ProAgri BNZ 17

ProAgri B otswa n a / N am i b ia/ ia / Zim b ab w e No 17

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Botswana page 27

Namibia page 39

Zimbabwe page 44

ISUZU Drivetrain: With you for the long run

Irrigate effectively with

Commercialise your goat farm www.agri4all.com

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Contact details: Alfred Andrag | c: +27 82 824 1214 t: +27 21 950 4111 | f: +27 21 950 4208 | alfred.andrag@agrico.co.za

More than 100 years’ service

Sales and Service with branches across Southern Africa: Aliwal North | Bellville | Bethlehem | Bloemfontein | Brits | Caledon | Ceres | Christiana | Cradock | De Doorns | Douglas | Ermelo | George | Hartswater | Humansdorp Kakamas | Kimberley | Kokstad | Kroonstad | Lichtenburg | Lusaka | Mkushi | Nelspruit | Nigel | Nylstroom | Pietermaritzburg | Piketberg | Rawsonville | Tzaneen Upington | Vredendal | Wellington| Winterton

Letter from the Editor

Cover Follow the “Farming with goats” series in ProAgri BNZ to receive expert advice about transforming your goat farm.

T

here is nothing like a rolling African thunderstorm sweeping over hectares of farmland. The rains bring life with it and revitalises the soil, and often the farmers as well.

After years of drought some areas of Southern Africa received their first rain in the first months of 2021. Most of these farmers can now experience some relief due to the fact that the soil’s moisture content has been restored, and the underground water sources replenished.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for all regions. Some parts of the region are still gripped in the clutches of severe drought. I have heard many stories where one farm had 50 mm of rain, while another farmer 50 km away received only 5 mm on the same day.

Some things just cannot be explained.

Estimated production figures are positive for the 2021 harvests. This is largely due to the good rains that many farms had. But production does not solely depend on rain. It also depends on the quality of the machinery used, and the management practices

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implemented by the farmer. That is where ProAgri helps every farmer – by providing the latest, most relevant information on the agricultural technology available.

Each farm is as unique as the farmer himself, and a one-size-fits-all approach to your farm simply will not work. ProAgri does the research for you. We talk to the experts from leading agricultural companies, and to the farmers that use the equipment, to provide you with the best perspective before you decide on which purchase to make.

Visit www.proagri.co.za for the best editorial content on the latest agricultural developments, and www.Agri4all.com to find all the products that you may need to farm optimally.

We love to hear from you. Please contact me on www.jaco@proagri.co.za to share stories or make enquiries.

Farm smartly!

Jaco Cilliers jaco@proagri.co.za

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Content 3. Save water and electricity with Agrico 4. Goat production guide Part 5: Turn your goat farming into a commercial business 7. Produce higher yields on smaller fields with Reinke 9. Lemken ensures lower input costs and higher returns 11. Valley's solar solutions can make your farm shine 13. EFT: Providing twine for tidily tied bales 15. Choose SENTER360 for local quality 17. Soil: The farmer’s most important asset Part 13: Air in soil 21. Bonnox has a fence for every need 23. AMS Inc makes sampling efficient 25. Isuzu Drivetrain: Driving the support of Isuzu trucks 27. Pig production guide Part 8: Series summary 32. Making profit from poultry Part 7: Series summary 36. Brucellosis and the risk for humans 39. Rain, rain, and more rain for Namibia: Farmers are ecstatic 45. Making a living out of your own backyard: Get chickens to do the hard work

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

ProAgri B ot s wa n a/ a / N a m i b i a/ a/Zimbabwe

577 Rossouw Street, Die Wilgers, Pretoria +27 (0)79 515 8708 www.proagri.co.za Copyright © 2019. All rights r­ eserved. No m ­ aterial, text or p ­ hoto­graphs may be r­ eproduced, copied or in any other way t­ ransmitted without the written consent of the publisher. O ­ pinions ­expressed are not n ­ ecessarily those of the publisher or of the e ­ ditor. We recognise all trademarks and logos as the sole property of their r­ espective o ­ wners.

ProAgri shall not be liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon.

ProAgri Editor Jaco Cilliers > +27 71-893-6477 jaco@proagri.co.za Reporters Du Preez de Villiers > +27 82-598-7329 dupreez@proagri.co.za Benine Ackermann > +27 73-105-6938 benine@proagri.co.za Marketing Manager Diane Grobler > +27 82-555-6866 diane@proagri.co.za Marketing Xander Pieterse > +27 62-391-6507 xander@proagri.co.za Candice Rieger > +27 83-292-3150 candice@proagri.co.za Tiny Smith > +27 82-698-3353 tiny@proagri.co.za Anelda Strauss > +27 74-424-0055 anelda@proagri.co.za Johan Swartz > +27 71-599-9417 johan@proagri.co.za Gerhard Potgieter > +27 74-694-4422 gerhard@proagri.co.za Creative Director Christiaan Joubert > +27 72-419-3990 christiaan@proagri.co.za Design Michelle Kruger Enquiries Engela Botha > +27 12-803-0782 engela@proagri.co.za Accounts Ronel Schluter > +27 12-803-0782 accounts@proagri.co.za Distribution Janita du Plessis > +27 12-803-0782 janita@proagri.co.za Managing Editor Annemarie Bremner > +27 82-320-3642 annemarie@proagri.co.za Business Manager George Grobler > +27 83 460 0402

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ProAgri BNZ 17

Save water and electricity with Agrico

by Benine Ackermann

Hannes Schoeman of Agrico and Riaan Botha, General Manager of Green Valley Nuts, among the pecan nut trees that are perfectly irrigated with systems designed, supplied and supported by Agrico.

Even the older Green Valley Nuts centre pivots have been upgraded with the latest Agrico web control system.

W

ater is the one natural resource without which no farmer can produce.

"Everything in agriculture today revolves around good water management," says Riaan Botha, General Manager of Green Valley Nuts of the Karstens Group near Prieska in South Africa. They produce pecan nuts on 635 hectares and maize on 470 hectares.

"The agricultural sector is on the leading edge of innovative thinking and technology. Farmers need someone like Agrico to accompany them on the way to successful implementation of technology,” explains Riaan.

Green Valley Nuts has seventeen Agrico centre pivots and Agrico also designed and installed a drip irrigation system for their pecan nut trees.

Agrico is working with Green Valley Nuts since 1996, when they designed the original irrigation system for the nut project.

Green Valley Nuts also uses the latest control systems from Agrico - the Agrico Web Control for pivots, and a Motorola system for pecan nut trees.

"The advantage of the control systems is that data and control are available in real time and remotely.

Riaan Botha of Green Valley Nuts controls the entire irrigation system from his cell phone.

So, we can work with precise data that allows one to make better use of water.

A farmer must always exercise precise control. No matter where I am, I am always in full control of the system on the farm,” says Riaan.

Riaan and his team are fully satisfied with all aspects of Agrico's service.

The irrigation system is probably the most important aspect of their farming operation. “A failure in summer can be catastrophic. An irrigation company must provide proper support to a farmer, and that is what Agrico does. We can only tackle such a big project with partners who we trust completely.”

More about the system Agrico designed for Green Valley Nuts: Agrico first ran meticulous trials to decide on the appropriate irrigation equipment, after which they installed three drip lines per row on the pecan nut trees.

"With this solution we achieved good results in terms of the distribution and depth of the irrigation zone. The design was done with low-flow, pressure-compensating drip. Utilising the existing infrastructure, and taking into account the requirements of the centre pivots, we divided the nut orchard into three irrigation blocks,” says Hannes Schoeman, irrigation designer from Agrico.

Agrico also installed four new hi-tech filtration stations at Green Valley Nuts.

“The existing pumps were used, and a control system was installed to switch the main pumps on and off automatically and more efficiently as the requirements at the pivots and drip irrigation blocks change during the day.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

Smaller booster pumps with VSD controllers were added. In this way, the exact flow- and pressure requirement of any irrigation block can be provided efficiently.

The system was designed to irrigate only within Ruraflex's green and yellow times, and as far as possible only in the green time, depending on the season and the water requirement,” Hannes says.

Hannes explains further that they have combined the new irrigation for the pecan nuts with the existing centre pivots into one system, which increases the overall efficiency of the irrigation.

The benefits of the system for the farmer: • The correct quantity of water per tree is provided.

• Substantial improved energy efficiency.

• Liquid fertiliser is applied continuously (enriched water irrigation).

• Variable irrigation / fertiliser application of the pecan nut trees takes place in accordance with soil classification and the needs of the trees.

• Irrigation / fertiliser application is tailor-made for blocks of different ages.

• The system increases yields, and is a crucial element of the precision farming system.

For any inquiries, contact Alfred Andrag at +27 82-8241214 or +27 21-950-4111, or send an e-mail to Alfred.andrag@agrico.co.za.

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Goat production guide Part 5

Turn your goat farming into a commercial business T

ransforming from a subsistence or emerging farmer into a commercial farmer does not only mean that you will be working with higher volumes, but it also requires you to adapt your management practices to enable you to stay in control of your growing flock.

Some general management practices will be discussed here, namely condition scoring, ear tagging and record keeping. This will ease your way in expanding to become a commercial farmer.

Ewes should neither be allowed to become too thin nor too fat. Failure in reproduction, low twinning rates and low weaning rates will result if ewes are too thin. Overly fat ewes can suffer pregnancy toxaemia, but fat ewes are rarely a problem.

This is a standard way of assessing the condition of individual goats on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is very thin and 5 is obese. It is a way of telling whether your goats are getting too little feed or too much.

Condition scoring Farmers should be concerned with the body condition of their breeding animals.

The term body condition refers to the body fat content of an animal.

You assess three different things: • Backbone • Rib cage • Loin eye area (either side of the backbone above the tail).

A condition score of 3 is ideal for weaning, breeding, and kidding.

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An ear tag applicator such as this one can be used to tag each goat so that all the relevant information can be displayed.

Ear tagging A simple system for giving your goats ear tag numbers: • Decide on a letter for each year.

For example: 2014 is A, 2015 is B, 2016 is C • Then give each kid born that year a number – so A1, A2, A3, A4, et cetera. It is easy to sort goats when ewes and rams are given different coloured tags.

Record keeping To be able to manage your goats, you need some basic system of record keeping. Your system should be able to give you the following information: • The exact number of goats that you have (broken down into different age categories) • The dates when your ewes gave birth and the number of kids born • The number of goats that die (and the age when they die and cause of death)

ProAgri BNZ 17

Farmers can choose between either metal or plastic ear tags for their goats. Some choose to use both as an added measure in case one of the tags fall off.

• • • • •

A goat’s age can easily be determined by checking its teeth. A young goat has “baby teeth” before the permanent incisors emerge, while an adult goat shows permanent incisors.

General animal health programme according to age.

General animal health programme in accordance with the season.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

The exact goats that have been treated (for what and with what) Information on the mother of any particular kid When a particular ram was brought into the herd The age of any particular goat (the year it was born) The number of goats sold, time when they were sold and prices obtained.

Checking age of goat The age of goats can be determined by looking at their teeth: • The first permanent incisors come through at approximately 15 months of age – thus the goat will show 2 teeth.

• The next two incisors come through at 21 to 24 months of age – thus the goat will have 4 teeth.

• The next two incisors come through at approximately 30 months of age – thus the goat will have 6 teeth.

• The last two teeth come through at approximately 36 months of age – thus the goat will have 8 teeth (it is said to be full-mouthed at this stage).

Treatment calendar (including vaccination) This programme needs to be tried and adapted where necessary because of the unique conditions of any particular site. General animal health programmes structured according to the goats’ age or the season can be followed.

The information in this article is credited to Mdukatshani, Heifer International South Africa and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development who published the Goat Production Handbook in 2015.

5

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ProAgri BNZ 17

Produce higher yields on smaller fields with Reinke

by Jaco Cilliers

Y

ou do not need a big farm to turn a big profit. The latest agricultural technology allows farmers to make more profit on smaller farms. Reinke can supply the ideal solution to boost your profit on a field as small as two hectares.

In November 2020 Schalk Barnard, farm manager of Castello Boerdery near Potchefstroom in South Africa, decided to erect a Reinke pivot on the farm. Schalk decided on a single tower Reinke centre pivot that irrigates about two hectares.

The reason for the size of the pivot was that the maintenance cost of a smaller pivot is lower, and management is easier. The pivot was erected on a dry piece of land between existing centre pivots.

"I struggled to get spare parts for our existing centre pivots on the farm," says Schalk. "My colleague gave me the advice to call Patrick Ellis, and the next day everything I needed was here on the farm. That is where our relationship with Reinke began."

Although Schalk mainly concentrates on cash crops such as maize, wheat and soya beans, he decided to establish pastures under the Reinke centre pivot. "We planted Smutsvinger grass under the centre pivot to cut and bale for a good winter feed stock. The cattle can also graze on it," Schalk explains.

The pivot boasts the best technology as only Reinke can offer. The management system is a GPS device consisting of two parts. One part is installed on the centre to determine the location of the centre pivot. The other sits on the

furthest point, just before the overhang, to determine the position of the pivot in its circle. This means that the farmer can precisely control the water application on different segments of the centre pivot circle.

The control panel is Reinke's flagship model, Reinke Advanced Plus. The Advanced Plus control panel can also be connected to the ReinCloud satellite system so that the farmer can control all functions and adjustments of the irrigation system from anywhere in the world with his smartphone. The satellite system means that no cell phone reception at the pivot is necessary for the remotecontrol system to work.

"I can be in the house, or even on holiday at the seaside, and still control the pivot with my cell phone," says Schalk.

No power? No problem!

Two problems causing the smaller farmer many headaches, are inadequate access to a dependable electricity supply (or expensive power) and low water pressure. Reinke’s solution for the smaller farmer is a small selfpropelled irrigator – the EDMP (Engine Driven Mini Pivot), making it possible for the small-scale farmer to irrigate fodder for his livestock, or to irrigate a patch of maize behind the house. All he needs is a can of petrol to start the engine, and then he can stand back and see how his three hectares yield the same harvest per hectare as his commercial neighbour’s large fields.

The power driving the EDMP is a 4-kW petrol engine. Fitted with a 22,7-litre petrol tank, the pivot will run for at Reinke provides turnkey irrigation solutions for areas from two hectares upwards.

George Enslin and Schalk Barnard are both farm managers of Castello Boerdery near Potchefstroom in South Africa. They were able to increase production due to the 2 hectare pivot that Reinke installed on the farm in November 2020.

Reinke has the option of a heavy-duty gearbox that comes with an industry-leading 10 year/ 16 000-hours guarantee. least 16 hours non-stop, even if the farmer runs the engine at full speed.

However, when irrigating, it will not be necessary to run the engine at such a rate. The engine is protected against the elements with a steel cover.

Schalk opted for Reinke’s heavy-duty gearboxes. The heavy-duty gearboxes are the Reinke-UMC® 740-U-AD™, painted the distinctive Reinke blue. The gearboxes are larger, and equipped with stronger bearings which provide a longer lifespan, with a stainless-steel shell that combats moisture and therefore rust. The gearbox is reinforced in all the places that usually carry the most load, and a more robust axle ensures less stress on the wheel lugs. The entire gearbox is designed to make maintenance work as easy as possible and to stretch the lifetime as long as possible.

Therefore, Reinke does not hesitate to deliver the gearbox with a guarantee of 10 years or 16 000 hours. According to Reinke, this is the best guarantee in the industry.

To find out more, contact Patrick Ellis, director of Reinke South Africa, by phoning +27-(0)31350-4525, or send an e-mail to patrickellis@reinke.com.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

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ProAgri BNZ 17

LEMKEN ensures lower input costs and higher returns A ny seed's dream is to be planted evenly, equally deep in a wellprepared seedbed that is firm enough for good soil contact, but loose enough for the young plants to kick out their roots comfortably to reach water and nutrients.

Seeds that have been planted with such care will germinate and develop uniformly because each seed and plant has the best, equal access to sunlight, water and nutrients ... and for the farmer this means the highest possible healthy yield.

A wise farmer who makes this dream come true is Org Teessen from the farm Otterfontein just outside Koster in the North-West province of South Africa, and the equipment with which he does it is, of course, LEMKEN. But increased yields are not the end: LEMKEN also saves money and time by enabling Org to prepare and plant the perfect seedbed with only one pass over the field. That means less time and fuel!

This is how: Org uses his 147-kW tractor in front of his LEMKEN Heliodor 9 compact disc harrow in combination with the Solitair 9 planter. Now, in one pass, he can prepare the soil without unnecessary compaction, and at the same time plant teff, Smutsvinger grass, white buffalo grass, blue buffalo grass, field beans, dolichos or soya beans.

He says: “With LEMKEN, the crops germinate very evenly. You have an even growth, which ensures a much better return.”

LEMKEN's Solitair planter is well known in Zambia, and many farmers are using it with great success. More and more farmers around the world are using LEMKEN implements to farm with success. After all, LEMKEN is built for efficiency and durability.

Only the best steel is being used and only the most ingenious plans are

All LEMKEN implements are manufactured according to strict European standards, and can fold up to a width of only 3 metres to fit through any farm gate.

implemented in the design and manufacture - such as the LEMKEN bearings carrying the Heliodor 9's discs. These bearings last much longer than ordinary bearings because they are designed to prevent dust and soil from penetrating them, and on top of that they are maintenance free.

The Heliodor's two rows of countermounted, notched discs mix plant material thoroughly with the topsoil to stimulate soil life, but it can also be used to level and prepare ploughed fields. Each disc is mounted at exactly the right angle on its own sturdy leaf spring.

Behind the last row of discs is a set of double rollers that prepares a firm seedbed and is used as depth control for the machine.

The Solitair plants the seeds neatly and carefully at a predetermined depth – far more accurately than simply dropping and covering it. The planter can be adjusted to place seeds as shallow as 1 mm to as deep as 70 mm in the soil. "I have climbed down from the tractor and looked where I planted.

All the seeds lie at the same depth in the soil,” says Org. “This gives every seed an equal chance to germinate and every plant an equal chance to develop.

The even growth of the feed crops also

Blackie Swart, LEMKEN's Area Sales Manager; Org Teessen, farmer; and Jacobus Beyers, LEMKEN's Technical Representative, show Org's excellent LEMKEN combination, with which he cultivates and plants his fields neatly and perfectly in only one pass.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

makes cultivation after emergence much easier. ” Air pressure carries the seed from the large seed box to the planting units, and is adjusted according to the weight of the type of seed being planted.

"In the morning I fill the planter's hopper with enough seed for the day and then never have to replenish during the day," says Org. Blackie Swart, LEMKEN's Sales Manager in the area, says that one of the biggest advantages of the Solitair 9 is that it is offered with ISOBUS and can therefore communicate with the tractor's system. You do not need an additional screen in the cabin.

Org explains how easy the planter's calibration works: “It only takes ten minutes, and it is very easy. The weighing chart on the side of the planter shows the five settings from which you can choose. From there, everything works electronically. You weigh the quantity of seed you want to place per hectare with an electronic scale, and read it in on the screen. The planter then calculates the hectares and measures it against the quantity of seed. I have never been out more than 12 kg on 50 hectares. You can set up your machine accurately.”

Org is also very satisfied with the after-sales service offered by LEMKEN's staff. "Blackie is always there to help, and parts and information are always available," says Org. For more information on LEMKEN’s solutions, contact Karel Munnik at +27 (0)82-4122577 or k.munnik@lemken.com; or Blackie Swart at +27 (0)82404-9651 or b.swart@lemken. com, or visit www.lemken.com.

Feel free to visit www.Agri4all.com to look at LEMKEN’s other products that make farming a profitable pleasure.

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by Jaco Cilliers

Valley’s solar solutions can make your farm shine!

I

rrigation has many benefits, but it needs electricity to function efficiently. Electricity supply is often unreliable, and in some rural parts of Africa there is simply no electricity. Irrigation has therefore not been accessible to the farmers in these remote regions. Valley irrigation realised the need for electrical supply solutions for these farmers and can provide any farmer with the power needed to increase the production on his farm.

Valmont, the holding company for Valley Irrigation, acquired a Brazilian solar power company, Solbras, in 2018.

Solbras has years of experience and expertise in the solar energy industry.

Valley uses their experts to provide a holistic solution for the electricity needs on your farm.

The process • Any farmer who experiences electricity supply shortages can contact their nearest Valley agent.

• The agent will do an assessment of the electricity needs on the farm.

• This assessment is sent to the engineers at Solbras who develops and designs a tailor-made system based on the needs of that specific farm.

• The Valley agent will erect and install all the solar energy components according to the stringent Valley quality control standards.

The solar system is designed by engineers from Valmont’s newly acquired Solbras, and all the solar components are subject to Valley’s quality standard.

Farmers can choose to install a smaller solar energy system to simply power their pivots, or Valley solar solutions can install a solar system that will provide a reliable source of electricity for the whole farm. current (AC) through a charge controller or inverter.

3. The alternating current allows for use in the farm buildings and for machines, such as water pumps, depending on the capacity of the solar system that the farmer chose.

4. The excess solar energy not used at peak times can be stored in batteries for use at night.

Francois Griesel, Valley’s Regional Sales Manager for Africa, says that Valley is not merely in the business of selling pivots. “We provide solutions for farmers. Depending on what the farmer wants, we can power his pivots with solar energy, or convert his whole farm to run on solar power,” Francois explains.

He says that even though the designs are done by the Solbras engineers, all components of the solar energy system are subject to Valley’s strict quality standards. “Farmers can expect the same quality in the Valley solar solutions that they are used to in the Valley irrigation systems,” says Francois.

Solar energy offers many benefits to the agricultural sector, especially when combined with an irrigation system: • Efficiency: Crops require more water when the sun is shining, which is naturally when solar panels are most effective.

• Energy savings: Because the panels convert the sun’s rays to electricity, your operation will save on energy costs.

• Reduced environmental impact: Less reliance on fossil fuels for power and pumping.

• New possibilities: Where traditional electric supply does not exist, a pivot can be powered by the sun.

How it works 1. Solar panels capture radiation from the sun to convert it into electricity.

2. The electricity is converted from direct current (DC) to alternating

Part of Valley’s solution based approach is to make their irrigation systems affordable to all farmers.

That is why they have partnered with Stanbic Zambia to bring Zambian farmers the most affordable options for

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

financing their Valley irrigation system.

The partnership between Valley and Stanbic was described in detail in a previous article that can be read here: https://www.proagri.co.za/en/ good-news-valley-makes-irrigationaffordable-to-zambian-farmers/ Valley clients in Zambia have become accustomed to the excellent service provided by Irritech. Based in Lusaka, Irritech has been a Valley Irrigation agent in Zambia for the past 31 years.

They have not only erected major irrigation projects in Zambia, but also service clients in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, the DRC, and Rwanda. Some of the major irrigation projects that they have been involved in include Zambia Sugar (Illovo), Zambeef, Silversands, and Kaombe Sugar, to name a few.

According to André van Wyk, Director of Zambia Irritech, Valley’s after sales service creates lasting personal relationships with the farmers. “We try to get to know our clients on a personal basis while keeping the business relationship professional,” says André.

Irritech Zambia keeps enough stock in Lusaka to meet the farmers’ needs. They assist with the whole process of installing an irrigation system, from planning to building and after sales service.

For more information, contact Francois Griesel on +27(0)10350-0055 or e-mail on francois. griesel@valmont.com, or André van Wyk from Irritech Zambia on +26(0)97-877-2550 or send an e-mail to andre@irritechzm.co.zm.

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ProAgri BNZ 17

Providing twine for tidily tied bales

by Jonathan Coleclough

T

he crucial role twine plays in the baling process is often underestimated. It is the keystone that supports all the work done up to the point where the bale leaves the chamber. All the necessary handling, stacking, and transporting that comes after that, can only happen if the twine continues to perform.

Historically, selecting the highest performance twine has not been easy, with consistency not traditionally being a word used when talking about baler twine.

It was not unusual to have to change twine as the crop or conditions changed. This often meant sourcing a progressively thicker twine until the twine was so thick that it caused more problems than it solved: not tying, knots slipping and damaging knotters.

This trial-and-error method is less than ideal, causing a lot of frustration, downtime, and damage during a time when the pressure is on and there is no time to study the problem.

Once upon a time the number 7200 related to the number of feet in a pack, however, the manufacturing limitations that made this number relevant are a long, long way behind us. In fact, there are very few applications where a twine this short is even necessary. To confuse things even further, some products are sold by weight, which is no indicator of length or performance.

Modern manufacturing capabilities and higher-grade raw materials have allowed for much better performing twines to be produced, using less plastic while achieving much greater lengths. This means there is a choice between making the twine thicker or smarter.

However, not all manufacturers have invested in the same technology, and some twines are still made in a traditional way, but because balers have increased in capability and tractors only get more powerful, they have had to continue making their

twine thicker, getting shorter as a result, meaning more packs have to be bought.

There was clearly a need for clarity in the twine marketplace, as not all twine products are created equal.

Experience shows that performance of the twine is the number one concern when baling crops, and there are several influencing factors: • The capability of the baler (make/ model) determines how hard the crop is compacted (stored energy).

• The type of crop (forage/straw) determines how much it resists being compacted.

• The moisture level of the crop (conditions) determines the volume of crop needed to achieve the desired weigh. Less moisture means more crop is required to achieve the same weight, increasing the forces involved.

Once you understand these three controlling factors and their influence, it is possible to create a scale of performance, and in 2018, Tama released the International Baler Twine Segmentation - a comprehensive range of five twines that covers all balers, all crops, and every condition.

They range from Tama LSB Max 3 200 m, when low density is required, through to Tama HD Prime 2 200 m for maximum performance in extreme conditions. The range of Tama twine is specifically designed and manufactured to allow all balers to perform at the highest level with unrivalled knot performance, ensuring reliable, consistent baling with a higher output, better efficiency, and less waste.

To find the perfect match for your specific requirements, Tama works with the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to make recommendations for all balers in all crop types and conditions, guaranteeing the highest performance twine is selected every time.

The working relationship that Tama has with the major OEMs, means that all of these twines are fully validated, giving you certainty that the highest performance is guaranteed.

Using the Twine Selector tool on the Tama website, you can quickly and easily identify the recommended twine, and use the Twine Calculator to work out the quantity needed to cover all your baling needs for the season. All of Tama’s products contain a guaranteed minimum of the stated length, which means that you can be certain of your costs per bale before you start baling.

“Confidence in your baler twine is priceless, especially in these uncertain times,” Jonathan Coleclough, Regional Technical Manager for Tama UK, says.

“Tama has a team of highly knowledgeable, helpful and friendly crop baling solution specialists available to support you and your business all year round.

We can be contacted directly through our details below or on the website, or via any of our OEM partners and all good merchants.”

Your local Tama partner is Ernest Thompson. Call him at +27(0)83286-4147 or +27(0)22-482-2788, or send him an e-mail to ernest@ eft.za.net. Visit his website at www.eftproducts.co.za

Tama offers a variety of twine grades for different applications.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

13

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ProAgri BNZ 17

Article supplied

Choose SENTER360 for local quality A

t SENTER360 we are proud to not only supply products, but build long-term relations with our clients by delivering a package of high-quality products and excellent service. The SENTER360 centre pivot, manufactured since 1994, is known for its excellent quality and strength above industry standards. We have been part of the irrigation industry for more than 25 years and have interests in South Africa, Africa and in the rest of the world.

We are passionate about our centre pivots. We do not only build a tough, extremely strong structure but also give attention to small details to make a big difference in your everyday life.

Structural stability SENTER360 tower trusses are manufactured from pipe and not angle iron as is commonly used by other brands. The advantage of the lighter and structurally stronger material enables us to use two more sets of trusses per tower than is possible with angle iron trusses, ensuring an exceptionally strong structure.

An added advantage of the pipe truss structure is its aerodynamic superiority above angle iron as a structural material. That is the reason why a SENTER360 machine can withstand a windstorm of 158 km hour (actual field data) without any damage. This claim is borne out by the fact that no SENTER360 was blown over in the recent storms (the only brand not to topple over).

Firstly, the pipe structure, but also the standard long base beams, sturdy tower supports, stabilizing rods, diagonals, and a low centre of gravity, all contribute to the exceptional stability.

Innovative control panels The same modular principals used throughout the entire SENTER360 design is also visible in our control panel design. Our entry level control panel is similar in functionality to the top panels of most other brands.

Standard functions include: • on/ off • feedback when the machine stops • direct water application adjustment • showing the position of the pivot • low pressure stopping and pressure starting • part circle and sector adjustment with variable water application per sector • sector control of the end water cannon • auto-reverse with variable water application on return • pre-programmable scheduling options • and many more!

All new and old** SENTER360 panels can be controlled by your cell phone*, tablet*, computer or base station by adding a simple plug-in communication unit of your choice, such as GPRS/cell network, WiFi, or radio unit.

Full pump control, VSD control and feedback are also available on the same system. New panels have full function internet controls, record keeping, and graphs.

Last sprinkler solutions One of the common problems with centre pivot irrigators is the regular block-

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

age of the last nozzle. We have solved this problem in a simple innovative way, constantly keeping the last nozzle clean throughout the irrigation cycle.

SENTER360 centre pivots are equipped as standard with high quality, high performance Komet Twister sprinklers operating at 10 psi (0,7 bar) or optional 6 psi (0,42 bar), mounted on drop pipes. This top-quality product ensures outstanding water distribution, even in trying climatic conditions.

Heavy-duty motors and gearboxes The standard drivetrain of a SENTER360 centre pivot is made up of heavy-duty wheel gearboxes, driven by a 0,56 kW (40:1) motor gearbox combination (30:1 and others are optional). An optional five-year extended warranty is available (T’s and C’s apply). *Android, IOS and other **Older panel controls are limited to on/off, direct water adjustment, run and stop feedback communication.

Contact us at 018-469-1331 or 082564-5955 or visit www.senter360. co.za for more information.

15

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ProAgri BNZ 17

SOIL: The farmer’s most important asset Part 13: Air in soil Martiens du Plessis, Soil Scientist, NWK Limited and Prof Cornie van Huyssteen, Lecturer: Soil Science, University of the Free State

5 in this series). Soil air and water are found in the pores. They are mutually exclusive, therefore water will drive the air out of the soil.

Gas exchange The excess CO2 in the soil needs to be exchanged with the O2 in the atmosphere. This process is known as gas exchange. In dry soil, almost all the pores are filled with air and gas exchange can take place easily.

In wet soil, only the micro-pores are filled with water and gas exchange can The pressure of water vapour in the readily take place through the macro soil air is about 100%, compared with pores. The wetter the soil becomes, the considerably lower and varying the fewer the air-filled pores and the values in the atmosphere. The nitroless they are linked together. This gen concentration is about the same leads to a decrease in gas exchange, in soil as it is in the atmosphere. The with a resultant increase in the CO2 higher CO2 and lower O2 concentration and decrease in the O2 concentration. is due to the constant use of O2 and These anaerobic conditions deaccompanying production of CO2. velop typically due to lengthy rains, Soil pores make up about half of over-irrigation, in low-lying areas in the volume of the soil, while the other the landscape (wetlands), or where half comprises the solid fraction (minimpenetrable layers occur in the soil. erals and organic particles). The bulk Under anaerobic conditions, anaerodensity measures the ratio between bic micro-organisms can use other the pores and solid particles (See Part compounds such as NO3, Table 1: Average composition of soil and MnO2, Fe2O3, SO4, and atmospheric air even organic material as Element Soil air (%) Atmosphere (%) electron acceptors during respiration. Compounds N2 79,2 79,0 such as methane (CH4), nitrogen oxide (NO), ethO2 20,6 20,9 ylene (CH2=CH2) and hyCO2 0,25 0,03 drogen sulphide (H2S) are then produced instead of CO2. These elements are harmful and even toxic for the majority of plants and are additionally responsible for plants dying under water saturated conditions.

Soil is the most fundamental resource for the farmer, without which food and natural fibre cannot be produced. Because plant roots respire, the quantity of air in the soil is extremely important. Informed management of the factors responsible for the quantity and composition of the air in soil is therefore essential for the prevention of plant damage due to flooding. In this issue we discuss the importance, composition and movement of air within the soil.

P

lant roots and micro-organisms within the soil respire – they therefore need an electron acceptor during the oxidation of hydrocarbons to obtain energy. Plant roots and aerobic micro-organisms use oxygen, while anaerobic micro-organisms can use other elements such as nitrate (NO3), manganese (MnO2) and iron (Fe2O3).

Plant roots and aerobic micro-organisms thus use oxygen (O2) during respiration, while carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced. Should the oxygen concentration in the soil become too low, or the concentration of carbon dioxide become too high, the plant roots and micro-organisms cannot respire and they will die.

Composition of soil air The CO2 concentration in the soil is normally eight times higher than in the atmosphere, while the O2 concentration is only slightly lower (Table 1).

Air movement in soil Air can move through the soil via diffusion and mass flow. Diffusion, the more important of the two, is movement from a higher to a lower concentration, until equilibrium is reached (Figure 1). Equilibrium is, however, hardly ever reached in the soil, because O2 is constantly used and CO2 is constantly produced. Oxygen will therefore move from a high O2 concentration near the surface of the soil (which is in contact with the atmosphere) to a low O2 concentration in the lower layers (near the plant roots), due to diffusion. In a similar way, CO2 will diffuse from the lower levels to the soil surface.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

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Diffusion takes place because of a difference in concentration (ΔC) over a certain distance (ΔZ). The greater the difference in concentration and the shorter the distance, the greater the diffusion. The difference in concentration divided by the distance ((ΔC/ΔZ) is known as the concentration gradient. According to Fick’s Law, the flow of gas (q) is equal to the concentration gradient multiplied by a constant (D).

This constant is known as the diffusion quotient of gas through soil. q = D ΔC ΔZ

The diffusion quotient of gas through soil is lower than in the atmosphere.

Firstly because air-filled pores only make up 15% in moist soils, compared with the 100% in the atmosphere.

Secondly, the gas molecules in the soil must follow a winding route (Figure 1). This winding route is about 1,5 times longer in soil than in the atmosphere and is known as tortuosity.

Mass flow is the movement of air from a higher to a lower pressure. Air pressure differences between the soil and the atmosphere seldom occur. It can occur when the temperature changes rapidly (for example during

fires), the soil is wetted quickly, or when water is absorbed by plants or drains out of the soil. Air movement due to mass flow is therefore omissibly small.

The quantity and composition of soil air is therefore important because it determines the amount of oxygen available to plant roots for respiration.

The composition of soil air can change drastically as a result of changes in soil water content, bulk density and the activities of micro-organisms. The precise management of these properties is therefore essential in preventing plant damage.

sand grain sand grain

tr oo

t

sand grain

sand grain

sand grain

sand grain

pl

an

sand grain

sand grain

C sand grain

Figure 1: A schematic representation of root respiration (A), diffusion (B) and tortuosity (C).

REFERENCES Bennie, ATP. 1981 Soil Science 354. Soil and water management. Unpublished class notes for GKD354. University of the Free State, Bloemfontein.

For further information, please contact the authors on: ProAgri Zambia acknowledges Grain Martiens du Plessis: +27 (0)72-285-5414 / SA for the use of this series which martiens@nwk.co.za originally Afrikaans in Prof Cornie van appeared Huyssteen:in+27 (0)51-401 9247 SA / vanhuyssteencw@ufs.ac.za Graan/Grain.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

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ProAgri BNZ 17

Bonnox has a fence for every need

by Du Preez de Villiers

A

good fence is vital for any farmer. It does not only keep your flock safely inside, it also keeps predators and other threats out. Buying good quality fencing material also means that you are buying peace of mind.

Jacques Pretorius is a small-scale farmer near Potchefstroom in the North West province in South Africa, who swapped his truck for a flock of sheep. “I was in the livestock transport industry and dealt with contractors who erected Bonnox for the mines.

I regularly transported their stock from the Bonnox factory in Pretoria to Potchefstroom,” he says.

“Over time I grew to know the people at Bonnox and learnt that their products are very durable. When I compared it to other brands, I realised that the quality is not the same as its galvanising is of a higher standard. The Bonnox personnel were also very helpful and professional, which convinced me to buy a roll with every delivery, to erect my own fence on my smallholding.”

Five years ago, Jacques bought his first roll of Bonnox until he had enough for all his needs. He bought three different types.

“Dorper sheep love to crawl underneath standard strained wire and I experienced a severe setback when they managed to get into my lucerne field.

They bloated and many of them died.

After I erected my 0,65 m high Bonnox fence, that problem disappeared.”

“One night, thieves stole the wheels from my truck and I fixed that problem with a 1,8 m high fence along the road perimeter. I also placed two strains of barbed wire on top. This was a brilliant suggestion from Bonnox, since I have never had to face a burglary again.”

“I also erected a 1,4 m high fence between me and my neighbour. Before that, stray dogs attacked my lambs, but now Bonnox keeps them out. Since I erected the Bonnox fence, I haven’t had any problems.”

Jacques used his existing 0,11 m high anchor poles and only placed Y-

Jacques Pretorius can rest assured knowing that his sheep is protected by Bonnox.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

The 1,4 m high fence between Jacques and his neighbours keeps the neighbourhood’s stray dogs out. standards and droppers in between.

“I managed to erect the fence on my own, without any helpers. And it was a breeze! I made my own straining clamp and it worked very well,” he says.

Jacques is particularly impressed with the ease with which different Bonnox rolls are joined together.

“I will not waste my money on buying other brands. When you erect Bonnox, you know you won’t have to touch the fence for another ten to fifteen years, apart from general maintenance. Bonnox also has a very special offer. If you buy ten rolls, you get one free. It will be worthwhile to go for this discount,” he says.

For your fencing needs, call +27(0)76-169-9068, +27(0)72704-8764, +27(0)81-865-4543 or e-mail linda@bonnox.co.za, gerda@bonnox.co.za or zane@bonnox.co.za. Also visit their website at www.bonnox.co.za.

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ProAgri BNZ 17

AMS Inc makes sampling efficient S

uperb quality and efficiency are key elements that make soil sampling equipment accurate and dependable.

AMS Inc was founded by Art Vollweiler in American Falls, Idaho in 1942 with the purpose of manufacturing high-quality equipment used for agricultural, environmental, geotechnical, golf and turf, and construction sampling.

Over the past 79 years, AMS has evolved into a worldwide company offering a variety of hand augers, soil probes, core samplers, sludge and sediment samplers, gas vapor probes, and PowerProbeTM direct push/hollow stem auger drill rigs.

AMS’s professional design, development and manufacturing of products allow the customers to properly collect soil, groundwater, and soil gas samples from shallow depths. Their products can be used to install groundwater monitoring wells, a remedial system and conduct remedial injections. This can help protect and restore groundwater resources.

While AMS’s headquarters are in Idaho, they have distributors all over the world to help with your needs.

AMS prides themselves on a quality assurance programme with every tool made. While having a quality assurance programme in their own company, AMS is involved with ASTM International and NGWA (National Ground Water Association), helping to develop standards that are technically accurate and regulatory compliant.

AMS’s main focus along with quality assurance is customer demand.

Customers always want to drill deeper

The open-ended soil probe provides you with an effective way of monitoring soil conditions without disturbing root development.

The reinforced regular auger is better suited for heavier, or dryer soil conditions. and quicker, using the smallest carrier vehicle possible. With technological innovation and keeping with manufacturing traditions, AMS has spent the past two decades building PowerProbeTM into a tool that many customers value.

“Most everything that we manufacture today was handed down from Grandpa Art, and we still manufacture according to those same techniques and technology,” Marc Chipps, AMS President says. “Most of the hand sampling equipment is still pretty similar to how it was in the early days.”

Visitors come from all over the world to tour the facility, and they are usually shocked because AMS does not have auto assembly lines. AMS keeps the tradition of making every piece of hand augers and soil probes by hand.

One benefit of keeping the manufacturing process so similar to the early days has been to minimize automation and maximize flexibility. AMS manufactures customised equipment for companies that need PowerProbe’sTM with specific qualifications.

In addition to embracing a handmade manufacturing process, AMS builds equipment on order. Instead of having a huge inventory of rigs and augers awaiting purchase, Chipps says the team builds as orders come in, except for the PowerProbeTM line, of which they

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

AMS Inc manufactures high-quality one-piece mud augers to make quick work of soil sampling in wet conditions. keep stock for about 45 days.

The company’s traditional production system, which keeps more people employed by avoiding automation and circumvents overproduction by waiting for demand, is ultimately about creating quality and it has proved to be effective.

“We have hand augers that have been in the field for 25 years and customers are still using them,” Chipps says.

With sticking to tradition, AMS promises to never implement an automated phone system. It is important that their customers should be able to talk to a person to voice their needs. AMS is a firm believer in customer service; they take the time to get to know the clients, which is only possible with human-tohuman interaction.

The future is bright for AMS as they continue the legacy of Art Vollweiler who established the company over 79 years ago, to identify and develop new products perfectly suited to the requirements within the industry. At AMS, every customer is a valuable asset, and every product is A Work of Art.

For more information visit the website on www.ams-samplers.com, or send an email to ams@ams-samplers.com.

23

Trading for more than 25 years in Botswana

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SEEDCO Renowned and known african maize seeds and an exiting new vegetable range available 2021.

CULTERRA The best quality germination mixes and growing mediums. Lawn dressing and plant fertilizers available in handy 5kg packaging.

Tel: +267-241-4211 / 3906 E-mail: sales@agrichembotswana.com Plot 246/7, Khutse Crescent, Light industrial, Francistown

A QUALITY JOB EVERY TIME

ISUZU Drivetrain is dedicated to the repair and remanufacturing of ISUZU truck and bakkie propshafts, AMT, ZF and Allison gearboxes and differential components.

All items are stripped and paraffin bathed to remove all residue and methodically repaired or remanufactured following SABS standards and processes. Each transmission is dynamometer (dyno) tested in our workshop before being released.

We believe that quality products ensure the reliability and longevity of your Isuzu.

SERVICES We collect and deliver your drivetrain anywhere in SA. All repairs carry a factory backed warranty on parts and workmanship.

Contact us:

24

Office: +27 (11) 823 6628 / 1791 Email: paige@isuzudt.co.za / workshop@isuzudt.co.za website www.isuzudrivetrain.co.za

ProAgri BNZ 17

Isuzu Drivetrain:

Driving the support of Isuzu trucks

I

suzu is well known throughout Southern Africa for their reliable trucks and bakkies, but all things mechanical need support.

Isuzu Drivetrain was established in 2017 as a dedicated factory facility for the repair and remanufacturing of Isuzu truck drivetrains. Isuzu Drivetrain is uniquely positioned to provide the best advice and competitive pricing.

Explained quite simply, the drivetrain is all the parts that transmit the engine power onto the road. In this case the transmission (gearbox), propshafts, differential, and side shafts.

The whole Isuzu truck range is catered for at Isuzu Drivetrain’s premises. N- and F- series with AMT (Automated Manual Transmissions), ZF, as well as the mighty Allison gearboxes, are serviced. Front and rear differentials are repaired in a dedicated area.

Isuzu Drivetrain operates through the extensive Isuzu dealer network in South Africa, and into Southern Africa.

Based in Jet Park, Boksburg on the East Rand, Isuzu Drivetrain serves customers in all corners of the region with a special courier service, ensuring items are transported daily, with the shortest delivery period in South Africa. Parts are sourced directly from the Isuzu PDC (Parts Distribution Centre) in Port Elizabeth, ensuring quality parts backed by Isuzu SA. All

work carries a one-year warranty.

All items are stripped and paraffin bathed to remove all dirt and residues, allowing for accurate and thorough evaluation. Each gearbox or diff is methodically repaired or remanufactured following SABS ISO 9001 2015 standards and processes. Each transmission is dynamometer (dyno) tested in the workshop before being released.

Warwick Wright, Marketing Manager, ISUZU Drivetrain, says: “Our belief is that a quality product ensures the reliability and longevity of your Isuzu truck.”

Isuzu Drivetrain is headed by Andy Scott, a pioneer in the gearbox and diff industry, with decades worth of experience that he passes on to the workshop staff.

“Among our focuses, we believe in growing our staff through ongoing training ensuring Isuzu Drivetrain continues to be part of the Isuzu family,” says Warwick.

Exchange your gearbox Growth is also a key focus, with most of the large fleet operators using Isuzu Drivetrain as their preferred partner.

Downtime is a potentially crippling part of any fleet. Tens of thousands of Rands can be lost daily in the transport business if vehicles are not operating properly. Loss of income, undelivered goods and fixed costs mean that service

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

exchange gearboxes that can get you running in a jiffy are the answer.

These are ready-built gearboxes and diffs, quality checked and run, ready to be dispatched. These units come at a set cost, but their purpose is to lower the time of stripping and quoting on a failed unit. Within an hour a unit can be dispatched , and if you consider the time and money this option saves, the choice is obvious. Each item is secured to a pallet, preventing damage, and can be shipped anywhere in the region.

Warwick says: “We are proud of our association with Isuzu SA, a Level 1 BBEEE company, and wear our badge with pride.”

The workshop is AA, MIWA, SABS ISO 9001 2025, SANS and RMI approved.

Farmers driving Isuzu bakkies are also not left out in the cold. For 2021 Isuzu Drivetrain has expanded into the LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) or bakkie range, including the Isuzu Frontier, KB, D Max, and MUX in the product line-up.

Isuzu is with you for the long run. Phone +27-11-8236628/1791 to make Isuzu Drivetrain your support partner for your fleet.

25

CONSULTING south africa

Work Permit & Expatriate Solutions

LARGE NUMBER OF INBOUND FOREIGN NATIONAL EMPLOYEES? APPLY FOR A CORPORATE VISA The Corporate Visa enables employers in the Agricultural sector to employ a pre-determined number of skilled/ semi-skilled/unskilled foreign nationals for a specific period not exceeding three years.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE CORPORATE VISA APPLICATION PROCESS

1

2

3

APPLY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR FOR THE LABOUR CERTIFICATE

APPLY FOR THE CORPORATE VISA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS

APPLY FOR INDIVIDUAL VISAS (CORPORATE WORKER CERTIFICATE)

This is the most complex and lengthiest part of the process and involves engagement with the Department of Labour as well as a compliance inspection to the operations prior to the application being finalised.

Once the Department of Labour certificate has been successfully obtained, we will lodge an application with the Department of Home Affairs for the Corporate Visa Certificate itself.

Each foreign individual would need their own visas to be endorsed into their respective passports under the umbrella of the Corporate Visa as prescribed.

We will assist the company to prepare for this inspection and provide them with a checklist.

BE AWARE OF TAX IMPLICATIONS It is important to understand that a cash salary and benefits paid to a foreign worker for activities performed in South Africa will be subject to income tax. There is also a risk of the worker being double taxed both in South Africa and in their home country on the same income earned. We are able to give employers upfront tax advice before employing foreign workers, including how to create a mobility policy and implementing tax equalisation for mobile employees.

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26

ProAgri BNZ 17

Pig production guide Part 8:

T

his summary article concludes the pig farming series published in the recent issues of ProAgri BNZ. Pig feed Good, high-quality feed is essential for pig production. Proper feed does not only lead to healthier pigs, but also to more profit. Pig feed can drastically impact on the profitability of a pig farm due to the fact that the price of feed is linked to the market price of grain.

If grain becomes more expensive, so does feed.

This is why those farmers who can afford to do so, usually plant their own grain to make their own feed. Pig feed influences the growth and reproduction rate of your piggery. The quality of feed will also determine how much of it the animal can effectively absorb, and how much simply goes to waste. Not all pigs can eat the same feed. The feeding requirements of pigs in the different production phases differ, therefore they need different feed mixtures.

There are generally four categories that pigs can be divided into according

to their feeding requirements.

Boars: Boars need to be kept in good condition for breeding purposes. They need to be fed a mixture that is high in fibre and protein, usually containing bran rather than grain.

Pregnant sows: These sows can be fed with the same feed as the boars, seeing that their dietary requirements are similar.

Sows with piglets: The mixture is usually referred to as a lactating sow mixture. A good quality feed will prevent her from losing too much weight while feeding her piglets.

Young pigs: Young pigs from the age of three to ten weeks also need their own mixture. The final mixture can be fed to growing pigs up to the point where they weigh between 60 and 90 kg.

Pig feed can include the following products: • Grains such as maize, sorghum, wheat, barley, or oats • Grain by-products such as wheat

• •

bran, hominy chop or maize bran Plant proteins like soya oilcake or sunflower oilcake Animal proteins like fishmeal or bloodmeal

Other elements that should be added to pig feed include feed grade lime, salt, calcium phosphate and a mineral and vitamin feed additive.

New-born piglets are very sensitive to cold, draughts, wet bedding and floors, as well as sudden changes in temperature. Therefore ensure that everything possible is done to prevent piglets from being exposed to these conditions.

Feed the piglets small quantities every 2 to 3 hours. Start by giving 50 ml each time they are fed, so that each piglet takes in 350 ml per day. Gradually increase the quantity to about 100 ml so that each piglet gets 750 ml at three weeks of age.

Management of the specific treatment of piglets Umbilical cord: Disinfect the umbilical cord after birth with an iodine solution or any other suitable disinfectant to prevent bacterial infection.

Tusk clipping: Piglets have very sharp temporary tusks (or teeth) at birth, which must be clipped to prevent injuries to the teats of the sows during suckling. Use a tusk clipper and do not clip the teeth too close to the gums.

Iron injections: The milk of the sow does not provide enough iron to piglets that are reared on concrete floors. Piglets must therefore be injected with iron when they are three to seven days old.

Water and feed: Clean, fresh water placed at the back of the pen where the piglets will learn to defacate is very important. The sooner they start to drink water the better.

Sow management: Good management is necessary to produce a maximum number of pigs that can be sold per sow in one year's time at a maximum profit for the farmer.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

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Preventing and treating diseases in piggeries There are many causes of disease in animals. Knowledge of causes of disease, and of how animals can get a disease, helps us to know how to prevent disease and to treat sick animals. Below are some potential causes of diseases.

Parasites Most parasites are easy to see, although some mites and the early stages of worms can only be seen under a microscope.

External parasites: Flies, lice, fleas, ticks and mites can cause serious diseases in animals. Some live on the animals for their entire lives, others only spend part of their lives there, while others only visit to feed. They can result in irritation and skin damage in animals.

Internal parasites: Internal parasites (including roundworms, flukes and tapeworms) can cause serious diseases and loss of production in animals. They usually live in the stomach and intestines, but also in other parts of the body such as the lungs and liver.

Microbes Microbes (germs) are usually too small to be seen with the naked eye, and only a microscope will enable you to see what a microbe looks like. Just because you do not see microbes with your naked eye, does not mean that they cannot cause disease in your animals.

Many different microbes can cause disease in animals, but there are four main types:

Viruses are the smallest of all microbes. They must live inside cells in order to survive and breed. Viruses cause about 60% of disease outbreaks in animals and humans. Examples of diseases in animals caused by viruses are rabies, Newcastle disease and three-day stiffsickness. It is difficult to treat diseases caused by viruses because the viruses live inside animal cells.

cause disease. Malnourished animals may develop other diseases because they are weak.

Bacteria can live in animals and in the environment. Not all bacteria cause disease. People and animals have bacteria living on and in them that do not cause disease. Examples of diseases in animals caused by bacteria are anthrax, blackquarter and tuberculosis.

Bacteria can infect wounds, and that is why wounds should be treated.

Congenital diseases: In some cases, animals can be born with a disease.

Some of these may be inherited (passed on from the parents). This is rare, and inherited diseases are usually seen at birth.

Fungi occur widespread in the environment (soil, air and water) and include mushrooms and mould on stale food.

Fungi need to grow on organic material in order to feed, and this can include animals and people. An example of a fungal disease in animals is ringworm.

Some protozoa can live outside cells, especially the type that causes trichomonosis, a venereal disease in cattle.

Others need to live inside cells, and include those causing coccidiosis, redwater, heartwater and gallsickness.

Animals can be poisoned by chemicals (such as insecticides and dips), poisonous plants and fungal toxins.

They can also be bitten by snakes, scorpions and spiders.

Dietary problems: Lack of enough food or lack of a particular part of the food (such as phosphorus) can also

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

Metabolic diseases: Metabolic diseases are an upset in the normal functioning of the animal (that is not caused by infection, poisoning or feed deficiencies) and usually result from intensive animal production.

Environmental problems, such as pollution, contribute to some diseases, for example, animals may eat plastic bags or wires and this can harm the animal's health.

Cancer occurs when some of the cells in the body grow in a way that is different from normal. Illness occurs because of the pressure of the growth on other parts of the body and the fact that affected parts of the body cannot function normally.

Allergies: Some diseases are caused by allergies, which is when the body's own immune system attacks part of the body.

Degenerative disease: Some diseases are caused by parts of the body breaking down, particularly as an animal grows older.

Breeding practices and boar management In the case of a small-scale farm with 20 or fewer breeding sows, the following 29

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selection and breeding programme can be used: • Always buy good (above average) purebred boars.

• Buy boars from prominent breeds used in your country.

• When buying gilts (young female pigs) for the first time, make sure that they come from a breeder with good pigs and who keeps accurate records.

• When at a later stage you want to select your own gilts for breeding, it is important to apply strict selection measures and to keep accurate records of growth and feed conversion.

• Always buy gilts from the same breeder (farm) and make sure that a breeding plan (policy) is used.

Breeding pigs Buy boars at least four or five weeks before they are used for the first time.

This will allow you time to keep them in quarantine and the boars to adapt to the new environment.

Important considerations: • Select boars that are free from defects.

• The boar must be at least 8 months old.

• The boar and the sow should preferably be about the same size.

• The boar should work (serve the sow) in his own pen or in a pen that is familiar to him.

• The floor of the pen must not be

must therefore be built in such a way that the pigs are protected against extreme temperatures and other bad weather conditions such as cold winds and continuous rain.

•

slippery and all obstructions must be removed.

A small sow and not a gilt should be used to train the boar.

Select breeding gilts from sows that produce large litters with above average growth rate, and carcasses with a low fat content.

Proper housing is important As the story teaches us, pig houses of straw or twigs do not suffice. Pigs at different stages of growth need different environments and temperatures. If they are to produce and grow to their maximum potential, piglets need special protection against very low temperatures. Growing and reproducing pigs must be protected against high temperatures. The houses

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

Manure management An important operation on any pig farm is proper waste management. The manure produced in the piggery can cause many problems if not managed effectively. If sound waste management principles are followed, it can increase the productivity and profitability of your pig farm.

During the structural planning of a new piggery, or the expansion of an existing structure, careful consideration must be given to the specific waste management system that will be implemented.

Farmers generally tend to dispose of the waste in a liquid or semi-liquid form, known as slurry.

There are two options for removing the waste from the pens easily and effectively: The housing can be constructed with a slatted floor that covers a storage lagoon into which all the waste can flow. Alternatively, the housing can be constructed with sloping floors that lead to waste channels.

These channels flow into a waste storage pit away from the housing.

Regardless of the design, the principle remains that the waste should be drained away from the pigs to prevent infectious disease from spreading in the piggery.

31

Botswana

Making profit from poultry: Part 7 I

n this concluding article we summarise the whole poultry series published in the previous issues of ProAgri BNZ.

Broiler and egg production are becoming increasingly popular among small-scale farmers. It is relatively easy to raise broilers and you do not need a lot of space. Chicken meat is also extremely popular throughout the world.

It is seen as a healthy meat that is low in fat and rich in protein (lean meat).

Chicken housing Chicks are extremely sensitive to cold and can die easily. The housing needs to be well ventilated. Ammonia is produced in the excrement of the chickens, and if there is not sufficient ventilation to ensure clean, fresh air, it may cause 32

the chicks to die. Furthermore, the housing should not have any leaks that may expose the chickens to rain.

A chicken house needs to have a proper roof to keep the chickens cool in summer, warm in winter, and dry throughout the year. There should be good drainage around the house so that the floor does not flood during heavy rain. It should be easy to clean, and all entrances such as doors and windows should be properly secured to prevent theft.

Poultry equipment Basic equipment can be bought or made from available material. There are two basic necessities when it comes to broiler production. They need to have adequate feeders and drinking apparatus. Ensuring that the chickens have enough clean water is essential

for their survival. The quality and availability of feed has a significant impact on the growth rate, which translates to more money in your pocket in the long run. Feeders need to be closed at the top to prevent foreign objects from polluting the feed.

Brooding Brooding means taking good care of small, vulnerable chicks. Chick deaths are common during their first ten days of life. During this time, you need to keep chicks warm and comfortable.

When your baby chicks arrive, they will need special care. This is the time when you can expect a few chicks to die. In tropical countries it may not be necessary to provide extra heat during the day, but only at night, and then only for the first 10 days. Dead chicks

ProAgri BNZ 17

should be removed and buried in a hole in the ground. Sick and weak chicks should be kept separately and given special care.

to 30˚C, they grow best. In the tropics, the temperature is normally above 30˚C in the daytime, so they will grow a bit slower than usual.

Health and disease prevention Chickens are fragile and can get sick very easily, especially when they are young. There are two major sources of disease: • If their diet is not correctly formulated, the birds can contract a metabolic disease due to a nutrient deficiency (vitamins or minerals).

• Other diseases are caused by minute organisms called bacteria and viruses. It is often necessary to treat the chicks with a vaccine as soon as they hatch, which allows them to resist the disease if it occurs. This is normally done at the hatchery. Newcastle disease is present in many countries and chickens need to be vaccinated more than once.

Some chickens will die in the first week, particularly those that are small and weak. You must remove and bury them immediately. You can expect to lose at least 4 to 5 chicks out of 100 in the first 3 weeks. Another two may die later. Mortalities can be much higher, especially if management and housing conditions are poor.

Commercial broiler meat production To prepare for the chicks’ arrival, it is best that you have a time plan or schedule to ensure that: • the house will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, • there are no shavings or litter on the floor, • the brooder heater is checked and adjusted (if there is one), • feeders and drinkers are in place; chicks usually look for water first, • a small quantity of starter feed is scattered on paper on the floor of the brooder so that the chicks can start to eat, • For the first 7 to 10 days, special care should be taken to ensure that the chicks eat and drink well, and that they are comfortable.

Broiler chickens can grow very fast, but only when well looked after and given good feed.

• After 3 weeks of age when the house temperature is less than 28

In some regions you will not have all of these choices.

Marketing Selling your chickens profitably is essential. You can sell them: • alive on a bird or on a weight basis, • through a middleman who will take some of your profit for himself, • dressed, plucked, eviscerated (gutted) and organs (lungs, liver, heart) removed, • to an abattoir for processing.

Manure Chicken litter will produce very valuable manure, rich in nutrients. You can: • use it on your garden, • make it into a compost, • sell it.

Record keeping It is essential that you keep good records of feed used, dead birds and the final weight of the chickens. These records will then be used to determine whether you made a profit or a loss.

There are several choices of housing hens for egg production: • in group battery cages (expensive but saves floor space), • indoors on the floor (barn hens or deep litter), • free-range outdoors during the day, • large groups or colony cages indoors, For replacement or point-of-lay pullets (young hens not yet in lay) there are two options. The farmer can either purchase hybrids or pure-bred chicks from a hatchery, or he can hatch and raise his own chicks. The former is often more expensive than the latter.

Free-range is the perfect way to start your poultry farm The term free-range cannot be used loosely in order for farmers to appeal to the consumer’s market. According to the European Union, eggs or meat offered for sale as free-range must be from flocks that are kept in the following conditions: 1. The hens must have continuous daytime access to open-air runs.

2. The ground to which hens have access must be mainly covered with vegetation.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

33

Botswana 34

ProAgri BNZ 17

3. The maximum stocking should not exceed 1 000 birds/hectare (or 1 bird/10 m2).

The biggest disadvantage of a freerange production system is a lower rate of production and higher feed costs. Due to the fact that the chickens will spend a lot of energy moving around and foraging, there is less energy available for growth. In order to achieve the same growth rates as conventional production systems, the farmer will need to increase the quantity of feed per chicken per day.

Process your poultry to boost your profit A farm is above all a business and should therefore be operated on sound business principles to be successful.

In order to produce profitable poultry, the farmer should ensure that: • everything is done in strict hygienic conditions,

• • •

quality and appearance remain consistent, prices are affordable, the product is produced with a realistic expiry date.

Small-scale farmers can also capitalise on the opportunity to expand their chicken farms into a poultry producing enterprises. However, certain aspects need to be kept in mind when planning a poultry processing plant.

The correct steps in the slaughtering process A few steps need to be taken to get the chicken from the farm onto the plate.

The first is transport and receiving facilities for live birds. Second, the birds then need to enter the production line where the next steps of stunning, scalding, defeathering and evisceration will take place. After this, the poultry can be portioned, packaged, and kept in cold storage for distribution to the retail market.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

Receiving live birds This part of the process starts on the farm. It is important to choose the abattoir closest to your farm to limit transport costs, and to limit the stress that the transport may cause the birds.

Stress can have a negative impact on the quality of the meat, as well as causing mortalities in transit. Birds that are dead on arrival will be discarded for hygienic reasons, and can therefore lead to a loss of income for the farmer.

The abattoir must have a roofed receiving area where the crates can be unloaded. Gates are essential to ensure that access to the facility can be controlled with strict bio-security measures in place.

The production line After the birds have been received, they are attached to the production line. This is done by attaching their feet to the conveyor and hanging them upside down. The live poultry receiving and stunning areas must have dimmed lighting. One minute must be allowed between the hanging and stunning point. Approximately 15 to 18 birds per minute per handler are permitted.

Hangers hanging the birds must treat them in a humane and calm way. Birds must be hung facing the same direction. Both legs must be secured into the shackles. A guide rail is usually provided, which will relax the birds.

Bends in the slaughtering line should be kept to a minimum, and any disturbing obstructions should be removed. Supervision is important.

After all is done, the packaging and distribution of the chicks are also important to make your product acceptable for the market.

35

Botswana

Brucellosis and the risk for humans M

odern consumers are more informed about the origin of products than ever before. During the past two decades there has been a major effort from both consumers and producers to promote the traceability of agricultural products. One of the main reasons for this trend is to ensure that the threat of infection by diseases such as brucellosis is minimised.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, which means that it is caused by germs and spread between animals and people. It mainly affects farm animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats.

Brucellosis is a highly contagious bacterial herd disease and there is no treatment for infected animals.

The most common way in which the Brucella bacteria can infect humans is through the consumption of raw products originating from an infected herd, such as unpasteurised milk, cream, ice-cream, butter, and cheese.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), more than a thousand new infected herd units were reported to them countrywide over the past five years.

Brucellosis infection in humans is under-reported in Southern Africa because of the non-specific clinical signs of the disease in people, and lack of testing. Brucellosis symptoms include fever, headache, night sweat, fatigue, and weight loss.

Due to the increased risk around this disease the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), in partnership with the National Animal Health Forum (NAHF), the Department of Agriculture, and all their associated partners have recently launched an extensive awareness and education campaign.

The South African Veterinary Strategy (2016 to 2026) has identified bovine brucellosis as a model disease for disease control purposes, and this strategy has the backing and support of the entire veterinary profession.

People who consumed raw milk and show symptoms of brucellosis — but have not been treated yet — should see their doctor immediately for testing, to determine whether they are infected and need antibiotics to prevent long-term health problems.

Chronic brucellosis (brucellosis left untreated) may cause complications in only one organ or throughout the body.

With the rise of positive brucellosis cases amongst cattle herds, SAVC

36

Bovine brucellosis is endemic in cattle in Southern Africa and can be transmitted to humans by the consumption of infected meat, unpasteurised milk, cream, ice-cream, butter, and cheese. urges the public not to drink unpasteurised milk and to take caution with raw meat. If you suspect a herd of cattle in your area to have brucellosis, notify your veterinarian (private or state) or your animal health technician.

They will take the matter further.

Bovine brucellosis is endemic in cattle in all nine provinces of South Africa. The current hotspot areas in South Africa are the Free State, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, with more cases still being reported.

The SAVC, in collaboration with the above-mentioned industry partners, have launched a campaign, #BrakesonBrucellosis, to increase awareness of this disease.

Please follow the social media pages and visit the websites of these departments for more information on the disease and the precautions you can take.

For South Africa’s neighbouring countries, the risk of a brucellosis outbreak in livestock is just as high, and

farmers need to ensure that they take the necessary precautions to prevent this from happening. Farmers are urged to consult their veterinarians, or nearest animal health specialists for support and advice with vaccination programmes to combat the disease.

Early detection and quick response are the best ways to mitigate the effects of an outbreak. If a farmer suspects that his livestock may be infected, he should contact one of the following institutions:

Botswana (Ministry of Agriculture: Veterinary Services) +(0)267-392-8816 Namibia (Central Veterinary Laboratory) +(0)264-61-237-684 Zimbabwe (Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services) +(0)26304-797-390

ProAgri BNZ 17

FSG Zambia fertilisers ensure a successful yield.

SUPERFERT VEG BLEND 1 (10 N : 10 P : 20 K) Superfert veg blend 1 is a perfect basal dressing fertiliser for horticulture production. It has the required nutrient composition to protect young plants from challenges such as root scotching during the initial stages of crop establishment.

This fertiliser can be applied before planting or within the first week after transplanting.

The recommended application is 10 g of Superfert veg blend 1 per plant, placed 5 cm away beneath the soil surface.

This blend provides sufficient phosphorous to promote quick root formation and strenghen cellulose in the xylem cells of young plants. Superfert provides the necessary nutrition for young plants to flourish during the initial stages of crop development which is a critical stage in determining the potential of your yield.

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ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

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ProAgri BNZ 17

Rain, rain, and more rain for Namibia: Farmers are ecstatic

by Benine Ackermann

H

ope. Hope to restore your field, to build your herd and recover financially. That is what Namibian farmers are currently experiencing after the welcome rains that broke the devastating drought.

Namibia suffered a drought the past few years, but since November 2020 and in early 2021 they had lots of rain.

Their rainy season usually begins in November and lasts until April. There are even places in Namibia where floods occurred, and the weather experts predict more rain for Namibia for 2021.

Even Namibia’s dams are recovering.

The Neckartal Dam is located in the Berseba constituency, and is the largest water storage dam in Namibia with a capacity of about 960 million cubic metres, three times the size of Hardap Dam near Mariental in the Hardap region. This dam was completed in October 2018, and overflowed for the very first time on 19 January 2021.

The public expressed concern on Facebook that there were cracks in the Neckartal Dam wall, but the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform declared in a press release that these rumours were untrue.

With the rains also came floods in Windhoek since December. In a statement issued on 7 January, the city government said emergency response teams attended to 14 flood-related incidents from 30 December 2020 to 5 January 2021. Around 80 households, mostly in areas of Otjomuise, were affected. The city plans to relocate at least 65 households adversely affected by flooding.

Several rivers broke their banks, including the Gammams River.

Windhoek has already seen around

Neckartal Dam overflowing for the first time

Jako van Wyk’s Foreman, Sampie Scott, proudly displaying a rain meter after good rains.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

39

Namibia

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Agrimark Agrimark Agrimark is for people is for is for people who people share who who a share love share aoflove athe love of land, of thethe people land, land, people who people plant who who and plant plant dig, and and dream dig, dig, dream and dream do. and and do.do.

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Rehoboth Rehoboth

Rehoboth

Hardap Mariental

Aranos Aranos Aranos Stampriet Stampriet Stampriet HardapHardap Aranos Mariental Mariental Stampriet

Grünau

Hardap

Mariental Gochas

GochasGochas

Grünau Grünau Grünau

Gochas

Keetmanshoop

Keetmanshoop Keetmanshoop

Keetmanshoop

Grünau

GrünauGrünau

Grünau

Aranos Aranos Aranos (062) (062) 272 (062) 375 272 272 • Gobabis 375 375 • Gobabis • Gobabis (062) (062) 565 (062) 335 565 565 • Gochas: 335 335 • Gochas: • Gochas: (063) (063) 250 (063) 007 250 250 • 007 Grootfontein 007 • Grootfontein • Grootfontein (067) (067) 248 (067) 500 248 248 • 500 Grünau 500 • Grünau • Grünau (063) (063) 262 (063) 059 262 262 059 059 Aranos (062) 272 375 • Gobabis (062) 565 335 •011 Gochas: (063) 250 007 • Grootfontein (067) 248 500 • Grünau (063) 262 059 Hardap Hardap Hardap (063) (063) 240 (063) 897 240 240 • 897 Hochfeld 897 • Hochfeld • Hochfeld (062) (062) 549 (062) 011 549 549 • Kalahari 011 • Kalahari • Kalahari Padstal Padstal Padstal Omitara Omitara Omitara (062) (062) 560 (062) 250 560 560 • 250 Keetmanshoop: 250 • Keetmanshoop: • Keetmanshoop: (063) (063) 227 (063) 450 227 227 450 450 Hardap (063) 240 897 • 309 Hochfeld (062) 549 011 •418 Kalahari Padstal Omitara (062) 560 250 Mariental Mariental Mariental (063) (063) 241 (063) 309 241 241 • 309 Omaruru • Omaruru • Omaruru (064) (064) 571 (064) 418 571 571 • Ondangwa 418 • Ondangwa • Ondangwa (065) (065) 240 (065) 483 240 240 • 483 Otjiwarongo 483 • Otjiwarongo • Otjiwarongo (067)• Keetmanshoop: (067) 300 (067) 300 300 300 300 300 (063) 227 450 Mariental (063) 241 309 • Omaruru (064) 571 418 • Ondangwa (065) 240 483 • Otjiwarongo (067) 300 300 40

ProAgri BNZ 17 OutjoOutjo (067) Outjo (067) 312 (067) 585 312 312 • 585 Rehoboth 585 • Rehoboth • Rehoboth (062) (062) 521 (062) 550 521 521 • 550 Stampriet 550 • Stampriet • Stampriet (063) (063) 260 (063) 046 260 260 • 046 Windhoek 046 • Windhoek • Windhoek 061 40 061 1490 061 4040 1490 1490 Outjo (067) 312 585 • Rehoboth (062) 521 550 • Stampriet (063) 260 046 • Windhoek 061 40 1490

This is what Hansie Esterhuyse's veld looked like in 2018.

200 mm of rain since the beginning of the year. On 13 January, the city recorded 61 mm of rain in 24 hours.

The annual average for January is around 85 mm.

“In 2019 our rainfall was 60 mm over the normal average, and in 2020 73 mm. And since November we have had 363 mm of rain,” said Hansie Esterhuyse, a farmer from the Groot Karasberge at Keetmanshoop in Namibia. He farms with sheep, goats, and game.

During his years of intense drought, he reduced his stock by half, and moved the remainder to rented land.

He lets a camp or two rest every year.

This practice enabled him to also help friends in 2018, because he had grazing available.

Another very happy farmer, Ernst Erni from the farm Urusis outside of

Hansie’s veld in 2020.

Maltahöhe in the Hardap district, had 130 mm of rain between 21 December and 14 January. “It is very close to our average rainfall figure (230 to 250 mm), and the rainy season still lies ahead.

“The veld looks very good after a few days of sunshine. I think the drought is over for now,” he said.

He also added that except for the last rains of 30 to 60 mm that fell very quickly, the first 100 mm of rain was soft and penetrating. There was no flood damage. But after the rain of 14 January, the situation looks a bit different with roads that were flooded.

Jako van Wyk, also a farmer south east of Aranos and next to the Khalaghadi Transfrontier Park, has six rain meters. The average between them since November is 236 mm.

“The older farmers believe that the rain season for Namibia only begins

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

after 20 January. I am very happy, grateful, and relieved. It is difficult for me to describe, but you can see the feeling in the liveliness of the lambs and the gestating cows playing in the rain.”

Jako confirmed that the rain brought widespread relieve, “but to win a drought, we shall need follow-up rain seasons”.

41

Namibia

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43

Zimbabwe 44

ProAgri BNZ 17

Make a living out of your own backyard: Get chickens to do the hard work

by Annemarie Bremner

B

elinda Sparrow-Smith from Bulawayo says: “One day I was spraying a fruit tree with a natural remedy against some harmful insects when my daughter ran past getting some of the spray on her. I remember thinking, what if this were poison? Then I started looking at all the things we were buying to eat, wondering how much poison I am feeding to my family without knowing.”

The desire to provide herself and her family with healthy, organic food set the Sparrow-Smiths off on a road of no return.

“It is tempting at times to jump in with a quick chemical solution when the bugs are winning the game,” says husband Steve, “but we are not prepared to let one quick-fix destroy all that we have built up over the years.”

Around the same time Belinda made the decision to go organic, Hazel Mugford, permaculture expert from Wild Olive Farm in the Western Cape, was in Bulawayo to present a five-day course on permaculture, and of course, Belinda signed up.

Hazel defines permaculture as: A system of applied design for the creation of sustainable human habitat.

People following permaculture principles aim to grow as much of their own food as possible in the least amount of space, with the least amount of effort, while co-operating with nature.

The idea is to plant a wide variety of plants for food and medicinal purposes, making use of companion planting and crop rotation to enhance growth and confuse insects. For instance, nasturtium can be grown all around your beds to lure snails away from your vegetables. Radish is another plant that can bear the brunt of insect attacks while protecting your more vulnerable crops.

One of the methods to establish a permaculture setup is to use the Mandala dome planting system developed

by Linda Woodrow. Each Mandala is made up of seven circles with a movable chicken pen moving from the one circle to the next, with the chickens preparing the soil for planting. The middle circle can be used for a pond and herb spirals, or perennial plants such as rhubarb and artichokes.

To start off the whole growing cycle, the first and most important step is to create a proper composting system.

Without compost your chickens cannot do their work and your plants will not grow. Composting is an ongoing process; it never ends! Find more informa-

1

2 7

6

3 5

4

tion on compost making at the end of the article.

With that done you can start cultivating your circles, employing a feathered labour force!

Your first load of compost is placed in Circle 1 where you are planning to place your movable chicken dome or pen. The dome will stay over Circle 1 for 2 to 4 weeks, allowing the chickens to do their work of scratching, churning, and manuring the plant area, before moving to Circle 2.

For their first chicken dome, Steve and Belinda followed the South African example of using white electrical con-

duit to build the dome structure, but quickly found out that the Zimbabwe sun is just too harsh: the plastic became brittle and rapidly disintegrated.

Steve then started building cages using 50 mm PVC piping, but in the end, they resorted to a steel frame covered with chicken mesh around the sides and a piece of canvas over the top to protect the chickens from the sun and rain.

One of the reasons for using round pens is that chickens can get quite nasty to each other, especially if new members are introduced to a flock of familiar and trusted friends. The new chicken will be chased into a corner and tormented, but with no corners the game gets boring!

Amusement Your chickens will eat out of the garden they help to create, but you can start them off on some crushed maize.

They always need to have clean water.

Tossing the snails collected from your nasturtiums into the pen will provide amusement for owner and chicken alike!

Make sure there is always enough material for them to scratch around, and add a regular supply of ash from the braai or wood fire. It helps to control parasites.

Belinda started off using Rhode

It is possible to farm commercially in your own backyard, using organic methods.

Belinda Sparrow-Smith describes how the garden snails find a home under the nasturtium leaves from where she can remove them to become chicken feed.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

45

Zimbabwe 46

ProAgri BNZ 17

There really is no excuse for anyone with a bit of space to not start providing for themselves, says Belinda. Use the principles and create something that you can handle. It does not have to be big, even small circles in a small area can provide a sustainable supply of healthy food.

Obed Ndavani, Belinda’s right-hand man in the garden, is very proud of the wide variety of quality food they produce.

Steve Sparrow-Smith says he let this cauliflower grow just to see how big it can get!

Island Reds for their egg production, but has now switched to hardy Boschveld chickens. In the middle of each pen is a very simple chicken coup for the hens to lay their eggs, and if they are happy you will get rewarded with an egg a day from every hen.

Three people are needed to pick up the pen and move it to the next circle with the chickens running along inside.

Circle 1 is then ready for planting. A pathway is made through the middle to provide space for an irrigation line and to enable you also to reach every plant in the 3-metre diameter circle from the inside or the outside without stepping into your bed.

Besides compost, the other ingredient needed to succeed is mulch. Always cover the soil with bark, cut grass, or other material to preserve moisture, encourage more bacterial and biological activities and prevent weeds from taking over.

In an area of about 60 by 30 metres they produced enough crops to earn an income of between US$1 000 and US$1 500 per month. The money was used to put their three children through school providing a good education for the future.

Belinda says it was hard work getting up early every other morning to pick, wash and pack the leaves in pillow packs and deliver to the shops, but it was worth it! They did it for eight years, but now they are relaxing a bit, planting only to provide for themselves, staff, friends, family, and guests staying in one of their beautiful guest houses at Stone’s Throw.

Belinda says the eggs are also still providing a lovely cash income, and many people refuse to eat any other eggs than theirs, being all natural and healthy.

What to plant?

“Plant what you want to eat,” says Belinda. “It is no use filling half a circle with cabbage if nobody in the family likes it.”

There are lots of information available online about companion planting and which plants can be used to lure harmful insects away from sensitive crops, as well as plants attracting beneficial insects. For instance, plant catnip as a companion to aubergine to repel flea beetles and ants, or marigolds to repel aphids.

Around and in between the circles, higher growing shrubs or low growing trees can be planted to provide some shade, but not too much. A good example is tree tomatoes or lemon trees that can be pruned to remain small.

With Steve and Belinda both coming from farming stock, they went a bit further than most and adapted the system to grow fancy lettuce and supplements for a complete salad pack commercially in their backyard.

Under the label, Organic Roots, Steve and Belinda packed and distributed salad packs to major outlets and restaurants.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 17

After many years of farming naturally, using compost, and mulch, the soil in the planting circles is soft even down to a metre. In other places, the stony clay soil is so hard you can hardly stick a screwdriver in.

If you would like to find out more please send an e-mail to Steve and Belinda on sparrowsmith@yoafrica.com.

Compost: This is how Find a well-drained area where you can establish your growing compost heap.

It should be about 1,5 m high and 2 m wide, and can be as long as you have space for.

Pack your material in layers with 70% dry material providing carbon, and 30% green material for nitrogen.

The green material can be leaves, kitchen scraps and soft manure, and the dry material can be brown leaves, sawdust, and dry manure.

The greater the variety of materials, the more nutrients will be made available.

As you pack the layers, sprinkle each layer with some water, but do not douse it.

The purpose of the compost heap is to provide the perfect environment and food for microorganisms to break down solid material into humus that is more accessible for plants.

You know the microorganisms are doing their work when the heap starts heating up from the inside. An easy way to find out if it is heating up is to leave a metal rod sticking through to the middle. When the rod gets too hot to handle comfortably it is time to turn your heap inside out. It should reach the first turning point after about 10 days.

Once you have turned it, leave it for another 10 days and measure the temperature again. Most likely you will need to turn it again and after that, if the heap starts cooling down, your compost is ready for use.

47

Zimbabwe

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