Beste Grootneef Wanneer die Vrystaatse koue met wit gerypte vlaktes byt, dink ek soms terug aan Oupa en Ouma op Liefdefontein. Hulle het nie baie daaroor gepraat nie, maar ek onthou tog hoe hulle soms laat aand gedeel het wat hulle as konsentrasiekampkinders beleef het. Nadat die Engelse oorlog teen die twee republieke uitgebreek het, […]

2026/06/23 THE ROLE OF INVESTMENT FUNDS IN THE COMMODITY DERIVATIVES MARKET (CDM) OF THE JSE REMAINS A DEBATED TOPIC IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN GRAIN INDUSTRY. OPINIONS VARY WIDELY. SOME MARKET PARTICIPANTS BELIEVE FUNDS CONTRIBUTE TO EXCESSIVE PRICE MOVEMENTS, WHILE OTHERS ARGUE THAT THEY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROVIDING LIQUI­DITY TO THE MARKET. The reality, […]

AGRICULTURAL INPUTS SUCH AS FERTILISER, LIME, AND GYPSUM PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN GRAIN PRODUCTION. HOWEVER, THE PRICES OF THESE INPUTS ARE INFLUENCED BY A COMPLEX COMBINATION OF GLOBAL COMMODITY MARKETS, ENERGY COSTS, EXCHANGE RATES, AND SUPPLY CHAIN CONDITIONS. UNDERSTANDING THESE MARKET FORCES HELPS EXPLAIN WHY INPUT COSTS CAN CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM ONE MONTH TO […]

Global markets, not only commodity markets, increasingly must be adaptable to increased volatility and high energy costs, yet still produce products as affordably as possible. A major component in the success of any economy is the ability to effectively transport goods and services. Since the early 2000s there has been a global push towards more […]

Herbicide resistance is becoming one of the greatest threats to sustainable crop production worldwide. South Africa is no exception, with resistance in some systems increasing with an accelerating trajectory. Across both summer- and winter-rainfall production regions, resistant weed populations are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to control, placing immense pressure on producers and the long-term […]

Insights shared at a recent media and industry day held by the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA) in Pretoria, underscored the extent to which feed manufacturing, grain production, and livestock systems have become structurally interconnected. For grain producers this is a defining feature of demand, value creation, and long-term market stability. ‘The feed industry is […]

Bewarings- of herlewingslandbou is ’n praktyk wat produsente nie uit die oog moet verloor nie. So het Jonty Brodie, spreker by die Hannes Otto Herlewingslandbou-konfe­rensie in Ottosdal op 22 en 23 April, beves­tig. Hy het uitgebrei hoe hierdie praktyk wêreldwyd met groot sukses toegepas word. Daar is verskeie voordele en nadele aan enige boer­derystelsel, en […]

On 28 May 2026, producers, researchers, seed companies, and industry stakeholders gathered on Willem Groothof’s farm in Settlers, Limpopo, for Grain SA’s annual Sorghum Information Day. This event, attended by 50 people, was hosted by Grain SA’s Economic and Member Services Department, with support from the Sorghum Trust and the Sorghum Cluster Initiative. This year […]

The use of naturally derived products and active ingredients, referred to as biological products, is a trend finding its way into every sphere of consumerism – from agriculture to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, cleaning, and packaging. Indeed, all these industries can draw their origins from natural substances which were later synthetically designed and mass produced to overcome […]

Across South Africa’s grain-producing regions, feathered chloris (Chloris virgata) has quietly established itself as more than just another grass on the veld edge. Known locally as witgras, witpluimchloris or witpluimgras, this species thrives in the very conditions created by modern grain farming: disturbance, minimal tillage, and open soil surfaces. To manage it effectively, producers need […]

Internasionale klimaatmodelle dui tans op ’n verhoogde waarskynlikheid van El Niño-toestande gedurende die 2026/2027-somerreënseisoen. Vir Suid-Afrikaanse mielieprodusente is die belangrike vraag egter nie of ’n El Niño-verskynsel ontwikkel nie, maar watter impak soortgelyke historiese seisoene op opbrengs en produksie gehad het. Wanneer historiese droogtejare saam met nasionale opbrengs-, produksie- en oppervlaktedata ontleed word, blyk dit […]

Die dramaturg William Shakespeare (1564-1616) het onkruid gebruik om die uitbui­ting en wanorde in die samelewing wat deur regeerders veroorsaak word, te simboliseer. Een van sy treffende metafore vir hierdie ongeneeslike menslike swakheid is: “I will go rid the garden of noisome weeds which without profit suck the soil’s fertility from wholesome flowers.” Reeds lank […]

Maize streak disease (MSD) is an old enemy that still poses the same challenges reported in KwaZulu-Natal after the first outbreak in 1896. MSD occurs throughout Africa and is generally considered a sporadic disease in South Africa. However, the status of MSD has increased over recent times, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, where it is now of […]

Fertasa se Grondsuurheidswerkgroep in same­werking met Graan SA kyk in hierdie reeks van twaalf artikels na die oorsake, slaggate, in­vloed van en oplossing vir grondsuurheid. Hierdie gewilde reeks is oorspronklik in SA Graan/Grain gepubliseer en is beskikbaar op sagrainmag.co.za onder die “Article series”-skakel. Lees die volledige reeks artikels hier: https://sagrainmag.co.za/article-series/grondsuurheid-reeks/

Soil fertility comprises three aspects: physical, chemical, and biological. Chemical fertility has historically been the subject of a lot of research, while biological fertility has recently started to get more research attention. However, the foundation of soil fertility – soil physics – has been very much neglected. It is a big misconception to assume that […]

Gegewe die verwagte hoë kunsmispryse soek alle produsente na alternatiewe. Baie begin kyk na die inbring van organiese misstowwe soos hoendermis, beesmis, varkmis of dalk iets anders. Dit is nie ’n slegte plan nie, maar soos altyd moet produsente katvoet loop. Mis word wêreldwyd as ’n waardevolle bron van plantvoeding en organiese materiaal beskou. Bene­wens […]

Sowat vyftien jaar gelede het Paul van der Merwe van Bothaville ’n implement ontwerp wat sedertdien vele produsente se lewens makliker maak. Sy All-in-One- (AiO-) regstellende implement word gebruik om kalk en ander vooraf uitgestrooide voedingstowwe wat gebruik word om die wanbalans van die grond reg te stel, diep in die grond in te werk. […]

The Fertilizer Association of Southern Africa (Fertasa) hosted its 66th annual congress on 21 May at the Blaauwberg Beach Hotel, bringing together industry stakeholders, researchers, and agribusiness representatives to engage on key developments shaping the fertiliser industry and agricultural sector. While the congress did not feature direct participation from policymakers, it provided a valuable platform […]

Dit behoort elke produsent se doelwit te wees om die grond waarop geboer word se produktiwiteit en winsgewendheid so ver moontlik te verhoog. Daar is verskeie faktore wat hierop ’n invloed het. Om te verwag dat ’n enkele aksie of produk die pyp gaan rook is onrealisties – vir die beste resultaat is dit belangrik […]

Daar was dalk nie vanjaar gespletehoefdiere by die NAMPO Oesdag te sien nie, maar dit het beslis nie die mensevoete van die diereafdeling weggehou nie. Talle kreatiewe en innoverende metodes het steeds die boodskap oorgedra en die diere wat wél daar was, het vir baie oe’s en aa’s gesorg. Boerboele bly ’n groot trekpleister, en […]

Die finale uitkoms van die koringtariefwysigingsondersoek is ten sterkste deur Graan SA verwerp, ná bevestiging in die Staatskoerant dat die dollar-gebaseerde verwysingsprys (DBRP) vir koring onveranderd op $279/ton sal bly en dat geen outomatiese snellerme- ganisme geïmplementeer sal word nie. Die aansoek, wat deur Graan SA en die Suid-Afrikaanse Vereni­ging vir Graan- en Olie- sadehandelaars […]

Daar is min dinge wat soveel waarde het soos ’n tafel vol mense wat dekades se ervaring, stories en wysheid deel. By Graan SA glo ons dat die toekoms nie net gebou word deur nuwe idees nie, maar ook deur die lesse van diegene wat reeds die pad gestap het. Dit is juis waarom die […]

Die Graan SA/John Deere-resepkompetisie gee jou die geleentheid om jou kreatiwiteit in die kombuis op die proef te stel, en jy het boonop ’n kans om daarvoor beloon te word. Ons Junie-wenner* is: Nanette Botha van Pretoria BOEREWORS-EN-GARSBREDIE Genoeg vir agt persone Bestanddele 3 eetlepels olyfolie 1 kg boerewors van goeie gehalte 1 ui, gekap […]

Voerkoste verteenwoordig dikwels tussen 60 en 80% van die totale veranderlike koste van intensiewe veeproduksiestelsels. Binne hierdie voerkoste vorm energie die grootste enkele komponent van die meeste rantsoene vir herkouers, pluimvee en varke. Gevolglik kan selfs klein verskille in die koste en benutbaarheid van energiebronne ’n groot invloed op die winsgewendheid van ’n onderneming hê. […]

THE RECENT DECISION TO LEAVE SOUTH AFRICA’S WHEAT TARIFF FRAMEWORK EFFECTIVELY UNCHANGED IS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING. GOVERNMENT HAS CHOSEN THE POLITICALLY CONVENIENT ARGUMENT OF SHORT-TERM CONSUMER PROTECTION, PRESENTING LOWER IMPORT COSTS AS IF IT AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATES INTO CHEAPER BREAD. IN DOING SO, IT IS AVOIDING THE MUCH LARGER AND MORE DIFFICULT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT FOOD SECURITY […]

DIE ONLANGSE BESLUIT OM SUID-AFRIKA SE KORINGTARIEFRAAMWERK EFFEK­TIEF ONVERANDERD TE LAAT, IS UITERS TELEURSTELLEND. DIE REGERING HET DIE POLITIES GERIEFLIKE ARGUMENT VAN KORTTERMYN-VERBRUIKERSBESKERMING GEKIES EN LAER INVOERKOSTE AS REDE VERSKAF ASOF DIT OUTOMATIES OMSKAKEL IN GOEDKOPER BROOD. DEUR DIT TE DOEN, VERMY HULLE DIE VEEL GROTER EN MOEILIKER GESPREK OOR WAT VOEDSELSEKERHEID WERKLIK BEHELS. Voedselsekerheid […]

South Africa finds itself in the position of producing yet another record maize and soybean crop. However, despite the large surpluses available for export, deep-sea exports have failed to gain the momentum that many market participants expected at the start of the season. As a result, concerns are growing that if insufficient surplus stocks are […]

’n Onlangse gesamentlike mediavrystelling deur Graan SA en Fertasa het ’n duidelike en belangrike boodskap aan die Suid-Afrikaanse landbougemeenskap gerig: Insetkoste, veral kunsmis en brandstof, is onder druk en produsente moet waak teen ongeregverdigde kostestygings en opportunistiese gedrag in die mark. Daar is egter ’n dieper waarheid wat nie oor die hoof gesien moet word […]

Mikorisa is ’n swam wat in ’n natuurlike samewerkingsverhouding (simbiose) met die plantwortel leef. Die mikorisa in EndoPrime® SC ontwikkel swamdrade, bekend as hifes, wat addisionele grondvolume binnedring waar die gewas se wortels nie normaalweg kan bykom nie. Hierdie netwerk beteken dat die benutbare worteloppervlakte uitgebrei word en toegang tot water en voedingstowwe verbeter. Dit […]

A narrow planting window, an unexpected weather pattern, or a critical breakdown during harvest can have significant consequences for productivity and profitability. While factors such as rainfall, soil quality, and commodity prices often dominate discussions about farming success, there is another element that quietly underpins every successful season: equipment reliability. Across South Africa, producers depend […]