It takes tenacity and perseverance to make it in Mzansi’s dairy industry. Something Free State dairy farmer Nompe Zim knows all too well, and are two key ingredients in her winning the prestigious ARC National Small-Scale Master Dairyman of the Year award for the fourth time in a row.
Zim was crowned during the recent Agricultural Research Council National Master Dairyman Hybrid Awards held at the Groot Phesantekraal Wine Farm in Cape Town.
Accepting the award, Zim said that as far as she is concerned, her knowledge in farming and good relationship with relevant stakeholders such as the ARC, Milk South Africa and Nestlé have contributed to her success.
“I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who advised me from the onset, I hope it does not end here and I would like to see more young and black females winning this award,” she said.
“My dream is to only milk Jersey cows in future and am not far from that, I am very patient with myself. I am almost there [and] i know [that] I will do well.”
Farming conditions in the Free State, such as floods and dilapidated infrastructure, have taken its toll on her dairy farm, but she has managed to soldier on.
“This year has been nothing but hell to us in the Eastern Free State. We had floods from January to June. We have been looking for lucerne since July and I only got my lucerne in October.
“It was not easy, and I should thank all stakeholders who have come in and helped us as small-scale farmers.”
Courage to rebuild
Zim said that her biggest motivation was her late father who died two years ago. “I cannot disappoint that man,” she said.
The dairy farmer took over the farm from her father in 2020 and currently farms with more than 200 cows on 162 hectares of land.
She also called on new entrants to work hard and make a success of their farming journeys. “We need to have new entrants in the market, but they must know that it will not be easy to navigate amid the global challenges that the agriculture space is [faced with].”
Meanwhile, the ARC Special Award for Innovative Development by a Dairy Producer went to Johannes Loubser, who farms with 1 283 cows. They are using a 560 kilowatts solar plant energy which enables them to produce milk off the grid, process and cold-room store it before going to the market.
“I do not have much to say, but one thing is that dairy farmers have got the best people working for them, and that is the case on our farm as well. This award goes to our workers. We are fortunate to have a top management team on our farm and this goes to them,” he said.
A lot needs to be done
Chief executive officer of the Agricultural Research Council Dr Litha Magingxa said it was overwhelming how dairy farmers are going the extra mile, despite the many challenges that the industry is faced with.
“These farmers that we are recognising are the best in our industry and they do deserve this recognition for their immense contribution to national and household nutrition security.
“Because of their resilience we often forget of the daily challenges that they have to encounter to ensure that we all have our daily glass of milk and all other products that flow from this industry,” Magingxa said.
Meanwhile, chairperson of the ARC Joyene Issacs called on stakeholders to work together and resuscitate the dairy industry following the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said under new ARC leadership the sector is in a better position create jobs and be sustainable.
ALSO READ: It’s two-in-a-row for Free State dairy farmer
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