An Eastern Cape dairy farmer, Tshilidzi “Chilli” Matshidzula, last night won the New Entrant to Commercial Farming category at the 2022 Agricultural Writers SA (AWSA) Awards. Held at Grain SA’s Nampo Park in Bothaville in the Free State, Matshidzula was honoured for his excellent farm management practices.
He was among the winners announced during a glitzy affair with Food For Mzansi’s head of news, Duncan Masiwa, as the master of ceremonies.
“This is not a competition, but about recognition,” said AWSA chairperson Liza Bohlmann. “The awards are made through a nomination process that allows our members to shine a light on ambassadors in agriculture.
“These awards are made to persons who have made it their life’s work to contribute to the sustainability of agriculture in South Africa. All the nominees are already seen as ambassadors of the sector and leaders in own right.”
The competition category won by Matshidzula is aimed at farmers with less than a decade’s experience as commercial-scale producers. With humble beginnings as a small-scale farmer, Matshidzula, who hails from Limpopo, embraced the support of a good mentor and started managing a dairy farm in the Eastern Cape.
No stranger to awards, Matshidzula was named the Eastern Cape’s Young Farmer of the Year in 2016. In 2019, he ventured into a new partnership with Oakleaf Agri, starting a new dairy, Mountain Park, in Stutterheim which houses more than 1 000 milk cows.
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ALS Group bags top AWSA award
Clinching the top AWSA award was the agricultural division of the ALS Group. They bagged the 2022 AWSA National Farmer of the Year award for maintaining and increasing biological productivity as well their ability to mitigate risks to ensure greater security.
The prestigious panel of judges also looked at maintenance, management of natural resources, economic sustainability, social acceptability and justification.
The ALS Group farms on 60 000 ha across four provinces. A thousand hectares are under pivot irrigation and 3 500ha is dryland farming. The group owns 10 000 livestock and game and offers employment to 780 families.
Bruwer wins Agriculturist of the Year award
Meanwhile, Pieter Bruwer was announced as AWSA Agriculturist of the Year for his stellar work in extension services in agriculture and his important role in disseminating knowledge throughout the sector.
Bruwer researches a wide range of subjects, including tillage, cultivar and stand tests, fertilisation, and crop protection on various crops. He also advises a cross section of farmers and land owners.
FNB was the headline sponsor at this year’s AWSA Awards with Bayer, Syngenta, Distinct, Grain SA and Van Loveren as co-sponsors.
Recognising the adaptability of the agriculture sector, Dawie Maree, head of information and marketing at FNB Business: Agriculture, reminded attendees that change was constant and necessary.
“We need change in South Africa on various levels but change also needs us. If you do not change, nothing will,” he challenged guests at the awards ceremony. “We are extremely grateful to all our sponsors for their unwavering support to make this event possible.”
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