Young farmer turned family farm around

BY: Fundiswa Nkwanyana

Gone are the days when farms were led by old men and women, now that we are in the 21^st century they are led by young farmers like Lehlohonolo Phakoe (23). He is the mastermind behind Basotho Farming, a livestock and agricultural produce farm on 250 hectares of land in Bethlehem, Free State.

When he was growing up, farming was not part of his plan but when his mother told him she is struggling to manage the farm all by herself, he stepped in to help. “My eagerness to help my mother drove me into farming and once I got involved, I fell in love with it and never looked back” says Lehlohonolo.  In 2017, he took over the family-owned farm and since his takeover, he has managed to increase profits and diversify income streams.

The farm’s main source of income is from buying cattle when it’s still young and selling it for a good price at auctions and slaughterhouses when it’s older and mature. “I also sell the wool I get from the sheep, the maize and soybeans we grow, and I also sell charcoal and wood” says Lehlohonolo. Relying on one income stream in farming is huge risk because working capital to keep the farm running in between harvests and breeding is essential.

Even though he is blessed to be working under his mother’s guidance and support, it was not easy. “When we started, we didn’t have our own equipment and we had to outsource a contractor to work our land for us; this was expensive” says Lehlohonolo. He adds that when someone else works on your land and delivers your produce to clients, it’s difficult to keep track of the costs.  The business saved money and purchased equipment. They now use the equipment to work on their own land and other farmers are paying them to work on their land for them.

“We have over 100 sheep and 120 cows on the farm. I don’t mind waking up to them and working with the soil” he says. With all his responsibilities, he still likes to be hands on and work side by side with his staff. The farm continues to create employment for locals and he is giving back by mentoring farmers who are inspired by his bold moves.

Using technology to curb cattle theft also led to the growth of the farm. It’s a terrible loss when cattle are stolen. “To avoid theft, all my cattle have trackers and I get an alert on my phone when they move away from their designated range” says Lehlohonolo. Meticulous planning and having tight security is vital in running a farm of this magnitude.

Land redistribution is still a tentative issue in South Africa and the way forward is still unclear. Lehlohonolo is one of the few lucky young farmers who work on family-owned land that is debt free. “I’m grateful that my mother paid off the land she purchased because I didn’t have to worry about paying for it” he says. The future looks bright for Basotho Farming because the business is financially stable with promising growth prospects.