Photo: Dry Bean Producers’ Organisation
Awards went to the following people:
• Syngenta Dry Bean Producer of the Year 2025: Johan and Theo Ferreira of the Ferrero Group
• Valtrac Seed Producer of the Year 2025: Koos Boshoff
• AGT Foods Emerging Dry Bean Producer of the Year 2025: Joseph Khahleli
Rigorous selection process
The path to these awards is long and thorough. Farmers are nominated and seconded by their regions, after which the nominees are visited and evaluated. The judging panels comprises agricultural specialists, the previous year’s winner, and representatives from the sponsors and the DPO.
Key aspects under scrutiny include production, financial management, marketing, mechanisation, labour, and community involvement.
Syngenta dry bean producer of the year 2025
The Ferreira brothers of the Ferrero Group near Harrismith in the Free State were named this year’s Dry Bean Producers of the Year. They manage the crop division of the family’s large farming enterprise, which also includes a Bonsmara stud, a commercial cattle herd, and a feedlot.
Their crop portfolio extends to apples, maize, wheat, soya bean, potatoes, and pastures.
What impressed the judges most was the brothers’ meticulous input management, ensuring optimal results. Their attention to detail in fertilisation programmes and effective pest and insect control were also noted. Furthermore, the Ferreiras stood out for their adaptability to market needs, highlighting their flexibility and strategic thinking.
Even in the harvesting and cleaning processes, no shortcuts are taken – the Ferreiras ensure every batch of beans meets the highest quality standards.
Valtrac seed producer of the year 2025
Suikerplaas, a Hoedspruit, Limpopo, farming enterprise run by Koos and Corlien Boshoff, took the honours as Valtrac Seed Producer of the Year.
The award, highly respected in the seed industry, is not given lightly. Seed companies put forward their top producers, who are then measured against strict criteria based on performance over the previous two seasons.
Every nominee is visited on their farm and evaluated on aspects ranging from production management and seed quality to financial discipline, mechanisation, community involvement, and labour management.
For Suikerplaas, the recognition is the result of years of dedication and teamwork. Koos and Corlien run a diversified farming operation that includes sweetcorn, seed beans, sweet potatoes, and teff.
Corlien is in charge of the sweetcorn packing facility, marketed under the Sweetpack label, while Koos oversees the broader business. Together, they have shaped Suikerplaas into a model of precision and care.
What stands out most about the Boshoffs is their shared passion for farming as a team. Their staff describe them as a “formidable partnership” that leads by example: paying close attention to detail, maintaining firm control over every activity to ensure quality, and making full use of a modern management information system to keep operations efficient and transparent.
“It’s all about teamwork,” says Koos. “When everyone pulls together, the results speak for themselves.”
With this award, Valtrac has acknowledged not only the Boshoffs’ technical excellence but also the spirit of commitment and collaboration that defines Suikerplaas. It’s a success story that proves when farming is done right, it’s a partnership between husband and wife, family and staff, and land and community.
AGT foods emerging dry bean producer of the year
For Bethlehem, Free State farmer Joseph Khahleli of the company Tau Itshebeletse, the award for AGT Foods Africa Emerging Producer of the Year is recognition of years of hard work, resilience, and vision.
Kahleli’s roots in agriculture go back to his youth, when he learnt to farm alongside his father, who was a farmworker. Those early days planted the seed of passion that has since grown into a thriving farming career.
After matriculating, Khahleli launched his first farming venture in 2005 on just 66,5ha, combining livestock with grain production. In the years that followed, he gained corporate experience at Old Mutual and completed his tertiary education in wealth management in 2014.
But the pull of the land was too strong to ignore, and by 2019 Khahleli had returned to farming full time, this time on 340ha, of which 214ha are arable land.
Today, his mixed farming enterprise includes sheep, Bonsmaras, and grain oilseed crops, with a well-planned rotation of small white canning beans, maize, and sunflower. His 14ha of beans are planted exclusively with certified seed, ensuring quality from the ground up.
What sets Khahleli apart is not what he farms but how he does it. He is hands-on with his bookkeeping, meticulous in planning input costs, and constantly improving his fertiliser and spray programmes to match the needs of his crops. Each decision is guided by careful record-keeping and a growing wealth of agronomic knowledge.
Looking to the future, Khahleli has ambitious plans to expand his area under beans employ more permanent staff, with a strong focus on training young workers to build careers in agriculture.
His commitment to community is also evident: 10% of his profits are invested into local development projects, a gesture that speaks to his belief that farming isn’t just about feeding people; it’s about uplifting them, too.
From a young boy learning the ropes beside his father to a respected producer shaping a sustainable farming future, Khahleli embodies the spirit of modern agriculture: passion, precision, and a deep connection to family and community.
