Farmer's Weekly

Farmer’s Weekly is an agricultural magazine based in South Africa, targeting the whole of Southern Africa. The magazine is committed to advancing the interests of the region’s farmers and its agricultural industry by serving as a mouthpiece for the industry and by keeping its readers informed of the latest developments in the agricultural sector.

Upping our local and global tomato game

Farmer's Weekly

Joburg Fresh Produce Market needs a ‘refresh’ • South Africa's fresh produce markets are vital to food security, supplying up to half of the nation's fruit and vegetables. Protecting and modernising these markets is essential for a resilient, equitable food system, writes Marc Wegerif, senior lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Pretoria.

Learn to drive a tractor

Western Cape's conservation estate grows by 47 000ha

Game plus cane proves to be a winning formula

What to expect in 2026

Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute celebrates excellence • The Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute marked a major milestone in December 2025, conferring over 200 agricultural qualifications, including bachelor's degrees and various national certificates. Glenneis Kriel reports.

Grain SA issues guidelines as poor-quality agri inputs threaten farmers livelihoods • Grain SA has urged South African grain and oilseed farmers to act fast when seeds, fertilisers, or agrochemicals underperform, providing clear guidelines to protect crops. Octavia Avesca Spandiel reports.

Foot-and-mouth disease project targets waste reduction and regulatory reform • A groundbreaking research collaboration between Red Meat Industry Services, the University of Pretoria, and global animal health leader Zoetis is aiming to transform South Africa's approach to foot-and-mouth disease. Octavia Avesca Spandiel reports.

Vegetable price trends as we enter the new year • This analysis by Zama Sangweni explores how five key vegetable commodities, cabbages, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes, performed, considering recent supply volumes and consumer demand patterns.

Generic advertising in perspective • Dr Koos Coetzee explains how industry organisations and the agriculture sector actually have the ability to prudently manage the negative perceptions surrounding generic advertising campaigns.

Cannabis and marketing in South Africa • The path from cultivation to commercial success remains complicated by regulatory ambiguity. Cultivators who master compliant marketing while delivering verifiable quality will build sustainable businesses, says Thomas Walker.

University of the Free State's cutting-edge research to save the giraffe from extinction • The University of the Free State has launched a first-of-its-kind giraffe research facility, creating a ground-breaking, low-stress environment where standing procedures, as well as reproductive and physiological research, can be conducted on habituated giraffes. Annelie Coleman reports on the initiative.

How drones are revolutionising pest and disease detection in agriculture • Drones are reshaping modern crop protection by giving farmers a powerful new vantage point: the sky. With advanced sensors, high-resolution imaging, and artificial intelligence-driven analytics, these unmanned aerial vehicles can detect early signs of disease, water stress, and pest damage long before the human eye can. Jedrie Harmse spoke to agricultural drone specialist Monique Heydenrych.

How AFGRI uses technology to unlock farm finance from asset to market • As modern farming becomes more capital-intensive and digitally driven, AFGRI is reinventing agricultural finance by linking technology directly to lending decisions. Cobus du Plessis reports.

Adele's Mohair: a living tapestry of craft, colour and rural heritage...