SA Graan November 2018

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Boerdery ’n uitdagende,
dog hoogs vervullende beroep
Teamwork makes
dreams possible
In Prediker 4 lees ons dat twee beter is as
een, omdat hulle saam meer in hul werk
bereik. Mnre Johan en Dirkie van As is
’n sprekende voorbeeld hiervan. Dié
twee broers is op Vrydag, 12 Oktober, as die
wenners van die 2018 Graan SA/Syngenta
Graanprodusent van die Jaar aangewys.
Johan het vanaf 1985 tot 1993 saam met hul
pa, Albertus, geboer. Dirkie het in 1994 by
die boerdery aangesluit en Van As Broers
(Eiendoms) Beperk is as handeldrywende
maatskappy gestig. Sedertdien is hulle
daaraan gewoond om na hulself as “ons”
eerder as “ek” te verwys.
Die twee broers het ’n perfeksionistiese
benadering tot boerdery en elkeen word in
’n spesialisveld in die boerdery aangewend.
Dirkie fokus op die saaiboerdery waar
kanola, gars, koring en lusern op ongeveer
8 700 ha verbou word. Johan sien hoof-
saaklik om na die finansies en lewendehawe
– ’n stoet- en kommersiële skaapboerdery.
Met die ontvangs van hul toekenning het
hul gesê dat hulle dit nooit op hul eie sou
kon vermag nie. “Sonder ’n goeie en
betroubare arbeidsmag kan mens nie
veel uitrig nie, so in hul afwesigheid
sê ons dankie vir wat julle vir ons
werd is.” Hulle het ook hul dank
teenoor SSK betuig vir hul
ondersteuning.
“Dankie aan Graan SA
en al die borge wat so ’n
uitnemende platform vir
landbou skep en hierdie
funksie moontlik gemaak
het. Die proses waarvan ons
nou deel was, het ons oortuig
dat ons landbouers in murg en been is. Al is
dit ’n uitdagende beroep, is dit steeds uiters
vervullend.”
Mr Jeremia Makhosini Mathebula grew up in the Iswepe
area near Piet Retief. As a child he helped his father plant
maize on 1 ha of communal land. After school he com-
pleted a degree in Industrial Psychology and had a lus-
trous career ahead of him. But he made the decision to give it up to
fulfil a lifelong dream.
The partnership between him and his father had a big impact on his
decision to exchange the corporate world for life on the farm. His
own farming career began in 2009, when he planted maize on only
40 ha of arable land on which he achieved about 4 t/ha yield. Over
the past four years he has shown a 75% increase in maize yield per
hectare and has also become a proud member of the 1 500 Ton Club.
This humble family man knows that none of this would have been
possible without a team who showed him the ropes and supported
him. Mathebula joined Grain SA in 2014 and says that this is where
he learned how important it is to have the correct information to take
informed decisions. He is also part of an association of farmers in
the Amersfoort area who get together on a regular basis to discuss
agricultural issues. Wife Nomothandiso ensures that the administra-
tive side of their farming enterprise stays up to date and the children
make sure their father keeps smiling.
After receiving his award, he thanked Grain SA and TWK: ‘You have
fulfilled your vision through me’. He also mentioned Mr Jurie Mentz,
Grain SA development co-ordinator, who has played a major role in
his growth as a farmer. ‘I am a father of three, a husband to Thandi
and a farmer. Thank you to those who contributed to my success.
Together we can make it work.’
17
November 2018
GRAAN SA Toekenningsgeleentheid
®
Graanprodusent van die Jaar
New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year category (250+ tons)
LOUISE KUNZ, SA Graan/Grain redaksiespan en HELENUS KRUGER (foto)
LOUISE KUNZ, SA Graan/Grain editorial team and HELENUS KRUGER (photo)
Dirkie en Johan van As saam met hul gades,
Yolindi (links) en Maresa.
Jeremia and Nomothandiso Mathebula with a
replica of the prize he won, a John Deere 5075 E
tractor. This 2018 Grain SA/Absa/John Deere
Financial New Era Commercial Farmer of the
Year is from Amersfoort in Mpumalanga.