Johannesburg – Dubbed an agricultural prodigy Rahill Sodha, 10, is successfully turning his family's 6 hectare smallholding from a weekend retreat into a thriving agricultural enterprise.
His father Ashith says that Rahill’s latest venture has been crop cultivation. He explains that, as with most of the projects his son has already tackled, they learn what they don’t know online.
The success, however, comes down to Rahill’s natural talent. "Even when he was a toddler, Rahill was interested in the garden," said Ashnith.
He said that they are fortunate to have a beautiful garden at their home, and as soon as he was old enough, they started planting flowers and then vegetables such as spinach and onions.
"Rahill’s love for the land just grew from there," his father said.
It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that the family discovered Rahill’s talent for farming. During lockdown, Ashith started taking Rahill and his twin sisters to the family smallholding, a half-hour drive from their Kyalami homess north of Johannesburg. Initially, they planted seeds, but at Rahill's insistence, this grew into a much larger venture.
Today, their vegetable patch thrives, providing a variety of produce, including butternut, green beans, tomatoes, spinach, and cabbage.
Over the past three years, they have also acquired three Brahman cattle, one of which had a calf while two others are pregnant, adding animal husbandry to Rahill’s growing list of farming skills.
"We have no farmers in our family, so Rahill’s success is his own. He has lived his life with his hands in the soil, and we are fortunate that we have been able to create an environment to nurture his talent," said Ashith.
"I am hoping that I will be able to make money so I can buy a bigger farm when I am older. I will work during the week and farm on weekends." said Rahill.
Regarding his choice of tools, his affinity for quality outdoor equipment is evident, and he says that Husqvarna will remain at the top of his list.
The Star