North Coast macadamia farming queen crowned provincial farmer of the year
Having started out as a receptionist at a farm, Tammy Williams has grown to manage several farms.
A year ago to date, the Courier shared how local macadamia nut farmer Tammy Williams had broken into the farming industry after starting out as a receptionist.
With some 13 years’ of farming experience now under her belt, the queen of nuts not only manages nut farming operations at Sekela Estate near King Shaka International Airport, but also bananas.
Her efforts have finally paid off, with the province’s agricultural union Kwanalu taking notice and awarding her with the 2022 KZN Toyota Kwanalu Young Farmer of the Year award.
Judges were impressed by Williams’ determination in learning the basics before mastering many technical aspects of farming. She also implemented environmentally conscious applications and set about driving community upliftment.
The awards ceremony was held at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg on September 15, where members of the province’s rural and agricultural sectors discussed how best to secure a sustainable future for the sector.
Williams was chosen to represent Kwanalu and farmers across the province in the Toyota SA/Agri SA National Young Farmer of the Year competition which takes place later this year. She will be competing against farmers from across the country for the national title.
To recap on Williams’ farming history, she started out as a receptionist who later took on managing several farms and also expanding operations to include macadamias. This secured her position as the first and only female macadamia nut farmer on the North Coast.
“I am not from a farming background, but through opportunity and perseverance, I have found a passion for agriculture. We provide opportunities for our staff to extend themselves into new areas, just as I have been allowed to do. Watching their growth and passion for farming develop and enabling them to provide for their families is extremely gratifying,” said Williams.
Rising to each challenge over the years, Williams has been involved in both the technical and administration aspects of farming and has learned that both go hand-in-hand in keeping operations efficient.
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Striving towards areas of improvement, Williams has her sights set on fine-tuning their macadamia and banana operations to increase future profitability for the business.
“I believe the quality of the macadamia nuts produced on our farm will be what sets us apart in future, and we have been getting closer to understanding how to do this by trying out new techniques, while also calibrating the ideal conditions for a superior end product,” said Williams.
She is also passionate about conservation and is always looking for new ways to minimise the use of insecticides and herbicides.
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