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What began as a friendship more than a decade ago at the Buhle Academy in Delmas has today developed into one of Mpumalanga’s notable farming partnerships, with Pannar as a trusted ally. By Marisa Beeton
The six members of Ithuba Cooperative, who farm between Balfour and Grootvlei in Mpumalanga, have built their operations from humble beginnings into an enterprise of 3 000 hectares, encompassing both grain and livestock.
“We met at the Buhle Academy in Delmas, Mpumalanga, in 2006. The Land Reform Programme of the then Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs helped us acquire this farm, and we then established Ithuba,” says Ditumelo Michael Zitha, one of the founding members.
The cooperative initially operated on only 80 hectares and faced significant financial constraints. By using their own funds to plant crops, they achieved modest yields of 1 tonne/ha for maize and 2,2 tonnes/ha for soybean.
Ditumelo recalls how surprised his father was when he said he wanted to farm: “My father said: ‘Farm? You?!’ Fortunately, I met good people when I arrived at the academy, and we formed a strong partnership.”
The cooperative structured itself with clear divisions of responsibilities.
Our tasks are divided based on the skills we have. Two people oversee the livestock division, two handle crops, and two are responsible for marketing.
Ditumelo leads the crops division. They grow soybeans, yellow maize, and white maize. Their approach to teamwork is a key factor in their success. “Our biggest secret is teamwork. Six people from different backgrounds coming together can be difficult, but thanks to the fact that we have the same vision, we talk when there are problems and solve them immediately.”
The cooperative’s crop selection reflects both market opportunities and regional suitability. Concerning white maize, they plant PAN 5285, a conventional or non-genetically modified (GM) hybrid. “We usually plant GM hybrids and still do this with yellow maize, but with the conventional hybrid, we wanted to explore a different market,” says Ditumelo. “When many people started switching to GM hybrids, it left a significant gap in the market for conventional hybrid maize.”
Caiphas Muyambo, Pannar’s representative in Heidelberg (Gauteng), is very impressed with Ithuba’s first non-GM season. “The crop surprised even me. I was a bit concerned because it was their first season of planting it, but it has exceeded our expectations.”
Their yellow maize choice is PAN 4R-838BR. “We believe it’s the best maize hybrid for this area. We’ve seen its good germination and early maturity.”
For soybeans, Ithuba chose PAN 1555R. “I like that this hybrid keeps growing as long as we have rain and sunshine. It means you get more pods,” says Ditumelo.
Partnership with Pannar
The relationship with Pannar Seed began when the cooperative members met Caiphas. “It transformed our farming. Pannar is not just there to help us with seed purchases, but helps us right through to harvest,” says Ditumelo.
Caiphas also convinced the Ithuba farmers to plant trials, which helps them make the best choices for their farming operation and plant more hectares.
“I like that they are organised,” says Caiphas. “Each of the six people in the team has something specific that they do. There’s no confusion. If you want to talk about chemical solutions, for example, there’s a specific person you talk to.”
He also values their open-minded attitude towards new ideas. “They are willing to learn and listen to what you say. If I bring new technology, they will try it.” The cooperative’s readiness to accept change also helps its soybean production. “For a long time, we kept seed because sometimes the yield wasn’t good,” says Ditumelo. “This year, we decided for the first time to use new seed, and we noticed a big difference between it and the seed we kept.”
Ithuba’s collaboration with Pannar demonstrates how teamwork and strong technical partnerships can lead to great farming success.
Inquiries: Caiphas Muyambo, 076 064 1633.
