Toyota Presents the Young Farmer and New Harvest of the Year Award

Toyota Presents the Young Farmer and New Harvest of the Year Award

For years, Toyota South Africa Motors has sponsored two coveted awards in the Agriculture industry. The Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year and Toyota New Harvest of the Year awards were presented to the winners at a gala event held at in Johannesburg on 22 October 2015. Both winners drove away in a brand new Toyota Hilux 2.5D-4D Single Cab. The vehicle is worth over R300 000 and will be fitted with accessories to the value of R18 000

Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year

Anthony Goble, a farmer from KwaZulu-Natal walked away with the honours of 2015 Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year award.

The competition starts with regional competitions which put all nominated farmers through an arduous process of evaluations. Once the regional winner, one from each province, has been chosen, they then compete against each other in the national competition.

“We would like to congratulate Mr Goble for winning this prestigious award. We are proud of you and all the finalists for their contribution to South Africa. Farming is not an easy profession and farmers often have to tackle all areas of the business by themselves, handling marketing, distribution on top of the day to day running of their farms. This award not only awards farmers for their business acumen but also for the passion they have for the industry,” said Calvyn Hamman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors.

Finalists were nominated based on their performance in their respective region, and were subject to the rule that they are between 18 and 35 and must have been a member of Agri SA’s provincial organisations for at least two years. All finalists were nominated by their respective Agri SA provincial councils and were tested on a multitude of aspects, including their financial and business skills, farming skill and proficiency in management focusing specifically on their own contribution, independence and decision making authority.

Goble farms sugar cane, bananas and macadamias in the Ndwedwe region of KwaZulu-Natal. He has numerous farms which he manages both owned by him and rented land from other farmers. Goble is very detail orientate which has allowed him to make many improvements to his farms. He is currently also assisting the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) with sugar cane trials.

He is focused on the development and upliftment of others and has trained his staff to be in a position to manage various aspects the farms. His team’s hard work and dedication to the farms has made them the envy of most. He is also very involved in his community and assists where he can.

Goble remarked that young farmers must be seen as agents of change and hope with regard to political and technological issues, and that we must continuously strive to be more efficient with our resources.

“Goble has excellent strategic business thinking skills and his relevant educational background and practical understanding of farming has ensured his success,” commented Prof van der Westhuizen.

The evaluations were done by a panel of well-known agricultural specialists led by re Prof. Carlu van der Westhuizen, Agricultural Production Economist, Department of Agriculture and Central University of Technology; Prof John Annandale, Agronomist, Department of Plant Production and Soil Science and University of Pretoria; Prof Louw Hoffman, Distinguished Professor in Meat Science, Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch.

Toyota New Harvest of the Year

Jacky Goliath, a farmer from the Western Cape, was awarded the 2015 Toyota New Harvest of the Year award.

Goliath was nominated by the Western Cape branch of the African farmers’ association of South Africa. She has horticulturist training and with this in hand and a very supportive business partner she has become a very successful plum farmer. From having 1000 plants in 2001 to over 600 000 plants, she has proven that hard work and perseverance triumph in against all odds. Goliath is also very focused on quality which has gained her big name clients like Woolworths, Keith Kirsten and Massmart. She is also preparing to increase her export business to Europe.

“Farming is challenging and running a farm is not an easy task. Farmers have to plan and prepare for every eventuality include changing weather conditions, environmental factors and demand fluctuations; and when it happens have to implement plans very quickly. We salute farms like Goliath who rise up above the challenges and succeed due to sheer perseverance and unrelenting spirits,” adds Crompton.

“We congratulate all the finalists who were nominated. That in itself is a huge achievement. We wish Jacqui all the best for the future and wish her many happy journeys in his Hilux,” concludes Crompton.

The finalist list

The other finalists in the Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year competition were:

Northern Cape: Kolver Mulke farms with maize, peanuts, potatoes, onions, seed onions, groundnuts, wheat and cotton in the Douglas area.

Gauteng: Johan Teesen farms with maize, soybeans and cattle in the Cullinan region.

Mpumalanga: Hylgard Lourens farms citrus, vegetables, macadamias and game in the Nelspruit region.

Limpopo: Christoff Smit farms with table grapes, citrus, irrigates cash crops as well as commercial and stud beef cattle in the Groblersdal region.

Free State: Barend Grobler farms with broilers, cattle and pigs in the Dewetsdorp region.

Eastern Cape: Paul Collett farms with sheep, goats, cattle Lucerne and grain in the Cradock region. .

Western Cape: Jaco du Toit farms with table grapes in the Hex River Valley.

North West: Neels Fourie famrs with grain and livestock in the Schweizer-Reneke region.

The other finalists in the Toyota SA New Harvest Competition and their nominators were:

Koena Jack Moradu farms with mangos and vegetables in the Letsitele region of Limpopo. He was nominated by the South African Mango Growers Association.

Mmatsie Kgomongwe rears beef cattle and broiler chickens in the Zeerust region of Limpopo. She was nominated by Agristart.

Keith Middleton farms with Lucerne, wheat, oats, maize and sheep in the Jacobsdal region of the Free State. He was nominated by Oos Vrystaat Kaap Operations Limited.

Byno Huffel farms with sheep, oats, lupines, Lucerne and vegetables in the Ceres region of the Western Cape.