Top tips FOR FARMERS

March 2025

COMPILED BY LOUISE KUNZ, ASSISTANT EDITOR: PULA

The planting has been done, and farmers are watching their crops grow. For some farmers hail has caused destruction in the fields. Farmers who are hoping for a better yield than last season, remember scouting is important. It is one of the best weapons farmers have in their arsenal to combat pests and diseases.

Be a hands-on farmer
Invest in your farm by spending enough time in your business. ‘Always be in your fields during the season – scouting, making sure your plants are healthy,’ says Phumzile Ngcobo, assistant regional manager at the Dundee office. This way you will be able to rectify a problem before too much damage has been done.

Mentor Martin Botha from Mpumalanga reminds farmers to send photographs of any problems in the field to their mentor so that they can assist them with a solution. These include any leaf diseases on maize and soybeans as well as the sprouting of problem weeds in the fields. The earlier you see the problem, the quicker it can be addressed.

Phumzile also encourages the smaller farmers to invest in a knapsack sprayer. ‘This way you can get into the fields in time to control pests and weeds.’

In areas where fields are susceptible to high runoff, it is important to have diversion ditches to control the flow of water. ‘We can see a notable difference where water has been controlled through trenches and ditches,’ says Phumzile.

Administrative tasks need attention
Paperwork is often the least liked part of farming, but it is a very important matter that needs effective management. Whether you attend to it yourself or employ someone else to do it, remember that in the end it remains the responsibility of the farm owner/manager.

Lunga Mhloyana, a mentor in the Mthatha and Kokstad regions, urges farmers to keep record of everything. ‘Be organised and plan ahead. Farming is driven by time.’

The PGP farm management for profit course trains farmers to file correspondence in one of the following correspondence files:

• IN file for temporary filing and attending to later
• FOR ATTENTION file for immediate attention
• FILING file for permanent filing after the correspondence concerned has received attention

Some other helpful hints
‘Attend all study group meetings,’ advises Phumzile. ‘Here you can engage with other farmers and share ideas and common problems. More often than not, the solution of the problems lies within your own community.’ Other farmers may have found a solution for the very problem you currently face.

‘Remember that a farmer needs patience,’ says Lunga. Farming is challenging: discover your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Listen to advice given by those who know…and then follow that advice. 

Publication: March 2025

Section: Pula/Imvula