In 2011, a Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration (DARDLA) initiative saw a group of 40 delegates travel to India. The group consisted of 20 emerging farmers of mixed circumstances from small 200 hectare lands to the immense 5 800 hectares of Coromandel Estate, along with 20 department representatives.
Albertina Thabethe, as chairperson of the Coromandel Farmworkers Trust, in her second term as leader, was selected to attend on behalf of the trust. During the first week in India, the group attended an Ashram, where Thabethe was encouraged to examine issues of self, including self-esteem and ego, and was encouraged to adopt a spiritual, humanist approach to business. This exercise successfully engaged the largely rural farmers in a very different way.
The group also visisted numerous pack houses, attended lectures at agricultural colleges and universities, discovered new irrigation methods and learnt cutting-edge marketing tools to successfully sell their product. They were also introduced to the concept of inter-cropping, a method of planting different crops at the same time in the same area, which can be beneficial to the soil and be an effective and natural method of pest control. Much to some of the board members’ amusement, this was basically a forgotten method adopted by their very own ancestors.
Thabethe returned with improved energy, and is now in the process of sharing her new skills and introducing certain new marketing strategies into Coromandel Estate. Government will continue to play an integral role in Cormandel Estate in an effort to improve the cash flow, maximise productivity and ensure longevity of the farm for the beneficiaries and their families.
A further R7-million has recently been committed to the project and the Land Bank loan has since been restructured, taking into account erroneous terms and conditions that were made during the initial transaction. Smaller amounts have now been specifically allocated to certain parts of the farm, targeting the areas most in need and most likely to increase turnover, such as the movable assets and cattle.
A total of 950 hectares has recently been planted with sunflower seeds, maize, beans and soya — the original staple crops produced by Coromandel Estate — with wheat being targeted as the main winter crop. One of the boards’ goals is to have the farm planted to capacity, without the burden of a loan.
Currently, the main focuses arlueberries, the dairy and the further mechanisation of various processes. Tractors have since become too small for the increasing size of crop- producing land and fleets of implements are needed. Job creation also remains an important goal — while the board employs primarily from the group of beneficiaries, should the skill required demand it, they do recruit from the public.
Current secretary of the board Johannes Seun Mohlala says the board’s objectives are to pay the loan in full, to begin to pay more substantial dividends, to create job opportunities for the region, as well as to look at creating viable projects for the elderly, who make up a large portion of the group. Since the farm is a mere three hours’ drive from Johannesburg, close to famous tourist sites such as Bourke’s Luck potholes, Blyde River Canyon and God’s Window, the trust would also like to focus on the potential for eco-tourism in the future and reopen self-catering units for tourists.
The board members have made a sworn statement to themselves to make the project commercially successful and to prove that black-owned agricultural projects can succeed. They recently employed a new general manager, Jan Steyn, who brings with him an immense amount of agricultural experience.
The origins of Coromandel Estate are of an era of absolute luxury, belonging to one of the wealthiest family empires in South African history. Today, it is owned by a group of 248 previously disadvantaged farm labourers, committed to creating a new heritage for a new generation.
This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian newspaper as an advertorial supplement