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December 2024
Nolo Bakwa, communications intern at Grain SA
At the 2024 PGP Day of Celebration, Petrus Ranko Tsotetsi’s dedication, resilience and hard work were recognised as he won the prestigious Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year Award.
On 24 October, Ranko proudly received a brand new John Deere 5075E utility tractor from John Deere Financial on his farm near Kestell. The event was characterised by a celebratory mood, as fellow farmers from the Free State region gathered in big numbers to honour his achievement. This moment not only highlighted Ranko’s hard work and dedication, but also fostered a sense of community and pride among local farmers.
This prestigious prize is a symbol of his journey and commitment to promoting agricultural excellence. For Ranko, it is more than just equipment – it is a tool for growth and productivity that will enable him to cultivate his land more efficiently, expand his production and embrace advanced farming practices.
With this new addition to his farm, he is set to achieve remarkable milestones, contributing significantly to his community’s food security and economic stability.
Reflecting on his achievement, Ranko expressed gratitude towards Grain SA and John Deere Financial for recognising his efforts. ‘This tractor is a dream coming true. It symbolises hope and progress for my family and farm,’ he shared.
His story serves as an inspiration to emerging farmers, highlighting the impact of persistence and the value of support from organisations like Grain SA.
Pieter Pienaar, credit sales and marketing manager at John Deere Financial, hands Ranko the keys to his brand new John Deere 5075E utility tractor at the Day of Celebration in September this year.
Ranko thanked everyone who has been involved in his development as a farmer during his acceptance speech. Here he shares the joy with some of his farm workers.
A mentor who played a huge role in Ranko’s success story, Jacques Roux, with his winning farmer.
The John Deere Financial team, Willem Roets (finance specialist) and Lariska Hallat (marketing communication administrator), with the winner.
A total of 25 study group meetings took place in September. In Dundee five of these visits were held to prepare for the Beyond Abundance (BA) project, where planting was discussed. Training was also done and confirmation of payments that had been made for inputs was controlled. Inputs were also delivered during some of the study group sessions.
The first input deliveries took place in the Louwsburg area. These farmers from the Sheepmore Study Group were excited about the early delivery of inputs and look forward to the coming season.
The farmers of the Luphisi Farmers’ Association were reminded about planting the correct plant population by knowing the measurements of distances. They learned more about measuring weight in kilogram and volume from millilitres up to kilolitres. They were also taught more about climate and soil characteristics.
The Ntabamhlope Study Group had a training session named ‘An introduction to measuring’. A practical demonstration was also held with a knapsack, showing the farmers how to determine the nozzle height, spray width and volume sprayed per 50 m walking.
It has been a very busy time for the Farmer Development Team, with a total of 109 farm visits taking place between 4 September and 11 October. The regional development managers and mentors were making sure that soil preparations have been done and that all implements are ready to go after the first rain falls. Proper care and maintenance were also addressed.
The Dundee office made 28 trips to ten different farmers. In the Eastern Free State, nine farmers had 22 visits, while eleven farmers in the Western Free State had 16 visits from the team. In the Lichtenburg region, there were ten visits to nine farmers. The Louwsburg office serviced the most farmers, with 33 visits to 24 different farmers.
Du Toit van der Westhuizen paid Serema Organ a visit in the Lichtenburg area. Serema is getting ready to plant 100 ha of maize and about 40 ha of sunflower. The farmer is also awaiting a quote to have his old tractor’s gearbox repaired.
Johan Kriel, regional development manager, visited farmer Johannes Motlhabane, who used to farm with his father. He now has his own land but will still work with his father and use his equipment. The high potential lands need to be tilled before planting can begin. This will be done once it has rained.
Ranko Tsotetsi from Kestell was busy spreading lime when mentor Johan Roux, paid him a visit. Johan and Ranko recalibrated the spreader again after Ranko discovered that the quantity that was spread, was more than what was calibrated. They found that the driver was driving too slowly, so the RPM was adjusted to 1 500, which solved the problem.
Publication: December 2024
Section: Pula/Imvula
