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High input costs come under the spotlight in this week’s edition of Farmer’s Weekly. Ryan shares that in order to combat these high input costs, grain and oilseed farmers are advised to ensure that their production and marketing risk mitigation strategies are better than ever.

The senior economist at Grain SA, Corné Louw, adds that fertiliser, seeds, chemicals and repairs make up about 75% of producers’ running costs and that these have increased by 40% in 2021.

In September 2021, grain and oilseed farmers’ input costs amounted to an average of about R7 900 per hectare. This year, the figure has increased to about R10 800 per hectare.

Ryan says that in contrast to this cost burden, the price of maize and soybean had increased by only 20% and 12%, respectively. There’s a big risk that farmers might not make a profit at these tight margins.

Another news story takes a look at conservationists expressing their concern about the alarming involvement of international organised crime networks in the trafficking of rhino horn. Sarah Stoner, the director of Intelligence at the Wildlife Justice Commission, says since rhino horn was a high-value criminal commodity, the illicit trade thereof showed no signs of abating.

Stoner further explains that this is not just a conservation crisis and adds that corruption has always been found to be a crucial enabler of all forms of wildlife crimes. This, as it helped criminal operations acquire and move rhino horns throughout the supply chain.

Furthermore, Farmer’s Weekly also focuses on farm security and the benefits of having a large dog breed on the farm. The magazine speaks to various experts about what traits farmers should consider before introducing a new dog into the family, as well as the importance of training large dog breeds.

The top guard dog breeds in the world, according to various experts, are also explored.    

OFM News