Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
NERPO’s major restructuring
The National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation held its annual congress in Pretoria in September and celebrated its 21st anniversary under the new slogan ‘Let’s do things differently’.
One of the key resolutions adopted at the National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation’s (NERPO) 21st annual congress was a decision to divide livestock farmers into three categories in order to address and respond to their different needs. It was therefore agreed that NERPO membership should be categorised as follows:
Category 1
Small-scale commercial livestock farmers • This refers to all livestock farmers with 100 or more breeding cows or equivalent smallstock. Equivalent smallstock is defined as six smallstock units for every one breeding cow; for example, 100 breeding cows equal 600 sheep or goats. • Farmers join NERPO directly as individuals.
Category 2
Resource-limited commercial livestock farmers • These are livestock farmers with 50 to 99 breeding cows or equivalent smallstock. • Farmers cannot join NERPO as individuals, only through a syndicate with a minimum of 10 members.
Category 3
Subsistence livestock farmers • This refers to all livestock farmers with one to 49 breeding cows or equivalent smallstock. • Farmers cannot join NERPO as individuals, only through a syndicate with a minimum of 20 members.
HOW NER PO IS BEING REORGA NISED
The first meeting to reorganise NERPO took place in Vhembe
district, Limpopo. It was held jointly with the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The National Comprehensive Producer Support Policy was explained in detail. At the meeting, 15 NERPO district council members, consisting of five representatives from each category, were elected. Elected farmers from category 1 group (≥100 breeding cows)
• Mr Thathayisa:
082 500 6449 / 071 037 4381 • Mr Nethangule: 082 939 5794 • Mr Mbangiseni: 076 015 5381 Elected farmers from category 2 group (50-99 breeding cows)
• Mr Nematandani: 082 813 0914 • Mr Sinthumule: 082 293 3796 • Mr Ndou: 076 500 0447
• Mr Muvhulawa: 082 569 7479 Elected farmers from category 3 group (1-49 breeding cows)
• Mr Magadani: 071 151 6617
• Mr Nekhubvi: 079 621 7674
• Mr Phuravhathu: 072 728 6455 • Ms Muleya: 082 738 8317
• Ms Mphephu: 072 662 0714
The Vhembe meeting was followed by a national consultative meeting attended by representatives from seven provinces with the purpose of explaining and discussing the restructuring process of NERPO.
Members from all three categories shared their expectations of the new structure.
Resolutions
• Each province must conduct district meetings by the end of February 2019 to explain the restructuring process of NERPO; • Each district must elect five executive council members per category, giving a total of 15 council members per district; • The election of the district councils must be completed by all provinces by the end of February 2019; and
• A convention of livestock farmers will be attended by all district leaders (district council members) in March 2019 so that they can adopt the amended NERPO constitution, five-year strategic plan and new NERPO structure.
Notic e of dis tric t and provinci al meetin gs
All outstanding provinces and districts must hold their meetings before end of January 2019.
Purpose of meetings:
• Explain the new structure and categories;
• Elect provincial leadership for each new category to be represented at the special NERPO AGM in March 2019.
Members can contact their provincial and district coordinators for meeting dates:
• National office: M Nkutshweu:
012 492 1383
• Eastern Cape: Chairperson, XW Sikhunyana: 082 726 7759
• Free State: Chairperson,
M Maphira: 073 923 9695
• Gauteng: Representative for all districts, S Mapoti: 083 929 6962
• Limpopo: Chairperson,
D Magwede: 082 213 0319
• Mpumalanga: Chairperson,
T Mbokane: 082 974 2666
• Northern Cape: Representatives for John Taolo Gaetsewe district: K Botsheleng: 083 307 3782, and K Holele: 082 827 0663 • North West: Chairperson,
KK Motsosi: 072 923 2855.