‘Independent agri research vital for sustainability’

‘THE UPSWING IN THE NUMBER OF RESEARCHERS BODES WELL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE AGRI SECTOR’

The finalisation of the constitution of South Africa’s Grain Research Programme is another step towards the formation of a comprehensive and independent agricultural research unit for the broader agriculture industry, driven by the private sector and academia. This was according to Jannie de Villiers, the programme’s chairperson.

“Our objective is to support agriculture with research and innovation. The development of the programme is driven by the state’s deteriorating research capacity, coupled with dwindling financial support from government.

“We’ve set ourselves the task of garnering financial support, coordinating research projects, and acting as a liaison between researchers. It’s extremely important for us to expand vertically by getting experts working together on the same issues.”

He added that an independent research platform was crucial to the long-term sustainability and profitability of the agriculture sector.

According to De Villiers, the process of institutionalising the programme was at an advanced stage, while a pest and disease diagnostic service had in the interim been established as part of the programme.

The objective was to offer summer grain and oilseed producers scientific services pertaining to the running and management of their industries, particularly in terms of controlling pests and disease outbreaks.

Biosecurity for both the livestock and crop production industries was bound to become a more pressing issue in future, especially following the finalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, said De Villiers.

“The opening of our borders to the rest of the continent puts us in danger of plant diseases such as maize lethal necrosis, which recently broke out in Kenyan maize lands. This disease has the potential to wipe out the entire local maize industry, and strict biosecurity measures are essential for preventing the disease from crossing our borders,” he told Farmer’s Weekly.

De Villiers said there was a strong upsurge in the number of young agricultural researchers, which would add invaluable knowledge to the industry in future.

“We need to harness their expertise in a coordinated way. The future of the industry depends on research, and this increase in the number of researchers bodes well for the future of the agriculture sector.”