A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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The grain and oilseed industry of south africa – A journey through time 30
IMAGE BUILDING AND COMMUNICATION
The momentum of image building and communication actions that were driven ef-
fectively by NAMPO and NOPO in the past, was continued by Grain SA after 1999.
The support of the agricultural companies in the form of sponsorships, taking up
advertising space and sustained participation in Grain SA's NAMPO Harvest Day
should be mentioned, as they made a material contribution in this regard, and are
still doing so. This partnership with sponsors is a major factor that has contributed
in creating a platform through which the image of Grain SA as producer organisa-
tion – but mainly the cause of the grain producer – can be promoted effectively
and timeously.
As far as image building and communication are concerned, it is clearly not just
a farmer who can make a plan. The various producer organisations from which
Grain SA was constituted had to make creative plans with limited funds for media
exposure and mass communication to keep members informed constantly, convey
grain market information and trends timeously, put agriculture’s case and reach
opinion formers and role-players in the government. The same challenges faced
Grain SA, but the difference was that technology like the internet, cell phones and
satellite TV was already in use by 1999.
Grain SA’s public relations and communications function has been handled
internally by a public relations manager and/or public relations officer since
1999. After it functioned as a separate division at times and was also part of the
Commodity Levy Division, it was incorporated into the newly formed Marketing
Division of Grain SA in 2015.
Personal communication
Communication with our members and producers at farm level is a priority. In addi-
tion to the series of regional meetings that are held in the run-up to Congress, spe-
cial information meetings are held at central points in the grain-producing areas if
necessary. Grain SA’s Executive members play a major role in two-way communi-
cation and efforts are made to provide them with information that can be supplied
by Grain SA’s 29 regions and the branch structure.
The services of Tony Sanderson (a lobbyist) were obtained in 2013 to open doors
for strategic discussions and functional interaction with government role-players.
After certain objectives had been achieved, Grain SA decided not to continue this
process after 2015.
According to media monitoring statistics
Grain SA succeeded in increasing the in-
terest of the English press in the grain in-
dustry and food security in 2014, while the
industry’s media profile in the Afrikaans
and agricultural media was successfully
maintained.
SyngentaSuid-Afrika,PrivaatsakX60,HalfwayHouse,1685.Tel(011)541 4000 Fax(011) 541 4072
Syngentaglodatdie toekoms van landbougevormmoet
word en nie aanomstandighedeoorgelaat kanword nie.
Vanuit hierdie agtergrond hetSyngenta, in samewerking
metdieSakeskool vandieUniversiteit vandieVrystaat, ‘n
pasmaak-leierskapsontwikkelingsprogramontwikkel en reeds
vanaf2013 suksesvolgeïmplementeer vir jong kommersiële
boerewatdie argitekte vanmôre se landbou-arenawilwees.
DieGrainAcademysaldie individuoppersoonlikeenprofessionelevlakbaatenwaarde toevoeg totdiebreër
landbou-gemeenskap.Die program bestaan uit drie blokke van drie dae elk enword by dieUniversiteit van
dieVrystaat seSakeskoolopBloemfontein aangebied.
Vir meer inligting en om te registreer, kontak asseblief:
DuPreezKritzinger: of 082 574 2272
SA
Sluitingsdatum vir aansoeke: 8 Januarie 2016
“Ek het verwagom vangewasse te leer - toeworddiegrootste tekortkoming aangespreek -mybestuurs-
vaardighede& leierskapsontwikkeling!”
ChrisBender,Clocolan,Vrystaat – 2013GrainAcademy alumni.
Syngenta
Grain Academy
Die inisiatief word deur Graan SA ondersteun. In die woorde van
JanniedeVilliers,UitvoerendeHoofbestuurderGraanSA:“Diestigting
van ‘nGrain Academy is in lynmetGraan SA se strategiese doelwitte en
ons is opgewonde om in vennootskapmetSyngenta ook hierop af te lewer.
Die toekoms van volhoubareproduksie lê in onsmededingendheid endit kan
netmetopleiding verbeterword.”
DieSyngentaGrainAcademy is ‘n leierskapsontwikkelings-
program en saldie volgendeonderwerpeondermeer aanspreek:
Die veranderende en interaktiewe toekoms van landbou
Die kunsommense saam te neemop ‘npad van nuweuitdagings
Hoeomdiversiteit tot jou voordeel tegebruik
Hoeom sin temaakuit ‘noorvloed van inligting
Hoeom leiding teneem en verandering te fasiliteer in ‘n era van transformasie
Grain SA’s logo that had been approved by
Congress in 2000 was rejuvenated in 2009.
The logo’s colours and character remained
unchanged, but for a more practical appli-
cation on corporate clothing, for example,
the organisation's name was moved to be-
low the icon.