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Stanger-born Jack Muruven Govender, owner of thriving KwaZulu-Natal based Clifton Farm, has been involved in farming for most of his 46 years of life, having worked the cane fields alongside his family as a child.

“From a very young age I worked in the cane fields as a general farm worker during my school holidays,” he says. “I had to work so I could help my parents by purchasing my own uniforms for school. My dad also worked on a farm and didn’t earn enough to cater for all our needs, so my mom and my siblings worked in the cane fields as well to help with income. I also took additional work in clothing stores in Stanger over the weekends to make some extra cash,” he says.

After completing high school, he was offered a trainee manager position on the same farm his dad worked on, and because his family couldn’t afford to fund his further studies, he gladly accepted the offer. 

In 1991, his farming career took off and he has never looked back, as he found working with the soil was exactly what he was always called for.

For over a decade he spent each day mastering every aspect of commercial farming, then from hard work and good fortune, he grabbed the opportunity to buy Clifton Farm from Tongaat Hulett Sugar (THS) through the Government’s Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) Scheme in 2004. 

“This was life-changing for me as I had only ever dreamt of owning a farm and never thought I could do so, being just another employee,” he says. The 94.9-hectare farm he acquired is located in the Amatikulu area, 1.5 km from the Amatikulu Sugar Mill.

Jack soon had to search for new income sources, as the farm was too small to remain profitable. After exploring several options, he decided to start a small harvesting business, starting by harvesting 5000 tonnes(t) of cane for neighbouring farmers.

In the early years of operation, he struggled with ageing equipment, but he was not in a position to replace or maintain any of it properly due to cash flow problems.  Clifton Farms was hit with a further blow in 2010, when the KZN experienced its worst drought in 200 years, bringing his crop down to 37% of normal production. 

The following years were better, but the drought worsened and dragged on for three years between 2014 and 2016, a crippling period than not even the banks were able to assist very much with.  

In 2018, the Mintirho Foundation (Agri-Fund), established by Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) to support emerging farmers into its supply chain, stepped in to offer Clifton Farms the much needed business assistance in the form of a grant for capex and an interest free loan for operating expenses.

“The funds from the Foundation helped me buy some new equipment, which will boost operations tremendously over the next few years,” he says. “The biggest immediate benefit is that my maintenance costs will reduce substantially, freeing up funds to expand. Additional funding has also allowed me to re-plant 25ha of my old ratoons, which will increase production in the coming season.

“The contribution from the Mintirho Foundation and the faith the team had in us has been a great source of encouragement, and I can’t express how grateful and excited I am for the many years to come in my farming career,” he says.

In recent years, Clifton Farm’s fortunes turned around when Govender was soon offered 90ha of land to lease by Tongaat Hulett for an indefinite period.  

He also took up another lease offered by the Ngomankulu community, which needed someone to revive an abandoned farm.  In the 2017 season he harvested 2800t on this land and after two years of hard work, he reached 8800 tons in 2019.

He has grown the total of his harvesting business to 40 000t, including various operations such as harvesting, bell loading and transportation to the sugar mill. He also farms a 10ha block of vegetables, which includes chilies, green beans, brinjals, spinach, tomatoes and okra. Clifton Farm’s aim is to increase the yield at the main farm to 20 000t by increasing replant program, as well as to plant 100ha of Tee Tree, along with a processing plant, in the next five years.

“Although I was under a lot of pressure, those tough seasons have made me a better businessman,” he says. “I fought hard to survive and learnt a lot on that treacherous road. I know that in the future I will have to experience these tough times again, but I am prepared for that.

“My advice to other growers and to anyone would be that unflinching honesty and respect in life will always keep you happier than having a big bank balance. Always treat everyone with respect and care for people around you,” he says.

Issued by Riverbed on Behalf of Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa