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Frumentum Farming in Namibia a family success thanks to Massey Ferguson
Johannesburg, South Africa, 27 July 2023: Rene de Schmid has been familiar with Massey Ferguson tractors since his childhood. “I grew up with them on the farm and remember vividly that our Massey tractors were hardly in the workshop,” he says. Rene grew up on a farm in Namibia, where his father farmed with cattle and sheep. Rene has been running a successfulrefrigeration business for more than 25 years but says farming has always been in his blood. Farming is more than just a job. It is a passion that flows through every farmer’s veins.
Some farming operations span generations, which is why family ties are a cornerstone of many successful farms. Rene has two sons, Jean, the eldest, and Chris,the youngest. Rene says Jean always wanted to be a veterinarian. However, he started planting tomato and strawberry seedlings and whatever he planted flourished. He enjoyed it so much he decided he would rather pursue a career in agriculture. “That was his passion,” says Rene.
The farming operation commenced towards the end of 2018, beginning of 2019, and is today known as Frumentum Farming, which consists of a personal farming as well as a contracting component. The family farms in three different regions of Namibia: “The so-called maize triangle, close to Grootfontein in the north, as well as the Otavi region, where we mainly irrigate, as well as the Otjiwarongo area, where we plant crops on dryland as well as under irrigation,” explains Jean.
The initial plan was to produce silage and make bales. It started small and grew much faster than what the family imagined. Today it is a contracting business producing forage to the tune of about 500 bales a day. The current season saw 25 000 tonnes of forage being produced. Having reliable and cost-effective equipment has been central to this success.
“When we started the business, we had to make a choice about the equipment we wanted use,” says Rene. A major attraction about Massey Ferguson is that the brand is like a global family. Otjiwarongo Motors & Tractors (OMT) is the Massey Ferguson distributor for Namibia, run by a father and his three sons. “The deciding factor for me was the knowledge behind the products and the service. You walk into OMT and immediately feel welcome,” says Rene.
The de Schmids started with a MF 200 series and a rake and planter. Today they own a MF 4709, two 1840s, three 6713s and a Quicke bale handler. They also have a MF 7724, one of the high horse power houses manufactured in France. Rene says the MF 4709 CAB is a versatile and cost-effective tractor. “It is amazing how light the tractor runs and still does its jobwith grit and power. Massey Ferguson is good equipment that is user-friendly, robust, and reliable.”
Jean adds that a key factor in deciding on the MF Global series was its low fuel consumption. As a workhorse it performs effortlessly in challenging conditions. An important reason for choosing OMT as the family’s Massey Ferguson supplier is the fact that it is not merely a customer and dealer relationship but rather a farmingpartnership. “They walk the extra mile for us, solve problems immediately, and always help where needed,” says Jean.
OMT Operational Manager Gero Kopp says: “As a family business we love the heritage of the Massey Ferguson Brand. For the past 40 years we have been part of its 175-year history. Massey Ferguson is in our blood.” The brand has proven itself in the area and assisted OMT to build a loyal customer base in the region.
As a Massey Ferguson distributor in Namibia, Gero is confident that the brand will gain even more traction. “We have that trust, because Massey Ferguson listens to us as a dealer, and it listens to the customers. It is constantly bringing new products to the market to meet specific customer requirements.” This philosophy has served Massey Ferguson well in the past and will continue to do so in future.
Reliability, efficiency, versatility, straightforward, dependable and affordability ensure that the farmer gets the best value for money. Combine this with building relationships over generations with dealers and farmers, and you have a winning recipe for any farming operation.