Young and newly commercialising South African farmers are unique in their commitment to sustainability, innovative farming practices, and business acumen – all of which positions them well for success in the global agriculture industry. This according to Jaco Beyers, managing director Africa Middle East at John Deere.
The company is teaming up with Food For Mzansi at next month’s Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg on 14 and 15 June.
As the official partner of the indaba, Beyers and his team look forward to sharing their S.M.A.R.T model with 400 of the county’s top young farmers.
South Africa has a long history of commercial farming creating an opportunity for the young, upcoming farmers to learn and leverage the existing knowledge within the market systems and infrastructure.
INDABA TICKETS: Click here to book your seat at a discounted rate
“Young people are more inclined to experiment with new methodologies and are naturally attracted to enabling technology,” Beyers said. “Their curiosity should be harnessed to pathway more young people into the sector.”
With this in mind, John Deere’s S.M.A.R.T model has the potential to revolutionise the agrarian sector, create jobs for the growing youth population, and uplift the citizens out of poverty through the establishment of vibrant mechanisation businesses.
“The S.M.A.R.T model can help new farmers mechanise and find solutions and scale up existing new-era farmers to the next level,” Beyers said.
Future of livestock wealth
The world of farming is changing and Livestock Wealth is one example of this. The organisation is helping thousands of South Africans to grow their wealth the African way – investing in livestock through crowdfunding.
CEO Ntuthuko Shezi is among the A-list speakers for the upcoming indaba. He tells Food For Mzansi that he looks forward to sharing with young farmers an innovative way of generating income by investing in tangible, growing assets at the click of a button.
“We will expose young farmers to cutting-edge thinking on farming. Where farming is going, there is a lot that farmers need to look out for in the next five to ten years,” he said.
According to Shezi, the livestock industry will look quite different a few years from now.
“There will be much smaller feedlots of between 500 and 2 000 cattle, than the current 50 000 to 100 000 cattle.”
“Also on the chicken side, with the cost of electricity and load shedding, we are seeing a more back-to-basics approach to poultry. Chicken production is becoming unaffordable and we are likely to see more large-scale producers scaling down to a production scale of between 3 000 to 10 000 chickens,” he said.
Get yourself a ticket
Want to attend the Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba? You can still grab tickets before they’re gone by clicking this link. For just R1 200 (including VAT) for two days, including lunch and a cocktail function on the evening of 14 June, you’ll be investing in yourself and your farming future.
The Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba is designed for young farmers and agripreneurs looking to extend their supply chains, find possible partners and funders, and plug into new markets and value chains.
INDABA TICKETS: Click here to book your seat at a discounted rate
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