Balfour Hooidag | Dagboek dié datum nou!
Die Balfour-boerevereniging in samewerking met AFGRI bied aan die Balfour Hooidag vir 2024 op 18 Januarie. Dagboek solank die datum en kom ervaar eerstehands ‘n wye verskeidenheid hooimaaktoerusting in aksie.
Kom GOOI KORING in die Swartland saam met AFGRI! 8-10 November 2023
/in NewsBergingspunte meet kragte vir die rekord-inname in een week. So kom gooi jou gewig in met wat ons vertrou ‘n uitmuntende koring-oes is hierdie seisoen! 8-10 November 2023
Petersen to debut for Vodacom Bulls in Parma
/in News, Vodacom Blue BullsCreative backliner Sergeal Petersen has been handed his official club debut in round three of the 2023/24 Vodacom United Rugby Championship. The Grey High alumni got a pre-season run against Namibia’s Welwitschias and this weekend will start at wing when the Vodacom Bulls travel to Parma on Saturday 4 November.
Kick off in the North of Italy is set for 15h00pm.
Director of Rugby, Jake White said Petersen’s experience and versatility is an added advantage for the Tshwane outfit.
“We rate Sergeal highly, that is why we brought him into our setup. We know what he offers our squad, and he has a lot more experience that some of our outside backs. He has pace, he is really quick, and he can play at fullback, so I am quiet keen to see how he adapts playing with this back three. He understands fullback play as well so it will be good to have a wing that can play full back and that is something we look forward to having for the coming seasons.”
White has made a number of changes as he rotates his squad to manage player load. Wilco Louw is retained at front row and this week he will have Simphiwe Matanzima (loose-head) and Akker van der Merwe (hooker) serving alongside him at the front. Co-captain Ruan Nortje will pair up with Janko Swanepoel as this week’s lock combination at second row with Marcell Coetzee at blind-side, the ‘Sheriff’ Elrigh Louw at open-side flank and Cameron Hanekom at eight, completing the forwards pack in an unchanged back row.
Zak Burger starts at scrumhalf, combining with flyhalf Johan Goosen as the halfback duo to conduct traffic in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region.
Behind the Burger-Goosen partnership will be David Kriel at inside centre alongside Stedman Gans on his outside whilst Devon Williams is retained at fullback. On the wings will be Petersen and Sebastian de Klerk.
The run of new combinations this week sees Johan Grobbelaar slot into the impact squad alongside ‘the bulldog’ Dylan Smith who is set for his first run in blue this season. Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Nizaam Carr, Embrose Papier, Chris Smith and Wandisile Simelane complete the 5-3 split of fresh legs.
Asked about what his side expects at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, White said: “We expect them to score a lot of points, they scored 36 in the opening match and scored 36 in their second too, so they score a lot of tries. We expect a tough game and for them to test our defence really hard,”
“They (Zebre) were in both their opening games till the death. This Zebre side came close against Ulster, and they were in it against Ospreys so we know they will be tough opponents for sure. They were a scrum away from the match against Ulster and they just just lost it against Ospreys, so there are no easy games,”
“Zebre with the make-up of their squad probably have the least number of internationals and that means they have the least amount of disruptions which makes them hard to come up against at the start of a season.”
Posed about how the team manages complacency and whether or not the changes are to manage that, White said: “We lost last week, so complacency is not a worry for us. We know that this is a tough competition and so we want to make sure we have depth in all roles, but complacency is not a concern for us,”
“it will be nice to see Simphiwe (Matanzima) start, it has been a while since he had a start, and he will be alongside Akker (van der Merwe) who is a Springbok and also Wilco (Louw) who is a Springbok. It will be good to see that combination work for us. We also have a new lock combination to try out and it will be nice to see how those 5-lock jumpers work together, so there is a lot of reason,”
“From a coaching point of view, we want to see whether or not we have created competition in each position because we need to play well all the time and we can’t rely on the same players all the time.”
VODACOM BULLS vs ZEBRE STARTING XV:
1. Simphiwe Matanzima, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Wilco Louw, 4. Janko Swanepoel, 5. Ruan Nortje (c), 6. Marcell Coetzee (c), 7. Elrigh Louw, 8. Cameron Hanekom, 9. Zak Burger, 10. Johan Goosen, 11. Sergeal Petersen, 12. David Kriel, 13. Stedman Gans, 14. Sebastian de Klerk, 15. Devon Williams
VODACOM BULLS IMPACT SQUAD:
16. Johan Grobbelaar, 17. Dylan Smith, 18. Mornay Smith, 19. Reinhardt Ludwig, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Embrose Papier, 22. Chris Smith, 23. Wandisile Simelane
MANAGEMENT:
Jake White – Director of Rugby, Chris Rossouw – Assistant Coach, Gary Gold – Assistant Coach, Andries Bekker – Assistant Coach, John-William Meyer – Technical Analyst, Dr. Herman Rossouw – Team Doctor, Lance Lemmetjies – Senior Physiotherapist, Darryn Berry – Physiotherapist, Andre Volsteedt – Strength & Conditioning, Yusuf Vahed – Sport Scientist, Elias Bennett – Team Manager, Simon Dyidi – Logistics Manager
This week on African Farming
/in NewsThis week we visit bio-scientists, Andile Gcaza and Phetole Raseropo from Evergrow Seedlings, based in the urban jungle of Soweto to learn about their unique business model.
We also talk to AFGRI about crop insurance.
Tune in on Tuesday, 31 October at 5pm on DStv channel 173.
African Farming | AFGRI Animal Feeds’ Juan Pretorius shares advice on helping to prevent Avian Flu
/in NewsAvian influenza outbreaks have been a problem for poultry farmers in SA. Good biosecurity measures are important in order to mitigate risk and secure the birds’ health overall. Juan Pretorius, a technical advisor at AFGRI Animal Feed shares more.
WATCH: AFGRI Animal Feeds: Biosecurity, AI and feeding for immunity – African Farming
Three changes announced for Vodacom Bulls ahead of round two
/in NewsThe Vodacom Bulls have made two changes to the Match Day 23 ensemble that will do duty in round two of the 2023/24 Vodacom United Rugby Championship. The Tshwane outfit travel to Belfast to take on Ulster on Sunday 29 October, kick off is at 21h00.
Utility back Cornal Hendricks, speedster Stravino Jacobs and flyhalf Chris Smith come into the matchday 23 for Harold Vorster and Jaco van der Walt. Hendricks slots into the starting xv at inside centre whilst Chris Smith will get a run from the impact squad. The former lines up alongside David Kriel at outside centre with Jacobs and Sebastian de Klerk on the wings. Devon Williams will once again start at fullback.
The backline will be conducted by the halfback combination of Embrose Papier and Johan Goosen whilst the forward pack remains unchanged from the match against Scarlets.
Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw line up in the front row with Ruan Vermaak and Ruan Nortje in the second, supported Marcell Coetzee, Elrigh Louw and last week’s player of the match, Cameron Hanekom in the third row.
Director of rugby, Jake White has opted for a 5-3 split which will see Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Chris Smith, and Stedman Gans will set a feature from the impact squad.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, White said: “It is early days but it is nice to have guys like (Cameron) Hanekom make their debut and really put in the kind of performances that he did, winning the man of the match. It is quite nice as a coach to know that there is still a couple of combinations that we can try. I thought Nizaam (Carr) was wonderful and he went into the open-side and did very well,”
“It is a 4G pitch, it will most likely rain and that presents a lot of challenges for us but we must learn from last year. Their set pieces are strong and they have great players in certain positions and we must make sure we match them in those positions.”
On the opposition, he said: “It is going to be a tough game, playing Ulster early up. They have a lot of passion and they are playing in their new field and I am sure they will want to impress on their first home game and they will be inspired because we had the same feel last week on our new turf,”
“From the start we had last week, we have to play well and build on.”
VODACOM BULLS vs ULSTER STARTING XV:
1. Gerhard Steenekamp, 2. Johan Grobbelaar, 3. Wilco Louw, 4. Ruan Vermaak, 5. Ruan Nortje (c), 6. Marcell Coetzee (c), 7. Elrigh Louw, 8. Cameron Hanekom, 9. Embrose Papier, 10. Johan Goosen, 11. Stravino Jacobs, 12. Cornal Hendricks, 13. David Kriel, 14. Sebastian de Klerk, 15. Devon Williams
VODACOM BULLS IMPACT SQUAD:
16. Akker van der Merwe, 17. Simphiwe Matanzima, 18. Mornay Smith, 19. Reinhardt Ludwig, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Zak Burger, 22. Chris Smith, 23. Stedman Gans
MANAGEMENT:
Jake White – Director of Rugby, Chris Rossouw – Assistant Coach, Gary Gold – Assistant Coach, Andries Bekker – Assistant Coach, John-William Meyer – Technical Analyst, Dr. Herman Rossouw – Team Doctor, Lance Lemmetjies – Senior Physiotherapist, Darryn Berry – Physiotherapist, Andre Volsteedt – Strength & Conditioning, Yusuf Vahed – Sport Scientist, Elias Bennett – Team Manager, Simon Dyidi – Logistics Manager
WATCH | Lemang’s Training & Development Manager Sylvester Lubambo on the importance of training
/in NewsRegular training is essential to make sure farmers and their workers are always up to date with the latest technology and farming practices. As your partner in agribusiness, AFGRI offers a variety of skills training courses through its division, Lemang Agricultural Services. On last week’s episode of African Farming, Lemang’s Training and Development Manager, Sylvester Lubambo, told us about the value of continual skills development. Watch the interview here: https://www.facebook.com/afgri.co.za/videos/660843786096938
This week on African Farming | Meet veggie farmer Lesedi Masebe
/in NewsLesedi Masebe shares how she started her career as a chef but rerouted to focus on producing semi-organic veggies. We also hear about alternative energy solutions & attend the Grain SA Day of Celebration. Watch the promo here: Here’s what you can expect in African Farming – African Farming
Tune in on Tuesday 24 October at 5pm on Honey, DStv channel 173 and repeat on Wednesday, 25 October at 1am.
Blue Bulls news | Coetzee, Nortje appointed as co-captains
/in NewsVodacom Bulls Director of Rugby, Jake White, has confirmed Marcell Coetzee and Ruan Nortje as co-captains who will lead the herd for the 2023/24 season.
Speaking about his appointments, White said: “Marcell (Coetzee) and Ruan (Nortje) are experienced campaigners who understand the demands of playing in three competitions and they have done well in leading us over the last few seasons. Ruan stepped up last season when Marcell took his sabbatical and when he returned, the two of them continued to collaborate until the end of the season,”
“Fortunately for me, this was an easy decision to make because Marcell and Ruan truly embody what it means to be a Vodacom Bulls player. They have tirelessly continued to serve our franchise with humility and hard work, upholding the values and virtues of our community,”
“I know they will do well because they are also surrounded by a strong leadership group which they have been leaning on as well.”
White elaborates that the appointment of two leaders is an opportunity to manage player load as well as reinforce a thriving leadership environment within the team.
“We are fortunate to also have a healthy base of players with quality traits and are emerging as leaders too, which is great for our future prospects,”
“Shared captaincy is an opportunity for us to balance the weight of responsibility on matchdays and extend how we are able to create depth in range for the whole group because they naturally bring unique dynamics through their leadership qualities,”
“They have been co-leading this side already, sharing their ideas and views and I really think that the both of them will be a strong captaincy duo for us. Congratulations to the two of them and I know they will do us proud.”
The pair’s first assignment will be the round 1 Vodacom United Rugby Championship tie against Scarlets on Sunday 22 October 2023. Kick-off is set for 15h00 and tickets start from R25.00.
Lemang’s Praveen Dwarika on the importance of new-era farmer development
/in News, UncategorizedNew-era farmer development is important for sustainable transformation in the agricultural sector, which AFGRI is 100% committed to. Read more from Lemang Agricultural Services* MD, Praveen Dwarika, about our approach to ensuring farmer development in South Africa: https://tinyurl.com/4w6na2mk
* Lemang is AFGRI’s new-era farmer training and development division.