When the land calls, it is always a good idea to answer. Just ask, Olerile Lekgetho, who switched careers from auditing to cattle farming.
In this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, this North West farmer shares how the land kept calling, and why he simply had to answer.
Lekgetho also talks climate change and the difficulties that it is posing for his farming enterprise. Despite this challenge and many others, he urges young South Africans to consider careers in this field.
According to Lekgetho, the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development, and other funders need to look at a different plan to provide equitable financial support to farmers.
Changing with the times
“Things have changed, things have evolved. Let’s bring technology into farming. This is how I am going forward, planning my farming,” he says.
He also talks about how raising cattle requires preparation and elaborates more on how he runs his farm.
Meanwhile, his advice to new farmers is simple: “Start now, do not wait for funding or government. If you’ve got a dream, never be scared to fail. You will never know your full potential if you have never tried.”
Lekgetho also shares why he firmly believes that agriculture should be a subject in every South African school. Children, he says, should understand early on how food is produced as this will help them to appreciate the importance of agriculture in the future, and hopefully serve as inspiration to start their own agricultural enterprises someday.
The episode also features #SoilSista Ngwanarachuene Mampane whose agricultural journey started in 1991 when she was sent to an agricultural high school. She is one of the amazing women selected for the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
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