Grain SA’s annual Day of Celebration once again honoured producer development and excellence in grain production, promoting transformation within the industry. Held at Nampo Park, this vibrant event recognised producers’ commitment and dedication through the Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) Farmer Development Programme.
Du Toit van der Westhuizen, North West’s regional manager for producer development, congratulated this year’s participants on embracing new methods and technologies, resulting in higher yields. He praised his fellow judging panel members, Patricia Zimu of the Grain SA marketing team, Lerato Ramafuco of the Grain SA economist team, and Bayer’s Chris Phakathi, for their dedication to evaluating passionate agriculturalists.
Aligning with producer needs
The keynote address was delivered by Annette Steyn, advisor to the minister of agriculture, John Steenhuisen. She emphasised the department’s commitment to listening to producers and fostering an environment that will allow them to focus on productivity. The department also wants to ensure that its strategies align with producers’ needs.
Steyn said the department’s focus is on practical implementation rather than developing new plans, and reiterated that the minister has committed to revising existing strategies rather than creating new ones, focussing instead on practical implementation that will benefit producers.
Dr Tobias Doyer, CEO of Grain SA, said it was a challenging year, particularly for North West, which had no entries in the competition. He stressed the importance of mentorship and encouraged winners to share their knowledge, as this will enhance sustainability and profitability in the sector. Grain SA is synonymous with sustainability and profitability, and the PGP programme and its partners exemplify those values.
Top honours for producers
The highlight of the event was the announcement of the Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial new era commercial farmer of the year award for producers with yields exceeding 250 tons. Ranko Petrus Tsotetsi won this prestigious award and received a brand-new John Deere 5075E utility tractor.
Tsotetsi, a member of Grain SA since 2009, farms near Kestell in the Free State and cultivates maize, soya beans, and sugar beans in a rotation system. He has expanded his mixed farming operation from less than 50ha to over 250ha. Despite the past season’s drought conditions, he achieved a maize yield of 5,7t/ha and a soya bean yield of 2,3t/ha. He marketed his produce through fixed contracts. Tsotetsi is now ready to expand his farming operations, seeking more land in the area. His advice to fellow producers is to cultivate a passion for farming and to believe in one’s own capabilities.
The other finalists in this category were Beheki Isaac Mabusa from Amersfoort in Mpumalanga, and Luvuyo Mbuto from Swartberg in KwaZulu-Natal.
Celebrating excellence
Alfred Gondo from Middelburg in Mpumalanga was named the Grain SA potential commercial farmer of the year. He leads a family farming operation and joined Grain SA in 2015 to learn more about modern farming practices. With the help of a production loan, he now cultivates more than 100ha of maize, beans, and soya beans. His maize yield this season totalled 7,7t/ha, while insurance covered his soya bean losses. The other finalists were Dieketseng Gladys Mahlelehlele from Brandfort in the Free State, and Zoliwe Nombewu from Tsolo in the Eastern Cape.
Jim Besabakhe Masemola from the Elisa Motsoaledi region near Groblersdal in Mpumalanga won the Grain SA smallholder farmer of the year award. In addition to being a council member of the local tribal authority, he is also proving himself as a producer, cultivating maize and soya beans, and farming with sheep, goats, and chickens for household use. Since joining the programme in 2019, his maize yield has increased dramatically, from bags to tons. Last season’s harvest amounted to 5t/ha, and this year’s to 8t/ha. The other finalists were Mandla Enos Nkosi from Piet Retief in Mpumalanga, and Buyisiwe Steven Dlamini from Volksrust, also in Mpumalanga.
Mhlangenqaba Mkizwana from Maclear in the Eastern Cape received the Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial subsistence farmer of the year award. As chairperson of the local Grain SA study group, he has learned a lot about precision farming methods since joining Grain SA. Mkizwana employs manual labour, using a spade, to create furrows, cast seed, add fertiliser, and close the rows. He harvests a total of 9t of maize from his 1,5ha of land, retaining 50% of his yield for feed. The other finalists were Gcinile Beauty Gumbi from Paul Pietersburg in KwaZulu-Natal, and Mfaniseni Paulus Khumalo from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga.
Dr Doyer acknowledged the challenges producers in the programme had to face this year. There were no graduates in the 1 000-, 1 500-, and 2 000-ton clubs, and only four graduate producers – Thami Mtshali, Isaac Malakoane, Luvoyo Mbutho, and Jabulani Ngwenya – joined the 250-ton club (representing a turnover of over R1 million), while only one graduate producer, Zolile Nombewu, joined the 500-ton club with a turnover of over R2 million. – Christal-Lize Muller, Plaas Media
For more information, visit Grain SA’s website at www.grainsa.co.za.
