Farmer's Inside Track

As South African livestock producers navigate volatile climate cycles and degraded veld conditions, suppressed fertility caused by mineral deficiencies can limit herd growth. Dr Josef De Villiers Van Wyngaard, technical manager at Voermol Feeds, joins the podcast to tackle how targeted phosphate supplementation serves as a critical driver for protecting reproduction and driving farm profitability.
He breaks down why phosphate remains one of the most underestimated limiting factors in local livestock production, especially when recovering pastures fail to deliver essential soil nutrients. He also highlights the direct connection between long-term mineral gaps and dropped calving or lambing rates.
To help farmers safeguard their breeding stock, Dr Van Wyngaard outlines exact timing strategies for introducing phosphate licks across different regional veld types. This includes avoiding common supplementation mistakes and deploying specific Voermol solutions to rebuild herd numbers with confidence.

In this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, Tebogo Nyathela, founder and CEO of Farmers’ Hope in North West, shares how she grew a small vegetable garden into a commercial farming and agro-processing business.
She discusses practical lessons on market access, SA GAP certification, water rights, production capacity and the importance of mentorship and support networks. Nyathela also explains how agro-processing helped the farm reduce post-harvest waste by about 95% and create new income opportunities.
She also shares her plans to explore European markets with products including powdered spinach, beetroot and pickled jalapeños.

Taking a trip down memory lane! Today, we’re revisiting some of your all-time favourite podcast episodes.
Karen Swanepoel, the Executive Director of the Southern African Essential Oil Producer Association (SAEOPA), explores the vibrant landscape of essential oils in South Africa.
She delves into the key essential oils produced in the country and highlights how the industry has evolved over time.
In this episode, Swanepoel offers valuable insights into the opportunities available for South African farmers, discussing the innovative production methods that uphold the nation’s reputation for quality.
Listeners will learn how South Africa is establishing itself as a frontrunner in the global essential oils market and discover essential information to help you expand into this lucrative space.

In this episode of Farmer's Inside Track, Food For Mzansi speaks to Tshepiso Mkandawire, founder of Blessed and Beautiful Farms in Mabalstat, North West, about building a diversified farming enterprise from the ground up. She shares how she identified local food needs, started with what she had, expanded into horticulture, poultry and livestock, and is working towards a 200-hectare farming and agro-processing operation. Mkandawire also discusses understanding your market, seeking support, and building a farming legacy that empowers the community.

With climate patterns shifting across South Africa, relying purely on total seasonal rainfall figures is no longer enough to guarantee a harvest. De Bruyn Myburgh, agronomy manager at Pannar Seed, joins the podcast to unpack why managing field variability and prioritising moisture retention have become non-negotiable for modern crop survival.
In this episode, Myburgh explains how erratic weather patterns – where intense rainfall events are followed by extended dry spells – are forcing producers to shift their focus from maximising yields to capturing, storing, and effectively using every drop that falls. He highlights how treating whole fields uniformly increases risk and details how localised data can buffer crops against severe climate shocks.
To help growers prepare for upcoming seasons, Myburgh shares Pannar Seed’s actionable strategies for building on-the-ground resilience.