Jan Bothma

Jan Bothma

Jan Bothma het groot geword In die distrik van Prins Albert op die plaas Swartrivier.

Matrikuleer aan Hoërskool Zwartberg in Prins Albert

Behaal landbou diploma aan Grootfontein Landbou Kollege

As jong lat wolklassering gedoen, by Delmonte as vrugte aankoper gewerk en ook as seisoen plaasbestuurder in die Boland gewerk.

Nadat sy pa se gesondheid agteruit gegaan het, het hy in 1972 by sy pa aangesluit op Swartrivier en die gemengede boerdery van Merinos, Angoras en lusern bestuur. Die olyfgogga het hom gebyt en hy was een van die eerste boere wat olywe komersieel verbou het. Daardie tyd was olyfboorde in die Karoo onbekend en die afset gebiede baie ver en moes hulle olywe op klein skaal begin bewerk. Sy vrou Annalien met wie hy getroud is en in Merweville gebore en getoë is, het skouer aan skouer met hom in die olyfbedryf ingeklim. Hulle het twee seuns en ‘n dogter.

Nadat hulle die boerdery vaarwel geroep het, het hulle hulle op Prins Albert gevestig. Een maal ‘n boer dan bly die boerdery in mens se bloed en wese en ondervind hy dit baie verrykend om die landbou bedryf vanuit ‘n ander hoek te benader.

"Ek ervaar my verbintenis met Agrisell sedert 2015 as ‘n baie positiewe rigting in my lewe. Dit is veral baie leersaam om met die agente met meer ervaring te kan saamwerk en te sien sien hoe Agrisell as ‘n goedgeoliede masjien funksioneer".

Jan Bothma grew up in the Prince Albert district on the Swartrivier farm.

He matriculated at Zwartberg High School in Prince Albert.

He achieved an agricultural diploma at the Grootfontein Agricultural college.

As a young boy he did wool classing; at Delmonte he worked as a fruit buyer; he also worked as a seasonal farm manager in the Boland.

After his father's health deteriorated, he joined him at Swartrivier to manage the various farming interests including Merinos, Angoras and Lucerne. The Olive bug bit and he was one of the first farmers to innovate a commercial Olive farming model. At that time Olive orchards were unknown in the Karoo; the drop off points were far away and they could only cultivate their Olives on a small scale. His wife Annalien, born and bred in Merweville, worked shoulder to shoulder alongside him in the Olive industry. They have two sons and a daughter.

After bidding farewell to farming, they established themselves in Prince Albert. But being a farmer once meant that  farming remained in his blood and being and he found it a very enriching life experience to approach the agricultural industry from another angle.

In his own words, "I experience my connection with Agrisell since 2015 as a very positive career and life course. It is especially educational to work with other agents  who have more experience and to see how Agrisell functions as a well- oiled machine."