In March yearly, we rejoice the Farmer’s Weekly anniversary. The primary subject was launched in 1911, making the publication a complete 113 years outdated this yr.

Since its inception, the Farmer’s Weekly mandate has been to coach and inform; that is nonetheless the mandate of the publication right this moment, and is a task that we take very significantly.

The way in which through which we disseminate data has modified drastically through the years, particularly with the introduction of the Web, and extra just lately, social media.

In response to numerous research, persons are more and more getting their information, for instance, from social media platforms. Sadly, not all information is created equal or needs to be trusted, and maybe for this reason we’re additionally seeing a rise in disinformation.

Anyone’s opinion on social media, for example, shouldn’t be taken as reality, which is one thing many individuals appear to fail to know.

And for this reason, I consider, there may be nonetheless an essential place for print agricultural media, a medium that we’re nonetheless very a lot invested in at Farmer’s Weekly.

In some ways, it could appear that the world has moved on from print publications, with a lot free data accessible on-line. Nonetheless, the adage, ‘you get what you pay for’ nonetheless rings true right this moment, and there may be actually worth in paying for data.

For one factor, it suggests that cash has been spent on gathering, writing, fact-checking and enhancing the data that’s ultimately made public.

Whereas this isn’t to say that errors don’t creep in in some unspecified time in the future, or that newspapers and different print publications can’t typically be incorrect in regards to the data printed, it does recommend a smaller likelihood of this eventuality, as popularity and capital funding are sometimes in danger in these sorts of ventures.

With our 113-year historical past, Farmer’s Weekly is effectively conscious of the facility and significance of popularity.

And for this reason we proceed to make sure that we’ve got unimaginable journalists on our staff with years of expertise, information and contacts to make sure that we offer essentially the most correct and up-to-date information and data.

Lately, one in every of our personal, Lindi Botha, was introduced as one in every of 5 finalists within the first Ladies’s Perception Deliberation Competitors, which seeks to create a platform the place girls in agriculture can turn into a part of the agricultural dialogue platform and finally affect public and trade discussions (as per the reason by Future Agri Views, which runs the competitors).

Lindi and lots of of our different journalists maintain many different awards, together with awards from worldwide our bodies that recognise agricultural journalists for his or her good work.

With this in thoughts, Farmer’s Weekly will proceed to play a pertinent function within the agriculture area, not solely in South Africa, but in addition in the remainder of Africa, as a print publication and on its digital platforms.

I’ve been with Farmer’s Weekly for greater than seven years now, and have been editor for greater than two, and I’m so happy with the distinctive publication that we handle to provide each week.

I’m additionally happy with the farmers that we function, the aspiring agriculturalists we converse to and our hundreds of readers, who’re keen about agriculture in South Africa. Lengthy could we proceed to serve you, our readers!