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N E W S ••
Moeletsi Mbeki = Guest speaker
at Free State Agriculture Congress
INVESTMENT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY IS OF
THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR THE SOCIAL PROSPE
RITY AND PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY.
JAPIE FRANSMAN AND
JOHAN NORVAL
M
r. Moeletsi Mbeki, an
independent political
analyst, encouraged producers at
the Free State Agriculture congress to plough their money back
into agriculture, similar to the
industrial sector.
“If we do not reinvest our
money in our own industries, the
social problems of the country
will worsen,” he said. “The real
art is how you, as owners of agricultural land, will put pressure
on the government to create an
investment friendly environment
in which prosperity can be created for all.”
Mbeki challenged producers to
put pressure on the government
to allow them to create economic growth through increased
production and reinvestment in
agriculture.
He also lamented the current
lack of support of the agricultural sector, which is giving rise
to South Africa becoming a net
importer of food. “We saw what
happened with the poultry industry, which is almost totally dependent upon imports. Contrary to
this, the motor industry is receiving a lot of encouragement from
government - an industry which
is not even owned by South
Africans,” said Mbeki.
“The agricultural industry
is owned and run by South
Africans, but we subsidise foreigners. It just does not make sense,”
he said.
One of the industries which
deserve measures of encouragement is the country’s irrigation
industry, which can improve
production and food security in a
water-scarce South Africa.
Dan Kriek, Kobus Breytenbach, Moeletsi Mbeki and Prof. Johann Rossouw.
PRIZE WINNERS FREE STATE
AGRICULTURE 2016
Free State Agriculture's Farmers' Union of
the Year, sponsored by Senwes, was Agri
Hertzogville for the seventh time in nine
years. From the left: Messrs. Francois Wilken
from Vanstadensrus (Regional representative
of the year and newly elected vice-chairman
of Free State Agricultre), Danie Minnaar
(Chairman of the Senwes board), Mrs. Tania
Groenewald and her husband, Marius
(Secretary and Chairman of Agri Hertzogville
respectively), Hendri Janse van Rensburg
(Chairman of Warden Farmers' Union, the
runner-up) and Frikkie Richter (Chairman of
Steynsrus, third place).
SENWES Scenario • OCT/NOV 2016
31