Plant with our capital, sell us the crop
AAPP is for landowners and farmers with land but not the capital to farm it commercially. We fund inputs per hectare, manage the crop, and buy the harvest at a SAFEX-related price.
Advanced Agricultural Product Purchasing (AAPP) is our programme for landowners and farmers who have land but not the capital or capacity to farm it commercially. We invest in inputs at the start of the season on a per-hectare cost model, manage the crop with our farming team, and buy the harvest at a SAFEX-related price.
Why yield matters more than hectares
In maize, profit is driven less by the area planted than by the yield per hectare. Land preparation, seed, planting, supervision and logistics cost roughly the same whether a hectare produces three tonnes or seven, so every tonne above break-even has an outsized effect on the season. That is why AAPP concentrates on the decisions that lift yield: seed selection for the soil and climate, soil testing and targeted fertiliser, planting density and timing, integrated pest and weed control, and moisture management.
Two ways to partner
Land rental
You receive either a fixed rental per hectare or a percentage linked to the sale of the harvest at a SAFEX-related price. We carry the crop risk and take the harvest.
Best for landowners who want a predictable income from land they are not farming.
Harvest share
You take a percentage of the harvest proceeds, linked to SAFEX. We buy the crop outright under our guaranteed buy-back agreement and sell it through our channels.
Best for farmers who want to stay involved and build toward farming independently.
Who it is for
Private landowners in the Free State, particularly Vrede and surrounds, where unused dryland sits idle for lack of capital or expertise. Municipalities and communal land committees with land available. Community cooperatives looking for a first commercial season with a guaranteed buyer.
We started with 200 hectares in 2022/23 and are planting just over 2,000 hectares this season, toward a 5,000-hectare footprint.
What we bring to the season
Who manages the farming
Konrad Mandig, our farming partner, and the OGC field team. Weekly site visits during the season, and progress logged in Field Margin so you can see what has been done and when.
Risk and insurance
Input costs are covered by multi-peril insurance against hail, fire and flood, with a separate income-protection policy for drought, plantings are spread across dispersed land units, and every field is run by professional agronomists. The main risk that remains is yield in a poor season; how that affects a rental partner versus a share partner is set out in the agreement.
A season, step by step
The season
- Late Oct to early Dec: inputs funded, planting
- Dec to Jan: germination and early growth, the first 8 weeks
- Feb to Jul: in-season management until the crop is ready
- Aug to Sep: harvest, crop bought at SAFEX price
- Oct: rental or share paid, land prepared for planting
Season timing confirmed by our farming team
Dates are indicative for eastern Free State dryland maize.
Tell us about your land
Common questions
What does AAPP stand for?
Advanced Agricultural Product Purchasing: we purchase the crop in advance by funding its inputs.
Do I need to put in any capital?
No. We fund seed, fertiliser, chemicals, contracting and labour on a per-hectare basis.
Who decides what is planted?
We do, with you. Crop and variety are chosen for the land and the season; white maize is the core crop, with soybeans in rotation.
How is the crop price set at harvest?
Off the SAFEX contract for that crop at the agreed pricing point, so it tracks the market rather than a fixed number set months earlier.
What happens if the crop fails?
Input costs are insured against hail, fire and flood, with a separate income-protection policy for drought. A rental partner is still paid the rental; a share partner shares the outcome. The agreement sets this out in full.
Which regions do you operate in?
The eastern Free State around Vrede and the Eastern Cape. We will expand to other regions once the model is proven at scale.
Have land? Let’s plant it
Inputs funded, crop managed, harvest bought at a SAFEX-related price.
- Reply within two working days, from a person, not a bot
- Priced off SAFEX, delivered to your site or the border
- One counterparty from farm to delivery
Prefer email? info@theoriginalgraincompany.co.za