Farmer's Inside Track

As crop protection technologies evolve and regulations tighten, relying solely on years of experience is no longer enough to ensure safety on the farm. Speaking on Food For Mzansi’s Farmer’s Inside Track podcast, CropLife South Africa’s stewardship lead, Quade Sing Jam, and strategic partnerships manager, Elriza Theron, highlight why responsible agricultural remedy use must extend across the entire farm life cycle, from storage and application to container disposal.
Jam and Theron unpack common operational gaps, reminding producers that “the label is the law” and that formulation changes mean outdated practices can pose severe health and environmental risks. They explore why personal protective equipment (PPE) is far more than a compliance tick-box exercise, how to prepare for farm emergencies before they occur, and why proper container disposal is critical to protecting crop protection tools from regulatory bans.
In this episode, they also detail CropLife South Africa’s self-paced “Train the Trainer” online course. Designed to equip farm managers and supervisors with the tools to pass vital stewardship knowledge down to their entire team, the course ensures farm operations remain safe, compliant, and sustainable for the future.

A successful harvest depends on far more than end-of-season bulk; it begins with establishing a strong agronomic foundation long before shoots break through the soil surface. Nico Barnard, agronomist for Pannar Seed, highlights how producers can maximise crop performance and value by focusing on foundational seed selection, soil preparation, and early-stage management.
Barnard breaks down the critical role seed germination plays in establishing uniform plant stands and driving final yield potential. He outlines the core management practices needed to protect young crops, optimise nutrient uptake, and build strong root systems from day one.
In this episode, he also examines the practical decisions farmers must make before planting. He provides guidance on managing early-season growing conditions, selecting cultivars suited to specific regional climates, and applying sound agronomic principles to build stronger crop resilience and ensure long-term farm productivity.

In this episode of Farmer's Inside Track, winemaker Mahalia Kotjane, founder of Three Quarters Wines, shares her journey from a curious Grade 9 learner to building her own boutique wine brand in Stellenbosch. She discusses the importance of vineyard management, sustainable practices and quality winemaking, as well as how industry experience, strong relationships and market access have helped grow her business. Mahalia also reflects on balancing production with sales and cash flow, and offers practical advice to aspiring winemakers on investing in their skills, building networks and making use of industry support programmes.

In this podcast episode, Nedbank’s head of agriculture client value propositions, Cobus de Bruyn, redefines what true agricultural transformation looks like in South Africa. Moving beyond simple land-ownership metrics, De Bruyn explains why long-term success hinges on transforming small-scale growers into productive, profitable, and bankable commercial farming enterprises.
He shares critical insights into the real-world barriers facing commercial expansion – from secure land tenure and water infrastructure to market access. De Bruyn makes a compelling case for rethinking industry terminology like “emerging farmer” and highlights how commercial banks, if integrated into government blended finance schemes, can bridge vital funding gaps.
Discover how cross-sector collaboration delivers on-the-ground results through mentorship, structured shareholding, and technical support.

Access to finance can help agricultural SMMEs grow, but understanding credit and preparing a strong funding application are essential for long-term financial sustainability. In this episode of Farmer's Inside Track, Zama Sangweni, agricultural economist at Absa, and Olivia Pratt, executive sales and strategy for SMEs at Nedbank, share practical advice on navigating agricultural finance.
They unpack what lenders look for when assessing funding applications, including cash flow, financial records, credit history, repayment capacity, collateral, governance, risk mitigation and market access. The discussion also explores common application mistakes, warning signs of over-indebtedness and the importance of understanding borrowing costs and repayment terms.
Sangweni and Pratt highlight how farmers, particularly emerging producers, can strengthen their creditworthiness through sound business planning, mentorship, strategic partnerships and diversification, while using credit responsibly.