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Member landscape
23
September 2015
GRAIN SA
Grain SA/ABSA New Era Commercial
Farmer of the Year finalists
Vuyani and Lungelwa Kama
V
uyani Kama was born in Ugie in 1970 and Lungelwa was born
in Elliot in 1978. The couple has been married since 2004. They
reside on a farm called Mt Elton, near Ugie and are blessed with
three children – two boys and one girl. Their first born, Mzomhle,
is 16 years old, their daughter, Khazimla, is ten years old and their
youngest, Iminathi, is seven years old.
Vuyani started his schooling at Sbabale Senior Secondary School
in Ugie where he completed grade 11. In 1995 he worked for
PG Bison as a supervisor for the planting and spraying team. In
2002 he became a contractor servicing PG Bison with planting,
spraying and making fire belts.
Lungelwa started her schooling at Longhorn Farm School in
Ugie from 1986 to 1993, then left to join Sbabale Senior Secondary
School in Ugie and matriculated in 1998. In 2003 she went to Boston
College to study for a diploma in Tourism and graduated in 2006.
They started farming in 2006 with only 17 cows and 70 ha of arable
land. They didn’t plant or grow anything on their farm in 2006. They
started producing maize in 2007 on 30 ha, and they grew from that.
Currently they farm with 160 ha of maize, 9 ha potatoes and 2 ha
of vegetables. Their cattle grew from 17 in 2006 to 208 in 2014/2015
and 704 sheep. On their maize they are expecting 8 tons and more
per hectare.
Vuyani is still working as a contractor and a part-time farmer whilst
Lungelwa is a full-time farmer.
They are a team that is willing to learn and try conservation agricul-
ture moving forward to reduce cost and maximise the potential of
their soils.
1: Lungelwa en Vuyani Kama.
2: They started producing maize in 2007 on 30 ha, which they grew to the 160 ha maize that they plant today as well as 9 ha potatoes and 2 ha vegeta-
bles. On their maize they are expecting 8 tons and more per hectare.
3 and 4: When they started farming in 2006 they had 17 cows. Today their cattle herd stands at 208 and they have 704 sheep.
5: One of their tractors.
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GRAIN SA is
very proud of these finalists