After a two-year absence, Grain SA’s Day of Celebration was held at NAMPO Park on 21 September. The aim of the event is to give recognition to emerging farmers who are part of the Grain SA Farmer Development Programme and who excel in their respective categories.
The event embodies not only the rich diversity of South Africa, but also the unifying passion for agriculture that exists within the country’s farming community. The festive atmosphere and colourful traditional attire worn by many of the participants make this event a highlight on the Grain SA calendar.
In preparation of the event, judges travel to the ends of South Africa to identify finalists in the following categories: Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year, Grain SA Potential Commercial Farmer of the Year, Grain SA/Standard Bank Smallholder Farmer of the Year, Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial Subsistence Farmer of the Year.
The master of ceremonies was Dr Sandile Ngcamphalala, Grain SA’s farmer development lead who is responsible for Phahama Grain Phakama, an independent arm of Grain SA. He welcomed the delegates and reiterated the importance of celebrating the successes of the programme and the hard work of all involved.
Attending the event were the deputy minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Rosemay Nokuzola Capa, Nasele Mehlomakulu (deputy director-general: Food Security and Agrarian Reform), representatives from the department, agribusinesses, organised agriculture as well as the media and the private sector. South African artist, Siki Jo-An, entertained with crowd favourites such as ‘African Dream’, ‘The Click Song’ and ‘World in Union’.
The sponsors were Absa, John Deere Financial, Bayer, Standard Bank, Hollard and Dekalb. Sponsor representatives, Dr Langelihle Simela (business development manager: Absa, AgriBusiness Centre of Excellence), Fortune Mathiba (operations manager at John Deere Financial) and Marthinus Loock (senior manager: AgriBusiness at Standard Bank) announced the winners in each category.
When the 2022 Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year was announced, the crowd was on their feet. Mapidianye Phillip Manoto farms with maize and sunflower on 550 ha near Lichtenburg in the North West. He became a member of Grain SA in 2016 and is mentored by Du Toit van der Westhuizen. He has been part of the 1 500 Ton Club since 2017.
Phillip and his father own the farm Lusthof near Lichtenburg, where his future goals are to expand and diversify. He is excited about the current crop, which he hopes will make up for the previous drought-stricken season.
Wearing traditional attire, Bheki Isaac Mabuza was announced as the 2022 Grain SA Potential Commercial Farmer of the Year. He is mentored by regional development manager, Jurie Mentz.
Isaac, who lives on the farm Donkerhoek near Piet Retief in Mpumalanga, started planting maize in 2007, but the crop did not produce a profitable harvest. In 2014 he joined the Grain SA study group in Donkerhoek and that has made all the difference. ‘I have learned a lot of farming skills since joining the study group,’ says Isaac. He is married to Dududzile and has eight children. The oldest, Siyabonga, helps his father on the farm, while the others attend school. Jurie says Isaac is growing his agricultural business year on year.
The 2022 Grain SA Smallholder Farmer of the Year is Joseph Tuelo Mokaleng, who is also mentored by Du Toit van der Westhuizen.
Joseph has never worked anywhere else but on the piece of land in Morena Village near Delareyville in North West, where his grandfather and father farmed on a small scale. He left school to join his father where they ploughed with donkeys, until Joseph was able to buy a Massey Ferguson tractor. He took over the farming when his father got too old to work and completed his first course with Grain SA in 2006. Since then, he has completed more than ten courses, ranging from implement maintenance to advanced maize production and marketing.
The Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial Subsistence Farmer of the Year is Khuphukile Vinah Mazibuko, with Graeme Engelbrecht as her regional development manager.
Khuphukile farms in the region of Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal, where she lives with her husband Nsiyane Mazibuko and their two sons. She is a community caregiver for the Department of Health, but has always been farming on a small scale. She joined Grain SA in 2015 and has since been farming for profit. She has always been very involved in the community and is currently teaching local farmers about the no-till project. She wants to expand her maize crop and venture into poultry.
Dr Pieter Taljaard, CEO of Grain SA, congratulated all the nominees and highlighted the fact that nine graduate farmers joined the 250 Ton Club (more than R1 million turnover), 16 joined the 500 Ton Club (more than R2 million turnover), two joined the 1 000 Ton Club (more than R4,5 million turnover), four joined the 1 500 Ton Club (more than R6,5 million turnover) and four the 2 000 Ton Club (R9 million turnover).
Graduates who joined the 1 500 Ton Club are Paul Mofolo Motlokoa, Johannes Nthowa Setshego, David M Nhlapo and Xolani Z Gumede and the four that joined the 2 000 Ton Club are Samuel Moloi, Israel Motlhabane, Badge Skosana and Frans Tshepo Mokoena.
Supporters of the programme include the Maize Trust, the Oil and Protein Seeds Development Trust (OPDT), Bayer, the South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA), AB InBev, the Kgodiso Development Fund, the Sasol Agriculture Trust and Sasol South Africa.
