SA Grain November 2017

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November 2017
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The future of farming is in his hands
The winner of the Grain SA/Syngen-
ta Smallholder Farmer of the Year
award, Mr Thembalihle Tobo, has
gained a number of skills through
his varied career which includes being
a soldier in the military and a business
man. He is also currently busy with his BA
Degree in Criminology. Although variety
makes his life more interesting, his passion
for farming will keep him where his roots
are – on the 25 ha of communal land,
Ndunge, near Mbizana in the Eastern Cape.
After losing his wife in 2016, he focussed
on his farming operation and training his
young son, Aphiwe, about the ins and outs
of maize production. Thanks to a healthy
rainy season, his 15 ha of maize brought in
a harvest of more than 5 t/ha. The white
maize is sold directly to a miller in Mbizana,
while the yellow maize is sold in Kokstad
– apart from the 20% which is kept for his
cattle and sheep. With the assistance of his
sister, Nomhle, his soymilk value-adding
operation is steadily growing. Tobo is a firm
believer in the health benefits of soybeans.
This chairperson of the Ndunge Study
Group became an active member of
Grain SA in 2006. He organises meetings
and conducts farmers days in his area as he
is keen to share his knowledge with devel-
oping farmers. He is focussed on soil health
for long-term growth and believes that with
agricultural activities in the area, the pre-
vailing poverty could be improved consid-
erably. ’If Ndunge and Bizana farmers work
together, they could become the feeders of
the nation,’ he mentioned in an interview.
As he is passionate about the future of farm-
ing, he works side-by-side with the Grain SA
team, overseeing and maintaining trials for
a range of maize and soybean seed varieties
being done in the area.
GRAIN SA Awards Ceremony
Barnard vat voor en help
produsente in nood
Nie net is mnr Janes Barnard van Vlakplaas Boerdery in
die Hoopstad-omgewing as Graanprodusent van die Jaar
2011 aangewys nie, maar hy is ook ‘n leier en inspirasie vir
ons land se produsente en die gemeenskap in moeilike tye.
Hiervoor het hy vanjaar die Graan SA Inspirasietoekenning ontvang.
Met die droogte vroeër vanjaar het Barnard besluit om die produ-
sente in die Noord-Kaap (Boesmanland en
Namakwaland) te help deur mielies vir hul
diere te bekom. Barnard
het sy medeprodusente
en boereverenigings
gevra om saam met
hom hande te vat en
dié produsente,
wat onder die
erge droogte ge-
buk gaan, te help
met mielies en
voer. Graan SA
het voorts landboumaatskappye gevra om rekeninge oop te maak
waarin produsente skenkings kon maak.
“Toe ek my oë uitvee, toe sit ek met 1 000 ton plus-mielies en binne
‘n kwessie van ‘n week het ek R1 miljoen se skenkings in die vorm
van vervoer ontvang om die mielies na dié gebied te vervoer,” het hy
in sy bedankingstoespraak gesê.
Hy sê hy was maar net die instrument wat God gebruik het om dié
produsente te help. “Dit is God wat almal se harte oopgemaak het
om skenkings aan dié produsente te maak.”
Barnard het ‘n ander persepsie van die gesegde: “Gee met een hand
en jy sal met twee hande terug ontvang”. “Jy het nie nodig om eers
te gee om terug te ontvang nie. Elkeen wat vanaand hier sit is reeds
met ‘dubbelhande’ geseën. Twee jaar terug was ons in dieselfde
situasie, waar as gevolg van die droogte ons nie ‘n mieliepit kon
plant nie. Vanjaar is ons geseënd met die grootste oes in die
geskiedenis van hierdie land en ek voel dit is nou ons beurt om
terug te gee. Dit wat ons het, is net genade van Bo.”
Hy het ‘n beroep op elkeen die aand teenwoordig gedoen om
terug te gaan na hul distrikte en boereverenigings en te vra vir nóg
mielies en skenkings. “As elkeen van ons net ‘n klein bietjie gee, kan
ons die produsente deur hierdie krisis help. Daar is steeds ‘n groot
behoefte aan mielies en voer in dié gebied,” het hy gesê.
Janes Barnard en sy
vrou, Tania.
Foto: Helenus Kruger
RUTH SCHULTZ, SA Graan/Grain medewerker
®
LOUISE KUNZ, SA Graan/Grain contributor
Smallholder Farmer of the Year category (10 ha, but producing less than 250 tons)
Thembalihle Tobo
receiving his winning
certificate at the Day
of Celebration on
5 October this
year. He could not
attend the Awards
Ceremony on
13 October, due to
cultural commitments.