“No one felt insignificant. From the small growers to commercial farmers, everybody got something of value,” said Andile Ngcobo following Food For Mzansi’s KwaZulu-Natal farmers’ day hosted on Saturday.
The picturesque backdrop of Otto’s Bluff’s rolling hills set the stage for the event attended by nearly 180 people. The day, hosted by Ngcobo, a well-loved farmer and agricultural consultant, left attendees equipped with valuable information to enhance their farming practices.
Among the many a-ha moments counted a presentation by Bonsmara SA breed advisor Sandile Nzuza. The presentation on cattle breeding and breed selection resonated deeply with the audience.
“What is very important when you’re picking an animal is that you pick one that works for the environment you are in,” he said.
Nzuza emphasised the importance of choosing adaptable and illness-resistant breeds for specific environments and advised on supplementing animals, particularly before winter, to minimise weight loss and ensure essential nutrients are already present.
“Starting from mid-February you should already be starting to add protein in your animals’ rations so that by the time it gets to winter, your animals are still sitting on the same level of protein,” he explained.
Responsible pesticide use and transportation protocols
Hiresh Ramanand, CropLife South Africa stewardship coordinator, provided insights into crop protection and responsible pesticide use. His comprehensive presentation covered topics such as understanding pesticide labels, maintaining personal protective equipment, and proper transportation protocols for pesticides.
“When transporting pesticides, it is important to ensure that transport vehicles are always in a good condition. Also, never transport pesticides with food or animal feed,” he urged attendees.
Ramanand also advised farmers not to transport livestock or other animals along with pesticides.
It is also advisable to protect pesticides from extreme temperatures and moisture during transport. “Depending on the pesticide, either extremely low or extremely high temperatures can alter the stability of certain pesticide formulations,” he said.
Speaking to Food For Mzansi, Ramanand said he believed the farmers’ day provided a great platform to communicate key information in terms of responsible pesticide use to a diverse group of smallholder farmers. “The farmers in attendance were receptive and clearly welcomed the important information communicated by all speakers. Without the efforts of the Food For Mzansi team, this would not have been possible.”
Best practices in livestock management
Khomotso Mashiloane, livestock technical advisor at Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), injected energy into the day with a spirited presentation on best practices for livestock management.
Reflecting on the event’s success, Mashiloane highlighted farmers’ eagerness to transition to commercialisation, emphasising the need for guidance on raising cattle and proper record-keeping.
He vowed, “As the red meat industry, we’ll come back to these farmers to engage with them on improving their farm practices so that they can become part of the formal value chain.”
Food For Mzansi’s KwaZulu-Natal farmers’ day also featured presentations from industry experts like Nava Sewrathan, KZN manager of Land Bank, and his colleague Freddy Humphreys, a commercial banker. They covered topics such as blended financing and the newly-launched Agro-Energy Fund.
Xolani Zituta, AgriSETA’s assistant manager for rural development in the province, highlighted funding opportunities for co-ops, SMMEs, trusts, and CPAs.
Zituta said the farmers’ day was well organised judging by the turnout of young, successful and aspiring farmers. “It shows that agriculture is becoming a career of choice to many young South Africans and employment opportunities are being created as there are many now getting in commercial scale production in various sub-sectors within the agri industry.
“I was particularly impressed with level of engagement by the attendees and the questions they posed to show their interest in AgriSeta’s programmes.”
Meanwhile, Wandile Mbonani, marketing officer at Khula!, furthermore provided insights into harnessing the potential of the popular app for sustainable growth, while Nava Sewrathan, KwaZulu-Natal manager of Land Bank and Freddy Humphreys, commercial banker talked about their blended finance and Agro-Energy Fund.
“We all benefited from the programme – apart from engaging with farmers, we also met several key stakeholders who we intend to collaborate with us on projects. All in all it was time well spent,” Sewrathan said.
14-year-old’s passion for farming
Even young agriculture enthusiasts like 14-year-old backyard farmer Zander Madaner found themselves captivated by the day’s proceedings. Eager to absorb every nugget of wisdom, he told Food For Mzansi that he persuaded his parents to bring him to the farmers’ day.
“I like farming a lot,” he exclaimed. “I enjoy learning about … farming. I’ve been growing vegetables in our garden for one year now. I’ve got spinach, cabbage, chillies, brinjals and pumpkins.”
He looked forward to, one day, becoming a successful commercial farmer.
For host farmer Ngcobo, the event marked a significant milestone. He expressed gratitude to Food For Mzansi for organising the provincial event. “We’re quite happy with the way things turned out and the support we received. The line-up was amazing and very helpful.”
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