In the short time since Khulile Mahlalela started farming in 2015, she has already won a number of awards for her piggery business. In 2019, she won two of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development’s (agriculture department) Female Entrepreneur Awards: the Mpumalanga Female Farmer of the Year Award and the Minister’s Special Award for a Young Farmer.
Mahlalela grew up on a farm in Nkomazi in Mpumalanga where her late grandmother, Rebecca Mkhabela, farmed pigs. At school, Mahlalela dreamt of becoming a geologist, not a farmer. By the time she finished school, however, she had resolved to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and decided to do a diploma in animal production at the Mangosuthu University of Technology in KwaZulu-Natal. After completing her studies, she worked as a farmworker at a large-scale pig producer, Kanhym Estates in Middelburg, for five years.
When the company was sold in 2015, she took the plunge and decided to start her own piggery. While looking for land, she met other farmers who were also interested in starting a pig farming business, and together they entered into a partnership and leased a 12ha farm.
With savings built up while working, Mahlalela purchased three pregnant sows. In 2016, she bought four gilts and one boar and secured funding under the Masibuyele Esibayeni Programme with which she bought another 10 sows and one boar. The programme allows farmers to grow their herds using the pigs they acquire through the programme and then return the same number of pigs after five years.
FAST FACTS
• Mpumalangabased pig farmer Khulile Mahlalela started her business in 2015.
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Denne historien er fra August 28, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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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.
