Excited that you have purchased a new farm? According to experts, the basics must be done correctly. One of them is to get a farm management plan which will be the bedrock of your success.
Chris Smit, a soil conservation technician in the landcare unit at the department of agriculture in the Free State, said with the plan a farmer can be able to assess what they need to do with the farm, what adjustments to make but importantly, how to better protect the natural resources that are there.
Plan wisely for your soil
Smit said farming needs proper planning. He highlighted the importance of ensuring how to care for the land and soil in the planning phases.
He said if the soil is taken care of, the farming operation could be sustainable amid the challenges of climate change.
“[A] farm management plan is very important, you cannot farm without a map. An accurate map is what all farmers need –from small to commercial. [The] most important thing is protect and regenerate natural resources for future generations and that is where the plan comes into place.
“What we must remember is that the farm management plan guides the farmer [in] what to do. [A] physical farm plan is what will ensure that as a farmer you [are] able to manage your resources better. Importantly, you cannot work in isolation, [you] need to work with all people,” he said.
Smit added that most farmers do have farm management plan in place which includes experts such as technicians, extension officers and soil scientists’ inputs in it.
The cheapest way to look after the soil, he said, is through rotational grazing as it helps with inputs costs and makes the soil much richer.
“Planting [the] same thing over the years kills the soil – crop rotation is key. What we do as soil technicians when we do physical farm planning is to propose rotation to protect soil because it increase soil fertility, protect soil erosion, increase soil health and helps with conservation agriculture,” he explained.
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Polokwane livestock farmer Tshegofatso Matsimela said planning how to do things is crucial as it would help operations for the next months.
“Whatever the commodities, the farmer needs to ask critical questions like, ‘What is it I am doing?’. Once you have that sorted it helps you navigate your plans.
“Importantly, zoning your farm helps… Where you [are] going to feed them, handle them, place them, camps, fencing, and where the feed will be placed; that is part of planning and designing your farm,” she said.
Matsimela said when purchasing a new plot or farm, visiting the land to see what is there such as infrastructure and water availability is important. Buyers need to ask the seller what they did before, what type of planting was done, and what they did with the soil.
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