Leading African seed supplier Pannar and the Msenganas make a formidable team. With Pannar’s quality hybrids, the Msenganas overcame difficult times. By Marisa Beeton
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When you meet Nolundi Msengana at her farm in Kalbasfontein, near Vanderbijlpark, you are immediately struck by her determination. She is someone who doesn’t just farm the land – she understands it, respects it and builds it for the next generation. “I started farming on this farm in 2007,” says Nolundi. “I grew up in the Eastern Cape, where my father farmed with sheep and maize. I was curious about farming; he was away during the week and I’d look after the sheep. I spent a lot of time with people looking after sheep. That is how I learned.” She now runs Konkesinako Farming with her son, Yandisa.
When I arrived at the farm, I started with 25 hectares, as it was October and the planting season had already begun. I knew nothing about planting.”
Nolundi threw herself into learning, joining Grain SA study groups and completing most of their courses. She found mentors in her neighbours – the late Herklaas Willemse, as well as Amos Njoro.
Today, the operation encompasses 190ha of dryland maize, 35ha of soybeans, along with Dohne Merino sheep, a mixed commercial cattle herd, and some chickens and goats. But it’s their choice of seed that truly reflects how this farm has developed.
A year ago, they switched to supplier Pannar after meeting the company’s representative in the Heidelberg district, Caiphas Muyambo. For their maize, they selected PAN 5P-990 PW PW yellow hybrid and the PAN 5R-785 BR white variety.
“We hire implements to sow and do everything ourselves. So, we need to sow a hybrid that we can start planting early because we need more time,” Yandisa explains. “PAN 5P-990PW allows for this.” Most of their neighbours also plant Pannar, which made the decision easier. But what truly convinced them was Caiphas himself.
“When we met Caiphas, we saw he is not just selling seed, he builds relationships with the farmer,” says Nolundi. “After planting, he calls and asks how it’s going. He comes to the farm. He is maybe the first sales representative that we’ve met who does that. Other people will sell to you, and you only see them again when you need to place an order.”
PAN 1555R is performing exceptionally well for the Msenganas. It is glyphosate tolerant, which makes weed control easy. Additionally, it is well adapted to its environment and the Msenganas’ soil preparation follows minimum tillage practices. “Firstly, because of cost saving,” says Yandisa. “If you farm conventionally, you have a lot of inputs, but our lands allow us to do minimum tillage.”
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Caiphas also speaks highly of working with the Msenganas. “One of the things I’ve learned from Nolundi as a farmer is that she is very decisive, but also willing to learn. On the day she met me, she placed an order and paid for it within two weeks. There was no back and forth. I have a very collaborative relationship with them, which I like.”
In farming, the weather still has the final say, and this season proved to be a test. “We had no rain in January. Then, in February, it started raining and the sun did not shine for two weeks, which caused other problems, like fungal growth. It’s like jumping from the pot into the fire. But that’s farming,” says Yandisa about the difficult season.
Last year was even more challenging. “We have a section of our land where the soil has a high clay content. It is the hardest soil to prepare and the most difficult to plant. If it dries out, the plants there suffer the most. It covers about 20ha, and last year we had no yield at all on it. Then, while we were harvesting, a fire broke out and 20ha of good maize was burnt.”
Asking Nolundi what keeps her going after seasons like these, she says: “We always say it is what it is; we must not give up. We are planting because we want to help the nation, and we know the seed that we plant is the hope for us all. The harvest is the testimony of the hard work we are doing.”
Inquiries: Caiphas Muyambo, 076 064 1633.
