in 2021, recovered to R13,29 billion. Stone fruit has been more volatile, but rebounded to R4,12 billion, and blueberries emerged as the “breakout star”, soaring from R424 million in 2015 to R3,9 billion in 2024, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP). MIXED FORECASTS From 2025 to 2027, the BFAP expected soft citrus (up 24,2%) and blueberries (up 18,6%) to have the fastest export growth, driven by global demand, young orchards coming into production and improved cultivars and production practices. By 2034, soft citrus exports could rise by more than 55% and blueberries by nearly…

When Mpumalanga farmer Jan Grey quoted agricultural economist Prof Eckart Kassier’s “Get big or get out” statement in a TV programme, he received many calls from farmers asking about it. This statement is true for all farming operations. The farming enterprise that fails to grow will not survive. There are many reasons for this. WEAKENING TERMS OF TRADE Terms of trade is just a clever way of talking about the ratio between agricultural input prices and the prices that farmers receive for their product. In general, we see that this ratio weakens over time. Input prices increase at a faster rate than the prices of farm products. The Department of Agriculture regularly compiles an index of the prices of farm requisites, while the prices farmers get when they sell their…

Nguni cattle remain one of South Africa’s most resilient and productive indigenous breeds, valued for their adaptability and contribution to beef production in rural and commercial systems. Their hardiness, low maintenance requirements, and ability to thrive under extensive conditions make them an important part of livestock production, especially in areas prone to drought and disease challenges. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Nguni farmer Hannes Eksteen shared why this indigenous cattle breed remains one of the most sustainable options for local farmers. He says that beyond their cultural heritage, Nguni cattle offer economic advantages that make them an attractive choice in today’s challenging farming environment. A BREED ROOTED IN HERITAGE “Nguni cattle came down through Africa with the indigenous people that moved southwards, and the cattle were an integral part of their…

Johan Maree loves to farm cotton. His journey with cotton began when he joined the family farm in the 1990s and wanted to experiment with the crop. His father gave him a small piece of land to do with as he pleased. “That year, I planted 13ha to cotton,” he says. Today, he is co-owner of Wilkot Boerdery near Marydale in the Northern Cape, a farm with one of the biggest ginneries in the region. Maree’s vision to farm cotton took flight when his father was impressed with his first cotton harvest. “The first cotton land was under a flood irrigation system, and it worked well.” He then gave Maree 80ha to plant cotton and invested in a picker. “Picking cotton by hand is too labour-intensive,” he adds. When his…

Dear Prof McCrindle, I have seen in the newspapers that government has passed a law saying that anyone who owns a non-vaccinated pet will be fined R10 000. This seems a little impossible to do. How are they going to know if a cat or dog is vaccinated every year? How are they going to know which dogs belong to which people? Kind regards, Pet Lover Dear Pet Lover, Apparently, the law will be enacted on 1 September 2025. Although all pet vaccines are registered for sale to veterinarians only, as a registered veterinarian, I was not notified about this new law, by either the South African Veterinary Association or veterinary council. The questions you ask in your letter are absolutely valid. At a stage I was actively involved with…

The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer’s Weekly. Email Martin Jansen at martin.j@zz2.co.za. "Every year we’re all bombarded with new technologies, some of it hype, some of it reality, and everything in between. To implement a useful strategy, we need to be anchored by a few things: the organisation’s culture, goals, needs and objectives, and a decision-making framework for technology. Th is is where organisational culture and alignment come into play. At ZZ2 we have an approach to strategy that is fractal in nature. In other words, each more detailed replication has the same structure as the larger one and dovetails into it. This makes it possible for each business unit and department to have enough freedom to define its structure and…

Nguni cattle are extremely valuable assets to beef producers, dairy farmers and breeders alike. Seasoned cattlewoman Yvonne du Preez says it pays to listen to good advice. Her father had always predicted that Ngunis would be the breed of the future and, given the current situation regarding feed, it’s little wonder the breed has taken off like a rocket in recent years. Du Preez, who farms at Umvoti near Rietvlei in KwaZulu-Natal, inherited the Ngunis from her father, who started farming them in the early 1940s. Most of the herd’s genetics can be traced to those first acquired in Zululand, many from Bartlow Combine. Her Msulusa stud herd comprises about 80 registered cows and followers. The latter are inspected by two inspectors at the age of about 18 months to two…

South Africa’s investment in seed technology has brought substantial yield gains, ranking the country first in terms of yield growth in soya beans. Andrew Bennett, CEO of the South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA), said that soya bean yields had grown 4% per annum over the past five years – the fastest globally. This was due to improvements in seed genetics and crop management practices. Speaking at SACTA’s annual stakeholder engagement meeting in Pretoria, Gauteng, in August, Bennet said that statutory levies were crucial to encourage research and development in better seed technology that would ultimately lift profitability. SACTA administers the breeding levies for all self-pollinated grain and oilseed crops, including wheat, barley, soya bean and some canola cultivars. Bennet noted that R74,99 out of every R100 collected in…

South Africa’s rooibos industry has been hit with a new trade problem after the US implemented a 30% tariff on all South African imports, including rooibos. The South African Rooibos Council (SARC) has begun urgent engagements with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the US Embassy in Pretoria in an effort to secure tariff relief. UNIQUE STATUS Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Marthane Swart, secretariat of the SARC, said the council is deeply concerned about the impact of the new tariff on exports to the US. “The US has imposed a 30% tariff on rooibos as part of broader measures against South African imports. We believe it should be removed, because rooibos is exclusively grown in South Africa, poses no competition to US agriculture and, in fact, supports…

Degas Limited, a Japanese agri-fintech, recently announced a US$100 million (almost R1,8 billion) investment into Ghana over the next four years to help establish the country as the continent’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered agricultural hub, Developing Telecoms reported. According to Degas, this investment is “expanding a model that has already financed more than 86 000 smallholder farmers”. On the sidelines of a recent Ghana Presidential Investment Forum, Doga Makiura, CEO and founder of Degas Limited, said that the investment “[…] will scale AI-driven satellite monitoring and precision agriculture techniques so farmers can boost yields, reduce risk and access fairly priced finance,” Developing Telecoms reported. “We’ve already seen incomes double with a 95% repayment rate from the farmers [with which we are involved],” he said. John Mahama, president of Ghana, said…

The 2025 AgTech Breakthrough Awards recently awarded innovators in the agriculture sector at its annual event, which celebrates the companies and technologies transforming the industry. The awards include categories such as the ones named below, as well as for value chain and food quality, among many others. IN-FIELD SYSTEMS Among the winners was Monnit, which took home the award for Water Monitoring Solution of the Year for its ALTA Soil Moisture Sensor, ALTA XL Wireless IoT Gateway and iMonnit Cloud Monitoring App. Monnit, based in Utah in the US, specialises in remote monitoring solutions for farms using the Internet of Things. The company provides wireless sensors that allow farmers to monitor critical aspects of their operations 24/7 via a cloud-based software platform, mobile apps, and text or email alerts. According…

Running a successful greenhouse cannabis operation today means thinking beyond just which lights to buy. Eskom has been delivering more stable power, with improved energy availability across their coal-fired stations. But let’s be realistic: the utility is still managing tight periods with emergency reserves, so smart growers are planning for variability while making the most of this new stability. Here’s what’s shaping every lighting decision. First, electricity bills got heavier. Eskom’s direct customer tariffs jumped 12,74% from April 2025, and that’s money straight out of your margins. Second, if you’re on a time-of-use tariff, and most commercial growers are, you’re paying drastically different rates depending when you flip those switches. Ignore these peak and off-peak windows, and you’ll watch your profits evaporate. The smart play? Schedule your supplemental lighting during…

Introducing a successor to the popular Land Rover Defender (L315/L316) that was in production from 1983 to 2016 was always going to be a tough ask. Despite a further challenge in the L663’s global launch being hampered by the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) nonetheless pulled it off in style. The latest version of the Defender is simply a class act. It incorporates the nameplate’s iconic alpine windows, clamshell bonnet and upright windscreen into a fresh and modern design. It is more dynamic than ever off the beaten track and under the bonnet, while offering loads of technology in a plush, yet rugged cabin. The L663 made its debut five years ago in the 110 guise, a name its predecessor adopted in reference to the length…

From the intelligence of sheepdogs and the power of Boerboels to the precision of the SA Air Force’s Canine Unit, visitors can look forward to a series of live demonstrations highlighting the unique role dogs play in agriculture and security. SA AIR FORCE CANINE UNIT The SA Air Force’s highly trained dogs will perform in the Arena on Wednesday (1pm to 2pm), and again on Thursday and Friday mornings (8am to 9am). These demonstrations showcase tactical responses and behavioural training used in real-world operations, giving visitors an inside look at world-class military dog handling. SHEEPDOG PROGRAMME Despite advances in technology, working dogs remain invaluable to farmers. A well-trained sheepdog can help manage flocks of sheep or cattle efficiently and without stress. Presented by the South African Sheepdog Association (SASDA), the…

Attacking The Heart Of Apartheid: The ANC's MK Special Operations Unit (Penguin, R390) Insurgency history written from the perspective of the insurgents isn’t as common as books about conventional warfare. There’s no shortage of biographies and autobiographies of liberation figures giving their perspectives on the struggle within South Africa, although rarely critically. It’s as if the old habits of secrecy around the actual military actions, usually bombings, still cloak such clandestine actions. There have been exceptions, but the overall campaign details tend to be obscure, which makes this book special. It is not only an affirmation of the armed struggle, but also a detailed chronology of that struggle. The reader will be astonished at how few on-theground cadres kept the war going, albeit with widespread popular support. Because of all the…

At the recent Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) 2025 Baseline launch, a clear message emerged: South Africa’s agriculture sector is at a crossroads, facing a complex web of risks that must be navigated to unlock future growth. These risks, ranging from rising input costs and volatile markets, to logistical bottlenecks and climate variability, are not new, but they are intensifying. The question is not whether these challenges exist, but how we respond to them. The latest Agbiz Agricultural Market Viewpoint offers a timely snapshot of how the sector is performing amid these headwinds. In the second quarter of 2025, South Africa’s agricultural exports rose by 10% year-on-year to US$3,71 billion (about R65 billion), driven by strong volumes and favourable commodity prices. US TARIFF IMPLICATIONS Citrus, maize, wine, and…

The slaughter weight of pigs has increased as genetics have improved, bringing greater financial viability for farmers. Larger animals, however, necessitate changes in management of the pigs throughout the value chain and the infrastructure. But with the industry under pressure, upgrades have failed to keep up. Dr Matthys Uys, a veterinarian for retail chain Woolworths, told Farmer’s Weekly that the larger slaughter weights were creating challenges in the value chain, which negatively impacted animal welfare and meat quality. “We are not blind to the pressure farmers face to produce more with less. But we need to find a better way forward across the value chain. We’re not saying slaughter weights should go back to 75kg instead of 100kg, but we need to look at how we can produce a quality…

CHINA Agriculture remains a bone of contention between the US and China, according to a recent report by Reuters. The news agency reported that Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the US, said that US protectionism is undermining agricultural co-operation between the two countries. “[In March], China slapped levies of up to 15% on US$21 billion (almost R390 billion) worth of American agricultural and food products in retaliation for sweeping US tariffs,” Reuters said. While Washington and Beijing had extended a truce for 90 days starting from August, US agricultural exports to China fell 53% in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2024, with a 51% decline in soya beans. Reuters reported Xie as saying: “Agriculture should not be hijacked by politics, and farmers should…

Expectations of a bumper US production season continued to weigh on Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) maize and soya bean prices, with prices trading at multi-month lows. Ongoing Northern Hemisphere harvests for wheat have also continued to weigh on CBOT wheat prices. MAIZE At the beginning of August, CBOT maize prices extended their losses, trading at lows last seen in September 2024, weighed on by excellent US production prospects coupled with expectations of ample global supply (see Graph 1). Good weather forecasts improved the US supply outlook, and the crop condition remains excellent, rated 73% good-to-excellent on 5 August, up 6 percentage points from a year ago. CBOT maize prices were 6,9% lower month-on-month (m/m), but traded sideways year-on-year (y/y). SAFEX maize prices decreased m/m by 5,1% and 3,7% for…

The Expropriation Act of 2024 was signed into law in January 2025. Since then, various views, at times distorted facts, have emerged, partly contributing to diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the US. Although the Expropriation Act is not the sole reason, some believe it has significantly contributed to the US decision to impose 30% tariffs on goods originating from South Africa. The new law replaced the 50-year old Expropriation Act of 1975. The 1975 Expropriation Act pre-dated the Constitution of South Africa, which was only passed in 1996, and it had prescripts that were not consistent with the Constitution. Therefore, in the main, the new law was established to align with the Constitution and to provide for a legal framework that is transparent, fair and inclusive and to regulate…

Once outlawed and misunderstood, hemp has steadily emerged as one of the most promising crops for South Africa’s agricultural and industrial future. With legislation now opening the door for commercial cultivation, companies like Green Route Hemp Industries have been at the forefront of building a local value chain from trialling different hemp varieties to producing high-quality textile-grade fibre. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Mahlatse Mohlala, director and founder of Green Route Hemp Industries, said the company was founded in 2021 and the vision extended beyond farming. It aimed to prove that hemp could not only be grown successfully in South Africa’s diverse climates, but also processed into products that matched international standards. “We’ve been building a value chain of proudly South African hemp textiles. Not only can we cultivate hemp locally,…

In a world of cashmere, alpaca and mohair, only the best-quality wool will command premium prices. To keep its competitive edge in the volatile textile markets, the wool industry must maintain high standards of quality control. South African wool has a good global reputation, particularly wool from Merino sheep that usually deliver yields that are clean, soft and uniform. However, there is always room for improvement. When the quality of wool is judged by markets, fibre diameter (micron) and staple strength enhance value. Wool producers who adhere to sustainable practices, such as sheep covers, also boost competitiveness and attract demand. Cape Wools SA states that expanding export markets, improving on-farm classing and developing the entire wool value chain, including small-scale farmers, are crucial strategies for increasing wool’s overall competitiveness. According…

Baboons fascinate us due to their genetic proximity to ourselves, reflected not only through similar physical attributes, but also intelligence. Maybe unsurprisingly, therefore, baboons abound in South African literature and historiography, but two stand out: the story of Jack the signalman baboon of Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape during the late 19th century, and the story of Jackie, a baboon that served with the 3rd South African Infantry Regiment (also known as the Transvaal Regiment) during the First World War (WWI) from 1914 to 1918. THE SIGNALMAN-BABOON James Wide, a guard for the Cape Railways at the Uitenhage railway station, had the nasty habit of jumping from one moving train to another. Because of these antics, he would sadly lose both his legs below the knees after falling under a…

In a recent study, scientists at Cornell University in the US have traced major E. coli risks in romaine to how it’s watered and cooled, ScienceDaily.com reported. In light of this, changing irrigation methods and improving cold storage were recommended to significantly reduce contamination. The study was written by the university’s Renata Ivanek, a professor in the department of population medicine and diagnostic sciences, and Martin Wiedmann, professor in food safety, and outlines interventions that could make a significant difference in the safety of romaine, ScienceDaily.com reported. “This study supports that interventions should focus on reducing produce contamination [by] assuring that produce washes applied during processing consistently deliver reasonably high reductions of bacterial numbers, and on improving temperature control during distribution,” Wiedmann said. “We tried to describe the system as…