Farmer’s Weekly’s Janine Ryan says despite sunflowers being an important grain crop, production has remained relatively stagnant over the past decade. 

According to Grain SA’s Corné Louw, sunflowers have been a popular crop under low-input farming and marginal cropping conditions over the past few years, due to their ability to produce relatively consistent yields under dryland production.

Many producers saw sunflowers as a cash crop to plant if it was too late to plant maize.

In the feature section this week, Farmer’s Weekly takes a look at the important function that horses and other equids may have on South African farms. 

Ryan says horses and donkeys are still crucial for primary agriculture in many developing countries, particularly in Africa where they are used as draft animals and for transport.

However, the belief that their use on commercial farms is outdated, is inaccurate.

Ryan explains that in this article they look at how horses and other equids can be used as part of a commercial farmers’ workforce and the important role they play in the conservation and the sustainability of the environment.

In the crop section, Charles and Carl Burger discuss how coffee trees work well in an intercropping system with macadamia trees. 

Ryan says the Burgers undertook coffee production to offset the cost price and free space at their macadamia farm in the Mpumalanga Lowveld.  

They have found that planting coffee trees with macadamia trees is helping them generate more income.

They elaborate on the low cost of production, but also the high cost of labour in terms of coffee production.

The Burgers further speak about the processing of the beans and how it is more cost-effective to sell directly to consumers rather than selling unprocessed beans to processors.

OFM News