Despite farming on scattered, unfenced communal fields, Botlhale Tshabalala has built a thriving grain enterprise by adapting his production system to the realities of communal farming.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
For many aspiring farmers, a shortage of land, infrastructure and capital can end the dream before it begins. For Botlhale, these constraints have instead become a motivation to work smarter.
Based around Itsoseng near Lichtenburg in North West, he farms about 200 ha of communal land, with roughly 150 ha planted to maize and 50 ha to sunflower as part of a dryland crop-rotation programme.
His fields are scattered in blocks of between 15 ha and 30 ha, none of them fenced. After harvest, livestock graze the crop residues, while Botlhale has to hire security to protect standing crops. Each season also starts with negotiating access to fields that have been lying fallow.
“Planting on communal land has its challenges because, unlike farmers who own or control their land, I have to balance good farming practices with the realities of communal farming,” he says.
His grain production is divided equally between NWK and the Grain SA/Kgodiso Development Fund (PepsiCo) programme. He produces white and yellow maize, with the white maize destined for PepsiCo’s maize-meal brands.
Also read: From 15 to 200 hectares: how mentorship transformed Botlhale Tshabalala’s grain operation
Working with the conditions
One of Botlhale’s biggest challenges is managing the timing of field preparation.
After harvesting around July, he allows his own cattle and communal livestock to graze the maize stover. He can only begin preparing the fields once most of the residue has been consumed.
“I first check the moisture in the soil. If there is enough moisture, I use a disc plough to control emerging weeds and loosen the soil so that rain can penetrate more easily. I then wait for the rain before using a ripper or chisel plough. After that, it is almost time to plant.”
Once the crop is established, he follows a structured weed-control and crop-protection programme, using Roundup Ready seed and post-emergence treatments before regularly monitoring the crop.
Also read: From herding cattle at nine to 300ha of sunflower: Obakeng Ntshabele’s farming journey
Matching seed to the season
Rather than relying on a single cultivar, Botlhale plants varieties from three seed companies to compare their performance across his scattered fields.
“We work with different seed companies that run training sessions and farmers’ days and promote their cultivars. As farmers, we need to test these seeds ourselves to see what works best for us,” he says.
The approach is particularly useful on communal land, where soil and growing conditions can vary between fields.
“One cultivar may perform well on one part of the farm and not as well on another. Yield is our biggest driver because input costs are so high. The best way to cover those costs is to produce more with less.”
He therefore looks for varieties that offer advantages against pests and weather stresses and can perform during dry periods.
Also read: Stray cattle destroyed his maize crop – why Mahlatse Bonoko refuses to give up on growing his own feed
Managing moisture
With average annual rainfall of between 480 mm and just over 500 mm, plant population is another important tool for managing production risk.
Under normal conditions, Botlhale plants between 15 000 and 18 000 plants/ha. In a good rainfall season, he increases this to between 21 000 and 22 500 plants/ha.
“Last season, when we had good rain, I increased the population. This season, I will probably go back to 15 000 to 18 000 plants/ha.”
The decision is made in consultation with his mentor and seed-company agronomists and is based largely on expected seasonal conditions.
“If you put too many plants in the field, they compete for the same moisture and that can affect your yield. Managing the moisture available to the crop is critical.”
The strategy has helped him weather difficult seasons. During previous dry spells, when some farmers harvested as little as 600 kg/ha, Botlhale managed about 2.2 t/ha.
Although he targets 6 t/ha, his average yield in the previous few seasons has ranged between 7 t/ha and 7.8 t/ha for maize.
Also read: From maize and sugar beans to chillies: Mapitsi Mashego’s recipe for crop success
Planting and fertilising for the season
Getting the planting date right is equally important, particularly in a dryland production system. Botlhale pays close attention to when the crop will reach tasselling and the reproductive stage, when maize has a particularly high demand for moisture.
“Planting at the right time is important because the most critical period for maize to have enough moisture is during reproduction. You need to estimate when that period will occur and plan your planting date accordingly.”
Fertiliser application is also linked directly to his yield target.
After conducting soil tests, he sets a realistic production target and uses it to determine his fertiliser requirements. Under normal rainfall conditions, his maize yield target is 6 t/ha. He applies about 200 kg/ha of 20:7:3 fertiliser at planting, followed by approximately 100 kg/ha of Green Sulphur as a top dressing.
But when the seasonal outlook points to below-average rainfall, he adjusts both his yield expectations and input costs.
At a recent study group session with his mentor, Du Toit van der Westhuizen, Botlhale was advised to lower his maize yield target to 3 t/ha because of the expected drier conditions.
“That means I’m going to put less fertiliser into the crop. If you spend too much on fertiliser and then don’t get the yields, it becomes difficult to break even and service your loans,” he says.
Under these conditions, he plans to apply about 100 kg/ha at planting and then monitor the weather before deciding whether to top-dress.
“If you apply top dressing and then don’t get rain, the fertiliser can burn the crop. So, if we are not expecting rain, we don’t apply the top dressing.”
He follows a similar approach with sunflower, using 20:7:3 fertiliser containing boron at planting and targeting yields of between 1.4 t/ha and 1.7 t/ha.
For Botlhale, commercial farming on communal land is ultimately about matching every production decision, from seed and plant population to fertiliser and planting date, to the resources and conditions available.
His experience shows that while communal land presents significant constraints, careful planning, technical knowledge and disciplined cost management can create a viable pathway into commercial grain farming.
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