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Senwes Client Bags Grain SA Award
SENWES CLIENT AND GRAIN SA GRAIN FARMER OF THE YEAR , AC VAN WYK , SAYS IT ’ S ALL ABOUT “ THE VALUE YOU ADD TO ANYTHING YOU DO IN LIFE .
MARLON ABRAHAMS
And that ’ s why we chose
Senwes . Senwes offers the best value , whether it ’ s in the grain area or mechanisation area . Value is not just about money , it ’ s about communication , people , passion and effective business principles .”
AC , who was awarded the title of Grain SA ’ s Farmer of the Year at a black-tie event on Friday , 13 October at the Theatre on the Track in Kyalami , ascribes his success to “ being at the right place at the right time .” He represents the seventh generation to work the land on the farm Warmhoek near Bultfontein , since his ancestors began subsistence farming in 1841 . “ As far as I understand it , we were Senwes clients from the very beginning , and over the years Senwes has proven to be the better option ,” says AC .
AC says that while he enjoys what he calls the “ show culture ” it ’ s not in his nature to enter competitions as such . “ I accepted the nomination from Grain SA to participate in the competition because I think they are doing a good job for agriculture as a brand as well as the image of the farmer . There is a lot of good energy at Grain SA and I agree with their approach .”
At present AC produces upwards of 40 000 tons of maize and he says the farm evolved into crop production , “ but my grandpa and dad were sheep and cattle farmers respectively . Maize has been good to us , from a value point of view , the returns have been well worth the effort .”
“ I like the quote by business guru Warren Buffet , who said : ‘ find your passion and you ’ ll never work a day in your life ’. I knew since I was a kid that I wanted to plant and grow things ,” says AC . “ I went to the USA to learn to plant maize . But the ground and climate are very different , so in terms of farming practices there are big differences . The main thing I took from that experience was that it taught me about people and different cultures and economies and world markets and how they operate .”
“ Labour management is a priority for me , the right people , who are managed the right way in the right position , can unlock tremendous potential . You have to create a win-win environment , a culture where there ’ s a place for everyone and everyone wins .”
Congratulations on your achievement AC , from everyone at Senwes .
AC van Wyk receives his certificate from Sonja Cloete ( Senwes Grain Marketing Advisor ).
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DEC 2017-MAR 2018 • SENWES Scenario