

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