Award-winning dairy producer welcomes new research possibilities 

Amadlelo Agri and UFH are working together to benefit local communities and the broader dairy industry

“Growing South Africa from the land up” is one of the key slogans of the Amadlelo Agri group. This vision will continue and expand as new possibilities are opened through a new dairy-focused research unit at Amadlelo’s long-standing partner, the University of Fort Hare (UFH). 

“The vision for the Fort Hare Dairy was formed in 2006, and only recently do we see one element of that being realised through the establishment of a research chair,” said Amadlelo’s CEO, Simpiwe Somdyala.

The company was formed in 2004 and its first operation project was the Fort Hare Dairy Trust two years later, in partnership with UFH. This has led to a 420-hectare working dairy farm that produces millions of litres of milk each year. 

The farm was set up by Amadlelo, which raised private-sector funding to get it going. While the university owns 50% of the dairy farm, the farm itself is operated by a trust, which is governed by both the university and Amadlelo. 

“The vision for setting up this dairy was about advancing research knowledge and using it as a demonstration or experiential farm, while at the same time ensuring that it is commercially viable, so it has to be a profitable business,” Somdyala said.  

He said that the partnership is a great opportunity to bring Amadlelo’s practical business knowledge of operating a dairy together with the university’s academic strength. By bridging the gap between research and practical operation, both benefit. 

The trust and Amadlelo’s work is now set to be boosted even further by the University of Fort Hare’s recent announcement of the Research Chair in Dairy Science & Technology. The post will fall under the UFH’s Faculty of Science and Agriculture, and was made possible by a R12.5 million endowment from mining giant AngloGold Ashanti.

“Research is key,” Somdyala said. He believes the new research chair will enable even further growth for the dairy trust. For example, the work of the chair could look at the socioeconomic dynamics of rural agro-enterprises in the area, to make them more competitive. It may touch on a variety of technical aspects, from the best suitable breeds, to the local environment, to issues of soil and land management. 

UFH Vice Chancellor and Principal Prof Sakhela Buhlungu has described the research chair position as proof of the university’s commitment to leveraging academic strengths for the benefit of local communities and the broader dairy industry. 

This vision is aligned with the heart of Amadlelo’s mission as a majority black-owned company that works to provide support services to upcoming black farmers. The company looks to share its knowledge and expertise with those farmers looking to build prosperous agribusinesses and acquire resources. Its aim is to make key transformative strides in the agriculture industry.  

Somdyala explained how that desire grew: “It’s a company that was started by a group of commercial farmers and black business people.”  He said that these farmers sought to contribute to agricultural transformation and economic inclusion, and that the predominantly white commercial farmers were asking themselves how they could play a role in advancing economic inclusion in the country. 

“So the focus of Amadlelo, which is pretty much made up of just over 70 different individuals with one purpose in mind, is unlocking the potential of government land that’s underutilised.” 

Somdyala further described the role of Amadlelo as that of an aggregator of skills and assets. The company’s long-term goal is to get each farm they are assisting to be profitable and sustainable. Amadlelo does this by first partnering with communities who have land, and then forming a co-op with the multiple landowners, which in turn partner with Amadlelo.

“What we realise is that small-scale communities would own 0.5 hectares of land, and really there are no economies of scale, and these land parcels are so small that to make them economically viable we would aggregate them to form these viable commercial units.”

But this work requires a lot of support and innovative approaches. Both UFH and Amadlelo believe that technology and scientific research will be key to overcoming some of the challenges that traditional farmers face. This is the kind of research the university focuses on and partners with Amadlelo in.

Now it will be taken a step further. The research will be driven by the university, and is not only confined to the dairy industry. The findings will expand beyond local communities and seek to influence the research agenda in the Eastern Cape and nationally.

“Dairy is not just about the milking of cows, ” Somdyala said. “It’s got all other elements that are linked to it, which relates to grain production, feed, fodder production and mitigating climate change issues. So those are the things that are critical, as we are also looking at expanding the rural dairy footprint in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and other parts of our country.”

While the Fort Hare Dairy Trust is sure to benefit from the research of the chair, Amadlelo is committed to supporting the partnership in a reciprocal way. Somdyala said that a key portion of the profits will go back into funding the university’s research chair.

“We’ve made a commitment that we will, from the profits that we make, contribute to the research chair each year,” he said. “That’s a sign and a commitment that we have as a business to the importance of research and advancing knowledge.”

On top of the game-changing research chair announcement, the university has also revealed that it hopes to soon offer a BSc qualification specifically in dairy science and technology. This degree is set to be the first of its kind available in South Africa.

It is an exciting prospect for both Amadlelo and the Fort Hare Dairy Trust, as it opens up new possibilities for working with the university — and it’s a big opportunity for students of the Eastern Cape.

Somdyala highlighted that with the Eastern Cape being the number one province for milk production in the country, the new qualification will allow more UFH graduates to be absorbed into the Dairy Trust.

Another key benefit of the specialised qualification is in the blending of skills from different parts of a dairy and agricultural business. Previously, Amadlelo has had to deal with staff coming in, and only being experts on one side of the business. For instance, staff may focus on livestock management or soil science. 

Going forward, the new qualification could change all of that. “So, you are blending the two, because we’ll run pasture-based dairies, so coming in with that kind of background from an education point of view is going to be good for the industry,” said Somadlala.

While it is yet to be seen how the exciting developments at the UFH are likely to influence the Fort Hare Dairy Trust and Amadlelo, it is sure to be successful. Amadlelo’s strong track record and love for the community are set to pair well with the innovative work the chair has planned. Somdyala is adamant that advanced research, for instance on climate change and how farmers can adapt, will be crucial to the local industry.