22 / 92
November 2015
20
Don’t stop me now
B
y flexing his one arm and pointing with the other hand
from the top of his hand to the bend of his arm, the vibrant
Mr Ngubengcuka Christian Moyo from Maclear illustrates
the length of his maize cobs.
Moyo, who received the award for the 2015 Grain SA/ABSA Sub-
sistence Farmer of the Year, believes that the sky is the limit and
that no one will stand in his way when it comes to utilising more land
and expanding his crop production.
“The land I have access to is very small, but I make sure that what
comes out of this soil is complete. Many people are not prepared
to go to the field, because they think that you can only farm if
you have approximately 1 000 ha of land, but you must be wise;
regardless the size of the land, you must use the land,” he said.
Moyo left his job at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries and started his farming career in 2008 on communal land.
Since joining Grain SA in 2012, Moyo has done courses in maize
production and conservation agriculture. “I am grateful for Grain SA
that taught me to lower my cost and to increase my yields.”
This year he planted a quarter hectare of maize with tremendous
success. He also plants a variety of nutritious vegetables for
household use and for sharing with the community. Everything
is done with a hand planter and sprayer. On the livestock side he
has cattle and sheep for which he has access to 300 ha of shared
grazing land.
Although limited infrastructure is a challenge in terms of marketing,
he remains positive and enjoys what he is doing and he is doing
it well. When concluding his speech, he requested that everyone
should engage in producing in this country, “so that we can feed
this nation”.
1: Ngubengcuka Moyo, 2015 Grain SA/ABSA Subsistence Farmer of
the Year is illustrating the length of his maize cobs which he is very
proud of.
2: This award is made possible by ABSA. Brienne van der Walt (head:
Business Banking Sectors and Segments, Barclays Africa and ABSA),
Ngubengcuka Moyo, Louw Steytler (chairman: Grain SA), Moyo’s
daughter in law, Noliso, and Jannie de Villiers (CEO: Grain SA).
GRAIN SA
Awards ceremony
The Subsistence Farmer of the Year category (0 ha - 10 ha)
RUTH SCHULTZ,
SA Graan/Grain
contributor and photos:
HELENUS KRUGER
2
1