After the recent cold fronts, farmers are facing the challenge of dealing with their losses and the possibility of food shortages in the coming months. Even so, they will need to produce more food to prevent a potential crisis that could cause food prices to skyrocket.
African Farming will host a workshop in the Free State, aiming to provide potential solutions and helpful tools to assist farmers in navigating these challenges.
The workshop will be held on 30 July at the Agricultural Research Council’s Small Grain (ARC-SG) Research Institute located in Bethlehem.
With a packed line-up of experts on different aspects of farming, the day promises to be filled with practical solutions to farming challenges, as well as speaking to the issues of risk management and improving profits.
“There are ways in which one can manage risk in a farming business, which include taking out insurance that may help farmers, especially where adverse weather conditions have destroyed crops. We have experts from Santam Insurance who will elaborate on this during the workshop,” said Lebogang Mashala, African Farming editor.
Farmers will have the opportunity to learn about the benefits of diversifying farming, including how it can mitigate risks and drive cashflow and profitability.
Nkosana “Farmboy” Mtambo of Mtambo Boerdery, a leading farmer with a diversified farming operation, will share his insights.
Father and son OJ and Ratlale “Bush” Masiu of Masiu Enterprises will discuss the importance of succession planning for family farming businesses.
Additionally, experts from John Deere, Afgri, Standard Bank, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Ford and the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) will cover technical issues such as training, mentorship, access to finance and markets.
Attendees can also look forward to giveaways sponsored by Backsaver, the Free State manufacturer of hand-powered tools.
“We encourage all farmers to attend and be part of this informative day focused on strategies for thriving during the winter production season and preparing for the upcoming summer season,” said Mashala.
