– Jaco Cilliers
It’s certainly not child’s play to farm in South Africa. Yet, in certain aspects, South African farmers are blessed with a variety of service providers, specialists and products that are generally available in the closest town.
However, that’s not the case in most other African countries. Shaun Buffee, originally from Zimbabwe, has been farming with his team in die Francistown region in Botswana for the past eight years. He has realised the value of good technical support and equipment for commercial farming.
“We started from scratch, without any farming experience, Shaun says. “Our biggest challenge was finding the right technical support. The reality is that we could only expand because of the excellent support from Agrico. That was essential.”
The farm utilises a combination of Agrico equipment and solutions that meet the needs of the farm’s unique requirements. From pump stations, pipelines, high-quality dam linings, overhead pivots to drip irrigation – Agrico provided everything. The pivots are primarily used for fodder crops, while drip irrigation supplies vegetables with water. These strategic choices are the result of comprehensive testing and consultation with Agrico’s technicians.
“We tried various options,” Shaun explains. “The pivots function at their best under certain conditions and drip irrigation is ideal for watermelons. Farming wouldn’t have been possible without this equipment. Technical support is of the utmost importance, and when something goes wrong, we can fix it quickly because of the service we receive from Agrico.”
One of the most important challenges of this project and many others in Botswana is energy supply. The farm relies on a combination of solar power and power generators since its cut off from the network. Agrico’s project manager, MC Pretorius from the Nylstroom branch, played a vital role in the design and implementation of the system.
“We had to understand the energy needs and crop requirements from the beginning for optimal design of the system, says MC. “We pumped water from sandpits in the middle of the river up to a dam and from there it’s transported to the pivots. The challenge was to do this by utilising the least possible kilowatt, as excessive use is expensive.”
Practical support was crucial to completing the project successfully. Shaun describes an incident where a new pivot experienced problems with wiring: “I contacted MC and his team, and a technician from Agrico arrived here within a matter of hours. The pivot worked again the next morning. Remember that they had to drive from Nylstroom in South Africa to my farm near Francistown. A slow reaction would have put our crops at a disadvantage.”
Shaun points out that a significant difference between farming in Botswana and South Africa is the limited technical support. “The distance means that you must be self-sufficient, and you can’t just quickly call a supplier when something goes wrong. That’s why good support from Africo is so valuable.”
Shaun has developed a passion for farming, despite all the challenges. “I’m enjoying farming because it is new and challenging. It has enormous potential, and finding and implementing solutions by yourself is extremely satisfying.”
The project wouldn’t have been possible without the ability and willingness to adjust the equipment to suit specific needs.
“Agrico designed a system that completely meets our needs,” says Shaun. “We realised that other suppliers couldn’t supply the same level of service. In Botswana, you must be self-sufficient and adapt your solutions to the environment and the available energy supply.”
The crops are already showing good progress, although it is too early to discuss production value. Shaun says laughingly, “After five weeks, you can already see that everything’s on track. Come back after a year and I’ll be able to provide more definitive results.”
The farm envisages big plans, including expanding beef meat production and watermelon cultivation.
“We realised that the local market is small, and we’ll eventually have to consider exporting when we expand our production,” says Shaun.
The partnership with Agrico not only entailed the availability of equipment but also strategic collaboration to ensure the farm’s success. MC adds: “From the beginning, we planned the project with Shaun and his team – from the water source to the final establishment of the pivots. We considered every possible challenge and designed solutions to make the farm as effective as possible.”
Shaun Buffee and his team’s experience at Ngangane Ranch shows how important technical support and tailor-made equipment are for commercial farming in remote areas. Not only did Agrico’s Nylstroom branch provide the necessary equipment, but they also provided expertise and personal attention to ensure the project prospered from the get-go.
This partnership emphasises the value of good advice, creative solutions, and fast reaction time in the agricultural industry, especially in challenging environments, such as those in Botswana.
To learn more about farming in Botswana, read Ontmoet die boere van Pandamatenga.
Elke druppel water wat op die plase Kromvlei en Vrede, in die distrik Piketberg gebruik word, tel. As deel van die Karsten-groep se boerdery, word watertoediening op beide plase wetenskaplik en met deeglike beplanning aangepak. Hul vennoot in dié proses, is Agrico.
Wanneer ’n bielie van ’n implement deur die grond sny soos ’n warm mes deur botter, kan dit enige boer se hart vinniger laat klop. Hierdie implement is die Agrico T1250-skeurploeg, wat gedurende die Hoopstad Groentoer aan boere gedemonstreer is.
Van pasraam tot plaasgereed: ontdek hoe Agrico se HSD’s in Suid-Afrika vervaardig word met plaaslike vakmanskap, gevorderde tegnologie en deeglike toetsing. Elke implement begin as ’n idee, word in detail ontwerp, vervaardig van kwaliteit staal, en saamgestel om optimale prestasie en duursaamheid te verseker. Agrico se plaaslike ingenieurs verstaan die uitdagings van Afrika-plase, wat beteken dat elke HSD nie net robuust en betroubaar is nie, maar ook die trots van plaaslike vervaardiging dra.
Choosing the right centre pivot is about more than just moving water. It’s about finding a system that fits your land, your crops and the realities of farming conditions. The Agrico G3 centre pivot was developed with exactly this in mind. Let’s unpack the system feature by feature, showing how flexibility and strength come together to form a reliable irrigation solution.
Terwyl drupbesproeiing ’n gewilde opsie vir sitrusboerderye is, is die regte besproeiingstelsel die een wat vir die spesifieke boer wérk. Vir die Endulini-boerdery van Pietie Ferreira in die Gamtoosvallei en die Sondagsriviervallei is die bestuurspraktyke wat met mikrobesproeiing gepaard gaan, die wenresep.
In die Pandamatenga-distrik in noordelike Botswana wys Panda Potatoes hoe doeltreffende besproeiingstegnologie ’n boerdery kan omskep. Waar klimaat en grondtoestande uitdagings bied, vorm waterbestuur en betroubare Agrico-spilpunte die kern van hul suksesvolle aartappelproduksie.
