Bloemfontein-born farmer Tumelo Pedi, 30, probably took his spirit of resilience from the gym and applied it to his new found love – cattle farming – and he has no regrets.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) says the young prolific farmer only started with two cows and he applied for land for four years before he was eventually offered a 942-hectare farm near Reddersburg, south of the Free State capital in 2019.
Another stint as a taxi driver could have turned him streetwise and not fear taking risks.
“I lived close to a Brandkop Commonage in Lourie Park where my fascination with farming started,” says Pedi.
“In 2015, I bought two cows that I kept in the commonage while operating as a taxi driver, and later bought two more cows. I had four cows and four calves that I sold and bought 30 merino sheep and began my business in livestock speculation – in which I would buy and sell livestock for a profit,” he explains.
As his passion for farming grew, he turned his focus solely on livestock business.
He decided to try his luck again and applied to the DALRRD for a farm through the Pro-Active Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) programme in 2019.
After four strenuous years of applying, he was allocated Meadows Farm.
The farm is located within a prime area that boasts livestock production just outside Bloemfontein, along the N6 route to Reddersburg.
Today he lives on the farm with his wife and children and has attributed his success not only to his passion, but to his drive to understand the sector through attending various training courses and farmers’ day events to acquire more knowledge.
He also credits his mentor, Laurens Schlebusch, for support and assistance.
“At the time of applying again for a farm in 2019 which I had been doing since 2015, I had 80 cattle, 150 sheep, a bakkie and a four-metre double-deck trailer which I acquired through the livestock speculation business,” says Pedi.
“So, when I was shortlisted that year for the farm, I eagerly produced all my records and financial statements from 2015, which made it easy to show my growth and potential.
“At the time I was leasing a 57-hectare farm which was getting overgrazed due to the large livestock I had at the time, so I desperately needed the farm.”
Pedi employs two permanent workers and has 55 breeding cows, two bulls and plants lucerne which he uses as feed for his livestock during winter.
He also sells to other farmers in need of feed during winter.
Pedi wants to increase the three-hectares of the lucerne he plants to 16-hectares in order to meet the demands of his clients.
He no longer wants to be a middleman, only buying sheep to sell at a profit, but has a vision to become a primary producer and breed his own livestock and sell to the clientele he grew over the years.
Pedi says his clientele has remained loyal such that at some point during the festive season he was selling over 200 sheep a week.
He also wants to start a rural abattoir and create his niche market.
The DALRRD says it believes it has made strides in the empowerment of youth in the province.
It says it is pleased with the number of young farmers that are making progress in the industry and creating their own niche markets, such as Pedi. – Staff Reporter
