Short Description

Providing farming and business management courses as well as support to farmers leading to the establishment of sustainable commercial farming businesses.

Need

Historical apartheid structures in South Africa ensured that black people were excluded from the commercial agricultural sector. The lack of resolution of land issues in South Africa has led to a crisis within the agricultural sector.
Emerging black farmers commonly attempt farming ventures in isolation, while being under-skilled, under-resourced and considered “uncreditworthy” by lending institutions. Farming is often categorised as a hard business with small profit margins and threats of death, disease and radical market fluctuations. An estimated 90% of farms that were distributed to black farmers since the start of land reform are no longer productive.
For an emerging black farmer, the road to becoming a successful commercial farmer is a long one where high impact long term external intervention is needed. While training is offered by a range of academic colleges and universities, most emerging farmers do not have the necessary qualifications to enrol, and if they do, the training is not practical enough to assist them.

Overview

Buhle Farmers’ Academy (BFA) seeks to assist new and emerging farmers to set up and run viable farming businesses. To do this, the Academy provides its beneficiaries with skills training and mentoring support. The key objectives set out by the organisation are as follows:

  • Theoretical knowledge base
  • Hands-on practical skills training
  • Training in farm business management
  • Training in life skills
  • Effective post training follow- up and support

The organisation provides several AgriSETA accredited courses. These include Vegetable Production, Crop Production, Livestock Production, Poultry Production as well as learnerships focused on Mixed Farming. Courses run for varied lengths between two months and nine months. Most of the trainees hear about the programme through previous students who primarily come from Gauteng and Mpumalanga. To be accepted for the courses, learners must be able to speak English, have a Grade 9 qualification and own land or have access to land where they can farm. Furthermore, candidate trainees must convey their agricultural entrepreneurial ability during an informal interview. The Academy can accommodate 100 trainees at any given time.

While receiving training, trainees live on the Buhle Farm where they are expected to take responsibility for their production unit, learning practically how to cope with insects, death, disease, drought and other obstacles to production. They also attend theoretical classes during this time. In these classes they develop their own business plans for their farming ventures.

Following training at the Academy, Buhle graduates continue to receive support from the organisation through mentoring and coaching after they complete the training programme. Buhle provides account management services to its farmers which tracks their income, expenditure and production targets. To complement this service, BFA advises its farmers on how to improve production and profit margins as well as overcome the initial challenges of establishing a farming business.

BFA’s training farm is a total of 150 ha. 74 ha are arable while 23 ha are under irrigation. Additional farm facilities include livestock, poultry and piggery units which are used for demonstration, training as well as income generation.

BFA works with several government agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The organisation has established relationships with the Land Bank, Monsato Fund and several corporates working in the agricultural space.
What we like about this organisation

The continued support that the organisation provides to its students is critical as they address specific challenges identified by their farmers. These range from accessing financing, stock and markets.

BFA’s accredited courses in farming and business courses, as well as the mentoring and coaching they provide to their beneficiaries provide a holistic solution to address the need to shift new, emerging, under- skilled and under resourced farmers to established commercial farmers.

What difference can your money make?

  • R10 000 will contribute towards the cost of developing course materials
  • R250 000 will contribute towards students material and production cost for a year
  • R750 000 would allow Buhle to extend their farm by 75 ha. The additional land can be used to grow crops and increase the organisation’s income stream

Volunteering opportunities

Buhle Academy is always looking for volunteers – particularly those with communication skills who are willing to be part of their fundraising team. Additionally, the organisation is seeking to develop a mobile app that would allow the organisation’s field staff to keep in close contact with their graduates once they return to their farms.