News

rotation

Crop production: Rotation to boost production

  21st January 2019

Here’s some useful advice on choosing crops for your rotation system, to ensure you get the most advantages. Crop rotation is a practice whereby different crops are planted in different seasons on the same piece of land. The aim is to enhance sustainable production and increase yield potential, compared to…

weeds; tillage

Crop production: How to decide on a tillage system

  18th January 2019

Soil tillage has a huge influence on crop production, and is one of the most expensive input costs. Decisions about proper methods cannot, therefore, be hit or miss. A crop farmer’s decision about the correct tillage method to use should be based on information that leads to objectives – not…

machine; tractor; costs; mechanisation

Farm management: Mechanisation and summer crops

  3rd January 2019

Mechanisation costs money, which means it is part of a farmer’s production and overhead outlay, and that makes managing it very important. Mechanical resources include all the trucks, bakkies, tractors and equipment a farmer uses in his farming operations (they do not include vehicles or equipment for private use). And just…

sets

Vegetable production: Establishing onions using sets

  20th December 2018

Direct seeding, sets and transplants can be used to establish onions. Direct seeding, using precision planters, is the preferred system for larger plantings. Transplants are less popular because of the high labour cost. Therefore, although expensive, planting sets can be useful for extending the harvesting season. The information given in…

Fresh produce; produce

Marketing tips: Your road map to successful fresh produce ma...

  4th December 2018

Every fresh produce farmer must have a plan for how he’s going to sell his crops. Your marketing plan is like a road map that guides you through the steps of marketing so that you can successfully sell your fresh produce. It gives you “check points” to provide direction, measure…

disease; poultry; crusts

Poultry production: Dealing with crusts on your chickens’ ...

  3rd December 2018

Question: We are new to keeping chickens and housed them in an enclosure. They subsequently developed crusts on their legs. We’ve read in books and asked around and have had answers such as its being mites and that we’d have to use old engine oil to get rid of them!…

pig farm; biosecurity; pork; sows; feeding

Pork production: Feeding your pigs for the best results

  12th November 2018

Without correct feeding, a farmer won’t be able to run a profitable pig production business.  To raise healthy pigs, farmers must ensure that their animals receive a nutritious, well-balanced diet at every stage of production. SUITABLE RATIONS Nutrition is a fairly specialised branch of pig production. Farmers are encouraged farmers…

costs

Livestock production: Save on feed costs with arrow leaf

  9th November 2018

This hardy legume can reduce farming costs when feed sells at a premium.  Poor feeding strategies can result in heavy losses if feed has to be bought in at a time when costs are at a premium (eg late summer) or as a result of poor conception rates during the…