Heritage: preserving the legacy of black commercial farmers

Preserving the legacy of black commercial farmers is crucial to honouring South Africa’s heritage as part of celebrating 30 years of freedom. 

Vuk’uzenzele recently joined food-producing company Tiger Brands Heritage Tour in Musina in Limpopo. Themed, ‘The Tomato Journey From Seedling to Plate’. The tour involved a visit to the Dr NJ Nesane Farm. 

The farm is named after its late founder, Dr Ntuseni Jameson Nesane, who established the farm more than 50 years ago. 
In 2012, the University of Venda awarded the farmer an honourary Doctorate in Agriculture for his outstanding work and contribution to the economic development of the country through his farming business. 

Benedict and Hamilton have been managing the farm since their father’s passing in 2016.

They explained that their father began as a farm worker at the age of 10 with no formal education but became one of the most successful farmers in Limpopo. 

The brothers believe in  preserving their father’s legacy. 

“After completing our tertiary qualifications, our father never allowed us to work anywhere else but on the farm. We worked with him on the farm for 19 years before he passed on,” he said. 

The sons paid tribute to their late father, acknowledging that learning and mastering how to successfully run a farm takes many years and requires more practical experience than theory.  

“Our father applied the same method that many successful white commercial farmers use to sustain their legacy, which involves transferring farming skills to your children so that they can take over when you are gone. Dr Nesane also ensured that he lived on the farm with his family so that we could all adapt to the lifestyle and be hands-on in the production process,” said Benedict.

The business uses leased land from the local Communal Property Association. It currently operates on 450 hectares of arable land employing 150 locals, but the number increases during harvest season.

Benedict said over the years, the provincial and national departments of agriculture have supported the business with agricultural inputs.

Contractual agreements
The Dr NJ Nesane Farm is among 108 farms in Musina who have contractual agreements with Tiger Brands to grow and supply tomatoes. 

The farms comprise of 38 commercial farmers and 70 small-scale farmers. About 600 people are also employed on the multiple farms. During harvest season, this number grows to 4 000 additional seasonal workers.

"Harvest season runs from 1 April to 30 September, and Tiger Brands uses the tomatoes for the production of the All Gold Tomato Sauce," said Tiger Brand Agricultural Manager Sipho Modiba.

The contractual agreement between Tiger Brands and farmers includes the provision of upfront financial assistance and disease-free tomato seedlings at a competitive rate.

“The contract requires the farm to supply Tiger Brands with 2 400 tonnes of determinate tomatoes this harvest season,” said Modiba. 

Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Tiger Brands, Mary-Jane Morifi, said the company is one of the largest food producers on the African continent and is actively working towards achieving greater food security where it operates, while building an inclusive economy.

“We are looking to grow partnerships with government to increase technical support which government provides to farmers. This is so that they do not remain small-scale farmers but graduate to become commercial farmers. We appreciate the work that the government is doing to support emerging farmers,” she said. 

Morifi called on the Department of Agriculture to synchronise its funding cycle to the agricultural seasons so that when it funds farmers, they can use funds optimally. 

According to Tiger Brands, South Africa produces about 600 000 tonnes of tomatoes annually throughout the year. The variety of tomatoes include round fresh tomatoes, roma and cherry tomatoes. ¥