Empowerment trust banks on barley

Since its inception, the Overberg Boerdery Trust has not only increased its output of barley, but raised dividend payments to its farmworkers. Jeandré van der Walt visited the farm near Caledon.

- Jeandré van der Walt

The Overberg Boerdery Trust was launched in 2006 on the South African Breweries Barley Farm (SABF), a model operating farm for dryland barley production near Caledon in the Western Cape.

“Gerhard Greeff, a previous agricultural services manager at the former SAB, urged us to start the trust,” says board chairperson Christiaan Hans.

Hans’s wife, Beryldina, is the vice-chairperson of the trust. The other members are Boysile Hoko, Simphiwe Hoko, André Hans, Johan Andries and their respective spouses, Titi Hoko, Cindy Hoko, Jacolene Hans and Maria Andries.

In 2007, the members planted their first barley crop on 68ha leased with financial assistance from the Department of Public Works. SAB Maltings also helped with interest-free loans.

Since then, the trust has gradually expanded its operations and now farms on 135ha.

“In 2016, we leased an additional 65ha of municipal land, just outside Caledon, with the help of Casidra [the Cape Agency for Sustainable Integrated Development in Rural Areas]. A lease of nine years and eleven months was agreed upon,” says Hans.

Production tonnage and profit have increased to the extent that the members no longer rely on funding from SAB. In 2018, even after a sizeable dividend payout (they prefer not to disclose the amount), the trust was financially sound enough to purchase the next season’s inputs.

FARMING IN MUTUALISM

Farming operations on the 68ha coincide with SABF’s rotation system, which is also followed on the municipal land. The members usually use a five-year rotation of canola, wheat, barley, and oats. Farm manager Hennie le Roux says this reduces the risk of soil depletion, as well as pest and disease build-up.