Roots of resilience: Anand Pillai's 50-year farming legacy in Isnembe

FOR nearly five decades, Anand Pillai has nurtured the soil of Isnembe, continuing his family's farming legacy despite mounting challenges.

From stagnant prices and extreme weather to security threats and crumbling infrastructure, this 66-year-old farmer's story embodies the resilience and uncertainty facing the local agricultural communities today.

Pillai’s settled in Isnembe in 1976 after moving from land two kilometres away, where his father had worked for one of the large sugar estates owned by Tongaat Hulett.

Today, Pillai continues the agricultural legacy, but under far more uncertain conditions.

“I was born and brought up in farming life. But I am actually a qualified diesel mechanic. I used to work for the Durban mMunicipality in the bus department. After an injury at work, I left in 2003 and went into farming full time.”

Pillai’s farm is modest, but productive. He grows lime, mint, thyme, spring onions, parsley, rosemary and green turmeric.

In winter, garlic is his key crop. He supplies stores in Durban and Verulam, and attends the Tongaat morning market on Saturdays when possible.

But business, he said, had slowed sharply in recent months.

“The economy is sluggish because of the high unemployment rate.”

He added that the weather patterns had also compounded the strain.

“Our crops are getting burnt in the sun. No matter how much we water it, crops like lettuce wilt in the heat. You will see it ‘throwing flowers’ and that is when you know it is not good.”

Despite the losses, Pillai continues planting to meet customer demand.

“We take a chance and we grow. We end up selling maybe 50% of it. The other 50% is a loss.”

Farming, he added, was never guaranteed. 

“Nobody can tell me they are making are making gold in farming. It is a big gamble. Sometimes we make money on certain crops, other times we take a loss. Sometimes we do not make anything. The stagnant pricing also adds to our woes.

“The prices we are getting now are the prices we got 30 years ago. There is no profit,” he added.

He said lack of subsidies from the government also was a problem.

He said the uncertainty surrounding the fate of Tongaat Hulett had added anxiety to the region.

Once a pillar of the North Coast economy, the company’s financial collapse has left sugar cane farmers and workers uncertain about the future.

“With the liquidation, that is going to be very sad. I am wondering what is going to happen to all the sugar cane farmers.”

Pillai added that security remained one of the biggest concerns for farmers in the area.

His neighbour, Paul Chunilall, was murdered in 1999 while driving to the market. 

“As he drove out of his gate, they gunned him down.”

More recently, a farming couple were brutally attacked. The wife was killed and the husband survived by playing dead, Pillai recalled.

“In the past, we could leave the doors wide open. We never had fencing. Now we have to upgrade our security to ensure our safety.”

He said that local infrastructure had also deteriorated.

With elections approaching, politicians have visited the area, but residents said little had changed. 

“Our pleas fall on deaf ears. The broken roads lead to our farms. We suffer with the poor infrastructure.”

Despite his fears, Pillay remained rooted to the land.

 “I have a passion for it. It is pointless me selling up and going away.”

His children and grandchildren live on the property.

“Farming is give and take. The future may be uncertain but our roots, for now, remain firmly planted,” said Pillai. 

The POST