23 April 2024 For over a decade Boerekos, the popular food magazine of African Farming’s sister publication Landbouweekblad, has been a cherished fixture in kitchens from the serene farms of Prieska to the bustling streets of Paris, France. Now, we’re thrilled to elevate the experience by bringing the soul of modern farm cuisine to Nampo, the largest agricultural showcase in Southern Africa, taking place in Bothaville from 14to 17 May. Step into the heart of culinary tradition at the Syngenta Boerekos Plaaskombuis, conveniently situated on the southwest side of the Nampo grounds. We welcome yo ..read more

23 April 2024 Dr Faffa Malan was one of 1 500 delegates who attended the recent international veterinary congress in Cape Town. And the message he wants to convey to farmers is: “Don’t farm without your veterinarian. Collaborate on plans to prevent and control diseases.” Veterinarians and other stakeholders in the industry from about 48 countries attended the congress from 16-19 April at Cape Town International Convention Centre. Doc Faffa, as he’s affectionately known in the agricultural industry, says the South African Veterinary Association, in collaboration with the Ruminant Veterinar ..read more

22 April 2024 By: Lloyd Phillips Sixteen specially trained private investigators have been deployed in the Free State to crack down on livestock theft. This brings the number of private investigators in the province to 21. Willie Clack, a respected livestock theft expert, welcomed the news that farmers working with Free State Agriculture (FSA) have employed and trained additional investigators to assist with the detection of stolen livestock and livestock thieves. FSA says its initiative began on 1 July last year “because the level of livestock theft in the Free State had reached unacceptable ..read more

22 April 2024 The R860/kg that Leon Eybers from Rietbron recently achieved for a bale of mohair is the best price of the year so far. “It’s a season record,” says Pierre van der Vyver, general manager of The House of Fibre in Gqeberha. Sias Reynolds from Beaufort West achieved the second-highest price of R850/kg at the auction on 16 April. Martin and Hein Truter from Oudtshoorn achieved the third-highest price of R838/kg, while mohair from Delport Brothers of De Rust fetched R825/kg. A bale weighs 80-100 kg. “The chances are good that prices could improve at the last three auctions of the ..read more

19 April 2024 The Hortgro Legacy Foundation was launched in Paarl on April 16, aiming to unlock funding to look after workers in the fruit industry, drive social upliftment and invest in innovative technology that can mitigate the impact of climate change. Prof William Gumede is the patron of the foundation, in which Hortgro has invested seed capital of R100 000. According to Angelo Petersen, non-executive director of Hortgro, industry leaders have begun to worry that there is “so much to do, but so few resources and funds to carry it out”. He referred to humanitarian welfare actions, cri ..read more

18 April 2024 By: Lebogang Mashala Two social entrepreneurs in Cape Town are providing relief to hungry children through agriculture. They not only offer nutritious meals to students but also educate them about food production, nutrition and regenerative agriculture. Nomvuyo Ntantala and Jade Orgill, alumni of Oribi’s food systems incubation programme, run separate school gardening projects around Cape Town.  Oribi is an incubator programme based in the Western Cape that provides skills development, financing and networking opportunities to support entrepreneurs. Ntantala’s Ukuphumla Gard ..read more

17 April 2024 By: Lebogang Mashala A heavy downpour and cold weather didn’t stop farmers from Thaba Nchu and neighbouring areas attending last week’s African Farming farmers’ day at Barolong Hall in Thaba Nchu, Free State.  With the El Niño phenomenon posing a severe threat of drought, African Farming took a proactive approach to provide insights and strategies to help farmers through this challenging time.  About 200 farmers attended the first farmers’ day of 2024, where the programme covered a broad range of topics presented by some of South Africa’s leading farmers and industry ex ..read more

17 April 2024 By: Lebogang Mashala Retail giant Woolworths has launched a campaign that aims to help regenerate the earth by promoting sustainable agriculture, while also addressing climate change, water scarcity and land degradation.  According to Latiefa Behardien, chief food technology and sustainability officer at Woolworths, the Farming for the Future campaign encourages stakeholders to rethink agriculture as an integral part of the natural world, where every decision is guided by principles of regeneration, resilience and interconnectedness. Behardien says the campaign is based on a ..read more

16 April 2024 Karan Beef, through The Karan Beef Academy, has published an excellent educational video series designed to provide essential cattle farmer training to the future commercial farmers of South Africa. This 10-part series aims to equip aspiring and existing cattle farmers in South Africa with the knowledge and skills to enhance profitability and succeed in the ever-growing beef cattle market. It is available in English, IsiXhosa, and isiZulu. Follow the link for the entire series ..read more

12 April 2024 By: Lloyd Phillips  The three-year-old Droughtmaster bull 21-0003 CSA, bred by Considerata SA, was sold to Soetvelde Droughtmasters this week for a South African breed record price of R1,6 million. The buyers of the record R1,6 million Droughtmaster bull 21-0003 CSA, say they plan to mate him with the offspring of the R1,4 million Droughtmaster bull they bought last year. VOVA Genetics sold the latter bull.  With this purchase, Soetvelde Droughtmasters have set two consecutive South African price records for Droughtmaster bulls.  Roan van Tonder of Soetvelde D ..read more