Farmer's Inside Track

The dropping temperatures of winter bring a hidden crisis for livestock farmers: dormant pastures stripped of their essential nutritional value. Dr Josef De Villiers Van Wyngaard, manager at Voermol Feeds, joins the podcast to unpack the critical role of protein supplementation in preventing livestock condition loss during tough winter grazing periods.

In this episode, he explains why protein becomes the first "limiting factor" for herds once the first frost hits, forcing plants to pull vital nutrients back into their roots for survival. He highlights the direct, damaging impact a protein deficiency can have on a farm's bottom line, leading to rapid weight loss, poor growth performance, and delayed reproduction cycles that extend inter-calf periods.

To help farmers combat these seasonal challenges, Dr Van Wyngaard shares Voermol’s tailored strategies for stabilising herds. He details the practical application of Voermol ready-mix options. Whether you manage a single herd or a combination of cattle and sheep, this episode provides the exact roadmap needed to close the winter gap and sustain animal health until spring.

In this episode of Farmers Inside Track, farmer mentor Liane Erasmus shares her journey into regenerative agriculture and the lessons she has learned from growing up on a farm outside Rustenburg to working in agricultural research. With a background in animal science and grassland science, Erasmus explains how regenerative farming can help livestock producers work with nature through improved grazing management, veld recovery and practical infrastructure planning. She also reflects on the challenges of adapting cattle, managing water and fencing on difficult terrain, gaining family support and balancing environmental sustainability with farm profitability.

As climate change, declining soil health and rising production costs continue to challenge agricultural production, seaweed biotechnology is emerging as a valuable tool for improving crop resilience and productivity.

In this episode, Dr Bongo Majeke, plant manager at AlKelp, explains how seaweed-based biostimulants support healthier soils, stronger root systems and improved crop performance. They also discuss the science behind seaweed biotechnology, its role in climate-smart farming, and what South African farmers should consider when incorporating these products into their production systems.

Behind every glass of locally produced milk lies a dedicated network of South African farmers, factory workers, and rural communities whose care shapes the nation’s health. Conny Sethaelo, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Director at Nestlé Nespray, joins us to discuss how the brand connects local sourcing with cutting-edge environmental practices to create a sustainable value chain from pasture to packaging.

In this episode, she invites consumers to “look beyond the glass” to understand the incredible journey of South African dairy. Sethaelo highlights how Nestlé Nespray draws 100% of its milk from over 96 farms across the Eastern and Western Cape.

Furthermore, she explains how regenerative agriculture and low-carbon practices have successfully achieved a 26% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 25% drop in methane emissions, proving that high-quality nutrition and environmental preservation can work hand in hand.

What does regenerative agriculture look like in practice, and why are more farmers paying attention? In this first episode of our special Nedbank series, Daneel Rossouw unpacks how regenerative farming can help farmers navigate rising costs, climate uncertainty and growing pressure to do more with less.