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The sugarcane industry in South Africa plays a key role in the country’s agricultural economy, with extensive farming operations serving both local and international markets

Gansen Moodley is a sugarcane and macadamia farmer near Kearsney, just outside Durban, Kwazulu-Natal and has been farming in the area for thirty years under the name Sentara Investments. Gansen says: “One of the biggest challenges we face is the unpredictable weather conditions – too much rain at one time and then extreme droughts shortly after.” He adds: “A major challenge for us in this district is the availability of labour and the high input costs in the sugarcane industry.” The sugarcane industry is not only dependent on good farming practices but also on the right equipment to ensure productivity and efficiency.

In die wêreld van landbou is betroubaarheid en doeltreffendheid van die uiterste belang. Die Massey Ferguson 200-reeks trekkers is lankal ’n vertroude naam onder boere, wat ’n kombinasie van krag, veelsydigheid en maklike instandhouding bied. Hierdie artikel sal ondersoek waarom hierdie trekkers die ideale trekker vir ’n boer is, en hul kenmerke en voordele uitlig.

In the world of agriculture, reliability and efficiency are paramount. The Massey Ferguson 200 series tractors have long been a trusted name among farmers, providing a blend of power, versatility, and ease of maintenance. This article will explore why these tractors are the ideal tractor for a farmer, highlighting their features and benefits.

Dalikhaya Rain Zihlangu is a farmer from a small village in the agricultural heartland of Tseshe in the Eastern Cape. It took several crossroads for Dalikhaya Rain to return home and pursue farming, his true calling.

“I was born and raised here in a small village called Tseshe, under the district of Nqamakwe, which is in the Eastern Cape Province,” says Dalikhaya.

Dalikhaya’s father and grandfather were born here, and his great-grandfather’s roots are where it all started in 1890. Dalikhaya grew up only knowing one tractor brand, and that was a Massey Ferguson.

“Where I live is the best part of the Eastern Cape region. Here, you can farm sheep, you can grow crops and there is a large dam that supplies us with water. There is plenty of land for farming purposes and that is what I like the most about this area,” he proudly states.

“When I grew up here, there was only one tractor, a Massey Ferguson, and that is where my love for Massey Ferguson began. It was the brand that I grew up with and it will be the brand for generations to come,” he says.

Dalikhaya adds: “In previous years, we used oxen to prepare and plant the lands. During that time poverty was on the rise in this village. There was only one car and one tractor in the entire village. I still remember it like yesterday, as kids, whenever we saw the tractor, we would run behind it and follow it from one field to the other, until it completed all the tasks.”

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“Van tjokkertjiedae af ken ek Massey Ferguson-trekkers. Ek het saam met hulle grootgeword op die plaas, en een ding wat ek goed kan onthou is dat ons Massey-trekkers baie selde in die werkswinkel gestaan het,” vertel Rene de Schmid.

Rene het op ՚n plaas in Namibië grootgeword, waar sy pa destyds met beeste en skape geboer het. Rene bedryf vir meer as 25 jaar al ՚n verkoelingsaak, maar vertel dat boerdery nog altyd in sy bloed was. Boerdery is meer as net ՚n beroep. Dit is ՚n passie wat deur elke boer se are vloei. Sommige families se boerderye strek oor geslagte tussen pa’s en seuns en daarom is familiebande ՚n hoeksteen van vele suksesvolle boerderye.

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“Since childhood, I have been familiar with Massey Ferguson tractors. I grew up with them on the farm, and one thing that I can remember vividly, is that our Massey tractors barely stood in the workshop,” says Rene de Schmid.

Rene grew up on a farm in Namibia, where his father farmed with cattle and sheep. Rene has been running a refrigeration business for more than 25 years, but says farming has always been in his blood. Farming is more than just a job. It is a passion that flows through every farmer’s veins. Some families’ farming operations span over generations between fathers and sons, which is why family ties are a cornerstone of many successful farms.

Clive en sy vrou Marietjie het in 1992 die plaas gekoop. Aanvanklik was dit net ՚n beesplaas, maar hulle het dit stadigaan uitgebrei om gewasse in te sluit. Hulle het wel ook ՚n klein wildafdeling. Daar woon nou drie geslagte op die plaas.