Latest news with #farming
News24
2 hours ago
- Business
- News24
Zim's farmers push on as land grab compensation flounders
For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. In a field of paprika plants in the heart of Zimbabwe, fourth-generation farmer Daniel Burger and relative newcomer Miriam Mupambawashe discuss the quality of the crop. Burger, 36, and Mupambawashe, 59, are neighbours and partners in efforts to revive the country's once-flourishing agriculture sector cut down by a ruinous land reform drive in the 2000s. The reform distributed land from the white minority, which still owned most of the best farmland 20 years after independence in 1980, to the black majority. Around 4,000 white-owned farms were confiscated, some with deadly violence. Mupambawashe was among thousands who received land. Though she initially knew little about farming, her small subsistence plot now thrives. Other farms failed or were abandoned, with some new tenants unschooled in agriculture and others -- including politicians who were handed land -- uninterested. There were food shortages and Zimbabwe soon required international aid. "There was a bit of a tough period through the 2000s and, unfortunately, I think it sort of refuelled racial tensions to an extent," Burger told AFP. "But being so passionate about farming was the motivator for me to move forward," he said. Good faith Mupambawashe moved to the area from the southern city of Bulawayo, around 200 kilometres (125 miles) away. "When we first came here in 2001, it was a forest and there was nothing built," she said. "Some of the white farmers were angry but we managed to talk to each other in good faith and move forward." "They never let us down and said, 'You grabbed the farm, let's see if you can do it'. But instead they brought their own tractors and equipment to come and help, which we felt was a nice gesture." It was hard in the beginning, especially after irrigation equipment was stolen, and the early failures were "embarrassing", Mupambawashe said. But today her plot does so well that she only needs to buy in sugar and cooking oil. Burger leases land from her and lends tractors and expertise. His family's land was among the few hundreds that were not seized in the 2000s. Nonetheless, "For a long time we became wound up in compensation," said Burger, vice-president of the Commercial Farmers Union of Zimbabwe (CFU) that represents mostly white farmers. "But it wasn't our purpose. Our purpose was driving agriculture and current agricultural affairs forward," he said. Compensation frustration This year, some farm owners whose land was confiscated received the first compensation payments after decades of waiting. The process has been complex and divisive. The government committed to compensation as part of an effort to settle arrears and reform the economy in order to be able to regain access to international credit lines cut two decades ago. It announced in 2020 the creation of a fund that would pay out US$3.5 billion for infrastructure on farms but not the land, which it says was taken by force by colonial settlers. Unable to raise cash, the government in 2023 changed the offer to one percent in cash and the remainder in US dollar denominated treasury bonds. In April, the first payments were made to 378 of 780 farmers approved for this scheme. Deon Theron, who represents the Compensation Steering Committee group of former white farmers, says the introduction of the bonds has annulled the original deal and negotiations need to start over. The bonds are "unsecured" and there is "limited recourse in the event of non-performance by government," he told AFP. "The general feeling amongst the farmers is firstly frustration that after 20-odd years we still have not received anything," Theron said. But the Property and Farm Compensation Association said its members would take what is on offer. The bonds are under international guarantee, said leader Harry Orphanides, adding that "digging in" and seeking more from the government would be futile. Tenure Mupambawashe and Burger are encouraged by another major government announcement -- the granting of land ownership rights to beneficiaries of the 2000s land reform. The tenure announced late last year replaces 99-year leases and means the new owners can deal with the property as they wish, including putting it up for sale. "It makes us feel settled," Mupambawashe said. "No one could come and tell us to move off the land or take it away from us." "It is just going to catapult us forward as a nation and an economy," Burger said. "We used to be the breadbasket of Africa and we lost it somewhat. But I just look at where we are now."
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'How muscular dystrophy changed life on our Dufton farm'
A farmer living with a degenerative disease has shared how he adapted life on the farm to overcome the challenges of his Laidlow, 52, has muscular dystrophy - a progressive condition which causes muscles to sheep, climbing up and down a tractor and carrying out maintenance work at his farm in Dufton, near Appleby in Cumbria, may have become difficult tasks, but with support from his family and a few adaptations, he continues to run the business."I've got so much going for me in life at the minute and I live in such a beautiful place," he said. "You do get down thinking about the future from time to time, but really I've got such a good support." Mr Laidlow's condition means it is hard for him to handle sheep, but instead of giving up farming, they switched from textile sheep to Herdwicks, which are smaller and easier to handle for the rest of his family without his uses step ladders to get into his tractor and access to the farm has been changed to reduce trip hazards."When you're active all your life you don't want to stop, but you just need to adjust things," Mr Laidlow said."It's incredibly frustrating, you see something like a gap in a drystone wall, it used to take me half an hour to fix beforehand." 'Getting old quick' Speaking to BBC Radio Cumbria's Mike Zeller at Breakfast, the father-of-three said he first noticed his symptoms at the start of the coronavirus lockdown, when he found it hard to get into the tractor or climb the stairs at night."I know when you get tired and a bit achy at night sometimes all of those are difficult, but it just seemed to be too consistent," Mr Laidlow he thought it was a result of being unfit and overweight, so he tried to address that and attended appointments with chiropractors and was one of those professionals who suggested his problems might stem elsewhere, which kickstarted the process of receiving a diagnosis."It was a shock obviously, because when you start reading up about it - it's the beginning of a lifechanging thing," Mr Laidlow said."But in the same breath - and I know it sounds stupid - I was a bit relieved that I was diagnosed with something, because I was thinking 'I'm getting old too quickly, I can't continue doing what I'm doing for a living'." Accessible countryside With support from his family and careful planning, he has adapted farm life to work for him, but also for others who may struggle with their daughter Katie, 18, who also works on the farm, said they worked to make footpaths on their land more accessible."We tried our best to replace stiles with gates," she said."Just simple things like making sure they're wide enough to allow wheelchairs and pushchairs - it does affect everybody really."The teenager recently ran the Manchester marathon in aid of charity Muscular event day was the first time she ran on roads, having trained on the farm, fields and surrounding fells."Living here with a hill in every direction I go in, I do think it helped me massively for running the marathon - I think it improved my overall stamina and endurance," she said. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
CTV News
17 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Sask. couple spends winter months farming chocolate ingredients in South America
WATCH: A Saskatchewan couple spend the winter months in South America farming chocolate ingredients. Mick Favel has the story.
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
Roast it. Grill it. Fry it. But don't overcook it! Asparagus season is here: Jasmine Mangalaseril
Social Sharing Asparagus season is underway, so now is the perfect time to enjoy the season's first local harvest. Asparagus plants grown from seed take three years to produce spears. Many growers plant one-year-old crowns (a string mop-like central group of stems surrounded by finger-like roots) to harvest their first crop sooner. Once established, crowns can produce for 20 years or longer. Crowns send up multiple spears. The hotter the weather, the faster they'll grow — sometimes 25 centimetres in 24 hours. On hot, humid days, they can be harvested twice a day. "You start at one part of the field, and you keep picking from when the sun comes up until you've picked the field. Then the next day you just start over again," said Tim Barrie, owner of Barrie's Asparagus Farm, near Cambridge, Ont. Barrie inherited the farm from his father, who switched from farming beef cattle to asparagus more than 50 years ago. The first crop "was an absolute fail." The second wasn't. "Every single spear [my parents] picked was sold. They just put a sign out. People drove in and they sold everything. So, they said, 'Okay, this is going to be pretty good,'" recalled Barrie. When the season ends, the spears grow into 2- to 2.5-metre-tall ferns, which gather energy for the next season. "If you stop picking it early, it'll start working on next year's crop early," explained Barrie. "You could keep going, but that would be really dumb because you're just hurting next year's crop." Not all the spears are destined for home or restaurant kitchens. Some are processed into sauces and other preserves. "It's actually a lot of fun talking to some of our partners about what products we're going to play around with," said Barrie. "A lot of these ideas just get bounced around between our family and friends." Their products include salsas, finishing salts, and antipasto. Horseradish mustard and zucchini relish are customer favourites. Asparagus tips Asela (Ace) Bulner, executive chef of Cambridge's Blackshop Restaurant, offers some suggestions for home cooks. "If the asparagus is not nice and green, that means it has been sitting in the storage for a bit," said Bulner. Bulner said for the best tasting asparagus, a cook should: Avoid tight rubber bands: Spears that stand in water too long will swell, making the bands tight. Look for tightly closed tips: If the scale leaves are opened out, they'll likely be fibrous. Keep them fresh: Stand them in an ice bath and cover the tips in a damp paper towel in the fridge. When it comes to cooking asparagus "you need that crunch. It has to be cooked, but it you need that bite. Otherwise, it's going to be mushy," said Bulner. When cooking asparagus, Bulner suggests the following: Ready in minutes: Regardless of cooking method, they only need a few minutes per side. The last to be grilled: Add the spears to the grill, after the proteins and other veg are done. Set the colour: Adding a little lemon juice to blanching water helps to keep the colour vibrant. Avoid overpowering herbs and spices: Try fresh herbs, including oregano or sage. Add a splash of sharpness: A squeeze of lemon or toss in dressings made with citrus juice, balsamic vinegar, or rice wine vinegar, to brighten flavour. "It depends on the dish you create. If you're having fish, you can use some dill, fennel. If you're [having] a steak, you have to keep it simple." Ace Bulner's Bang Bang Asparagus This crispy asparagus tempura is a perfect side or starter, served with dipping sauce. Here, ingredient temperature is important — cold ingredients will help to inhibit gluten formation, so your fried batter will be light and crispy. Yield: 4 Servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes 1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, trimmed 250 ml ice cold sparkling water or club soda 1 egg yolk, chilled 115 g (190 ml) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting 35 g (60 ml) cornstarch optional Pinch baking soda (optional) Neutral oil for deep frying (such as canola, grapeseed, sunflower, peanut), as needed Salt to taste Dipping sauce, to serve, such as nam jim aioli lemony mayo spicy mayo Pat dry asparagus spears. If they are thick, halve them lengthwise and set aside. In a high sided pot, heat 5 cm of oil to 175°C/350°F. Line a plate with paper towels to drain the cooked spears. While the oil is heating, gently whisk the yolk into the sparkling water. Lightly stir in flour, cornstarch (if using), and baking soda until just combined. The batter should be cold, lumpy, and not over mixed. When the oil is at temperature, work in batches to avoid overcrowding. Lightly dust spears in flour, then dip into batter. Let excess batter drip off. Carefully lower into hot oil. Fry for one to two minutes per side. When done, the spears should be lightly golden and crispy.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Clarkson's Farm star LISA HOGAN: ‘Why argue with someone like Jeremy? He's so eloquent. I have to be a bit more… nimble'
It's a glorious spring day in the Cotswolds, and Lisa Hogan is striding around the Diddly Squat barnyard in gilet and wellies. She's introducing me to the extended cast of Clarkson's Farm, the reality TV series that she makes with her long-term boyfriend, . Here are the labradors, Sansa and Arya. Here is the prize bull, End Game. And dotted across the sunny hillside are the lambs. 'They're EasyCare sheep – naturally self-shearing,' Hogan, 55, explains in her mellow Dublin accent, pointing out tufts of wool that are scattered across the grass.
