By Nkhensani Mthombeni
- Mighty Nghamuni, 28, from Limpopo, cut his broiler chickens from 500 to 300 per cycle after feed prices rose sharply.
- Mighty holds an electrician qualification and a postgraduate certificate in education but could not find a job in either field.
Mighty Nghamuni has an electrician qualification and a postgraduate certificate in education. He could not find work in either field, so he turned to farming in Ntsako Village, Limpopo. Now even that is getting harder.
The 28-year-old raises broiler chickens and grows chillies and cabbages to sell. Rising costs are cutting into his income across all three.
Chicken feed that cost him R397 earlier this year now costs R410. He believes the price will rise again after August, based on patterns he has seen in previous years. To cope, he has cut his broiler cycle from 500 chickens to 300.
His chilli business has also taken a hit. He used to send his chillies to Cape Town.
“Before the increase in diesel they used to charge me R18 per 3kg and now they charge me R23 per 3kg,” he said.
He used to sell each 3kg bag of chillies for R80 to R90. A slow market sometimes forces him to sell for R40 instead, a loss he has to absorb.
To make up for it, Mighty now sells his chillies to fruit and veg retailers in Tzaneen at a lower price, rather than being stuck with stock that has nowhere to go.
Rising seedling costs have also changed how he plants cabbages. He used to plant 2,000 to 3,000 at a time. Now he plants 1,000, then another 1,000 two months later, so he has money circulating to buy more seedlings.
Mighty wants government to help reduce transport and fuel costs for farmers. He is also asking for affordable loans to buy seedlings and irrigation systems, and for help protecting crops from harsh weather and pests.
Pictured above: Mighty Nghamuni, a farmer from Ntsako Village in Limpopo.
Image source: Supplied
