WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

Agriculture is a numbers game, so, whatever you do, do it big. Big doesn’t mean many hectares, but it does mean maximising production on whatever space you operate on.

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IF YOU COULD?

I should have started by leasing land instead of buying it. I got off on the wrong foot by spending all my money on land while I was still learning. I should have invested that money in building up gradually.

AND YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE?

Having grown from where I began, coming to master a particular crop and getting recognition in the industry are my biggest successes.

WHO HAS MADE THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO YOUR SUCCESS?

My late father, Buti Mauwane, who passed away a few months ago. This man, through his advice and support, has built character in me. Vincent Sequeira of Greenway Farms also played a major role in my success.

WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS LIKE? CAN YOU COUNT ON THEM FOR SUPPORT?

We have a great relationship with our neighbours. I’m in between Greenway Farms, Pinnochio Farms and other major producers who contribute so much, especially in information sharing and knowledge transfer.

DID YOU FIND IT HARD TO SECURE FINANCING? WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER OTHERS WHO ARE BATTLING TO GET FUNDING?

The most painful part of being a black farmer is access to finance. I’d advise them to start as cheap as possible don’t buy expensive land, rather lease first. Build your credit profile and expand from there.

WHAT ROLE DO INPUT SUPPLIERS PLAY IN YOUR BUSINESS?

I’ve always involved my suppliers in the business because they know their products better than I do.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE?

She must crack the whip and get her senior staff to visit farms and see what the people they service are doing. She should also visit as many farmers as possible so that she can experience firsthand what we are going through.

After losing his yield this winter, Eric Mauwane, owner of Oneo Farms, had to dig deep to find the courage to continue farming. When Lindiwe Sithole, host of African Farming Season 2, visits him near Tarlton, she finds a vegetable farmer ready to rebuild his business.

When you are faced with a crisis, having the right equipment makes it a lot easier to prepare the soil and start planting again. The correct selection of equipment is essential in maintaining and increasing productivity on a farm. With technology being the main driver of innovation, there are many great mechanisation options to choose from. 

“If Eric wants to get back on his feet, having the right equipment will help him to make up for his losses,” Sithole says. Picking the best machinery offers multiple benefits and will allow him to curb operational expenses, work more efficiently and ultimately generate more profit with less effort. 

According to Lerato Mashiloane, Warehouse Operations Manager at John Deere, farming equipment should be selected carefully so that it is compatible with all the needs of the farmer. “Eric should invest the right equipment. That way it will not slow him down during production, land preparation and harvesting. 

She suggests that Mauwane take stock of what he has to work with. “I am sure his needs have changed over time, and he would benefit from revising his mechanisation plan.” Mashiloane says farmers like him may not have enough capital to upgrade, but John Deere is not only interested in making the next sale. “We are invested in our clients’ needs and we want to build a long-lasting relationship with them. Therefore we will try to assist him in the interim and offer various options to better his situation.”

“With a can-do attitude, Eric Mauwane, owner of Oneo Farms, already overcame some of the greatest challenges faced by farmers,” says Lindiwe Sithole, host of African Farming Season 2. She interviews this inspirational farmer to find out more about how he stays positive even though he’s had to start over when his crops were recently destroyed by extremely low temperatures. 

Eric Mauwane’s father, who had been his mentor, passed away recently. “He thought me never to give up and to follow my dreams no matter the challenges in my way,” Mauwane says.

It is Mauwane’s dream to deliver quality peppers and chillies to the local and international markets for generations to come. “I want Oneo Farms to become synonymous with peppers and chillies – I want our brand to become a household name.” 

From the beginning, Mauwane chose to partner with several agribusinesses like John Deere and Standard Bank. Among them was Corteva Agriscience. Freddie Ndindana, technical sales representative at Corteva Agriscience, says the company has been assisting Mauwane since the beginning. “We are on a long journey together,” he says. 

According to Ndindana, one of the challenges Mauwane faces is the eradication of weeds. “His weed pressure was high: the grass weed species, especially, was prevalent. We helped him to choose a good herbicide, and then we created a good spray programme. This helped him immensely in improving the quality of his crops.” 

To keep insects and pests at bay, they opted to use a broad-spectrum pesticide, Ndindana says. “It was also important for Eric to adopt a good scouting strategy to monitor the possible problems that could arise in his field. He taught his employees how to scout, which made a huge difference.”

Scouting is the process of monitoring fields for the presence of pests and diseases or any potential issues that could obstruct crop growth (irrigation leaks, trellis breakages and so forth). Planning to scout regularly is an important tool in controlling weeds and pests.

Ndindana believes the key to success is asking for expert help and staying hungry for learning new things. “The help of a reliable agronomist could change the course of how you do things on the farm.”