Nufarmer November / December 2017 NUF NOV.DEC 17 | Page 13

Nufarmer Africa
Small Business Development helped largely to prop-
erly fence off and build the NGC office which will be
staffed for management, administrative and training
purposes of the Cooperative. By beginning 2018 the
operation will be in full swing. Meantime individual
member farmers went ahead after some rains fell and
tomatoes were planted in 2017. These productions are
for their own income but as from the new season, the
complete production and marketing cycle will be ad-
ministrated by the NGC office.
“We have seventeen farmers in the Cooperative but
ZZ2 also counts as a member because of their men-
torship program for the actual farming members. The
challenge faced by the New Generation Cooperative
is primarily to secure a donor or financier for the input
costs to maximise the first plantings. From there it is
intended by the Cooperative members to be finan-
cially autonomous and be seen as a large commer-
cially driven entity,” Mlambo explained. They are in the
process of approaching financial institutions with an
agricultural division.
Mlambo also said the NGC, being established now
also requires funding to operate properly in order
to offer the producers tactical assistance which they
need to become successful. Another valuable asset re-
quired is a packhouse for the Cooperative to sort, pack
and brand under its own label. Although ZZ2 currently
assists farmers to pack, when the season is at its height
it may become impossible for the company to also as-
sist the Cooperative members, hence the pro-active
planning to construct a packhouse on-site at the NGC
is viewed as the next important step.
Vusi Mlambo explained the New Generation Coop-
erative at Nwaledi is a new model which is there to
stay. The farming members are excited and willing to
throw in their full weight behind the NGC. The farmers
also know they no longer produce as individuals but
as an entity. It is therefore also important to secure the
future of the Cooperative by bringing in the youth to
be trained up in the ways of an agricultural business to
eventually take over the reign from the first establish-
ers of the Cooperative.
NGC Farmers and facilitators
Delphy trainer Joe Coetsee, shows farmers how to test the pH of the
available water.
“The pilot new generation
cooperative is a great opportunity to
learn and improve the modalities of
conducting agricultural development
for emerging farmers.”
From page 11 >>>
massive success, but also someone who understands
and deeply cares for the land and its people. Jeff is
making a difference in a part of the country where it
seems others fear to tread.
FARMER OF THE YEAR, WESTERN CAPE
Charles Back is the third generation owner of the wine
and cheese making company Fairview in the Paarl and
a pioneering force in the SA wine industry. He has built
up Fairview from a family farm to a brand internationally
known for its wine, cheese and tourism.
The farm’s series of wines, as well as its cheeses, are
awarded the top local and international awards every
year. Charles is a man of many firsts. He was one of the
first producers to make land and company ownership a
reality for farm workers. When it comes to wine, Charles
is known to experiment with unusual varieties. He was
the first to import new wine grapes varieties such as
Viognier, Tempranillo, Tannat, Sangiovese and Petite
Sirah to South Africa.
Nufarmer Africa | November/December 2017

Following the collapse of sanctions, Charles has
conquered the American wine market. He has also
founded the first so-called “critter-label” wine brand
in South Africa – an international top seller (Goats
do Roam). He also established the first goat cheese
factory in South Africa. Charles continues to pioneer
new horizons in wine. Sustainable viticulture is his
most recent passion and already bearing fruit, as he is
recognized by Carbon Protocol of South Africa for his
carbon neutral factory.
13