Afdeling Ontwikkelende Landbou
Farmer Development division
Grain SA Farmer Development
Programme
Grain SA’S
Farmer Development Programme has
been running for more than ten years. The major focus
of the programme is on the development of skills and
knowledge for the establishment of successful, profitable
and sustainable grain farmers. Currently the programme
offers its services to various farmers from ten different offices
in the grain and cereal producing areas of South Africa.
The mission of the programme is
‘To develop capacitated
commercial black producers and to contribute towards
household and national food security through the optimal
use of the natural resources available to each farmer’
.
In order to contextualise the meaning of transformation and
development, the following definitions are believed to be
appropriate within this context:
Transformation – ‘change for the better’
Development – ‘advancement through progressive stages’
In relation to the definition above, Grain SA is striving
towards transformation and development in terms of:
► Sustainable land use.
► Optimal use of currently unproductive land.
► Increased financial returns to farmers on the land
they have available, through:
Increased yields.
Reduced production costs.
Improved tillage practices.
Commercial marketing of crops.
Use of modern technology.
Crop rotation.
► Financial independence of the farmer.
► Improved own mechanisation for farmers at all levels
(reduced reliance on contracting).
► Improved knowledge and skills relating to production
practices, land use, mechanisation, management,
marketing, business acumen, total resource utilisation.
► Sector transformation (more black farmers in the
agricultural sector, and improved representation of
black farmers on industry bodies).
► Improved access to production credit for black farmers.
► Affordable and accessible multi-risk insurance
for farmers.
► Individual empowerment of each farmer (individual
accountability and responsibility).
► Improved image of agriculture (particularly with
the youth).
FARMER DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
Grain SA has been involved in farmer development since
its inception in 1999 and the relevance of this programme
has increased over the years. As a result of South Africa’s
political and historical past, commercial agriculture rested
in the hands of whites. Since 1994, with the dawn of true
democracy in South Africa, there has been a lot of land
restitution and redistribution, while at the same time farmers
in the old ‘homeland’ areas have access to very large tracts
of land that are not being used optimally (for various reasons
that will be discussed later in this document).
Graan SA Ontwikkelende
landbouprogram
Graan SA
se Ontwikkelende Landbouprogram is reeds
meer as tien jaar aan die gang. Die hooffokus van die
program is op die ontwikkeling van vaardighede en
kennis vir die daarstelling van suksesvolle, winsgewende
en volhoubare graanprodusente. Die program bied tans
sy dienste aan verskeie boere vanuit tien verskillende
kantore in die graanproduserende gebiede van Suid-Afrika.
Die missie van die program is
“Om swart kommersiële
produsente met kapasiteit te ontwikkel en tot huishoudelike
en nasionale voedselsekerheid by te dra deur die optimale
gebruik van die natuurlike hulpbronne wat tot elke boer se
beskikking is”
.
Ten einde die betekenis van transformasie en ontwikkeling
te kontekstualiseer, word die volgende definisies in hierdie
konteks as toepaslik beskou:
Transformasie – “verander ten goede”
Ontwikkeling – “vordering deur progressiewe stadiums”
In ooreenstemming met die definisie hierbo streef Graan SA
na transformasie en ontwikkeling ten opsigte van:
► Volhoubare grondgebruik.
► Optimale gebruik van tans onproduktiewe grond.
► Verhoogde finansiële opbrengste aan boere op die
grond wat hulle beskikbaar het, deur:
Toenemende opbrengs.
Verlaagde produksiekoste.
Verbeterde bewerkingspraktyke.
Kommersiële bemarking van gewasse.
Gebruik van moderne tegnologie.
Wisselbou.
► Finansiële onafhanklikheid van die boer.
► Verbeterde eie meganisering vir boere op alle vlakke
(minder vertroue op kontraktering).
► Beter kennis en vaardighede ten opsigte van
produksiepraktyke, grondgebruik, meganisering,
bestuur, bemarking, sakevernuf, totale
hulpbronbenutting.
► Sektortransformasie (meer swart boere in die
landbousektor, en beter verteenwoordiging van swart
boere op bedryfsliggame).
► Beter toegang tot produksiekrediet vir swart boere.
► Bekostigbare en toeganklike multirisikoversekering vir
boere.
► Individuele bemagtiging van elke boer (individuele
aanspreeklikheid en verantwoordelikheid).
► Verbeterde beeld van landbou (veral onder die jeug).
AFDELING ONTWIKKELENDE LANDBOU
Graan SA is sedert sy ontstaan in 1999 by ontwikkelende
landbou betrokke en die belangrikheid van hierdie program
het deur die jare toegeneem. As gevolg van Suid-Afrika se
politieke en historiese verlede was kommersiële landbou in die
hande van wit mense. Sedert 1994, met die koms van ware
demokrasie na Suid-Afrika, was daar heelwat grondrestitusie
en herverdeling, terwyl boere in die voormalige “tuisland”-
gebiede terselfdertyd toegang het tot baie groot stukke
grond wat nie optimaal gebruik word nie (om verskeie redes
wat later in hierdie dokument bespreek sal word).
1. Jane McPherson
Manager: Farmer Development
Bestuurder: Ontwikkelende Landbou
2. Sally-Ann Constable
Office Assistant: Maclear
Kantoorassistent: Maclear
3. Luthando Diko
Office Assistant: Kokstad
Kantoorassistent: Kokstad
4. Graeme Engelbrecht
Development Co-ordinator: Louwsburg
Ontwikkelingskoördineerder: Louwsburg
5. Ian Househam
Development Co-ordinator: Kokstad
Ontwikkelingskoördineerder: Kokstad
6. dr Willie Kotzé
Operations Manager
Bedryfsbestuurder
7. Johan Kriel
Development Co-ordinator: Ladybrand
Ontwikkelingskoördineerder: Ladybrand
8. Landi Kruger
Data Administrator and Economist
Data Administreerder en Ekonoom
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AGTERGROND
Boere gebruik grond om voedsel en vesel te produseer en
sodoende huishoudelike en nasionale voedselsekerheid
te verseker. As ‘n ontwikkelende land moet Suid-Afrika ‘n
lewendige landelike ekonomie hê. Deur boere te help
om die grond te gebruik wat tot hulle beskikking is (hoe
klein ook al), kan ons die landelike ekonomie ‘n hupstoot
gee en die grondslag vir ander ontwikkelings lê. Ons
landbousektor moet getransformeer word sodat ons ‘n
verenigde stem kan hê wat die sektor verteenwoordig en
die gemeenskaplike behoeftes en uitdagings hanteer. As
‘n land moet ons voedselsekerheid hê – ons kan nie op
die invoer van basiese voedselsoorte staatmaak nie. Die
werkloosheidskoerse in ons land is baie hoog en hoewel
die graansektor nie baie arbeidsintensief is nie, is daar talle
werksgeleenthede wat as gevolg van primêre landbou-
aktiwiteite in die landelike gebiede geskep word.
BESTAANDE PROGRAM
Ontwikkelende Landbou was die afgelope paar
jaar bevoorreg om befondsing van die Mielietrust,
Wintergraantrust, Olie- en Proteïensade-ontwikkelings-
trust (OPOT), die Sorghumtrust, die AgriSETA, die LNR,
die Departement van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye,
en die Departement van Landelike Ontwikkeling en
Landbouhervorming (vir die herkapitalisering van boere)
te ontvang. Die Mielietrust verdien spesiale vermelding
aangesien hulle voortgesette befondsing van hierdie
program die grondslag is waarop die ander aktiwiteite
en die program gebou is.
In ‘n poging om alle ontwikkelende boere in die
graan-, olie- en proteïensaadproduserende gebiede
te diens, is kantore geopen in Lichtenburg en Taung
in Noordwes, Ladybrand in die Vrystaat, Nelspruit in
Mpumalanga, Louwsburg en Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal
(wat ook dele van Mpumalanga diens), Kokstad, Maclear
BACKGROUND
Farmers use land to produce food and fibre and
through this secure household and national food
security. As a developing country, South Africa needs
to have a vibrant rural economy. By assisting farmers to
use the land they have available (however small), we
are able to ignite the rural economy and set the base
for other developments. Our agricultural sector needs
to be transformed so that we can have a united voice
representing the sector and addressing the common
needs and challenges. As a country we must have
food security – we cannot rely on the import of basic
foodstuffs. The unemployment rates in our country
are very high and although the grain sector is not
very labour intensive, there are many employment
opportunities that are created in the rural areas
as a result of primary agricultural activities.
EXISTING PROGRAMME
Over the past number of years Farmer Development
has been very fortunate to receive funding from the
Maize Trust, Winter Cereal Trust, Oil and Protein Seeds
Development Trust (OPDT), the Sorghum Trust, the
AgriSETA, the ARC, the Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries and the Department of
Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (for the
recapitalisation of farmers). A special thanks to
the Maize Trust as their continued funding of this
programme has been the foundation upon which
the other activities and the programme are built.
In an attempt to service all developing farmers in the
grain, oil and protein seeds and cereal-producing areas,
we have opened offices in Lichtenburg and Taung in
the North West; Ladybrand in the Free State; Nelspruit
in Mpumalanga; Louwsburg and Dundee in KwaZulu-
Natal (which also service parts of Mpumalanga);
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