Category: CROPS

When irrigation water is very scarce, do you (a) spread the limited water as widely as possible over your sugar cane lands to ensure crop survival, or (b) apply more water to fewer lands to ensure at least some good yield? Whatever you decide will have a profound effect on production and profitability, says Dr…

Springveg Farms is one of the three largest cucumber producers in the Eastern Cape. It supplies supermarket chains and markets across the country with between 50 000 and 60 000 cucumbers of the Rijk Zwaan varieties every week. Volumes can spike to over 100 000 cucumbers per week during the Christmas period. Owned and operated by…

Many of South African rivers from which water is drawn for agricultural irrigation purposes are carrying extraordinarily high pathogenic loads. Produce irrigated using this water are often minimally processed fresh fruit and vegetables or products that are eaten raw. The risks of using this water to produce edible crops have been weighed against the backlog…

Sandberg farm lies in the heart of the Sandveld, between Elands Bay and Graafwater. In the Laubscher family since 1869, the farm is currently owned by brothers Pieter and Jan Laubscher. Each has three children, and all are involved in various farming operations. READ Learn how to grow tomatoes Pieter’s son, Johann, is in charge of…

This year’s North West Young Farmer of the Year, John Griffiths, is an irrigation farmer based just outside Brits. He has been farming for 14 years, having left school after Standard Eight (Grade 10). John recalls that his father, also a farmer, was not happy about his leaving school to farm at such a young…

It was the birth of his first daughter, Julia, in 2011 that prompted Peter Nicholson (41) to re-evaluate the conventional farming practices that had long been used on his family’s 1 200ha farm, Roselands, near Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Peter, who started farming in 2005, is the fifth generation to farm on Roselands, which has…

Kirkwood citrus farmer, Pieter Nortje, had to make brave decisions when he turned the family farm, Sitrusrand, into a large-scale citrus production and packing business. Today, it exports 2,3 million cartons to 47 countries. In the beginning Pieter’s grandfather, also called Pieter, came to Kirkwood with his family in 1890, and started out with a…

There has been a surge of interest during the past six months in alternative agricultural resources, such as growbags and capillary mats, geotextiles manufacturer Fibertex South Africa commercial executive Sefton Fripp tells Green Africa Magazine. He says although the first half of the year has been erratic, owing to the scarcity of certain resources and a focus on sustainability, any product…

In the past, lucerne was considered a low-value pasture or rotation crop, and was primarily used as a supplement. However, in recent decades, it has become valuable and profitable, competing successfully with many higher-value speciality crops. Today, many producers approach lucerne production as a serious business enterprise, with careful consideration of costs, value and markets.…

In a water-stressed country such as South Africa, it’s difficult to imagine any farmer complaining about having too much water. However, across the country’s irrigation schemes, lands are deteriorating due to waterlogging caused by years of incorrect water and soil management. The source of the water may be long-term irrigation, percolation from precipitation, or the…