Helping Small-Scale Farmers Reach Commercial Status

Sinelizwi Fakade is a successful grain farmer in the Eastern Cape, but it is his passion for helping small-scale and subsistence farmers improve production that makes him particularly compelling, says Pieter Dempsey. He spoke to Fakade about his farming operation and his role in mentoring future farmers.

- Pieter Dempsey

FAST FACTS

Sinelizwi Fakade is a founding member of the Ukhanyo Farmer Development initiative, which supports small-scale farmers through mentorship and production inputs.

Fakade is a commercial grain farmer, and plants maize, soya bean, sorghum and sunflower.

Fakade makes use of soil and foliar analyses, as well as a pest management consultant, to ensure that he uses as little fertiliser and chemicals as possible.

Sinelizwi Fakade is a commercial grain farmer in Ugie in the Eastern Cape. He produces maize, sunflower, sorghum and soya bean on the 1 200ha farm Rocky Park. Fakade is a founding member and chairperson of the Ukhanyo Farmer Development (UFD) programme, an independent non-profit organisation. The UFD was formed by 36 young people who were graduates of Grain SA’s development programme. Before embarking on his farming journey, Fakade was a provincial coordinator at Grain SA.

“With our combined experience and skills, the UFD founders decided to start a youth-owned and women-led independent entity that [aims] to address the challenges that prohibit black farmers from reaching commercial status in the Eastern Cape.

“The UFD enables subsistence and emerging farmers, women, youth and co-operatives to access markets, finance, infrastructure development and growth opportunities,” says Fakade.

The purpose of the UFD is to help farmers in rural communities increase the volume and quality of their produce by offering them comprehensive support in the form of mentorship and inputs, which enables them to participate meaningfully across the agricultural value chain and help boost their incomes.