What began with five chickens has grown into a thriving Philippi farming business with 35 000 laying hens and a vegetable enterprise. Achmad Brinkhuis shares the values, relationships and attention to detail behind Chamomile Farming Enterprises’ growth.
By Talitha Janse van Vuuren, multimedia editor at African Farming
Chamomile Farming Enterprises in Philippi tells what appears, at first glance, to be a familiar agricultural success story.
The family business started with five chickens and surplus eggs sold to family and friends. More than two decades later, the farm manages about 35 000 laying hens, supplying eggs to Nulaid, as well as fresh vegetables and herbs to established buyers.
But time spent on the farm reveals that Chamomile Farming Enterprises’ story is not only one of growth and production. Throughout conversations about poultry, markets and business decisions, Achmad Brinkhuis repeatedly returns to a different subject entirely: character.
Achmad believes success in farming begins long before infrastructure is built or contracts are signed. A person’s reputation should precede them, he says, and integrity is one of the most valuable assets any farmer can possess. In an industry built on relationships and trust, people should know that your word means something and commitments made will be commitments honoured.
Those principles appear in many of the small details that shape daily life on the farm. Workers greet one another respectfully, the facilities are neat and well maintained, and there is a sense of order that reflects years of consistency rather than short-term effort.
Long-term success is built on habits that often receive little attention, Achmad says. Keeping the workplace clean, greeting people properly and treating workers with respect may seem unrelated to profitability, but he regards this as fundamental to building a sustainable business.
The emphasis on attention to detail extends beyond people management and into every aspect of the operation. In poultry production especially, where thousands of birds rely on management decisions made every day, small oversights can quickly become costly mistakes.
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Lessons learnt through setbacks
Like many farming businesses, Chamomile Farming Enterprises’ journey has not been without setbacks. One of the family’s most difficult periods came when a severe heatwave resulted in the loss of about 1 000 birds from a flock of 1 500 chickens.
The losses were significant enough for Achmad to consider giving up poultry farming altogether. Instead, support that enabled the family to rebuild their flock gave them an opportunity to continue, and the business gradually recovered and expanded.
Looking at the scale of the operation today, it is difficult to imagine the business once stood at such a crossroads. Yet the experience remains an important reminder of the resilience often required in agriculture, where challenges outside a farmer’s control can alter the course of a business almost overnight.
Also read: Layers, indigenous chickens and more: Inside Masala Murovhi’s poultry enterprise
Relationships matter
Relationships are another recurring theme in the way Achmad speaks about farming. Throughout the growth of the business, partnerships with customers, suppliers, neighbours and service providers have all played an important role in helping the family navigate challenges and identify opportunities.
Achmad places particular importance on relationships with workers, believing the people who contribute to the business every day deserve respect and recognition for the role they play in its success. He says a successful farming business depends not only on production, but also on the strength of its relationships with customers, suppliers, workers and neighbours.
Family remains central to both the business and Achmad’s understanding of success. He and his wife, Wadea Jappie, have built a farming enterprise that now includes the next generation. Their sons, Nabeel and Tawfeeq, are actively involved in the business.
Faith also continues to guide the family’s approach to farming and business decisions, reinforcing values such as humility, stewardship and service.
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The foundations of lasting success
Poultry farming is often described as an industry of details, and Achmad believes this is one of the realities new farmers tend to underestimate.
Feed quality, water consumption, temperature management and bird health all require constant monitoring, as even small changes can have significant consequences for production and profitability. For him, attention to detail applies as much to leadership and business management as it does to poultry production itself.
The business has grown through years of reinvestment, careful planning and a willingness to adapt as opportunities arose.
The figures associated with the business have changed considerably since the days of selling eggs to family and friends, but the principles underpinning the operation have remained remarkably consistent.
For Achmad, the goal has never simply been to build a larger business. It has been to build one that lasts, creates opportunities for the next generation and reflects the values on which it was founded.
Also read:
She supplies 3 000 chickens a week – how Itumeleng Mahwete built Nakedi Poultry Farm from scratch
200 to 6 000 chicks: Kariega poultry co-ops scale up with R642 000 fund
Layer-hen project brings food security and farming opportunities to Batlharos
