Fresh from February’s Cape Town stink-up debacle, Kuwaiti livestock traders and transporters Al Mawashi have another livestock export shipment destined for the Arabian Gulf, and under way at East London. According to the NSPCA approximately 60 000 sheep, 1 500 cattle and 200 goats will be loaded aboard Al Mawashi’s second ship, a vessel well-known in South Africa, the 44-year-old converted car carrier Al Messilah. She is estimated to arrive off East London on 2 April. Page Farming feedlot The collection of animals has been assembled on Page Farming’s Castledale feedlot at Berlin, outside East ..read more

The dates for this year’s Walkerville Agricultural Show have been fixed. The show will be a Spring Show and will take place at the Walkerville Agricultural Society’s showground from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th September. Traditional rural show The Walkerville show is one of the last “traditional” rural shows with something for anybody with an interest in country living. The show combines agricultural aspects such as livestock and poultry displays as sales with agricultural machinery displays and sales, veterinary, fertilizer, seed, fresh produce, plants and seedlings, delicatessen stalls selling ..read more

Later this year we plan to publish a second edition of our popular 2014 book, the Smallholder’s Companion. The first edition, published in 2014 is now out of print. The new edition will be radically unlike its predecessor. Here are some of the differences: It will not be published in printed form, but will be available as an e-book. This will make it possible to publish it in full colour, while still at reasonable cost. (Depending on cost we may print a few copies on a “print on demand” basis.) The first edition contained advertising and a buyer’s guide. We’re still deciding whether to a ..read more

Just as prospective mothers are told to stop smoking and drinking during pregnancy, and are then exhorted to provide the best possible nutrition for their newborns after the happy event, gardeners won’t enjoy the best possible fruits of their labours if they try to sow seeds in unsuitable soil. So, you wish to ensure the best possible germination of your seeds, and the strongest, best formed seedlings. What characteristics should you look for in a good germination medium? Moisture and warmth Generally, moisture and warmth are key to germination itself. Your sowing medium should be able to take ..read more

Discarding one frame from the ten usually found in a Langstroth super, and spacing the remaining nine evenly encourages the bees to fatten up the frames more fully with honey. That’s the view of veteran Randburg beekeeper Mike Miles, who in addition sells beekeeping supplied and equipment through his business, BeeQuipment. Says Miles: “I always use nine-frame spacers and encourage those visiting our shop to do so too.” Standard ten-frame supers Normally a beehive super with frames comes standard with ten frames, which fit snugly across the width. This follows the principle of the “bee-space” b ..read more

COMMENT – Cape Town’s port controllers did animal rights activists a huge favour last week by electing to allocate a berth on the Duncan Dock’s “long wall” to Kuwaiti livestock trader Al Mawashi’s cattle carrier Al Kuwait. With her cargo of around 19 000 head of cattle loaded in South America, and her general lack of cleanliness, the Al Kuwait’s hapless passengers ensured that the delicate nostrils of residents and workers in the Cape Town City Bowl were assailed, on a hot windless February day, by some very fruity farmyard smells. Up-close and personal, like. Early closing The pong was so bad ..read more

If you’re the bossman or woman of your company and you wish to do some good for the community you can take part in Little Eden Society’s seventh annual CEO Wheelchair Campaign. Little Eden is a lifetime home for individuals with profound intellectual and physical disabilities. The organisation runs two establishments, in Edenvale and Bapsfontein, housing up to 300 residents. Cost per resident CEO Xelda Rohrbeck says it costs R14 160 per month to house and care for a resident. This means Little Eden must raise R61 million per year to provide the quality care needed. March is designated as Intel ..read more

Southern Africa’s agricultural landscape is well populated with smallholder farmers, namely individuals tilling less than ten hectares of land, striving to make a living while contributing to subsistence and commercial markets. Resilient smallholder farming communities form part of the backbone of agriculture in their respective countries, contributing significantly to food security and rural livelihoods. That’s the finding of a study undertaken by agricultural mentors Regenz which additionally uncovered how many of the problems encountered by smallholders in the different countries are, in fa ..read more

Regardless of whether you drive a bakkie or a car, if your live on a smallholding chances are that at some stage you will need to tow a trailer. And whether it’s a little Ventertjie or a double-axle job large enough for a tractor, or a horse box, there are a couple of things that routinely go wrong with trailers and towing, or which you should know before you start. Trailer lights Because they dangle down off the trailer when not in use, the push-in plugs which connect the trailer’s lights to your vehicle are often easily cracked or broken. Or, simply because of where they are – exposed to the ..read more

Keen show-goers, open your diaries. Here are the dates of some of the major agricultural shows around the country in 2024. 21-23 March: Kicking off the show merry-go-round is Sakeliga Kragdag Kaap, to be held as before on Moreson Farm adjacent to the N7 highway outside Malmesbury. www.kragdag.co.za 14-17 May: The major agri expo of the year remains the Nampo Harvest Day, held at the Nampo Showgrounds between Klerksdorp and Bothaville. www.grainsa.co.za 24-29 May: Many of the exhibitors at Nampo simply move their stands to Pietermaritzburg for the Royal Agricultural Show, now the oldest agricul ..read more