Farmers, mostly small-scale producers who are members of the Emakhazeni Study Group, received information and tips on grain farming during an information day held at Blinkwater Farm in Stoffberg in the Nkangala District, Mpumalanga, on 23 April. The study group was established under the auspices of Grain SA’s Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) division.
By Montsho Matlala
Sibusiso Mabuza, the CEO of PGP, urged farmers to take advantage of his entity’s commitment to help subsistence, smallholder and new-era commercial farmers transition to become important role-players in the grain value chain and thus make a meaningful contribution to food security in South Africa and beyond.
“Those starting as subsistence farmers have a fairly small piece of land – half a hectare all the way to 10ha,” Mabuza explained. “They become part of a study group where they are provided with mentors who teach them about financing and also give them agronomical support.
“The most important thing, which is paramount to us at PGP, is to capacitate these farmers in terms of training and finance in collaboration with our multiple partners including Land Bank.”
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Business Model for Farming Entrepreneurs
Mabuza said PGP has a business model for emerging farmers who aspire to be entrepreneurs whereby a farmer contributes 80% of the production cost. PGP then provides the remaining 20% as grant funding.
“During the planting season, mentors in the study groups monitor progress on crops and make the necessary interventions. We actually make sure these farmers get very good yields from their operations. Depending on their performance in their fields, we are able to take them from subsistence to smallholder farmers planting up to 50ha. They can now qualify for a non-interest-bearing loan that we expect each beneficiary to pay. These loans are made possible by a number of institutions that we have partnered with,” Mabuza told the farmers.
He also advised the farmers not to hesitate to seek help from officers attached to the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), some of whom also attended the farmers’ day event.
Farmers used the event as an opportunity to get contact numbers from various stakeholders, ranging from public to private institutions. Some also exchanged contact details among themselves in order to share tips and learn from one another’s farming operations.
‘Beware of Nematodes’
Dr Grace Tefu of the nematology division at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) advised farmers to take soil samples to laboratories to get them analysed for any presence of nematodes before planning any crop on their farms.
“Soil analysis will help you as a farmer to also know the extent of the problem caused by nematodes on your farm and to know a suitable nematology strategy to eradicate the problem. Farmers who are not able to access laboratories easily should get in touch with their local agricultural advisers. We have 27 coordinators in Mpumalanga who deal with nematodes. You can contact them and they will connect you with us at the ARC,” Dr Tefu explained. She shared the stage with Nkosingiphile Zulu, who is pursuing a PhD in agriculture at the University of Mpumalanga.
Zulu told African Farming at the event: “My love for community development and sustainable food security motivated me to study agriculture. Learning and sharing knowledge and skills with farmers, especially during the developmental stages of their farming operations, while simultaneously learning new things from them, inspires me in every moment of my involvement.”
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Training for Better Yields
Jerry Mthombothi, regional manager of PGP in Mpumalanga, highlighted the importance of going through training after joining various farmer development programmes offered by his organisation. “You are required to attend monthly training workshops that are for study groups. Farmers who attend the workshops get benefits such as more assistance in terms of farming inputs.
Mthombothi emphasised that PGP study group training empowers farmers with, among other things, good calibration methods, knowledge on seed varieties, soil preparation and other aspects of farming crops for maximum or optimal yields.
“There are other farmers, however, who join but then stop attending workshops and continue to buy inputs on their own. The problem is that such farmers mostly have no knowledge and skills to use those inputs. Then, when their farming operations fail, they start blaming PGP programmes, whereas they never attended training programmes,” he said.
Working from the Sky
Anroe Steyn, sales manager at Afri Air, told the farmers about the use of drones in agriculture. He explained that drones operate from the sky over agricultural fields and can be used to spray fertiliser on crops as well as chemicals to control weeds and pests.
“But you need some training in the use of these flying machines, as well as proper licensing to use them safely,” Steyn cautioned. He also assured attendees that his company could help customers get started with drone operations on farms. In addition, he explained that some drones are capable of carrying out patrol duties while flying above farms.
Youth Revolution
With most of the attendees at the farmers’ information day being people in their fifties and sixties, young aspiring farmer Mike Makua called on the government and the private sector to work together to encourage young people to take up farming and help produce food.
“With a keen interest in technologies such as drones and modern farming machinery, we can revolutionise agriculture to feed the world,” said Makua, who is the founder and chairperson of Highveld Mixed Farming Cooperative in the Emakhazeni Local Municipality.
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