23 / 53
ႄႅ
CHAPTER 4
From July 1997, NAMPO offered an ex-
tended service package to its members at
a cost of R1 000 per member per year. It
included a broker service and the provision
of essential market information.
Mielies/
Maize
, July 1997.
person with the main aim of attending a course at the Chicago Board of Trade
(CBOT). The tour group consisted of office bearers and staff of NAMPO, as well as
producers who undertook it at their own expense. In addition to the course that the
tour members attended at the CBOT, they visited agribusinesses involved in grain
trading, as well as producers who used the services of those businesses.
In order to get NAMPO’s broker service off the ground, two brokers were employed
by NAMPO, and they were very successful. As had been initially foreseen, the need
for NAMPO’s broker service started to disappear as the expertise and systems of
the agricultural co-operatives and other grain traders became established and they
could provide the service on a more intensive basis.
The broker service was continued after Grain SA was established, although the
services that were provided were adjusted over time to meet the demands and
needs of Grain SA’s members. The service ceased in 2003 after the volumes it
handled dropped to uneconomically low volumes because of the large number of
private brokers who had entered the market.
NAMPO TV
Shortly after the deregulation of agricultural marketing in 1997 grain producers were
suddenly in a position where timeous, accurate and reliable market information
was vital.
In collaboration with the African Growth Network (AGN) – which formed part of
the DSTV satellite dish package – NAMPO came up with a brilliant solution for
this challenge: its own TV channel to communicate directly with members and
other producers. This enabled producers to remain up to date on changes in the
market place, regardless of the geographic location of their farm.
During the first broadcast on 9 September 1997 from a studio of AGN in Johannes-
burg, Mr Japie Grobler, Chairperson of NAMPO, pointed out that it was extremely
important for the most recent and up to date information to be provided regularly
to the producers of South Africa. The General Manager, Mr Giel van Zyl, mentioned
among other things that it was the best and easiest medium to get essential infor-
mation to producers quickly and efficiently.
The programme, which was an hour long every week, was broadcast on Tuesday
evenings at 20:00 and involved the following:
• Opening with devotions (by a Minister from agricultural circles)
• Agricultural news (prepared by NAMPO staff)
• Weather programme