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Senwesters at GOSA 2017! At the back are Cornelius du Plessis (Silo
Manager Enselspruit), Braam Prinsloo (Silo Manager Allanridge),
Pieter Malan (Managing Executive - Grainlink), Nico Els (Silo Manager
Hennenman), Hardé Lochenberg (Silo Manager Hartbeesfontein),
Gammat Davids (Silo Manager Theunissen), Johan van der Berg (Silo
Manager Geneva), Barend Botha (Silo Manager Magogong), Pieter
Theron (Silo Manager Potchefstroom), Giovanni Marais (Silo Manager
Raathsvlei) and Renier Vermaak (Head Fumigation). In front are
Dries Fourie (Silo Manager Jan Kempdorp), Carel Scheepers (Regional
Manager Area 2), Graham Lottering (Operations Manager), Jenny
Harmzen (Divisional Executive Finance Grainlink), Mariana Beytell
(Admin Assistant Grain Handling), Marietjie Grobler (Project Manager),
Tido Grimbeeck (Silo Manager Bothaville), Ronnie Ladeira (Regional
Manager Area 1) and Gideon Ralepeli (Manager Contracts).
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tics and trends relating to the importing and
exporting of grain commodities, as well as
the challenges facing the industry. Globally it
includes weather conditions which influence
supply and demand, infrastructure, health
procedures at harbours, phyto-sanitary require
ments, import tariffs and the American army
worm.
The audience couldn't wait for the presenta
tion by Carte Blanche presenter, Derek Watts.
He gave a brief overview of his life story and
referred to a few of the better known investi
gations into, inter alia, digital addiction, farm
attacks and truck hijackings, which include the
theft of grain. His advice to delegates was to
develop a proper news filter.
The president of the Southern African
Confederation of Agricultural Unions
(SACAU) used his extensive experience in
organised agriculture in Africa to highlight
the challenges on the continent. According to
Dr Theo de Jager, Africa has everything that
money can't buy, namely land, good climate,
water and people to farm. However, it does not
have the food value chains, financing, technol
ogy and expertise to farm successfully and he
prays that the money will be advanced in the
near future in order to start developing it.
Aspects which influence food security in
Southern Africa include land claims, high input
costs, corruption, trade agreements, border
control, legislation, right of ownership of prop
erty and the availability of financing. He issued
a warning against the poverty trap of farming
on a small scale and confirmed that the time
was right to develop the 46% under-utilised
land in Africa.
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JUN/JUL 2017 • SENWES Scenario