Grain industry still committed to agri master plan

The increased drive in the South African grain industry to work together for future growth bodes well for the future, according to Derek Mathews, chairperson of Grain SA.

He said at the recent 2023 Grain SA congress held at Nampo Park near Bothaville that the organisation had succeeded in fostering excellent relationships down the agricultural value chain as well as with political functionaries.

Mathews expressed optimism that the industry would, through co-operation, collaboration and teamwork, find solutions to issues that faced the industry.

“We’ve found many solutions to the challenges that faced us over the years. The question, however, is to what extent government will [stand in our way, preventing us from implementing them].

“For instance, the problem in South Africa is not that we don’t have electricity. The problem is that government doesn’t have the capacity to manage the matter of rolling blackouts,” he said.

While it seemed as if the authorities had lost interest in the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP), farmers and the grain industry remained committed to the goals and objectives as formulated in the plan.

Mathews added that the loss of government focus on the AAMP could probably be ascribed to the power crisis.

The grain industry was nonetheless going full steam ahead with the implementation of the principles stated in the plan, he said.

The AAMP was one of the seven priority plans identified by President Cyril Ramaphosa in the State of the Nation Address of 2019 as essential for the economic reconstruction and recovery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Mathews, the 2021/22 season could be described as one that tested the resourcefulness and tenacity of South Africa’s grain producers.

At the same time, it had brought the innovation and ingenuity of producers to the fore. “It was a year that truly tested the persistence of our members. Their successes are underpinned by the fact that the agriculture sector, in conjunction with mining, provided a sound foundation to the South African economy.

“One of the most positive outcomes in 2022 was the deeper appreciation from government’s side for our sector’s indispensable role in terms of food security,” Mathews stated.

‘A POSITIVE OUTCOME IN 2022 WAS GOVERNMENT’S APPRECIATION FOR AGRICULTURE’S ROLE IN FOOD SECURITY’