By Roelof Bezuidenhout
Change can strike like a bolt out of the blue. The farming world in general has never been quick to embrace change. Most farmers are reluctant to abandon methods that have always worked in favour of those they’re unsure of or perceive as too expensive to implement. Less than a century ago, grain farmers were still keeping up to 50 oxen on the veld to plough their lands, long after tractors had become an option. Today, despite the clear benefits, most farmers have yet to invest in drones.
Of course, it’s easy to get swept up in the hype around a new gadget or system long before it becomes essential for your operation, but it is equally true that you can wait too long to respond to a trend. A good example is the recent emphasis on traceability, animal welfare and sound farming practice in the animal fibre industry. Wool and mohair farmers were warned repeatedly that non-compliance would eventually lead to price penalties. That day has arrived – seemingly out of the blue – catching some with their pants down. Not because they were doing anything wrong, but because they never expected anyone to start monitoring their practices so closely, or that it would demand such significant extra input.
Regardless of what you produce or how isolated and inaccessible your farm is, one fact is becoming increasing clear: Consumer markets are changing faster than ever, and technology is keeping pace. Your business is more visible and accountable than you might think.
So you have to ask yourself a critical question: When – and how – is any particular change or trend likely to impact my operation?
Some changes will reach you sooner than others. This calls for informed anticipation. It will be interesting, for example, to see how fast the vegan hamburger market takes off, and how it ultimately affects the meat industry.
Looking further ahead, it’s not hard to imagine even more drastic changes in the food industry disrupting traditional production systems – while urban consumers remain largely unaware of how their demands impact the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities.
Keep up to date
All of this makes if more important than ever to stay informed and keep up with technological and market developments. This is easier said than done. Most farmers run one-person operations that keep them on the move from dawn to dusk. The sheer demand of day-to-day work can easily crowd out any attempt to stay in touch with what’s happening in the wider world, despite easy access to the internet. Farm life can even lull you into a false sense of security, where you think nothing much will ever change around here.
It’s not uncommon for farmers, especially on large, remote livestock farms, to go for days without seeing or speaking to an outsider. In a way, you can become a prisoner of your own land – always working, always checking, rarely going anywhere.
Keeping your own company is not conducive to gaining essential information. You have to go out and make a point of engaging with people who are in the know. It takes conscious effort to regularly seek out updates on what’s happening in your industry, not only on price movements but also on broader trends that might have a bearing on your future as a farmer. Failing to do so can leave you exposed to unpleasant surprises, lost opportunities, or new demands that add pressure in both the short and long term.
If nothing else, being better informed can ease some of the uncertainty that causes paralysis. And on a farm, that can make all the difference.
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 | Roelof Bezuidenhout is a fourth-generation wool, mohair, mutton and game farmer and freelance journalist. Attended Free State University, majoring in animal husbandry and pasture science. Other interests include agricultural extension and rural development. |
