Mkhuhlu-Ehlanzeni North District Mr Raymond Sibuyi of Green Farm Piggery Project is a truely dedicated and passionate farmer who farming for the love of it. Mr Sibuyi started farming in 1997 and his dreams were shattered down by the flood that engulfed Bushbuckridge in 2000. The flood has left Mr Sibuyi devastated due to the loss of all irrigation system and his pumping engines also submerged under water.
The damages were severe and proved to be costly for Mr Sibuyi to bounce back to his farming and passionate as he was, Mr Sibuyi was forced to quite farming and go into construction, in order to generate funds to revive his farming career. It was until 2007 where Mr Sibuyi retained to farming and restores his passion for farming.
A farm of 10 hectors was allocated to him by Nkuna Tribal Authority at Mkhuhlu where 8 hectors is used for vegetable farming and 2 hectors used for Animal (Piggery) farming.
Getting support from DARDLA in the form of Masibuye Emasimini through farming inputs and implements has made it easy for Mr Sibuyi to plough all the 8 hectors. The project has managed to appoint 12 people on a fulltime basis and 20 casual workers were appointed during planting and harvesting.
Mr Sibuyi was fortunate enough to receive other form of assistance from non-governmental organizations in the form of Drip Irrigation system, Tractors with all the implements, building of pack house, payment of the tractor driver and for its diesel from Mine Workers Investors Corporation.
Farming is never complete without the market for the produce on the field, Mr Sibiya was assisted by the local extension officer to source market for fresh produce with Fresh-Mart that supply shops like Shoprite, Pick and Pay, Boxer etc. “It has always been a farmer’s challenge to find market for the product, and I was fortunate to source market for my produce with the assistance of local extension officer” appreciates Mr Sibuyi.
Mr Sibuyi has also benefited from Masibuye Esibayeni programs with DARDLA where he received 10 pregnant Sow and 1 Boar which started multiplying two days from the date of delivery at his projects.
“I am so excited to have benefited from the program and my pigs has started multiplying two days from delivery and the number was at about 126 but reduced to 84 due to motility” recalls Mr Sibuyi with a smile engraved in his face.
Mr Sibuyi is also contracted with Barbaton Abattoir for his piggery project where they agree to buy his pigs provided it meet their requirements. In his conclusion Mr Sibuyi called on all farmers to stop the dependency syndrome and go out and do things for themselves, he pleaded with all farmers to go back to farming as it is the only form of employment in this troublesome area of Bushbuckridge.
“Mixed farming is very interesting and saving cost, for example in my projects the produce that I am not selling on my project (from the vegetables) can be used a food or feeds to the pigs and also the also used the pigs as a source of generating manure for the vegetable garden, this become a chain and help reduce the cost” concludes Mr Sibuyi.
