Musiiwa dreams of becoming a commercial farmer

LIMPOPO – Musiiwa Rodney Mandiwana is happy to work toward his dream to become a commercial farmer.

The 37-year-old farmer from Ha-Mandiwana village in Vhembe is the proud owner of Agrilogic Farming Project and farms with boer goats, as well as orpington, ayam and cemani chickens.

According to Mandiwana, one of the advantages of farming with these goats is that they usually give birth to twins, which increases one’s livestock exponentially.

Recently, one of his boer goats gave birth to quadruplets, increasing to livestock exponentially.

Despite the pride and joy that came with the addition to his farm, Mandiwana also became aware of the limited space he has left on his land.

This realisation triggered his next decision to pursue quality over quantity and to pursue his ultimate career goal.

“I want to provide quality animals to the commercial market that my clients would be proud to use in their own herds,” Mandiwana explained.

He said farming is a hands-on job and that a farmer cannot achieve great things without the help of fellow farmers and animal health experts.

“I am blessed with a community who have a lot of information to share and I learned a lot from Justice Mathekgana, Lutendo Maphari, and Tambani Tambani. Good genetics, well-balanced feeds and well taken care of goats is key in my industry, as well as to manage the internal and external parasites to avoid illnesses and deaths,” he said.

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He stressed the importance to have a good relationship with one’s workers on the farm and to look after them.

“They are part of your team and should be able to rely on you as much as you rely on them. My goal is for Agrilogic Farming Project to be well-known in the industry for delivering top quality genetics in the next 10 years,” he added.

He told CV farming has many challenges and farmers need to be sharp thinkers and implement solutions.

“My current challenge is restricted land, as I want to increase my production and create employment for the people around Dzanani. To fund this expansion is also a challenge, but I always look for creative ways to overcome my challenges,” he said.

Mandiwana explained his lifelong mission is to empower himself financially. “When I started the Agrilogic Farming Project, I just wanted to show other young people that anything is possible for the black child and create a better future for my family.

“If you are unemployed, stand up and do something for yourself. Don’t wait for the government to provide you with grants and jobs if you can do something that will put food on your table. The only way to improve your life is to work hard. There is nothing impossible in this country. Without farmers or food processors, we might end up running out of food,” he concluded.