Agricultural Intern funded by DARD - Fourbas Farm
(2020-11-01 - 2021-05-31)
- Administrative duties and projects management, keeping relevant database up to date.
- Soil cultivation, planting vegetables, transplanting seedlings, Irrigation and disease and pests control (chemical and biological)
- Demonstrate farming methods to ensure efficient utilization of resources like soil, water, veld and finances.
- Maintaining Hydroponic farming, de-leafing plants, performing daily irrigation and fertigation.
- Maintaining soil health and sustaining field management.
- Mixing chemicals for pest and diseases.
- Harvesting, grading and packing products and keeping all records.
Assistant Agricultural Practitioner (sugarcane production) - Department of Agriculture land reform and rural development
(2023-01-01 - 2023-07-31)
- Provide extension services and agronomic advice in cane growing ensuring best agronomic practices by small-scale growers at Noosburg mill area level.
- Provide technical support in planning, advice and after care for organized agriculture with other stakeholders.
- Promote sustainable production of agricultural products.
- To lead the basic principle of Agronomy, which includes soil sampling to determine crop nutrients required, soil classification for variety recommendation, correct land preparation before planting and weed control to promote vertical growth.
- Providing support to agricultural projects
- Administrative duties
Plant Production Facilitator - MTL Training and Projects
(2024-01-01 - 2024-07-31)
- Facilitation of grower days to inspire farmers on the efficient use of resources involved in the production of agricultural products, and identify problems faced by farmers, and way to rectify them.
- Facilitation of training needs and financial assistance to farmers
- Develop and revive inactive agricultural projects.
- Assist in demonstrating of farming methods, to ensure efficient utilization of resources like soil, water and money.
Extension Officer Trainee- Cane Supply - Gledhow Sugar Company
(2024-11-01 - 2026-03-31)
- Providing and rendering scientific, technical and agronomic advice to SSG, NFG and Land Reform growers to ensure sustainable development, production and sugarcane re-establishment.
- Encouraging growers to use Umthombo Retention schemes and Foward Finance, and seedcane subsidy to keep enough funds to secure and apply ratoon management input on time.
- Facilitation the introduction of new varieties by working with SASRI and North Coast LPD&VCC team coordinated by SASA.
- To ensure the best agronomic practices, cane quality management and compliance with traditional authorities and grower associations.
- Facilitation the emphasis of using diseases free seedcane (certified and approved seedcane, checked by SASRI) and coordinate the operations of seedcane nurseries.
- Seedcane Hot Water Treatment
- Interface with weigh bridge operations and follow up on cane deliveries and cane quality queries as raised by the mill.
- Proving GPS system to growers, ensuring that maps of area under cane are kept up to-date.
- Providing advice on cane to harvest (using refractometer), encouraging the supply good quality cane through reducing burn harvest to crush delays and hauler allocation.
- Co-ordination of cane transportation and manage contractor performance to improve cane quality through reducing burn harvest to crush delays and hauler allocation and ensure a good communication with the Mill Cane Supply Team.
- During harvesting season, ensuring that growers meet their daily rate-able deliveries in order to meet the mill throughout.
- Utilization of SPROOT portal to make smallholder grower more efficient, scalable and profitable by doing farm monitoring via whatsapp for real-time agronomic support.
