Clayton Swart

A demanding medical career led Dr Oswald Jannasch to seek cattle that could thrive with minimal intervention. The owner of the Matla Nguni Stud, and established cattle breeding farm near Polokwane in Limpopo, believes the indigenous breed is ideally suited to extensive beef production.

Local trials, data-intensive farming and a deeper understanding of soil conditions can help producers make more informed management decisions that can improve profitability.

Lochner Eksteen spoke to Clayton Swart on why he believes the Nguni breed's diversity, adaptability and efficiency continue to set it apart.

Hortgro's 2025 Key Deciduous Fruit Statistics show record apple and pear export volumes, while a largely stable planted area masks significant shifts in crop mix and orchard replacement. Rising input costs and logistics remain key constraints for producers.

Farmers have gathered at Nampo Cape 2026 in Bredasdorp to explore cutting-edge technologies, new crop genetics, and joint industry strategies targeting biosecurity, traceability, and foot-and-mouth disease.

As livestock producers contend with rising input costs, climate uncertainty, and increasing disease pressure, adaptability is becoming one of the most sought-after traits in beef production, says Limpopo veterinarian and Nguni breeder Dr Pierre Bester.

At the Milk Producers’ Organisation Western Cape’s annual general meeting, experts urged South Africa’s dairy sector to make foot-and-mouth disease management a routine practice, ensuring biosecurity and herd immunity to safely meet rising milk demand.

Grain SA CEO Tobias Doyer says poor rainfall, weak grain prices and high input costs are highlighting the pressure facing many Swartland grain producers. In contrast, the Overberg area is expecting a better grain harvest, noted Doyer.

Europe's extremely hot recent summer could be an early warning of severe conditions heading the Western Cape's way, and the province and its agriculture sector therefore need to be ready, Premier Alan Winde told farmers at Nampo Cape 2026 on Friday.

The growth potential of South Africa's canola industry was placed in the spotlight at Nampo Cape 2026 during a Grain SA panel discussion titled ‘Canola: A Golden Future'.