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IN T H E SP OTLI GH T
One-way traffic
AT TWEE OEWERS BOERDERY
AUBREY KRUGER
The Vaal is the reason for the unique name Twee Oewers boerdery
because there is a farm on both sides of the Vaal river.
HERBERT BRUINETTE IS A WELL-ORGANISED
FARMER IN THE BOTHAVILLE DISTRICT WITH AN
ARCHITECTURE DEGREE WHICH HE OBTAINED FROM
TUKKIES AT THE END OF 1994. HE IS THE MAN WHO
KEEPS THINGS GOING AT TWEE OEWERS FARMING.
H
e farms on the farm Esther, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Herbert
Lategan. His grandfather decided
at the age of 84 to establish the
company after his five children,
four daughters and a son, decided
that farming was not for them.
Land was purchased and Herbert
Bruinette started farming with his
father Hendrik, brother Constand
and sister Esther.
He explains that he is the fifth
generation farmer, but his father
never farmed. He started farming
in August 2002 here in Bothaville.
It is a family company - they are
all shareholders, but he is at the
helm.
FARMING
Herbert describes what they do
22
as diversified crop farming. They
also have an Afrikaner herd with
200 stud cows, as well as a flock of
approximately 600 SA Merinos.
They also receive a rental income
from a part of the farm.
Esther is a 1 540 hectare farm
and they have an additional 300
hectares at Walkraal in the Leeudoringstad district, on the banks of
the Vaal River.
MOTTO
Herbert says being consistent is
the best approach. One should follow a recipe that works, continue
with what works for you and don’t
make sudden, huge changes.
If you want to change, you
need to “feel the water” first and
learn from it. “We are up for
change but not radical change.”
Apr/May 2016 • SENWES Scenario
SOMETHING NEW EVERY YEAR
They tackle something new every
year. “The most recent project was
a pellet factory, which we put into
production in November 2015.”
They make lucerne pellets for
their own sheep, using the lucerne
they plant under irrigation. In the
beginning the planting season was
very busy, but things are running
smoothly now.
ABOUT THE DROUGHT
At this stage of the season you
have to look at your cash flow. You
also need to store fodder in order
to get your livestock through the
winter. He indicates that they were
lucky in that they lost no livestock,
but he realises that the coming
winter will be difficult. Fortunately
the Afrikaners are quite tough and
could see the current conditions
through. He is of the opinion that
one should have a feedlot. It is also
a good idea to decrease your livestock before the winter, while the
animals are still in a good condition. They have their own feedlot
where they round off their animals
and get them ready for the market.
PLANTING TIME IN DECEMBER
AND JANUARY
They planted much the same as in
the past, namely soya which was
planted on 1 December and maize
planting started on 7 December.
This was followed by sunflower in
January.
The soya and maize on Herbert’s farm are looking good, although not as in the past, but the
sunflower has wind and sun damage. However, despite the current