Meet the Farmer of the Year finalists August 2024 SUBSISTENCE FARMERS (0,5 ha to 3 ha) It is the second year that Gcinile Beauty Gumbi (53) is a finalist in this category. This diligent farmer from Uphizane farm in the Paul Pietersburg district, has always loved working the soil. While raising her children she started
Meet the Farmer of the Year finalists Read More »
Do your homework before buying seeds August 2024 JOHAN TEESSEN, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIST INTERN, GRAIN SA Among all the expenses incurred by a farmer, the cost of seeds often goes unnoticed on the production budget. Depending on the plant population, the cost of seeds can range from 10% to 17% of the total input cost
Do your homework before buying seeds Read More »
GRAIN MARKETING: PLAN AHEAD TO ENSURE A PROFIT July 2024 PIETMAN BOTHA, INDEPENDENT AGRICULTURAL CONSULTANT AND JOHAN TEESSEN, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIST INTERN, GRAIN SA Making a profit starts with financial planning. Financial planning will help with the decision of what to plant and how to plant it – and most importantly, how to do price management.
GRAIN MARKETING: PLAN AHEAD TO ENSURE A PROFIT Read More »
Add SOYBEAN to your PRODUCTION July 2024 DR JAN DREYER, RETIRED AGRONOMIST. FIRST PUBLISHED IN PULA IMVULA, JANUARY 2023 Soybean production has become more popular in South Africa – it has increased from slightly over 500 000 ton per year in 2012 to more than 2,7 million tons in 2023. This crop has the
Add SOYBEAN to your PRODUCTION Read More »
The Corner Post July 2024 Jacob Tshabalala (34) believes his success as a farmer is built on three cornerstones – passion, good planning and learning through engagement with others. This young farmer was one the finalists in the 2023 PGP/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year category. The people who played the
2024 Farmer of the Year nominees welcome the judges July 2024 The main goal of the Farmer of the Year competition is not about winning, but about celebrating the learning, growth, development and hard work of the farmers who are part of the Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) Farmer Development Programme. This yearly competition is not
2024 Farmer of the Year nominees welcome the judges Read More »
How to control winter weeds for better grain yields June 2024 PIETMAN BOTHA, INDEPENDENT AGRI- CULTURAL CONSULTANT The 2023/2024 production year’s drought again emphasises the importance of stored moisture in the soil. Having enough moisture will increase a farmer’s chances of realising a relatively good yield. It is the farmer’s responsibility to conserve the
How to control winter weeds for better grain yields Read More »
Plan ahead to stay sustainable June 2024 In his Chairperson’s report, Derek Mathews, in conjunction with the Grain SA Management Team, gave an overview of the year 2023. This overview of the past grain production year clearly illustrated the pressure on farming margins. While a high international demand for grains and oilseeds led to increased
Plan ahead to stay sustainable Read More »
Have a BENCHMARK to measure success May 2024 RICHARD MCPHERSON, AGRIBUSINESS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT The only way to know whether or not you are improving as a farmer is to have a benchmark to measure your success. To develop in farming, you need consistent progress over the years. This can be done by
Have a BENCHMARK to measure success Read More »
The Corner Post May 2024 Zoliwe Nombewu (46), an Eastern Cape farmer, was a finalist in the Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) Potential Commercial Farmer of the Year category. For this enthusiastic farmer, farming is not just a way to earn an income – it is a lifestyle. Zoliwe was raised in a farming environment. Although
