A well-known local farmer and Makhado councillor, Siganya Nyelisani, proved that he is more than just a politician by winning the Subtrop award for being the top emerging avocado farmer. The award was handed to him during a prestigious function held at the Southern Sun Hotel in Durban a fortnight ago.
Nyelisani farms with avocados and litchis at Tsianda. He was one of the finalists in the Subtrop Transformation Summit 18 awards, which took place in Durban on 12 July. His farming progress impressed the judges and he was awarded first prize in the category for avocado farmers. Apart from the trophy, he also won a R10 000 cash prize.
Nyelizsani is a councillor in Ward 27 of the Makhado Municipality. He explained that he had learnt about farming at a very young age as his parents owned a farm. He currently owns 19 hectares of land. He farms with avocados and litchis and sells them to a big supermarket. He currently employs four people.
Farming produces many challenges, such as drought, diseases and veld fires, he said. He also encouraged young people to become involved in farming by starting small gardens at the back of their yards. He said that younger farmers could play an important role in food production.
"I want to assist community members, particularly those from previously disadvantaged rural areas. They must use their hands to curb the scarcity of food and the food price hike in the country," he said.
He said that he would use his prize money to plant more litchis and avocados trees.