Page 95 - GSA Annual Report / Jaarverslag 2013

KOMMERSIËLE DIENSTE
COMMERCIAL SERVICES
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Mariazel High School in Matatiele. He left school in grade 10 and went to St Anthony’s Mission where
he obtained his matric. In 1995 he bought Horncroft farm, which is situated between Cedarville and
Taylorville and has been residing there ever since.
AGRICULTURIST OF THE YEAR
Although Grain SA does not necessarily make awards to grain scientists and agriculturists every year,
it remains important to continually take note of the value added by scientists and agriculturists in making
producers’ profitability sustainable.
Kobus van Zyl obtained a BScAgric honours degree at the University of the Free State. He worked
as a Junior Agricultural Researcher at the Agricultural Research Council’s Small Grain Institute in
Bethlehem. Here he was responsible for soil acidity and microelement projects, as well as general
management on wheat.
He also completed an MScAgric degree at the University of the Free State with the title: Grondversuring
en bekalking van Oos-Vrystaatse gronde onder droëlandkoring. Kobus delivered papers at several national,
as well as international conferences and wrote a number of papers in popular and scholarly journals.
He joined the team of Omnia Fertilisers in 2003 in the Bothaville/Viljoenskroon area where he is still
active as an agricultural expert and is involved with the training and advising of Omnia agriculturists.
His field of specialisation includes: Precision farming, product development, cultivation and fertilisation
of sand soil, conservation agriculture, general crop fertilisation, as well as the development of new
techniques, research and evaluation of current practices.
Kobus received the Agriculturist of the Year Award in the North West Business Unit in 2006/2007,
as well as in 2009/2010. In 2011 he was nominated as Grain SA’s Grain Scientist of the Year.
Hy het ook ‘n MScAgric-graad aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat verwerf, met die titel: Grondversuring
en bekalking van Oos-Vrystaatse gronde onder droëlandkoring. Kobus het aanbiedings by verskeie
nasionale en internasionale konferensies gemaak en ‘n aantal artikels in gewilde en akademiese
tydskrifte gepubliseer.
In 2003 het Kobus by die Omnia Kunsmis-span aangesluit as ‘n landboukundige in die Viljoenskroon-
en Bothaville area. Hy is ook by die opleiding en advisering van Omnia-landboukundiges betrokke. Sy
spesialisveld sluit in: Presisieboerdery, produkontwikkeling, bewerking en bemesting van sandgrond,
bewaringslandbou, algemene gewasbemesting asook die ontwikkeling van nuwe tegnieke, navorsing en
evaluering van huidige praktyke.
Kobus het in 2006/2007 en ook in 2009/2010 die toekenning as Landboukundige van die Jaar in
die Noordwes Sake-eenheid ontvang. In 2011 is hy as Graan SA se Graanwetenskaplike van die
Jaar genomineer.
The Rhys Evans Group received the Grain Farmer of the Year award. At the back: Louw Steytler (Chairman: Grain SA),
Anthony Evans and Jannie de Villiers (CEO: Grain SA). In front: Arno Cronjé, David Evans and Antonie Delport
(Managing Director: Syngenta South Africa).
Die Rhys Evans Groep het die Graanprodusent van die Jaar-toekenning ontvang. Agter: Louw Steytler (Voorsitter:
Graan SA), Anthony Evans en Jannie de Villiers (Uitvoerende Hoofbestuurder: Graan SA). Voor: Arno Cronjé,
David Evans en Antonie Delport (Besturende Direkteur: Syngenta Suid-Afrika).