Farmer's Inside Track

Fairtrade Africa’s new 2026–2028 strategy is a practical roadmap to help farmers and workers succeed in an increasingly complex global trade environment. This episode explores how the organisation plans to improve market access, strengthen producer voices, and build resilience against climate shocks, inflation, and price volatility.

Senior leaders Chris Oluoch, Madeline Muga, and Paul Colditz explain why partnerships, compliance support, and stronger producer organisations are now essential. With stricter international regulations and growing sustainability demands, producers need more than certification – they need tools to compete and thrive.

In this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, we explore the importance of post-harvest tomato handling and how it directly influences quality, shelf life, and profitability. Commercial vegetable farmer Lesego Mohube shares practical advice on reducing losses through improved harvesting, handling, packaging, and transport practices.

Learn key on-farm strategies such as harvesting during cool hours, minimising bruising, maintaining hygiene, managing humidity, and removing produce from the field quickly. Mohube also highlights the role of food safety standards, including SA-GAP, in improving market access and maintaining product integrity.

Certification provides a standard, but it doesn’t solve every challenge on the farm. Fairtrade Africa’s DONUTS programme, led by Thomas Mukhebi, is diving into the “uncomfortable spaces” that audits can’t reach, such as financial inclusion and social equity.

Discover how it goes beyond compliance to tackle child labour, weak farmer participation, degraded land, and limited market access. The DONUTS programme helps farmers shape decisions, strengthen livelihoods, and prepare for future trade opportunities.

Eastern Cape commercial vegetable farmer and Bayi Holdings founder Inga Qeja shares how a spinach harvest during the Covid-19 lockdown sparked his journey into commercial farming. He reflects on building his business from the ground up, expanding into multiple crops, and overcoming major setbacks, including crop losses and infrastructure failures.

Drawing inspiration from the book “Think and Grow Rich”, Inga speaks on resilience and the reality that agriculture demands persistence over profit. He also highlights his commitment to mentoring rural farmers through knowledge-sharing and local initiatives.

We explore how farmers can assess and manage pasture health with expert guidance from the ARC. Learn why annual field condition assessments are crucial, how to calculate field condition scores, and practical tips to optimise grazing, improve livestock nutrition, and maintain sustainable rangelands year-round.