TOP 10 FARMERS IN EACH MILL GROUP AREA

That exciting moment has finally arrived.

The moment when we disclose who has been identified as a Top sugar cane farmer for 2017.

Come closer so we can share the celebration.

As already mentioned, we have 4 of the 14 mill group areas participating in SugarBytes this year.

Here are the Top 10 farmers from each of those areas:

(listed alphabetically by farmer’s surname)

Ashton Collier – Umvoti Cane Farms

Dustin Cooper / Rob Heath – RD Heath

Piers Garnett – Mayfield

Anthony Goble –  Evelyn Park

Nick Lincoln – Curepipe Estate

Basil Oellermann – Town Lea Estate

Myles Osborne – Mtembeni – Osborne Estates

John Pringle – Climax Sugar Estate

Adrian Reynolds – Sunhill Farm

Dave Wise – Stone Lodge / Parkada

Ludick Delport and Henno Delport – Baobab Trust

Thinus du Plessis – Perseel 11 Pongola

Pieter Franck – Perseel 96 Pongola

Mechiel Herholdt – Perseel 34 Pongola

Rudolph Herholdt – Donkerhoek Boerdery

Callie Jacobsz – N2 Trust

Mechiel Jacobsz – Afsaal Trust

NA Mbokazi – NA Mbokazi

Francois Scheepers – 4X4 Boerdery

Hennie Terblanche – Perseel 113

Lance Arde – Pumela

Jeremy Cole – Glen Rosa

Richard Cole – Ashbrook

Vince Drew – LV Sugar Estate

Peter Drummond – Carbuttdale

William Gillham – El Paso

Gavin Lister – Oribi Ranch

Thulasizwe Ngidi – Phathokwakhe Sugar Estate

Peter Richards – Dovea

Craig Rhodes – Fairvale Farms

Rudi Bense – Hoheluft

Mark Buhr – MRB Farming

Rustin Curtin – PCC Farming Products cc

Philip King – Jabulani Estate

Ronald Kuhn – Beedale

Pat McBean – Various Farms

Michael Nadauld – Fubs Properties cc

Logan Pillay – SWP Farm

Scot Scott – Burleigh Farm

Richard Wichmann – Immergun

A proportionate number of the top farmers from each of these areas has been taken to compile the Top 26 farmers nationally.

This group are the reason for our journey to this point. All the research on what formula will work, all the presentations to the grower councils to get their buy-in, developing this website and figuring out how to involve all farmers – the purpose has been to identify these Top farmers so that we can get into their worlds and learn from their success.

These farmers are “givers” … they stand to gain nothing but recognition and acknowledgement of their achievement. Hopefully they will all now be gracious enough to spend an afternoon with me asking a million questions and taking two million photos – all so that everyone else can benefit. A heartfelt and sincere thank you to each and every one – I look forward to meeting you all, celebrating your brilliance and getting your story.

So, with no further delay, I now announce the country’s Top 25 Sugar cane farmers for 2016:

(listed alphabetically by farmer’s surname)

Mark Buhr – MRB Farming

Richard Cole – Ashbrook

Dustin Cooper / Rob Heath – RD Heath

Ludick Delport and Henno Delport – Baobab Trust

Vince Drew – LV Sugar Estate

Peter Drummond – Carbuttdale

Thinus du Plessis – Perseel 11 Pongola

Pieter Franck – Perseel 96 Pongola

Piers Garnett – Mayfield

Anthony Goble –  Evelyn Park

Mechiel Herholdt – Perseel 34 Pongola

Rudolph Herholdt – Donkerhoek Boerdery

Callie Jacobsz – N2 Trust

Mechiel Jacobsz – Afsaal Trust

Ronald Kuhn – Beedale

Nick Lincoln – Curepipe Estate

Gavin Lister – Oribi Ranch

Pat McBean – Various Farms

Thulasizwe Ngidi – Phathokwakhe Sugar Estate

Basil Oellermann – Town Lea Estate

Logan Pillay – SWP Farm

Adrian Reynolds – Sunhill Farm

Craig Rhodes – Fairvale Farms

Scot Scott – Burleigh Farm

Richard Wichmann – Immergun

Dave Wise – Stone Lodge / Parkada

Over the rest of this year you will get the full article on each of these farmers – one per fortnight. The first one will be sent out on 8 March.