2022

A word from… Jeremia Mathebula November 2022 Farming has many challenges, but the excitement of seeing your maize grow will keep you farming – you wouldn’t want to change your career for anything else.  At the time of writing this message, I, like other farmers, have finished harvesting and am now busy preparing for the

Hedging helps to manage risks November 2022 CHRISTIAAN VERCUIEL, JUNIOR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIST, GRAIN SA   With input costs at record high levels and much uncertainty in the market, producers find themselves in an impossible situation: there is always the possibility that prices may fall back to lower levels, but with the current international supply and

Know your pests: Chilo borer November 2022 It is important to be able to identify anything that can damage your crops. Lepidopteran pests such as the Chilo borer can cause huge damage in maize fields, which will cause substantial yield losses. Early identification can prevent or minimise this. This Chilo borer occurs mainly in the

Attach implements with care November 2022 HEALTH AND SAFETY Part 5 Before attaching implements, an employee must first inspect them to make sure everything is in working condition. The vehicle/tractor used must also be checked and all moving parts should be covered when in operation. Operators must have the necessary knowledge to attach and detach

AGRI-PESTS: Tackle it effectively November 2022 LOUISE KUNZ, ASSISTANT EDITOR   It is vital that farmers can identify pests to ensure early management, using the right set of tools. Queleas and locusts are major agricultural pests, and are declared pests according to the Agricultural Pests Act (Act No. 36 of 1983). These pests can cause

Success is best when shared November 2022 The Grain SA/Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) Farmer Development Programme receives sponsorships from various partners, such as the Kgodiso Development Fund and Standard Bank, to finance developing farmers. The Kgodiso Development Fund, which was founded by PepsiCo, aims to support the broad socio-economic imperatives of developing farmers, enterprise development,

CORNER POST November 2022 On 21 September at Grain SA’s Day of Celebration where farmers are celebrated for their contribution to food security, Phillip (Flip) Manoto (46) was announced as the Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial farmer of the year.  Flip joined his father Labius on the farm in 2001. Their successful partnership

Great mentorship means everything November 2022 Since the start of the 2021/2022 season on 1 October 2021, the Farmer Development team has had over 1 500 contact meetings with the advanced farmers in the programme. Those are all individuals already well on the way to full commercial production.  Farmers are visited by their dedicated mentors,