Agricultural Writers SA announces achievers for 2019

The winner of the 2019 Agricultural Writers South Africa’s Farmer of the Year is Nick Serfontein, the chairperson of the Sernick Group, a diversified agricultural business with operations near Edenville and Kroonstad in the Free State.

The farming operation includes a Bonsmara stud, a feed factory, a feedlot, and a deboning facility.

The winners were announced at the association’s recent awards evening, held in Pretoria. The theme of this year’s awards was ‘Farming for our Future’, and awards were presented in the categories of Farmer of the Year, Agriculturist of the Year, and New Entrant to Commercial Agriculture.

Dirk Louw was the winner in the New Entrant to Commercial Agriculture category. He farms in the Groblershoop district, and his farming operation consists of vineyards for dried grape production, wine grape vineyards, a pecan nut orchard, maize, lucerne, and a flock of Dorper and Meatmaster sheep.

Buks Nel, who is the new variety specialist at Tru-Cape, won the Agriculturist of the Year award. He is recognised as an expert in integrated pest management, and was awarded plant breeders’ rights for the improved Gala and Fuji apple varieties, Bigbucks and Fuji Royal.

Agricultural Writers South Africa, which is affiliated to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists, also recognised members of the association for their role in responsibly communicating issues that are of interest to the agricultural sector. The winners were: Grain SA economist Petru Fourie: Bayer Technical Article of the Year; Farmer’s Weekly journalist Lloyd Phillips: Crop Life SA’s award for Best Article on Crop Protection and second place in the FNB Communicator of the Year; Director of Brand Republic Werner Scholtz: FNB Agricultural Communicator of the Year; and Landbouweekblad journalist Johan van der Merwe: Santam Agriculture Farmer of the Year Best Coverage award.

The BKB Photographer of the Year was Charl van Rooyen, and Johan Norval won the BKB Photo of the Year. Both winners are from Landbouweekblad.

PHOTOS: Siyanda Sishuba ABOVE: From left: Rozanne McKenzie (master of ceremonies); John Purchase (CEO of Agbiz and winner: Agricultural Personality of the Year award); Liza Bohlmann (national chairperson, Agricultural Writers SA).

ABOVE: From left: Klaus Ekstein (CEO, Bayer Southern Africa); Willie Human (business unit manager, Rovic Leers); Lindi Botha (winner: International Federation of Agricultural Journalists [IFAJ] Star Prize for Print award); Denene Erasmus ( Farmer’sWeekly editor and winner: inaugural IFAJ-Alltech International Award for Leadership in Agricultural Journalism and IFAJ Young Leader in Agriculture 2019); Petru Fourie (Grain SA economist and winner: Bayer Technical Article of the Year); Gert Bezuidenhout (regional executive Sanlam Gauteng North); and Albert Coetzee (executive director, Rovic Leers).

ABOVE: From left: Klaus Ekstein (CEO, Bayer Southern Africa and cluster head, Crop Science Africa); Dirk Louw (winner: New Entrant to Commercial Agriculture); Willie Human (business unit manager, Rovic Leers); Nick Serfontein (winner: Farmer of the Year); Albert Coetzee (executive director, Rovic Leers); Buks Nel (winner: Agriculturist of the Year); and Gert Bezuidenhout (regional executive, Sanlam Gauteng North).