Zabion de Wee, livestock farmer and John Deere’s business development manager for Africa and the Middle East, is adamant that romanticising agriculture does have its shortfalls. He insists that showcasing the realities and day-to-day struggles farmers like himself face, is crucial for new-era farmers to see in Mzansi.
Share the positives that are occurring in your agriculture, and don’t forget to share the true issues you’re facing, advises De Wee.
In a no-holds barred interview on Farmer’s Inside Track, the John Deere heavyweight does not sugar-coat anything. He talks about everything, from the data and facts to the agricultural politics. Those who wish to follow this sector’s path must be aware of both its positive and negative attributes.
“Allow people to witness your journey, whether you’ve got 100 hectares or 10 000 hectares. Don’t wait until you’ve reached 10 000 hectares, and then make a show about it.”
Importance of mechanisation
His objective is to reach farmers and move away from sentimentality and romanticism in order to attract farmers who can actually produce.
De Wee says that in order for a farmer to earn five million rand from his cropland, several conditions must be met, with mechanisation being one of the most crucial.
“You can’t reach a turnover of five million if your mechanisation is not in place.”
In most circumstances, farmers that do not use mechanisation lose the majority of their input expenses, but this can be avoided with effective mechanisation, says De Wee.
“Take an informed decision and then decide on that, on why you want to do agriculture. That’s my vison; make it attractive to new-era farmers with the real facts out there.”
#SoilSista opens up
In this session we also feature #SoilSista Lady Tshoga, who switched careers from accounting to farming. Three years ago, she had to take over her family farming and she’s never looked back. Tshoga has some sound advice to other women agripreneurs in Mzansi.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
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Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
ALSO READ: Fighting hunger hinges on sustainable farming
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