Used oil on South African farms can pollute the environment
Commercial farming relies heavily on technology and mechanisation – which in turn relies on the use of motor lubricant oils. It is estimated that South Africa generates an average of 120 million litres of used lubricant oil in a year with about 10 million litres of this being generated by the Agricultural sector.
Waste management
Introduction According to the National Environmental Management Waste Act of 2008, plastic containers in which agricultural chemicals are supplied ought to be tripled-rinsed, dried and securely stored on the farm for collection by accredited agencies (see “Chemicals in agriculture” page). They should not be burnt, buried or given over for other uses. Photo used courtesy […]
Wetlands
Rehabilitating wetlands, using wetlands on your farm, wise grazing, burning wetlands, planting crops in a wetland, using wetlands for tourism
Biosecurity
Introduction People don’t think of the far-reaching consequences of an action like bringing fruit illegally across the border, or of buying unmarked pigs at an auction. It might be out of innocence and ignorance that biosecurity measures are flouted, but the revenue lost can amount to billions of rand which can bring a whole sector […]
Irrigation
Introduction Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. Agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed farming. Sources of irrigation water can be groundwater extracted from springs or by using wells, surface water withdrawn from rivers or dams, or non-conventional sources like […]