TRANSFORMATION FUNDING SECURES SUGARCANE BUSINESS FOR TAXI DRIVER TURNED SMALL-SCALE GROWER

Colleen Dardagan

Taxi driver turned small-scale sugarcane farmer says the R1 billion in industry funding aimed at transforming the sector over five years has boosted his chances of securing a sustainable and growing agri-business.

Over a decade ago Sibusiso Mkhize decided it was time quit his job as a taxi driver in the city of Durban and return to his family home on the outskirts of the eThekwini metro to start farming.

But the land, once so carefully tended, had long since seen a plough or a crop following the death of Mkhize’s father some years before. 

This was also partly due to the ongoing political instability and violence in the region. 

“I realised there was no future in driving a taxi in the city. My mother was still living at our family home in Umbumbulu. She was getting old though and our land was untilled. It wasn’t a difficult decision for me to return to the land of my father,” Mkhize said.

With a small bush knife and a sickle, Mkhize started clearing the land and preparing the soil for planting. “I wasn’t sure at first what I should plant. Of course, I planted vegetables, but I wanted something more profitable,” he said.

Turning to his neighbours for advice, the father of three was introduced to sugarcane farming. With 5ha cleared, Mkhize opened lines in the soil for planting seedcane which he bought for R200-a-ton from a nearby grower. 

“There was peace and the farm was working nicely. I had managed to plant up 1ha and the harvesting was going well. So, I decided to join a local farming group called Thuthukani (meaning to move forward), in Sunduzwayo, Umbumbulu. Then it was in my heart to buy a tractor. I found this old Massey Ferguson. The engine was good. It is still going today, but it is very old,” Mkhize quipped.

Bigger things

With an eye on much bigger things for his family and his farm, Mkhize is now the Chairman of the Eston Mill Cane Committee and the Thuthukani farming group.

Dumisani Magubane who is the SA Canegrowers Agribusiness Advisor for the Eston and Umbumbulu districts described Mkhize’s farming business as a “flagship” in the district. 

“This is his fifth-year harvesting sugarcane. Mkhize started with just 1ha, today he has 6ha under cane. He harvests about three to four hectares each season with a yield of above 300 tons in total. Each year he has added one hectare to the enterprise. In 2019 Mkhize received certified seed from the SA Canegrowers’ seedcane programme. This meant he was able use newer varieties in his planting programme which improved the quality of his crop exponentially,” Magubane said.

But it’s the industry’s R1 billion commitment over five years to the transformation of the sugarcane sector that has really seen Mkhize’s operation grow and thrive.

For the 2023/24 Season, the funding has allowed for a grant of R45.08 per ton-per-grower for those farmers who harvest less than 1 800 tons-a-year.

Magubane said there were clearly defined guidelines on how the money was used. “The funds are allocated by the South African Sugar Association, but as SA Canegrowers we manage the operational side of the funding at community level. For example, the money is used to assist with prepping land for planting, buying fertilisers and herbicides. We assist our growers throughout the process, from planting to harvesting and delivery to the mill,” he said.

Sustainable rural economy

SA Canegrowers’ CEO, Dr Thomas Funke, said the sugar industry was committed to support its small-scale growers through funding and programmes which would ultimately lead to increased land under sugarcane and a more sustainable rural economy for so many households.

“The sugar industry recognised some years ago that supporting small-scale growers was not only a vital element to the success of our sector but made sugarcane production more inclusive for so many in deep rural areas where employment is hard to find. The transformation fund has been pivotal in this regard and will continue to be so,” Dr Funke said.

Mkhize said the support from the industry was critical to the continuing success of his farming operation. “We do have challenges here. The land is very steep which makes planting and harvesting very difficult. Further, knowledge about herbicide and fertiliser applications are very important and that is where Magubane assists us,” he said.

And despite a five-year intensive growth period, Mkhize said he was now looking to the next big thing which included purchasing a new tractor and speculating with livestock. 

“I have a small herd of cattle and then I buy and sell goats. My aim, this year is to be able to buy myself a brand-new tractor. That means I can start contracting for other small-scale growers which will bring in another income stream. This will also help to improve harvesting efficiencies for neighbouring growers,” he said.

Love of the land

My father loved the land, and when I said to myself, “let me go and start a new life” knowing that I wasn’t happy sitting in a taxi and driving around the city all day, that is when things started getting better for me and my family. I have paid the bride price for my wife and my children all go to school. And, most importantly, I was able to conclude a very important traditional ceremony in the memory of my father. Everything I have now is because of sugarcane. One day, you will see, I will be managing 100ha to 150ha,” Mkhize said.

Colleen Dardagan is a freelance journalist