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A Free State farmer, who lost 44 head of cattle after police confiscated them, walked away victorious after a four-year court battle. A judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal ended the matter when it found in his favour against the minister of police. Mphale Khoeli, a farmer from the Hobhouse region, had his cattle confiscated by the police in May 2017 for allegedly importing the cattle into South Africa without the necessary permits. The farmer paid an admission of guilt fine, but his cattle were declared forfeited by the state just days later. In an effort to get his cattle back, Khoeli approached the Magistrate's Court. OFM News' Lee Simmons reports that the judgment of the Magistrate's Court was later set aside in the Free State High Court on the basis that it had no jurisdiction.

Verskeie landbou-organisasies, waaronder die Ashkam-boerevereniging in die Kalahari, sowel as die veiligheidsrisiko-ontleder, dr. Jane Buys, van Vrystaat Landbou, sê mense wat onwettig met honde op boere se plase jag, skep 'n gevaar vir groeiende konflik. Buys sê die praktyk is wreed en behoort dringend aandag te geniet. Sy voeg by dat boere gereeld in konfliksituasies beland met mense wat onwettig op hulle plase betrap word, wat met tot 15 honde op 'n slag op hulle grond jag. Verder beklemtoon Ompile Masegela, polisiewoordvoerder in die ZF Mcgawu-streek in die Noord-Kaap, dat hierdie optrede onwettig is. Masegela sê bewusmaking is nodig om die praktyk stop te sit.

South Africa is currently experiencing a shortage of vaccines. But, it's not a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, but rather a shortage of vaccines for livestock diseases. As a result of this, there are concerns in the farming community, and according to Denene Erasmus, editor of Farmer's Weekly, there is a shortage of vaccines for diseases such as Rift Valley Fever (RVF), amongst other diseases. She says that with the summer rainfall areas of the country again expecting good rainfall this year, there are now concerns that there will likely be a lot of outbreaks of RVF across the country.  OFM News previously reported that farmers should be on high alert and on the lookout for insects such as mosquitos, who normally spread livestock diseases during the summer rainfall season. Farmers should always ensure that their animals are vaccinated prior to summer in order to prevent any outbreaks of diseases such as RVF among their herds.

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Ons staan aan die begin van planttyd vir die nuwe seisoen met kunsmispryse wat boere na hul asems laat snak. Sommige produkte se pryse is amper 70% hoër as verlede jaar. Siende dat gewasse voedingstowwe nodig het om goeie opbrengste te lewer, het boere nie regtig ‘n keuse nie. Ingrid Boshoff, een van Syngenta se tegniese deskundiges, sê egter dat slim onkruidbeheer die impak van hoë kunsmispryse kan versag. Sy sê verskeie globale faktore dra tans by tot die hoë kunsmispryse. Daarmee saam beklemtoon sy die belangrikheid van onkruidbeheer op veral mielies. Boshoff verduidelik dat daar vier groeistadiums in die lewe van ‘n mielieplant is en dat onkruidkompetisie gedurende hierdie stadiums baie skade kan aanrig. Daarom is ‘n volledige onkruidbeheerprogram belangrik om die mielieplant te beskerm tydens al die kritieke stadiums van groei.

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