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57

Manager with the intention of fast-tracking them into the fully

commercial grain production sector.

The advanced farmer programme has been enthusiastically

received and farmers have confirmed their appreciation and need for

this type of focused mentoring and intensive intervention for short

periods of time per farmer. We do, however, need to access more

funding in order to accommodate more farmers in this programme

since many farmers have progressed well in their farming enterprises

and show potential to develop their farming operations further.

Project: Training

Good training courses structured to be appropriate for the farmers

and their activities increase potential and lead to farmers becoming

better custodians of the earth. This leads to investments in soil

health, which leads to less harm to the environment which in turn

leads to safer food production and storage systems. This improves

water conservation practices, which leads to educated weed control

and use of chemicals, which increases profitability.

Farmer education is not a requirement unique to developing

farmers. Indeed all farmers require on-going education to keep up

with the rapidly evolving environment. There are continuous new

developments in technology, science and business management.

Farming requires a wide diversity of knowledge and expertise.

Nowadays practical knowledge alone is not enough. In the South

African context, developing farmers are often either new entrants

or they have not been exposed to modern farming methods and

educational opportunities or skills development. With profit margins

under extreme pressure, there is no margin for error. Training helps

farmers to incorporate the latest scientific advances and technology

into their daily operations and ensures that developing farmers are

not some of those left behind.

#NoFarmerLeftBehind

Our training courses include both theory and practical sessions

on a wide range of topics which have been structured into courses

that are sponsored by our partners. The training is delivered in the

farmers’ language of choice and is designed to make immediate

impact to their farming business, workshop management knowledge

and plant production capabilities. The regular feedback from the

farmers consistently reassures us that we are equipping and

empowering them in a meaningful way.

The courses we have developed are well-designed and are

based on the feedback of trainees and trainers as to what

training needs exist.

Courses offered by the Grain SA Farmer Development Programme

are about empowerment through the acquisition of new knowledge

and skills development.

Province

Provinsie

Office

Kantoor

Manager

Bestuurder

Individually supported farmers

Individueel-ondersteunde boere

KwaZulu-Natal

Dundee/Ladybrand

Graeme Engelbrecht

8

Eastern Cape

/

Oos-Kaap

Kokstad

Luke Collier

26

Free State

/

Vrystaat

Ladybrand/Dundee

Johan Kriel

27

North West

/

Noordwes

Lichtenburg

Du Toit van der Westhuizen

22

Mpumalanga/KwaZulu-Natal

Louwsburg/Mbombela

Jurie Mentz

20

Eastern Cape

/

Oos-Kaap

Maclear

Sarel Pretorius

12

Eastern Cape

/

Oos-Kaap

Mthatha

Sinelizwi Fakade

9

Mpumalanga

Mbombela/Louwsburg

Jerry Mthombothi

8

Western Cape

/

Wes-Kaap

Paarl

Liana Stroebel

8

Total

/

Totaal

140 farmers

/

boere

ten einde hulle vinnig in die ten volle kommersiële graanproduksie­

sektor te plaas.

Die gevorderdeboer-program word entoesiasties ontvang en

boere het hulle waardering vir en behoefte aan hierdie tipe gefokusde

mentorskap en intensiewe tussenkoms vir kort tydperke vir elke boer

bevestig. Ons het egter toegang tot meer fondse nodig ten einde

meer boere by hierdie program te betrek, aangesien talle boere se

boerderyondernemings goed gevorder het en die potensiaal toon om

verder te ontwikkel.

Projek: Opleiding

Goeie opleidingskursusse wat gestruktureer word om toepaslik te

wees vir die boere en hulle aktiwiteite verhoog potensiaal en lei daartoe

dat boere beter rentmeesters van die grond word. Dit lei tot beleggings

in grondgesondheid, wat tot minder benadeling van die omgewing lei,

wat weer tot veiliger voedselproduksie en stoorstelsels aanleiding gee.

Dit verbeter waterbewaringspraktyke, wat tot ingeligte onkruidbeheer en

gebruik van chemikalieë lei, wat winsgewendheid verhoog.

Boere se opleiding is nie ’n vereiste wat eiesoortig aan ontwik-

kelende boere is nie. Alle boere het trouens deurlopende opleiding

nodig om in die snel-ontwikkelende omgewing by te bly. Daar is

deurlopend nuwe verwikkelinge in tegnologie, wetenskap en onder-

nemingsbestuur. Boerdery vereis ’n wye verskeidenheid kennis en

kundigheid. Deesdae is praktiese kennis alleen nie genoeg nie. In die

Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is ontwikkelende boere dikwels nuwe toetre­

ders of is nie aan moderne boerderymetodes, onderwysgeleenthede of

vaardigheidsontwikkeling blootgestel nie. Met die winsmarges onder

uiterste druk is daar geen ruimte vir foute nie. Opleiding help boere om

die jongste wetenskaplike vordering en tegnologie by hulle daaglikse

bedrywighede te inkorporeer en verseker dat ontwikkelende boere nie

onder dié is wat agtergelaat word nie.

#NoFarmerLeftBehind

Ons opleidingskursusse sluit teoretiese en praktiese sessies oor

’n wye reeks onderwerpe in wat gestruktureer is in kursusse wat

deur ons vennote geborg word. Die opleiding word in die taal van die

boere aangebied en word ontwerp om ’n onmiddellike impak op hulle

boerdery, werkswinkelbestuurskennis en plantproduksievermoëns te

maak. Die gereelde terugvoer van die boere verseker ons voortdurend

dat ons hulle op ’n betekenisvolle manier toerus en bemagtig.

Die kursusse wat ons ontwikkel het, is goed ontwerp en gegrond

op die terugvoer van studente en opleiers oor die opleiding wat

nodig is.

Kursusse wat deur die Graan SA Landbou-ontwikkelingsprogram

aangebied word, gaan oor bemagtiging deur die verwerwing van

kennis en vaardigheidsontwikkeling.

Landbou-ontwikkeling

Farmer development