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Alternative solutions to land reform
are essential
A
s spokesperson for the primary grain industry Grain SA
makes an active contribution to the provision of
leadership in the structures of organised agriculture and
the greater agricultural sector. However, the political impact
on the organisation and its business increased materially during
the year under review.
Various focus points, including land reform, now involve politics,
which were not part of the organisation’s core business in the
past. Grain SA had to absorb the impact of this on the capacity
of our structures, senior staff and other resources without diluting
the core focus and outputs of the organisation.
Where the Maize Trust and Winter Cereal Trust were strongly
focused on the industry until recently, for example, the proven
expertise of previous trustees had to make way for ministerial
appointments whose skills and experience did not necessarily
include the operation of the grain industry.
The relationships between the primary grain industry and other
role-players in the value chain are also under pressure at the
moment. It seems as if the rest of the value chain does not
necessarily bother about land reform, but rather feels that it is a
challenge that mainly involves agricultural producers.
Grain SA and its structures assure the wider farming community,
and the grain producers and their workers in particular, that
they will participate effectively in deliberations in the interests
of all rural communities.
Regular and thorough discussions with our members are vital.
That is why we persevere with regional meetings throughout
the grain-producing areas of our beautiful country in order to
ensure that producers get the opportunity to hear what is going
on and to provide inputs. It was a great privilege to receive
a complete document containing land-reform proposals from
one of our members at a recent regional meeting. It is and will
continue to be extremely important to us to remain involved
with our members at grassroots level.
Land reform
We must continue to listen to the voice of our conscience
– constitutionally as well as economically – as our only point
of departure for every debate. The free market and the
constitutional rights of the individual must beprotected toensure
an environment in which viable, profitable grain production
can take place. In this way we can ensure that South Africa
and all its people enjoy the privilege of food security.
Within the framework of constitutional as well as economic
reality Grain SAwishes to find alternative solutions to land reform.
Alternatiewe oplossings vir
grondhervorming is noodsaaklik
A
s spreekbuis van die primêre gaanbedryf lewer Graan SA
'n aktiewe bydrae tot die verskaffing van leierskap in die
strukture van georganiseerde landbou en die groter land-
bousektor. Die politieke impak op die organisasie en sy besigheid
het egter gedurende die jaar onder oorsig wesenlik vergroot.
Verskeie brandpunte, waaronder grondhervorming, bring
‘n stuk politiek mee – wat voorheen nie deel was van die
organisasie se kernbesigheid nie. Graan SA moes die impak
hiervan op die kapasiteit van ons strukture, senior personeel
en ander hulpbronne absorbeer sonder om die organisasie se
kernfokus en uitsette te verwater.
Waar die Mielietrust en Wintergraantrust byvoorbeeld tot
onlangs skerpbedryfsgefokuswas,moes diebewesekundigheid
van vorige trustees plek maak vir ministeriële aanstellings wie se
vaardighede en ervaringsveld nie soseer die werking van die
graanbedryf insluit nie.
Die primêre graanbedryf se betrekkinge met ander rolspelers in
die waardeketting verkeer ook tans onder druk. Dit wil voorkom
asof die res van die waardeketting hul nie noodwendig steur aan
grondhervorming nie, maar eerder reken dat dit 'n uitdaging is
wat grotendeels op landbouprodusente afgestem is.
Graan SA en sy strukture gee aan die wyer boerderygemeen-
skap, en in besonder die graanprodusente en hul werkers, die
versekering van doeltreffende deelname aan gesprekke in
belang van alle plattelandse gemeenskappe.
Gereelde en deeglike gesprekvoering met ons lede is van
uiterste belang. Daarom hou ons vol met streeksvergaderings
wat plaasvind regdeur die graanproduserende gebiede van
ons pragtige land ten einde te verseker dat produsente die
geleentheid kry om te hoor wat aangaan en om insette te lewer.
Wat 'n voorregwas dit nie omby 'n onlangse streeksvergadering
'n volledige dokument wat grondhervormingsvoorstelle bevat
van een van ons lede te ontvang nie. Dit is en bly vir ons ‘n hoë
prioriteit om op grondvlak by ons lede betrokke te bly.
Grondhervorming
Die stem van ons gewete, beide grondwetlik en ekonomies,
moet as enigste vertrekpunt vir elke debat behoue bly. Die vrye
mark en die grondwetlike reg van die individu moet beskerm
word om 'n omgewing te verseker waarin lewensvatbare,
winsgewende graanproduksie kan plaasvind. Sodoende is
ons verseker dat Suid-Afrika en al sy mense die voorreg van
voedselsekerheid kan geniet.
Binne die raamwerk van beide konstitusionele en ekonomiese
realiteit is dit Graan SA se wens om alternatiewe oplossings
vir grondhervorming te vind. Voorts moet ons alternatiewe
oplossings kry vir die populistiese benadering van sekere
belangegroepe in Suid-Afrika wat verandering aan die
Grondwet en markgedrewe grondhervorming voorstel.
Korrupsie en ons onvermoë om saam te werk is 'n realiteit en is
die hoofrede vir ontoereikende sukses in grondhervorming. Nie
die huidige grondeienaars, óf die Grondwet, óf die gewillige
koper/verkoper-beginsel was ooit te blameer vir die huidige
impasse nie. Die nodige sukses sal slegs behaal word indien
Graan SA se benadering tot samewerking toegepas word.
As die uitdaging hierbo nie aanvaar word en suksesvol
uitgevoer word nie, sal werksekerheid en die vermyding van die
daaglikse sleur van armoede nie suksesvol aangespreek word
nie. Daarbenewens sal die primêre aktiwiteit, naamlik landbou,
ondermyn word. Dit sal katastrofiese sosio-ekonomiese gevolge,
soos werkverlies, tot gevolg hê en die uiteindelike vernietiging
van rykdom beteken, wat Suid-Afrika nie kan bekostig nie.
Deur die diens wat Graan SA aan graanprodusente lewer
– beide kommersieel en in soverre dit nuwe toetreders tot
graanproduksie betref – behoort ons die nodige suksesse te
kan behaal. Die strukture en veral die werkgroep vir landbou-
ontwikkeling, poog reeds om nuwe toetreders by te staan met
ekonomies volhoubare produksie wat die lewens van duisende
mense raak.
Toegang tot finansiering en produksiekrediet vir nuwe era
kommersiële boere – vernaamlik dié wat op staatsgronde en
kommunale gronde boer en gevolglik nie sekuriteit kan verskaf
nie – bly steeds 'n doelgerigte prioriteit vir Graan SA. Ek loof die
inisiatief van insetverskaffers soos Monsanto, John Deere en
Omnia wat vanjaar as baanbrekers begin het om alternatiewe
finansieringsmodelle in die mark bekend te stel. Ná die mylpale
wat Graan SA as ontwikkelingsfasiliteerder in die vorige seisoene
saam met ontwikkelende produsente bereik het, is dit werklik
jammer dat daar klaarblyklik geen begrote staatsfondse in die
jaar onder oorsig vir herkapitalisering beskikbaar gestel is nie.
Dankie
My dank gaan aan elke lid van Graan SA vir volgehoue onder-
steuning van die saak van die graanprodusent. Ek lig ook die
hoed vir ons visevoorsitters, Andries Theron en Victor Mongoato,
die Dagbestuur en die Hoofbestuur wat die organisasie
deurlopend op elke vlak verteenwoordig. Jannie de Villiers en
die uitmuntende personeelspan verdien eer vir hul toewyding
en onverskrokke pligsgetrouheid.
Groetnis
Louw Steytler
Voorsitter
Message from the Chairperson
Boodskap van die Voorsitter
Louw steytler
Chairperson
Voorsitter
We must also find alternative solutions to the populist approach
of certain interest groups in South Africa that propose changes
to the Constitution and market-driven land reform.
Corruption and our inability to work together are realities and
constitute the main reasons for inadequate success with land
reform. Neither the current landowners, nor the Constitution,
nor the willing buyer/seller principle was ever the reason for the
current impasse. The necessary success can only be achieved
if Grain SA’s approach to cooperation is followed.
If the above challenge is not accepted and resolved
successfully, job security and the avoidance of the daily rut
of poverty will not be addressed with success. In addition, the
primary activity, namely agriculture, will be undermined. This
will have catastrophic socio-economic consequences like job
losses, and implies the eventual destruction of wealth, which
South Africa can ill afford.
Through the service that Grain SA provides to grain producers
– to commercial producers as well as new entrants to grain
production – we should be able to achieve the required
success. The structures and the working group for farmer
development in particular are already trying to assist new
entrants with economically sustainable production that affects
the lives of thousands.
Access to financing and production credit for new-era
commercial farmers – particularly those farming on state and
communal land who cannot provide security – remains a
priority for Grain SA. I praise the initiative of input providers like
Monsanto, John Deere and Omnia, who did ground-breaking
work this year by introducing alternative financingmodels to the
market. After themilestones Grain SA as development facilitator
achieved in collaboration with developing farmers in previous
seasons, it is truly a pity that apparently no funds budgeted by
government were made available for recapitalisation in the
year under review.
Thank you
I would like to thank every member of Grain SA for their ongoing
support for the cause of the grain producer. I also raise my hat
to our vice-chairpersons, Andries Theron and Victor Mongoato,
the Management Committee and the Executive, who
continuously represent the organisation on every level. Jannie
de Villiers and the outstanding staff deserve to be honoured for
their dedication and undaunted conscientiousness.
All the best
Louw Steytler
Chairperson
Louw Steytler, Chairperson of Grain SA, elaborates on
Grain SA as industry organisation.
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Louw Steytler, Voorsitter van Graan SA, brei uit oor
Graan SA as bedryfsorganisasie.
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