Earlier this year, the ProagriMedia team had the incredible privilege of visiting the 2023 farmer of the year Dewald te Water, who farms between Bethal and Trichard in Mpumalanga, to gain insight into the wisdom he applies as a successful farmer.
Here are some highlights:
Dewald’s starting point of farmer:
“The farming started with a small flock of sheep and two or three hundred hectares of maize. From there we began to expand both our herd and fields. “After I swot in 1997, I worked for a farmer near Kriel. My brother farmed here on the farm where we grew up with our grandfather and basically looked after my grandfather’s livestock. Two years after that, he suggested that we try to farm together and bigger.” Dewald then quit his job and together the brothers rented additional land to start farming on a larger scale.
A top tip from the farmer:
“In today’s day and age you have to be absolutely versatile. You must be a very good businessman in all respects, from buyer to seller. At the same time, you must also be an agronomist and maintain good human relations.”
