Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
12 December 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Dr Geyer read more
Dr Antonie Geyer, who recently received the Agriculturist of the Year award from Agricultural Writers SA. Photo: Supplied

Dr Antonie Geyer was recently named Agriculturist of the Year by Agricultural Writers SA. It is the second time that he received this award.

Dr Geyer, Director: Agricultural Development in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), says: “I honestly feel honoured and humbled. I was awarded as the Agriculturist of the Year for the Eastern Cape in 2006, and in 2019 as the Agriculturist of the Year for the Free State. I always do my work to the best of my ability and to the advantage of the agricultural industry. I never expected these awards. I see it as proof of the successful impact on the industry.”

According to Agricultural Writers SA, the evaluation of this award is mainly about the essence, principles, value systems, and life ethics of the candidate as well as their achievements, the value of their work to the agricultural sector, and the candidate’s local and international status.

Candidates were also judged on how they shared their knowledge with farmers in a practical way, how valuable this knowledge was, and how it helped farmers to farm in a better and more sustainable way. Among others, Dr Geyer was for many years – even before he joined the UFS – involved in economic study groups for livestock farmers. He developed programmes and provided intelligent reports to individual farmers of the study groups. 

Advising on food security

This agricultural economist who is specialising in livestock economics and is currently regarded as one of the most experienced livestock economists in South Africa, is also passionate about projects and plans aimed at improving food security and sustainable farming. 

“Food security will always be an urgent necessity. The challenges are to secure food safety, food quality, and food security during these extremely difficult times. The economy needs to be stimulated to ensure an increase in the demand for the products supplied by the farmer. A growing economy will create the pull effect, resulting in the increase of demand. This is set for the local as well as the international markets,” he states.

“The most important fact is that we do not know when the drought is going to end. How accurate can one plan and budget? It is almost impossible. Every farm is different, and even more so during drought or disaster situations.”

“There are several factors that need to be managed simultaneously. Information on the disaster is very important: where to get help and what support is available; the veld condition, the condition of your animals; how to adapt to these extreme conditions; is the current production system still relevant under these circumstances; as well as communication with all the role players in your business, e.g. organised agriculture, the co-operatives, the applicable commodity groups, and the financial institutions,” Dr Geyer adds.

Message to future farmers

He believes South Africa urgently needs a new generation of farmers. Dr Geyer’s message to the next generation of farmers is: “There is a brilliant future for agriculture in South Africa. Be informed. Join organised agriculture in your area. Secure the best mentor possible. Gain experience from your fellow farmers in the community, but remember that each farm and community is different, with their own unique challenges. Make use of the latest technology. Keep on expanding and applying your knowledge.”

“The agricultural resources in South Africa is under tremendous pressure,” he states. In general, his dream for agricultural development in the country is to have a prosperous agricultural industry in South Africa, operating economically successful and in harmony with the natural resources.

News Archive

Researcher uses NRF funding for studies to conserve plant and animal life
2017-04-18

Description: Butterfly Tags: Butterfly

It is difficult to survey all different types of
plants and animals and is therefore necessary to
choose one representative group. Butterflies are
relatively cheap and easy to sample. They are
known to be linked to specific habitats and to
respond to human pressures, such as farming.
Photo: Dr Falko Buschke


Earth is the only planet we know of that contains life. The variety of different plants and animals is remarkable: from the giant whales that swim our oceans, to the tiny mosses that grow on the shaded sides of rocks.  Many of these plants and animals are important to humans. For example, trees provide us with oxygen to breathe, bees pollinate our crops and owls control pests. More importantly though, we can tell a lot about society from the way it cares for nature. Humans are the custodians of the planet and the way we care for nature reflects the way we value life.

Dr Falko Buschke, Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State, is interested in understanding how the distribution of biodiversity [the variety of living things in nature] in time and space influences the way we should conserve and manage nature.

Earth is losing biodiversity faster than at any time in human history
The planet is losing biodiversity faster than at any time in human history. “There is an urgency to conserve plants and animals before they are lost forever. Nature is complex, so the way we study it should embrace this complexity. We should not rely on limited data on one type of species from one place and assume that it will also apply elsewhere. Instead, it is important that biodiversity research is comprehensive in the types of plants and animals while also considering that ecological and evolutionary processes vary through time and across geographic space,” he said.

To conduct his research, Dr Buschke uses a variety of research tools, including biological data surveyed directly from nature, spatial data from satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems databases, and data generated though custom-built computer simulations.

"There is an urgency to conserve
plants and animals before they
are lost forever."

Field work in the eastern Free State
Although parts of the eastern Free State are considered a global priority for biodiversity conservation, it is mainly privately owned commercial farmland. This means that it is important that plants and animals can survive despite living side by side with agricultural production.

“My project investigates whether the sandstone outcrops, known as inselbergs (island-mountains), are safe havens for plants and animals. Because it is difficult to survey all the different types of plants and animals, it is necessary to choose one representative group. That is where butterflies come in. Butterflies are relatively cheap and easy to sample. They are known to be linked to specific habitats and to respond to human pressures, such as farming,” he said. “Once this butterfly data is collected, it can be linked to satellite information on plant growth patterns. This will provide a clearer picture of whether plants and animals can persist side-by-side with commercial agriculture”.

Dr Buschke has just begun surveys that will carry on until the end of this year. “This 12-month project is funded under the Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme through the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF).

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept