Farmer's Inside Track

Can simple record-keeping double as your farm’s most powerful profitability tool? In this episode, we sit down with Stefan Corbett, data analytics specialist at Agritistics, to demystify digital agriculture and farm data management. Many producers view digital farming as an intimidating, high-cost hurdle, but Corbett proves that transforming your operation doesn’t require expensive tech or complex platforms.
Learn the crucial difference between raw data and true operational insight, and discover why linked data points across a livestock’s lifetime reveal whether your management decisions are truly paying off. Corbett also breaks down how to avoid the dangerous “garbage in, garbage out” trap through practical standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Whether you run a small-scale farm or a commercial operation, tune in to start turning routine daily records into smarter, more profitable decisions today.

With El Niño weather patterns bringing heightened climate risk across Southern Africa, managing input costs while maintaining crop productivity is a critical priority for growers. Dr Michael Southwood, founder of the Agri Vision Foundation and organiser of the SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium, highlights how precision measurement tools, from moisture probes to sap meters, empower producers to reduce water and fertiliser use without sacrificing final yields.
Southwood explains how managing irrigation is fundamentally about oxygen management in the root zone. He outlines the importance of tracking soil water potential down 10-centimetre increments, using drone and NDVI satellite imagery to spot early plant stress, and monitoring water source quality to prevent salt and bicarbonate issues.
In this episode, he also breaks down real-time sap testing to prevent over-fertilisation and explores targeted band placement and dripper technology. Southwood invites producers to attend the upcoming SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium in Stellenbosch to learn more about advanced fertigation techniques.

Escalating input costs and climate shifts require growers across Southern Africa to bridge the gap between global agricultural research and immediate field execution. Dr Michael Southwood, founder of the Agri Vision Foundation, highlights how the upcoming SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium connects international scientific developments with practical application to optimise crop performance and export quality across 15 SADC countries.
In this episode, Southwood breaks down practical strategies for managing El Niño weather threats. He explains how cover crops, mulching, and biostimulants enhance photosynthetic capacity and carbohydrate levels to buffer plants against extreme heat, drought, severe winds, and frost.
Southwood also shares event registration details and explains how symposium proceedings support the Agri Vision Foundation’s mission to foster food security and entrepreneurship in impoverished communities.

In this episode of Farmer’s InsideTrack, Sibo Molo, founder of Molo Consulting, unpacks tax compliance, agricultural funding and credit management. He explains why proper financial records, separate farm banking, asset registers and tax compliance can help farmers access funding.
Molo also discusses personal credit scores, VAT and diesel refunds, Coida registration and common compliance mistakes. He shares practical advice for emerging farmers looking to become more finance-ready and build financially sustainable farming businesses.

The “fifth quarter” – including offal, cheeks, and trotters – is becoming an essential commercial and nutritional strategy for South Africa’s red meat industry. Supported by findings from the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), Dr Carmen Muller, a researcher at the University of Pretoria, highlights how moving beyond standard muscle cuts captures hidden carcass value while addressing broader socio-economic challenges.
Drawing on recent nutritional testing and industry data, Muller demonstrates how organ meats deliver concentrated doses of bioavailable heme iron, complete proteins, and vital micronutrients to budget-conscious households facing food insecurity.
In this episode, she breaks down the resource-efficiency benefits of whole-animal utilisation. She advocates for integrating offal into mainstream food security policies and consumer education, positioning the fifth quarter as both a practical sustainability win and a high-margin opportunity for the livestock supply chain.