Two of the category winners in the Farmer of the Year competition hailed from the Mbombela office where Jerry Mthombothi (61) is PGP’s regional development manager. Jerry was very excited when his mentee, Jim Besabakhe Masemola, who farms in the Sehlakwane Village near Groblersdal in Mpumalanga, was announced as the 2024 Grain SA/Land Bank Smallholder Farmer of the Year. Jerry has been closely involved in Jim’s farming operation since 2018 and says this hard-working farmer really deserves the award. The other winner, the 2024 Potential Commercial Farmer of the Year, Alfred Gondo, is mentored by Martin Botha.
Jerry has been involved in the farmer development programme for 21 years. During this time, he has been actively involved in the more than 50 study groups that he has serviced – and he has trained more than 2 000 subsistence and emerging farmers. He is so committed and passionate about helping farmers that he decided to postpone his retirement in May 2024 to continue working with beginner and developing farmers in Mpumalanga.
Throughout the 21 years of guiding and mentoring farmers, Jerry has learnt valuable life lessons. One of these is that you need a lot of patience when you work with people, and you need to respect people no matter who they are. Without passion for the job, mentoring can easily become an effort. He also discovered that he has a big heart, and that perseverance and compassion are two of his strongest characteristics.
The fact that the process is so rewarding, is what motivates him to keep on going. ‘I love my job. It makes me feel good and happy when I see farmers being well trained and improving so that they can farm profitably and sustainably and can become self-reliant.’ After he retires, he dreams of opening an office where he can advise people on how to improve their agricultural practices to generate profit and to minimise hunger and starvation in the country.
Two of the people whose input in his own life has made a huge difference, are his grandfather and pastor. His grandfather, who farmed with livestock and crops, ignited his passion for agriculture while he was still a young boy. From his pastor he has learnt the importance of loving your neighbour and keeping calm as well as the significance of respecting others. Jerry also believes that one should have more friends than enemies.
THE MENTOR AND MENTEE
Why did you nominate Jim?
From 2021 it became clear to me that Jim has the potential to become a successful farmer. His yield improved drastically over the past three years. He is a respected leader in his community who motivates other farmers to follow the correct production practices.
How has he improved as a farmer?
He always follows the advice we give. Practices such as using certified seeds (BT maize and Roundup Ready seeds), planting within the planting window and doing soil correction, ripping, liming, and preparing a good seedbed have all contributed to his improvement as a farmer. I really hope that he will one day own his own farm.
FACTS ABOUT THE MENTOR
Name: Jerry Mthombothi
Region: Mpumalanga/Limpopo (Mbombela office)
Position: Regional development manager
Mentors: Grandfather and pastor
THREE CHARACTERISTICS A MENTOR NEEDS
- Good communication skills and respect for all people are necessary.
- You need to be passionate about what you do, and you need a big heart.
- Perseverance – keep going even when the going gets tough.
What impresses you most about him?
Jim is always willing to help other people. He wants the farmers in his region to develop and reach the stage where he is. He uses his own farm implements like his boom sprayer, planter, and harvester to help neighbouring farmers and other members of the community. He is also innovative as he modified a Mazda 6 engine to use it for the milling of his maize.
