This year’s Young Farmer of the Year, Jimie Malan, farms ornamental plants, Ankole cattle and game (stud and hunting) in Pretoria, Gauteng. Jimie is the fourth generation to take over the family farming business and the General Manager of the JD Malan group. His systems include greenhouse, shade-net and open-field production. As a very progressive farmer, he believes that “What is good enough for today is not good enough for tomorrow”.

This year’s New Harvest winner, Naeem Jina, farms macadamias, mangoes, Arab horses and beef cattle in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. He established his own macadamia processing facility. The cracking facility provides deshelled packaged product to established local and international buyers. Naeem keeps his own bees to pollinate the trees and avoids the use of harmful chemicals. He believes that “doing the little things well, helps you to grow”.

They both drove away in brand-new Toyota Hilux 2.4 GD-6 Single Cabs.

The winner of the Communal Farming Association of the Year is the Eksteenskuil Agricultural Cooperative. The group was established in 2006 and consists of 107 members. They farm grapes (for raisins), lucerne, sheep and goats near Keimoes in the Northern Cape. The group wins assistance valued at R150 000 to support their farming operations.

“The finalists in the Young Farmer, New Harvest, and Communal Farming Association of the Year competition are like the Springboks of agriculture. All of them have a special vision that they strive for, and they never lose sight of their end goal. That’s why they are so successful in what they do. Toyota South Africa Motors’ investment is not merely an investment in the lives of young farmers but also an investment in the sector. If our sector is looking for role models who can serve as an inspiration to enter the industry, our young farmer finalists are the ideal role models.” says Jaco Minnaar, President of Agri SA.

For Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) these awards are an integral part of the South African farming calendar. “TSAM expresses unwavering confidence in the South African farming community, and we take immense pride in our affiliation with the Young Farmer, New Harvest and Communal Farming Competitions.

“We commend Agri SA for their steadfast dedication to the farming sector and giving us the opportunity to support the farming community for the past 20 years. We also extend our gratitude to our valued partners, Conservation SA, for their ongoing support of this prestigious event, says Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM.

TSAM also paid tribute to Prof Carlu van der Westhuizen - who is the technical advisor for the Toyota/Agri-SA Young Farmer of the Year and New Harvest of the Year competitions and chairperson of the panel of adjudicators - for his many years of involvement and support for the Young Farmer / New Harvest of the Year awards.