BY: PHESHEYA KUNENE | EDITOR
NSINGIZINI — Mfanukhona Mhlongo spends his working life between construction sites and crop rows.
An engineer by profession and businessman by choice, he is now applying the same obsession with planning, measurements and infrastructure to a new venture: commercial farming.
At Hluthi, Nsingizini in the Shiselweni Region, his first season at Northern Sun Farm has put 5500 tomato plants and more than 1000 spinach seedlings into production.
It is an ambitious start for someone who had never previously farmed commercially.
Mhlongo, founder and Director of Northern Sun Construction, says the idea was partly born from watching Eswatini import large quantities of fresh produce that could potentially be grown locally.
Instead of merely complaining about imports, he decided to plant.
ENGINEERING THE FARM
Northern Sun Farm shares more than a name with his construction company. The engineer’s fingerprints are all over its design.
Mhlongo invested his own money in fencing, pipes, a water pump, two elevated water tanks, drip irrigation and a small dam. The tanks are positioned about two metres above the farm, allowing the irrigation system to use gravity after water is pumped into storage.
His current operation occupies roughly a hectare at home, although he is already looking towards larger production areas.
For Mhlongo, infrastructure comes before expansion.
That is particularly important in the Lowveld environment, where high temperatures can quickly punish poorly managed tomato crops. Water must therefore be treated as a production asset rather than an emergency response.
He is already considering tunnel production, intercropping and mixed farming, with future plans incorporating peppers, butternuts, grains and livestock.
5500 PLANTS, BUT QUALITY FIRST
Mhlongo expects his 5500 tomato plants to produce more than 200 crates, estimating gross sales of around E50 000 from the crop.
Yet he insists money is not his main measure of success in this first season. Experience is.
His philosophy is simple: produce quality first, then chase volume and profit.
That means getting the fundamentals right.
Before planting, farmers should understand their soil through sampling and testing, particularly its pH and nutrient status. Tomato production then requires disciplined fertilisation, reliable irrigation, weed control, pest and disease monitoring and proper plant management.
Mhlongo demonstrates this through regular pruning, pegging and field maintenance. A clean, organised field also makes irrigation, scouting, harvesting and early detection of problems easier.
His relationship with NAMBoard and its extension officers is another important part of the model. Producing thousands of tomatoes means little if there is no buyer when they ripen.
THE FARMER WITH TWO JOBS
Perhaps the more relatable lesson from Mhlongo’s story is that he did not wait until he could become a full-time farmer.
He has juggled engineering, running a construction company, studies and establishing a farm.
For professionals considering agriculture as a second enterprise, that requires systems. Irrigation must work when the owner is elsewhere. Workers need clearly defined responsibilities. Records must show what has been planted, applied and harvested. And money from one business should not disappear into another without a budget.
Mhlongo has already employed two young men to assist on the farm.
His advice to beginners is equally practical: start with what you have, learn the business and, where possible, avoid taking on heavy debt before understanding your production cycle and market.
THE TOMATO BLUEPRINT
Northern Sun Farm offers aspiring growers a straightforward sequence:
Test the soil → secure water → identify the market → choose suitable varieties → install efficient irrigation → plant correctly → fertilise according to crop and soil requirements → scout, weed, prune and support plants → protect quality → harvest and sell.
Skip one link and the economics can quickly unravel.
Mhlongo’s longer-term ambition stretches beyond fresh vegetables. He sees opportunities in larger markets and agro-processing, where farmers could capture more value instead of stopping at primary production.
For now, however, the engineer is still learning his newest construction material: soil.
And perhaps that is the most useful lesson from his first season. Commercial farming does not always begin with hundreds of hectares. Sometimes it starts with one hectare, a market opportunity, properly planned infrastructure and the discipline to get the first 5500 plants right.
