The evaluation for Agriculturist of the year is mainly about the essence, principles, value systems and life ethics of the candidate as well as his/her achievements, the value of his/ her work to the agricultural sector and the candidate’s local and international status.
The main factors used for adjudication are:
- 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 Themba Hinana
- 2008 Marlon de Jager
- 2009 Luthanda Farmworkers Trust
- 2010 Niklaas Slinger
- 2011 Agri Dwala
- 2012 Jacky Goliath
- 2013 Andre Cloete
- 2014 Ralph & Praline Swart
- 2015 Gugu Mlipha
- 2016 Eric Mtlaba
- 2017 Warren Bam
- 2018 Leonard Mavhugu