Farming is a sheer pleasure in the Chobe district, south of the Zambezi River. It is safe and there is excellent support and help from the government to farmers, which ultimately provides them with several opportunities.

The vast majority of Botswana’s grain sorghum (about 80%) is produced in the Pandamatenga district. It is a dream to farm in Pandamatenga!

In January, we had the privilege of visiting a few farmers in this area to learn more about their farming operations and irrigation needs.

Not only did the farmers in Botswana show exponential growth the past two years, but Reinke irrigation as well.

In this time Reinke has successfully installed 22 pivots for farmers in the area, irrigating a total of 376,5 ha of crops.

“When I look back from where we started two years ago in the area to where we are now, it is an honour for us at Reinke to see the circles of success not only on the farms, but the whole area,” says Werner Wolvaardt, Business Development Manager of Reinke South Africa.

Most of the farmers in the area face challenges with the turf soil, therefore farmers are compelled to choose the best and right farming equipment to eliminate downtime, and to take their businesses forward.

The main reason behind farmers choosing Reinke as their irrigation partner in this area, is the fact that Reinke’s pivots do not get stuck in the turf. Everyone knows that time is crucial in any farming operation, and with Reinke’s lighter yet stronger pivots, downtime is eliminated.

Our first visit was at Jac Johan van der Westhuizen. Jac is the proud owner of two movable 25 ha Reinke pivots, erected at the end of 2022.

Jac says: “Since we have contacted Reinke for the first time, the process as smooth, and it was really a pleasure to work with them. The pivots now enable me to cultivate crops throughout the year.”

Our second visit was at Kallie Viljoen. Kallie has been a resident of the Pandamatenga district since 1997. His business, Eastford Holdings, was established in 2009. It is a beautiful spot with hectares of fields surrounded by baobab trees.

For Kallie there is no better sound than hearing the water from his pivots, irrigating his crops. “We mainly grow grain sorghum, since it is the country’s staple food, which we alternate with sunflowers, maize and beans. We also plant wheat and potatoes, of which 170 ha are under irrigation,” Kallie explains.

Kallie owns two 30 ha Reinke pivots and one covering 7,5 ha. He erected his Reinke pivots in 2021.

Our third visit was at Panda Potatoes, where father and son Fred and Fred (junior) van Vuuren have a dynamic father and son relationship where they farm together north of Pandamatenga. They are well-known in the area for their potato production. They also plant maize and grain sorghum. They have been farming in this area since 1999.

“It is only by faith and grace that we are where we are today. Over the years, as our farm expanded, we also had to expand our irrigation. Farmers in the area already used Reinke pivots. We approached them, and we were very impressed with the strength of the pivots as well as the water application on the crops, and that is where our relationship with Reinke started,” states Fred van Vuuren.

They started with one pivot, and today they have twelve pivots on the farm, of which nine are Reinke, irrigating 180 ha of crops.

Fred junior is the second generation taking over on the farm. “Being able to take over from my father and learning from him, is such a privilege, and being able to build up the farm for the next generations is a great honour,” Fred junior says.

Werner Wolvaardt and a satisfied Jaco Strachan at the Reinke control panel in his field.

Our last stop was at a dynamic young farmer, Jaco Strachan of Winfort Investments, also situated in the Pandamatenga area. This is where Reinke’s journey with the farmers in Pandamatenga began. They installed their very first pivot in the area here.

Three years ago, Jaco started with two 30 ha and two 15 ha pivots on his farm, and as the farm expanded, his irrigation needs also expanded to where he now has eight Reinke pivots, irrigating 115 ha of crops on his farm. There are no other pivots than Reinke on Jaco’s farm.

“Because we harvest two times a year, there are times during the year when we face drought. I decided to start installing Reinke pivots on my farm after I did thorough research on several irrigation companies. In all aspects, Reinke rose above the rest,” Jaco states.

Reinke is a well-known name in Botswana, and several farmers across the country have installed Reinke pivots on their farms.

Watermaster, the Reinke dealer in Botswana, provides excellent service to farmers across Botswana. Watermaster is situated in Francistown, and gets their stock from Reinke in South Africa.

“We are proud to be associated with our dealer, Watermaster, for the Botswana area. Ultimately it is important for us that our farmers are happy and that the necessary products and services are available whenever they need it. Like our pivots, your Reinke dealer is in it for the long haul,” Werner concludes.

Just like Watermaster, Reinke also walks the extra mile for farmers in Botswana. If you wish to get in touch with Watermaster Botswana, you can contact them on (+267)-240-2620, or send an e-mail to watermasterbots@gmail.com. For more information on Reinke’s top class irrigation solutions and how they can assist you, find your nearest dealer at https://www.reinke.com/find-a-dealer.html.

Be sure to keep an eye on ProagriMedia and Reinke’s YouTube channel and platforms to follow the full episodes of Reinke’s circles of success in Botswana, and to listen to each farmer’s informative story.