Remember Wiseman Mthethwa was one of the finalists of the 2017 Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year competition. Sadly, his dream of being a successful commercial farmer was cut short as he passed away in a car accident in August 2018. Following his death, his children – Lethiwe (32), Sabatha (30), Sphamandla (28) and Mvelo (23) – had to take up the reigns of the family farm, Milnedale, in the Dannhauser area in KwaZulu-Natal. The siblings all report to mom Nomusa, who regularly checks on their progress.
Filling big shoes with the help of others
Lethiwe, who was born on the farm, joined the farming operation in 2011 after completing her studies. She said it was not easy taking over her father’s role. ‘He was our leader and we are now walking in his footsteps. These are big shoes to fill.’
Remember joined Grain SA’s mentorship programme in 2013. ‘When my dad passed away, they were there to lend a helping hand.’ Graeme Engelbrecht, development coordinator from the Dundee office, provided the necessary mentorship and advice. ‘Graeme’s mentorship plays a big role in our success. He guided us into achieving the goals my dad wanted to realise,’ added Lethiwe.
The siblings also make sure they get the necessary knowledge and training by attending study groups regularly. Here they learned about correct agricultural practices like the importance of timeous planting and the significance of taking soil samples to know the status of the soil. Lethiwe is especially grateful for the information on record-keeping and ‘doing the books’, as this has become her duty on the farm. The rest of the farming duties are a joint venture.
‘We have improved a lot since Grain SA has been around,’ she said. At the start of the programme, they were harvesting 2 t/ha to 4 t/ha maize. ‘This has now increased to 7 t/ha to 8 t/ha. With sugar beans we are realising 3 t/ha to 4 t/ha and with soybeans 2 t/ha to 3 t/ha.’
They operate a mixed farming enterprise on the 612-ha farm, which they are leasing from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. Apart from planting maize and dry beans, they also farm with Brahman and Bonsmara cattle and sheep.
‘Currently we are using 412 ha for the livestock and planting on 200 ha of dryland,’ Lethiwe shared. This year they decided to plant soybeans after planting sugar beans for the past three years. ‘We did this to give the soil a break this season. It is also cost effective as soybeans are cheaper to harvest because less labour is required.’
The Mthethwa family already owns a few tractors and a no-till planter and after a good season were able to expand their mechanisation fleet with a harvester in 2020. ‘Now we can do our own harvesting.’
With the skills they had learned from Remember and the guidance of the Grain SA Farmer Development Programme, the Mthethwa clan is now living out their father’s dream. Sabatha was even crowned as the 2019 Grain SA/Monsanto Potential Commercial Farmer of the year. After receiving his award, he said their success stemmed from their love of farming, respect for the land and pride in what they were doing.
If you can dream it, you can do it
Eleanor Roosevelt, a former first lady of the USA, once said, ‘The future belongs to the one who believes in the beauty of their dreams.’ In other words, if you stop dreaming, you will stop making plans for your future. Lethiwe is a big dreamer who sees so many opportunities for expansion on Milnedale.
Although farmers face many challenges, she believes that the role of a producer is very important. She says that COVID has shown the world one thing and that is how important agriculture is. ‘People need to eat, so farming is important,’ she said. Her dreams therefore centre around the farming operation. ‘We have to expand what we have, not just more hectares for planting and increasing our herd, but we should expand into secondary agriculture,’ she said about her dream to set up an abattoir and a butchery on the farm. ‘Then we can slaughter and sell our own meat, while at the same time creating jobs for people.’ Another dream is to establish a mill on the farm where maize meal, samp and other products can be produced on site.
Lethiwe has a seven-year-old daughter, Sanelisiwe Maduna, who is already being exposed to the farm life. ‘She loves coming with me and I am showing her around. She is happy on the farm and loves getting onto the tractor. Farming is creeping into her heart and she will love it. My father did the same with me – that is where my passion was born.’ Lethiwe hopes to have her own piece of land one day and that her brothers will all be landowners too in the future. Until her dreams are realised, she is happy making her father’s dream come true.
The name Lethiwe means ‘given to the nation to do something’. She believes it is her calling to give people hope. ‘We are faced with so many challenges, but there is always hope.’
She shares the following advice with fellow farmers:
- To grow as a farmer, it is important to seek knowledge on a daily basis. Join a study group and get involved with other farmers, there is so much to learn from each other.
- Do not be jealous of each other. Share your information and support each other. Lend a helping hand and make a difference for agriculture.
- It is not a good time in South Africa now, but hang in there. Things will improve.
