By Lebogang Mashala
The Backsaver walking stick grass planter has been recognised as a runner-up in the commercial category of this year’s Farmers’ Plans Competition, run by Landbouweekblad, Omnia and Grain SA at Nampo. The entries in this category have stands at Nampo.
Michris Janse van Rensburg, a farmer, inventor and founder of Backsaver Equipment based in the Bulfontein area of the Free State, has dedicated nearly two decades to this business. He submitted four plans and secured second place with a walking stick seed planter designed for both adults and children.
Van Rensburg explained his invention was inspired by an elderly farmer, a regular Nampo visitor, who asked him to create a planter that could be used while walking in grazing camps. “It took three years of persistent follow-ups from this farmer to motivate me to start working on the walking stick. Although I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, the idea of the walking stick eventually came to me. Surprisingly, it has also become popular with children,” said Van Rensburg.
Van Rensburg collaborates with small-scale farmers in South Africa and across the African continent. Through his efforts, he has developed a series of back-saving, hand-propelled applicators that simplify small-scale farming. These tools provide increased precision and efficiency, helping to reduce discomfort and enhance crop yields.
Founded in 2010, Backsaver Farming Equipment has consistently garnered attention from both the market and the media with its innovative small-scale farming tools. Among his latest inventions is a crop sprayer, which Van Rensburg claims works exceptionally well with maize and other crops.
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