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Agriculturist of the Year

  • A full description of the nominee and his/her work environment during his/her career, with emphasis on qualifications and the fields of his/her expertise.
  • Value to the farmer and agriculture – here a full description on the manner in which he/she shares his/ her knowledge with the farmers answering the following question:
  • How does this knowledge precipitate in a practical way?
  • How valuable is this knowledge to farmers and how does it enable them to farm better and more sustainably?
  • What is the effect of his/her research (as researcher),
  • extension (as agricultural extensioner) or service (as manager/administrator) on agriculture? In other words, what is the impact factor of the candidate?
  • In what way does this add value to agriculture, industry or the organisation the farmer is involved with?
  • Adaptation to change – a complete description on how the candidate keeps abreast of the changing agricultural environment and adapt his/her research/extension/ service thereto. How relevant is the candidate concerning the daily challenges the sector has to face?
  • In this, the last segment, the focus should be
  • on the candidate’s achievements as well as the acknowledgement he/she enjoys at local and/or international level. What is his/her international status?

Winners of the Agriculturist of the Year award

  • 1977 Japie Bruwer
  • 1978 Prof Eddie Laubscher
  • 1979 Dr FJ Veldman
  • 1980 Frans Hugo
  • 1981 Prof. R de V Pienaar
  • 1982 Prof. Daan Strydom
  • 1983 Prof. Alan Bennie
  • 1984 Dr Ronnie van der Merwe
  • 1985 Dr John Moll
  • 1986 Dr Raymond Naude
  • 1987 Dr M P Lamprecht
  • 1988 Dr Baltus Erasmus
  • 1989 Prof. Jan Kotze
  • 1990 Dr PG Marais
  • 1991 Dr Ansie Dippenaar
  • 1992 Prof. Eckart Kassier
  • 1993 Dr Hym Ebedes
  • 1994 Dr Ben Strydom
  • 1995 Dr Tom Drinkwater
  • 1996 Dr Fanie Kellerman
  • 1997 Dr Gert Erasmus
  • 1998 Dr Bart Lombard
  • 1999 Dr Jos de Kock
  • 2000 Dr Klaus Pakendorf
  • 2001 Dr Hettie Schönfeldt
  • 2002 Prof. HO de Waal
  • 2003 Dr Heinz Meissner
  • 2004 Prof. Johann Kirsten
  • 2005 Kobus Lindeque
  • 2006 Andrew Makanete
  • 2007 Dr. Faffa Malan
  • 2008 Dr. Maryke Labuschagne
  • 2009 Prof. Hennie Snyman
  • 2010 Prof. Rob Gous
  • 2011 Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk
  • 2012 Dr. John Purchase
  • 2013 Prof. Nick Vink
  • 2014 Prof. Ferdie Meyer
  • 2015 Prof. Ben Cousins
  • 2016 Dr. Theo de Jager
  • 2017 Dr. Annemie Erasmus
  • 2018 Wandile Sihlobo
  • 2019 Buks Nel
  • 2020 Not awarded due to Covid-19 lockdown
  • 2021 Prof. Gareth Bath
  • 2022 Pieter Bruwer
  • 2023 Dr Dirk Troskie