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New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year
ON FARM LEVEL
Management practices
Maart 2018
78
Positive thinking leads to success
‘I
attribute my success to the fact
that farming is all I know,’ was
Mr Edwin Thulo Mahlatsi’s reaction
on his announcement as the 2017
Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New
Era Commercial Farmer of the Year.
He was born and raised a farmer and
sees no point in wasting energy on being
negative. His success is a result of his
knowledge, careful planning, hard work,
financial accountability, good health and a
wonderful support system like his mentor,
and Grain SA.
When one door closes,
another one opens
Being a farmer at heart, Mahlatsi had to
work hard to realise his lifelong dream of
becoming a commercial producer. He was
born almost 76 years ago, on 2 August 1942,
on a farm in the Bothaville district to parents
who were both farm workers. Although he
did not complete his primary school edu-
cation, he is considered one of the most
knowledgeable farmers in the district.
As he worked on the farm from the time he
was a teenager, he accumulated knowledge
about anything and everything that had to
do with farming.
When the farm where he was raised – which
also provided most of his 40 years’ farming
experience – was purchased by Mr Frikkie
Rautenbach, Mahlatsi stayed on as a farm
worker and jokingly says that he was part of
the transaction, ‘lock, stock and barrel’.
In 2012, his employer helped him to obtain
a lease agreement on the farm through the
government’s Proactive Land Acquisition
Strategy (PLAS) programme. Rautenbach
subsequently made farming equipment,
a tractor and inputs available to him on a
barter deal. Unfortunately, after passing
away in 2014, the equipment landed up in
Rautenbach’s estate. Mahlatsi was left with
no employment, no implements or income
and no production capital.
Even this stumbling block could not stop
Mahlatsi from pursuing his dream. Hav-
ing lived in the Bothaville area for his en-
tire life, he was well aware of the role
Grain SA played in agriculture. He set a new
plan into action and became a member of
Grain SA in 2012 and enrolled in the Grain SA
Farmer Development Programme. He also
joined the Bothaville Study Group, attended
farmers days and completed several training
courses which include ‘Introduction to maize
production’ and ‘Farming for profits’.
This humble farmer is full of praise for the
Grain SA team who assisted him to make
the most of his almost 210 ha of good, arable
soil. They also supported him to get govern-
ment funding and showed him how keep-
ing up with the latest farming techniques
and agricultural technology can aid him to
achieve better results than in the past.
Dreams become reality
The 463 ha farm Swartlaagte, boasting
208 ha of arable land and 255 ha of grazing,
embraces a long history for this passion-
ate farmer as this is where he grew up and
later worked as foreman. Although he con-
siders livestock as an essential part of suc-
cessful farming in the Bothaville area, this
component of his business represents only
about 20% of the farming enterprise in total,
as his main focus is on maize farming.
With the grant he received from the
Recapitalisation Project of which he was
part in 2015/2016, he was able to pur-
chase much needed implements. With his
own well-maintained equipment, he can
do timely soil preparation, spraying and
planting, whilst the harvesting is done by a
contractor.
Together Mahlatsi and his neighbour, local
farmer and Grain SA mentor, Mr Christiaan
Bouwer, tackled the challenging 2015/2016
season with little rain and extreme tempera-
tures. Despite the severe drought Mahlatsi
still managed to harvest 250 tons of maize.
In the 2016/2017 season, he yielded a sub-
stantial 5,5 t/ha.
He believes in working hard and shares this
advice with developing farmers: Learn from
others who know more before doing the
wrong thing; work hard for what you want
and always be thankful for that with which
God has blessed you with.
On Swartlaagte teamwork is important and
the main driving force on the farm. Early
morning briefing sessions are held to plan
the day’s activities and to keep his five em-
ployees in the loop. His daughter, Doreen,
who works for the Emergency Medical Ser-
vices in Kroonstad, has also become part of
this farming enterprise. Whenever she has
free time she is on the farm, expanding her
agricultural knowledge.
LOUISE KUNZ,
SA Graan/Grain
editorial team
1: This John Deere 5065 MFWD OOS tractor, sponsored by John Deere Financial, was the prize
Edwin received for receiving the 2017 Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial
Farmer of the Year award. Here he is with Doreen, his youngest daughter.
1
– Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial
New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year