Concrete beehives empower smallholder farmers AND save bees
When industrial design student Ivan Brown from the University of Johannesburg had to choose a topic for his Master’s Degree, he was looking for ways improve the livelihoods of smallholder
Farmer Patents
No-till planter for mini-tractors from Eden Equip
Eden Equip adapted their ox-drawn no-till planter to a fit small tractors. This two-row planter can be used to plant maize, soya beans and sorghum, among others and is designed
Solar irrigation system saves ex-miner time, money and energy
Two years ago Daniel Ngosa lost his lucrative mining job on the Copperbelt and bought a small farm in the outskirts of Mufurila town. The 51-year-old, who worked as a
No-till planter for mini-tractors from Eden Equip
Eden Equip adapted their ox-drawn no-till planter to a fit small tractors. This two-row planter can be used to plant maize, soya beans and sorghum,
Concrete bee bunker thwarts vandals
Bees are essential for the pollination of many crops. However, vandals cause a lot of damage to hives. A Gauteng honey farmer has devised a
From milking shed to float valve factory
When a milk buyer shut down one of its routes, this farmer decided he couldn’t leave his workers in the lurch so he started a
Cheap float valve saves valuable resource
The addition of a float valve to the pipe supplying water to the reservoir has helped this cattle farmer to prevent his reservoir from overflowing
Wheel sprayer guarantees accurate application of weed-killer
This farming enterprise has eradicated back-breaking weeding by using a wheel sprayer and back-pack that applies the herbicide directly onto the weeds – at the
How to plant poles sturdily in sandy soil
Planting poles with a concrete foundation can be a messy business. Avoid cement wastage by using a steel plate for mixing, and ensure uniform holes
How this farmer improved a small stock feeder to make it automatic
Everything on Dirk du Plessis’ farm near Koppies in the Free State province of South Africa is focused on saving labour – one of the
Make a plan to apply top dresser fertiliser
This week crop farmer Michris Janse van Rensburg from South Africa shows African farmers how he made a plan to take the back-breaking labour out
U-shaped kraal for rapid small stock management
Roughly half as many workers are required to manage goats or sheep with this ingenious U-shaped handling facility or kraal, with an alley, crush, and
Create thoroughfares for wildlife using old tyres
There are many advantages to using old tyres, bicycle wheels, or flap doors as thoroughfares for wild animals. The maintenance of wire fences, especially where
Old hay rake now used to lift implements
If you are in the second-hand business, you have to load and unload implements daily. A businessman from Cradock in the Eastern Cape province of
Control your crush like a jockey – Africanfarming.com
This farmer has developed a series of handling facilities for his cattle that save on labour – and sits in a saddle and controls his
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African Farming November 2020: Issue 1
African Farming tells the
success stories of the country’s
new generation of commercial
black farmers.
The programme is
broadcast every Thursday at
18:30, with repeats on
Sundays at 11:00.
