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IN T H E SP OTLI GH T
Johan van Wyk
Everyone’s Boeta
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CHAIRMAN
Apart from his work on the farm,
Boeta has been the chairman
of the Schweizer-Reneke Study
group for the past five years - they
are a group of 45 members who
meet and arrange actions on a
regular basis.
FARMING
At Klipfontein they farm with
maize, ground-nuts, sunflower
and soybeans. Normally one
third of the fields are fallow
and the remaining two thirds
are planted under maize (50%)
and the remaining area under
ground-nuts, sunflower and soy
beans. However, he is planning to
plant a lot less maize during the
coming season, due to the low
prices. He also has a Simbra and
Simmentaler component in his
farming operations.
His advice is that one should
cut out the 5% poorest producing
fields, thereby creating additional
grazing for cattle. Those fields are
often the reason for over-produc
tion, which results in lower prices.
With a name such as
Braai, this Simmentaler
bull could also make a
contribution to heritage
month.
of Mpumalanga. He describes
his farm as the point “where the
Karoo and the Kalahari meet.”
It is interesting that their area
is the furthest from Randfontein
and Durban. Should his farm,
hectares and inputs have been
in an area such as Bothaville, he
would have been able to make a
lot more money. Another chal
lenge which they have to face is
below-average rainfall for the past
five years, which means that they
have to fight for good prices and
discounts since profit margins are
so low.
His advice is that one should
stick to the basics and just perse
vere: “A few years ago we only had
a few tractors and implements
- now we have a lot and we all
The old and the
new! One of the
two 8300 tractors
from 1996 on the
farm, with more
than 20 000 hours
on the clock,
working with
the newer 8430
model.
BABY STEPS
Johan believes in diversification
within limits. He diversified
slowly over the years and is
involved in game and pecan nuts
in partnership with three other
producers. They also established
an experimental farm of 50
hectares four years ago. They are
currently in year four of six years
and will decide whether to switch
to no-tilling in 2019. In year five,
the fallow year, they will rip and
do chemical adjustments.
ABOUT THE AREA
Johan says that his farm contains
a bit of Northwest, Free State
and Northern Cape - even a bit
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make a living.”
He strongly feels that we
should stimulate our own indus
try. Maize meal and peanut butter
can be channelled back to farm
workers. In this way they will eat
better, get more energy and pro
tein and you stimulate your own
industry at the same time, result
ing in increased demand. Imagine
the country-wide impact.
We are one big family at
Klipfontein. His grandfather used
to say: “Klipfontein is not a horse
which will make you rich, but it
will also not throw you off.”
Boeta’s eyes are on the bigger
picture and he regards everyone’s
co-operation as extremely import
ant. Continue building on this
basis, Boeta!
The families of Abram Mboyo, George Botshelo, Basta Molefe, Mannetjie Mmosakga,
Abraham Dithebe and Abraham Lehihi have been working for decades on Klipfontein.
OCT/NOV 2017 • SENWES Scenario