“There have been many ups and downs, however you should follow it and focus in your imaginative and prescient. For the previous six years that I’ve lived this life, I haven’t regretted it in any respect,” says Lubabalo Ngcwembe (43), from Zwelitsha close to Qonce within the Jap Cape, about his fledgling farming profession.

It began in 2017 when his brother, Khaya, who works for Toyota SA, bought a 45ha farm close to Qonce and supplied Ngcwembe, then nonetheless a full-time disc jockey (DJ), the chance to farm it.

In 2018, a neighbouring 45ha farm was added, and the mixed 90ha unit was christened Ikhasilethu (Our Citadel), on which Ngcwembe has managed to determine a worthwhile livestock and vegetable manufacturing enterprise regardless of quite a few challenges, together with excessive ranges of crime.

A New Life
Ngcwembe was raised within the sprawling township of Zwelitsha close to Qonce, which within the Nineteen Eighties was outlined by acute political unrest.

By the mid-Nineteen Nineties nonetheless, he matriculated in a brand new democratic South Africa and after a number of unsuccessful makes an attempt at tertiary schooling (within the info expertise discipline), he accomplished a carpentry course at Lovedale School in Alice.

Regardless of this qualification, although, he couldn’t discover a job, and finally turned to his ardour of enjoying music for an revenue.

For years he plied his commerce as a DJ within the Jap Cape, however by 2016 realised he would want to spice up his revenue to successfully help his kids.

His brother’s provide for him to farm Ikhasilethu subsequently got here as a welcome and timeous alternative.

“I wanted to place meals on the desk,” recollects Ngcwembe. “I actually have by no means regretted changing into a farmer.”

He nonetheless admits that the transition from the township leisure scene to an agricultural atmosphere was a baptism by hearth.

“After I bought right here, I knew nothing; I didn’t even know learn how to drive a tractor. I needed to adapt and shortly be taught totally different expertise. Typically, I must turn out to be an electrician, plumber or mechanic, as a result of when you can not do this stuff the value could be very excessive while you name in a specialist.”

At first, the Ikhasilethu farming operation merely required consolidation of what was already there, and an excessive amount of effort was taken to restore fencing, repair equipment and renovate the previous stone home.

In 2021, Ngcwembe’s mom, Mavis, moved from the Dutywa area of the previous Transkei to stay on Ikhasilethu together with her son, by which stage a small flock of goats and a herd of cattle have been on the farm and a tunnel system had been erected, though the tunnels have been deserted to plant open discipline greens.

Cattle
Ikhasilethu is now residence to 60 cattle, of which 40 are breeding feminine animals. They’re primarily of the Brahman kind, but additionally embody some Beefmasters and a handful of dairy cows (Holstein and Jersey).

The primary cattle have been purchased with the farms, comprising 15 Brahman-type animals and 5 dairy cows.

Quickly thereafter, 12 extra dairy cows have been purchased with the aim of beginning a small dairy, however all of them died, and the choice was modified to run solely beef cattle on the property.

In 2018, the choice was made to introduce 10 Beefmaster heifers to the farm, and earlier this 12 months Mavis’s small herd of Brahman-type cattle, that have been nonetheless working on communal land in Dutywa, have been transferred to Ikhasilethu.

Bulls run with breeding feminine animals all-year-round on the farm, and the herd achieves a calving price of 60%. Tick masses are heavy within the space, and subsequently dipping takes place as soon as a month in winter and twice a month in summer season to forestall redwater, heartwater and gallsickness.

A regular immunisation and dosing programme is adhered to, whereas the cattle obtain a protein lick in winter and a phosphate lick in summer season.

Nevertheless, Ngcwembe says the best way he farms cattle is about to vary because the Agricultural Analysis Council (ARC) is at the moment advising him on how finest to section out all Brahman-type cattle and substitute them with Beefmasters.

ARC will help in coaching him to entrench strict record-keeping ideas in his beef enterprise and outline a breeding season to make sure an efficient weaner manufacturing system.

“Earlier than the ARC stepped in we have been doing many issues flawed; I imply, I used to be from the streets of Zwelitsha. It’s thrilling that ARC is guiding us into the formal weaner market so we are able to transfer away from the market the place any person comes round searching for cattle for slaughter and a value is set visually.”

Cabbages, Goats and Crime
Ngcwembe produces greens on about 10ha, with a deal with cabbage, spinach and chillis. All crops are irrigated from the Yellowoods River by way of drip irrigation, with cabbage proving to be the most effective all year-round money-spinner.

A minimum of 2ha are underneath cabbage manufacturing at any given time of the 12 months, and most popular cabbage cultivars embody Conquista, Superslam and Grandslam. Cabbages and different contemporary produce are marketed on to Decide n Pay and Spar in Qonce and close by Peddie.

Ikhasilethu can be residence to a small flock of about 20 Boer and Savanna-type goats, however Ngcwembe goals to solely have Savannas going ahead. A Savanna ram runs with the ewes all 12 months spherical and a kidding share of about 80% is achieved.

Goats are bought principally as kapaters into conventional markets the place they’re slaughtered at ritual gatherings. The goats reap the benefits of the appreciable searching potential on Ikhasilethu, however are incessantly focused by thieves.

“The thieves are killing our enterprise; they’re messing us up. Crime is a giant difficulty,” says Ngcwembe.

Actually, his cattle haven’t escaped the eye of the roving inventory thieves both, and several other animals have been openly slaughtered within the veld in 2018, 2021 and this 12 months.

He says criminals have the higher hand within the area due to the failure of the police to take care of seen policing.

“Since 2017, the one time [the police] are right here [on Ikhasilethu] is when one thing has occurred, he says. “I’ve been to them usually, requesting visibility. Moreover the lack of livestock and property, there are psychological and sensible penalties to the unending cycle of crime.”

Some camps on the fringes of the farm merely can’t be utilized by livestock as they’re too weak to theft. Fences are sometimes lower and vandalised by thieves, which necessitates the continuous want for costly and time-consuming repairs.

Ngcwembe says society can be enormously deprived with out farmers, and extra precedence must be given to the policing of agricultural areas.

“With out farmers there isn’t a life in South Africa. We’re fulfilling a giant function. Each time a load of cabbages leaves this farm, it will feed South Africans.

Telephone Lubabalo Ngcwembe on 062 480 3046.