No dreams too big for pig farmer with heart of gold

PAPA Hezekiel Kgwedi, owner of Kgwedi Piggery in a village called Amanoke at Apiesdoring in the Burgersfort area, has been farming successfully for the past 10 years.

He is known as Ronnie to the locals, who admire him because he apparently digs deep into his own pockets to support community projects.

He says he developed a love for farming at a young age and learned from his mother and grandfather.

After a local farmer, Wessel Swart, gave Kgwedi a boar, he bought a wild pig and started cross-breeding with Duroc boars.

Kgwedi successfully raised a farrow of seven piglets, which he sold at an auction in Belfast. With this he won the awards for the most aspiring farmer in the area, district and the province in 2006.

“As part of my prize I received R75 000 and was promised help with infrastructure. The government finished building my three pig pens last year,” says Kgwedi.

He owns 175 sheep, 54 goats, 62 cattle, and many pigs on his 150 hectares of land, although he only uses seven hectares at the moment.

He also farms vegetables and other crops.

Kgwedi says he mixes maize, soya and sunflower seeds to feed the pigs, cattle and goats. “I want to expand but there are a couple of challenges I first need to overcome. I need investors and financial support,” says Kgwedi.

Some of the challenges he faces is the need for proper irrigation and machinery that can assist with the planting and harvesting of crops. There are no fences either.

“Some local farmers usually give me advice when I need it. This helps a lot.

“This farm has a lot of potential and with the right equipment and finances it can become a huge success,” says Kgwedi.

He says the farm helps to support 30 orphanages in the area by selling food at a very low cost.

“I provide the orphanages with food and they pay me only what they can afford.”

He says he wants to be in a position where he can help more people in his village. “I want to teach the local villagers about agriculture.

“A lot of people don’t know how to eat right. Malnutrition is a big problem in the area.

“If the farm grows, hope for our people will also grow, but we will need help.”

To assist Kgwedi or for more information, contact him at 082 719 0235 or 083 952 9590.