Agriculture is literally the lifeblood of the country and Toyota South Africa has a long history of supporting the efforts of our farmers through the Young Farmer, New Harvest and Communal Farming Association competitions.
This year’s Young Farmer of the Year, Jimie Malan, farms ornamental plants, Ankole cattle and game (stud and hunting) in Pretoria, Gauteng. Jimie is the fourth generation to take over the family farming business, and the General Manager of the JD Malan group. His systems include glasshouse, shade net and open-field production. As a very progressive farmer he believes:, “What is good enough for today is not good enough for tomorrow”.
This year’s New Harvest winner, Naeem Jina, farms macadamias, mangoes, Arabic horses and beef cattle in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. He established his own macadamia processing facility. The cracking facility provides deshelled packaged product to established local and international buyers. Naeem keeps his own bees for the pollination of trees and avoids the use of harmful chemicals. He says: “Doing the little things well, helps you to grow”.
They both drove away in brand-new Toyota Hilux 2.4 GD-6 Single Cabs.
New Harvest of the Year 2023 Winner Naeem Jina. Pictured from left to right: Prof. van der Westhuizen (Technical Advisor and Chairperson on the panel of adjudicators for the Toyota/ Agri SA Young Farmer of the Year and New Harvest of the Year competitions), Naeem Jina with wife Muneea (New Harvest of the Year Winner) and Leon Theron (Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors).
The winner of the Communal Farming Association of the Year was the Eksteenskuil Agricultural Co-operative. The group was established in 2006 and consists of 107 members. It farms grapes (for raisins), lucerne, sheep and goats near Keimoes in the Northern Cape. The group wins assistance valued at R150 000 to support their farming operations.
“The finalists in the Young Farmer, New Harvest, and Communal Farming Association of the Year competition are like the Springboks of agriculture. Every one of them has a special vision that they strive for, and they never lose sight of their end goal. That’s why they are so successful in what they do. Toyota South Africa Motors’ investment is not merely an investment in the lives of young farmers but also an investment in the sector. If our sector is looking for role models who can serve as inspiration to enter the industry, our young farmer finalists are the ideal role models.” says Jaco Minnaar, President of Agri SA.
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Need to beef up your farm vehicles - CHANGECARS
