Nelius Ferreira, the Free State’s Top Young Farmer for 2018, focuses on quality production in a global marketplace. Sabrina Dean visited him on his farm near Harrismith to learn more.
Nelius Ferreira, 37, this year’s Free State Agriculture’s Young Farmer of the Year, says there are numerous elements that feed into the success of a family business. But at Ferrero Bonsmaras, which was featured in Farmer’s Weekly earlier this year in the 23 February issue, the focus is undoubtedly on quality production.
Ferreira studied as an engineer before joining the farming operation in partnership with his father Kiewiet and brothers Theo and Johan.
The business, located on the farm Grootdraai near Harrismith in the eastern Free State, comprises six separate farm units and practises various types of cropping, as well as beef cattle production and apple farming.
The cropping component, managed by Ferreira’s father and brothers, remains the largest part of the business. It produces maize and potatoes, as well as sugar beans, soya beans and a small quantity of wheat.
The cattle component is his responsibility. It consists of the Ferrero Bonsmara stud, a large commercial operation, a feedlot, and a back grounding system. He is also responsible for the family’s fruit farming interests, which comprise 32ha of apple orchards.
Cattle numbers vary according to grazing capacity, production phase and market conditions, but number several thousand at any given time. His feedlot has a standing capacity of 1 350 head of cattle, and there are plans to expand this. The stud herd numbers about 1 300 animals.
Ferreira adds value to his commercial stock by placing weaners in the feedlot and buying in feedlot or back grounding stock at good prices. Feedlot animals are marketed to an abattoir. Commercial production and stud sales are also held on the farm.
INTERWOVEN COMPONENTS
この記事は Farmer's Weekly の Farmer's Weekly 17 August 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Farmer's Weekly の Farmer's Weekly 17 August 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
