•••• FUTURE FOCUS
Change is in the air …
JENNY MATHEWS
We were a group of farmers who had decided on a whim to take our Saturday evening braai to the edge of the Klein Soutpan nearby . The pan has been bone dry for years - we ’ ve even held ‘ Boeresports ’ on the smooth surface - but this time was different .
Instead we were sitting beside shimmering waters listening to the ducks quacking whilst watching flamingos swoop overhead then settle onto their gawky legs and skim their beaks over the shallow waters … I ’ m told that long ago this was a favourite breeding site for flamingos but with the droughts … nothing . But now we were just soaking up the moment … The tractors which had been busily planting all week were silenced as we rested … The coals were burning perfectly ,
the meat was sizzling and the ‘ braai-broodjies ’ were looking toasty … when all of a sudden a rogue squall of rain swept in and a misty drizzle set in … But instead of the normal mad scurrying to pack up and seek shelter , no-one moved . We all sat in grateful silence like statues looking heavenwards , welcoming the raindrops on our faces !
It has only been a few short weeks since the rains began , but already the Master ’ s hand has splashed generous swathes of green and gold on the canvas of the once barren and dusty landscape . Where we had been frantically worried about where to find the next bales to feed our thin livestock , we are now worrying about finding their new-born calves hiding in the tall grass as the cows slush through fields of green cover crops already as high as their happily filled bellies ! Where we had been worrying about IF we would be able to plant because it was too dry , we are now worrying about HOW we will finish the planting and spraying programmes because the lands are too wet !!!
Change is in the air … not only with the turning of the season , but also with the turning of the year . Every new year I like to read about the trends observed by futurists and scenario planners . Jim Carroll is an interesting read ( jimcarroll . com ) particularly because he also focuses on the agricultural sector . He is in touch with the reality that farmers have had to face many diverse challenges which could cause them to be negative or uncertain about the future , BUT Carroll says he mostly encounters farmers who
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FEB / MAR 2017 • SENWES Scenario