Young farmer Pfananani's produce radiates life

Pfananani Augustine Nemasisi is the epitome of hard work as he continues to prove those who say that the youth are lazy and know nothing about farming wrong.

He is farming along the Louis Trichardt/Madombidzha road, where he produces vegetables such as cabbages, green peppers, spinach and tomatoes. However, he points out that, as a small boy growing up in Mukula in the Thulamela area, he had never thought that he would one day become a farmer.

“I never imagined my life as a farmer and farming was never my passion,” he said. “But the passion for farming developed when I moved to Louis Trichardt after my parents had bought a farm. I had no knowledge of farming then.” Little did he know that within a short space of time he would be producing 10 000 fresh cabbages and selling them within three days.

“I experimented with farming with a variety of produce,” he said. “When I had a challenge, I would always inquire from other people, most particularly the shops where I bought my farming needs.”

When he had planted the first 10 000 cabbages, many drivers passing by on the road along his farm would decelerate and lean their heads out of the window to view in awe his succulent green cabbages.

“The achievement of the 10 000 cabbages was a motivation for me and I was so encouraged to do better,” he said. “That initial success had ignited my passion for farming, and I have not looked back.”

Pfananani's target market are the feeding schemes, vegetable vendors and small businesses. He has been delivering orders to Tshakhuma, Phiphidi, Makonde, Vuwani, Elim, Thohoyandou, Mokopane and Tzaneen.

“I have employed three full-time staff and two part-time workers, all of whom were previously not earning a living,” he said. “We are able to produce good vegetables and survive and make reasonable profits.”

He added that he had a plan to employ more people on a full-time basis to add more value to the fight against unemployment in the country. “But the current resources which we have do not allow us to realise that dream,” he said. “The lack of financial aid is a challenge. I am afraid to employ more people because there are times when nature becomes a challenge or does not favour us, and then we lose more on produce. But then, if we have some form of financial aid, we can easily address that and employ more people, knowing that we have got something to fall back on,” he said.

He understands that without more farming the country would experience a shortage of food. “The importance of crop production for me is that I am taking part in the economic growth and development,” he said. “I feel so happy when I realise that I am able to feed the world, and that somewhere someone is able to have food on the table because of my means.”

“Farming has taught me to be patient, to share what I grow with the less fortunate people, because I believe in giving,” he said. “It has also taught me kindness and respecting my customers and meeting their expectations.”

Pfananani has also helped other youths to establish their own farms from scratch. He is currently mentoring a group of four people because he believes that one loses nothing in sharing.

Pfananani can be reached on 079 929 5555.

Date:08 December 2019

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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