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October 2024
JAN (OUJAN) MASIU (63), WHO FARMS NEAR SENEKAL IN THE EASTERN FREE STATE, IS A FARMER WHO DOESN’T GIVE UP WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE. EVEN THOUGH CHALLENGES SUCH AS THE WEATHER, A SHORTAGE OF IMPLEMENTS AND THE MARGINAL SOIL MAY HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON HIS FARMING SUCCESS, HE IS STILL DETERMINED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FARMER.
The farm where his mother worked, helped Jan to develop from a 15-year-old teenager helping out on the farm to a hardworking, passionate farmer who farms with his whole heart. Today, he runs a mixed farming operation together with two of his sons, Bush and Vincent, on the farm Driekoppen – a 698 ha farm, which he secured in 2017 on a 30-year lease agreement from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD).
Driekoppen is a mixed farming operation where maize, sunflower and soybeans are produced on marginal soil, with an average yield of 3,8 t/ha on maize and 1,8 t/ha on sunflower. Last season he planted 90 ha of maize, 30 ha of soybeans and 50 ha of sunflower. Like so many other farmers in this area, climatic conditions proved challenging this season.
‘It was very difficult to see the damage caused by the drought and extreme temperatures,’ he says. This season he hopes that he will at least be able to cover his production costs after the harvesting is done. Although he had a lot of experience with dairy farming and cattle in his childhood, he became more interested in crop farming when he realised the importance of contributing to food security in the country. Thanks to neighbouring farmers, he heard about Grain SA and became part of the Farmer Development Programme (FDP), where he could obtain the necessary knowledge. Jan has high praise for the FDP team and says the input from this team has helped him grow as a farmer.
Jan believes that one is never too old to learn. ‘I didn’t complete my schooling, but now I continue learning to become a better farmer.’ He is also not shy to ask for advice when he is unsure of what to do. ‘Even a small-scale farmer may have some knowledge from which I can benefit.’
WHO CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR SUCCESS?
Jacques Roux, the regional development manager, and before him Ntate Johan Kriel, who now works in the Western Free State, have both played a major role in developing me as a farmer. My neighbours and other farmers, the contractor who harvests and the study group members have helped me with advice when I needed it. And of course, my wife, Agnes, who is always at my side.
WHAT ARE YOU DREAMS FOR YOUR FARMING FUTURE?
Improving the soil health at Driekoppen for the following season is important – then I can improve my yield and one day buy a harvester. Not having the necessary implements puts one at a disadvantage, so I would like to own a harvester as contractors often arrive late, which has an impact on the yield. If I have all the equipment, I can farm better.
ADVICE FOR YOUNG FARMERS?
You don’t know everything, so listen to others and learn from them.
3 TOP TIPS
FARM FACTSFarm: Driekoppen
Nearest town: Senekal
Region: Free State
Size: 698 ha – 315 ha of arable land where he plants, while the rest is used for grazing
Type of farming operation: Mixed – plants maize, sunflower and soybeans. Livestock – farms with Bonsmara cattle.
PGP'S CONTRIBUTION
Training courses completed:
Has completed a few courses including:
A mentor’s view:
Jacques Roux, regional development manager in the Eastern Free State, says Jan is a committed farmer who has a lot of support in the community. ‘He is really keen to be successful farmer, so he follows advice to the tee. When it comes to spending money, he thinks carefully about his options before he buys anything. He puts his farming operation first.’
Publication: October 2024
Section: Pula/Imvula
