Thulani Magida, the Eastern Cape new entrant to commercial agriculture of the year, was named national entrant to commercial agriculture of the year at an event in Centurion on Friday evening, 15 November.
Magida, owner of Juta Agritech, has been farming since 2022. He operates 28 ha of 45 ha communal land at Qonce (formerly King William’s Town) and has diversified his farming business to focus on vegetables that are in demand, such as butternuts, pumpkins, cabbage and potatoes.
He also operates a pig farm. His farming business also offers agricultural advisory services to emerging farmers, focusing on budgeting, cash flow management and business planning.
Magida holds a Masters in Agricultural Economics and an MBA from Nelson Mandela University. With six years of experience in the Department of Agriculture and nine years in the private sector, he focuses on improving productivity. Among other things, he has improved his potato yields from 22 t/ha to 35 t/ha. He is on track to reach the industry benchmark of 40 t/ha. His cabbage yields are also on track, with 76% of his crops being packed for delivery to markets.
Magida focuses on the use of technology. He applies precision farming using drones to monitor crops, reduce chemical use and limit water waste. He also offers drone services, which help bridge the technology gap for emerging farmers.
