Deon Vlok, who runs indigenous veld goats on 50 000ha between Calvinia and Brandvlei in the Northern Cape, says his animals truly showed their mettle during the recent eight-year drought, proving to be a mainstay for his farm. “I’m extremely impressed by the economic value the goats added during the drought. I’ve always had a […]
R2,1 million Bull Seller: Phillip Poggenpoel, Poggenpoel Molopo BonsmarasBuyers: Baszohn Bonsmaras. In June 2022, Phillip Poggenpoel of Poggenpoel Molopo Bonsmaras sold the bull BBM 18 25 for a record price of R2,1 million at the Poggenpoel Molopo Bonsmara Production Sale. The bull was sold to Baszohn Bonsmaras, owned by cousins Eben Basson and Wessel Ebersohn, in Mooi […]
Conditions on Gielie Geldenhuys’s family farm in the Theronsberg region, 30km north of Ceres in the Western Cape, are harsh. Winters are cold, typically with snow, summers are hot, and the grazing comprises sourveld. Faced with these realities in the 1970s, Geldenhuys’s father, Basie, kept a variety of breeds on the farm to test which […]
In the past, some veterinarians would shake their heads when horse owners asked them about stem cell therapy. In recent years, however, research has broadened the nature and scope of this concept, which is now called ‘regenerative medicine’. Its aim is to reintroduce patient-derived biological substances locally in order to stimulate natural healing in damaged […]
Forklift company, Combilift, was founded by engineers Robert Mofett and Martin McVicar in 1998, when they pooled their expertise to build the world’s first internal combustion engine powered, all-wheel drive, multi-directional forklift. They employed three people and produced 18 of these forklifts that year, of which one was sold locally and the others were exported. […]
Bonnox is a South African company founded in 1962. It is a proud manufacturer and distributor of prefabricated fencing, using 1,96mm heavily or lightly galvanised steel wire. Bonnox manufactures Hingejoint® fencing. It consists of a number of horizontal wires interwoven with vertical wires, making different spacing and patterns, of which some are rectangular and some square. […]
Fighting theft with the Agrico G4 centre pivot The Agrico G4 centre pivot system, a prime example of irrigation engineering, immediately caught his eye. Its sleek design, with cables tucked away out of sight, promised protection against the ever-present threat of theft in South Africa. The elegant G4 tower, capable of spanning fields up to 70m […]
Wynand Lombaard, product and pricing specialist at Husqvarna South Africa, says the trick to obtaining perfectly trimmed borders is to employ the correct trimming techniques. “These techniques play a pivotal role in defining the boundaries of your lawn and creating clean lines that elevate its overall aesthetic appeal. From a practical standpoint, employing these techniques […]
Subsurface irrigation has been widely adopted in the production of highly mechanised crops, such as sugar cane and lucerne, because it helps to improve labour efficiencies and reduce damage to irrigation infrastructure. Added bonuses are that water is delivered directly into the root zone, reducing water losses caused by evaporation in overhead irrigation, and farmers […]
With all farming operations, the key objective is to improve yields and quality. This is achieved through nutrition, water, genetics and climate. Focusing on water, a farmer’s chosen irrigation system can make or break his business. READ Planning for precision irrigation To get the best from an investment in irrigation, a farmer should ensure that […]
