PRODUCER FOCUS
Dynamic DYNAMITE
Before you think we are being forward and that we are trying to make Buks more important than what he is , you have to know that Buks van Wyk is dynamic and literally dynamite . However , he is very humble . Let me explain ...
By Aubrey Kruger
Travelling from Wolmaransstad on the R504 in the direction of Schweizer-Reneke , you will see mine dumps on the horizon . These are possibly diamond mines , owned by the focus producer of this edition .
You may wonder what it has to do with farming . Well , half of Senwes producer , Buks van Wyk ' s activities , are made up of diamond digging and the other half of mixed farming , with cropping and cattle , as well as a small game component . The full package and more .
Skietbaan - the name of his farm and this is typical Northwest world : Tussen mynhoop en die lande weiwend graan . There is one difference , however , everything is on one producer ' s farm - not two different operations . Buks is a third-generation producer with his feet planted firmly and humbly on the ground . He started farming with his father , Boet van Wyk , in 1978 at the age of 20 . He had to learn everything about farming from his father in just two years , before he passed away in 1980 .
DIAMOND DIGGINGS - DYNAMIC COMPONENT Buks , who was born on the farm Spioenkop , says : “ Forty years ago I would not have been able to even imagine myself in this position .” After the death of his father in 1980 , followed by a crop failure due to the 1981 drought , his financial position forced him to access the diamond industry . A daring feat to say the least . He started by digging on the farms of other producers and now , 37 years and 17 farms later , diamond digging has been responsible for 15 of those farms . This is how he diversifies ! Amazing , not so ?
Don ' t let the high prices of these precious stones fool you - it is the same as when the grain prices are high , which will not be right now . It is a capital intensive business - from millions of rands worth of diesel to implements . The shiny little stones , which appear now and then , are of the utmost importance to cover input costs and , with a bit of luck , the big one may be in the next ton of gravel .
Hours before my visit a shiny stone was detected by the x-rays and it was catapulted into the safe . An 8-carat stone - small when taking into account that they have found a 72-carat stone on one of his farms .
JJ VAN WYK FARMING Crop farming Buks mainly focuses on maize and sunflower . He plants approximately 3 000 hectares and leases an additional 500 hectares . His focus is 90 % on the production of maize and 10 % on sunflower .
He has 90 hectares under irrigation with three pivot points . He is planning to leave some of his fields fallow in the coming seasons , “ something which I have never done before .”
Compost is one of his many ideas , although it is still in its infancy . However , the project is already paying off . He points out rows of compost heaps , but he does not want to say too much about it yet .
How does diamond mining fit in with his farming operations ? In short : “ Diamonds don ' t need water .” In fact , the dryer the better . Can you believe such words being uttered by a producer ? He bought most of his farms with the capital generated from the diamond mining and the cash flow is very good . There is always an income . When the maize prices are low , he focuses on Van Wyk Diggings , with high prices at present . This is how you hedge yourself .
Animal feed Another component . Cattle and feed being the sub-theme of this edition , we paid a visit to his other operations . He has approximately 900 head of German merinos . He does a few things differently . He keeps his lambs in a pen with the ewe for a week , and then they are moved in groups of five with other groups for two weeks , with the objective of making sure that they form a bond with the ewes . Sugar graze , which he plants as well , forms part of their diet .
He has 1 500 cows as well . It is often said that cattle should not be allowed to
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SENWES SCENARIO | WINTER 2018