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CHAPTER 6
JOHAN LOXTON
N
AMPO Park’s airfield also
has a stor® or t«o to tell.
The original air-cont¢ol
tower – a pole-and-thatched-roof
const¢§ction – was st¢§ck by light-
ning in 2013 and was then replaced
by a peranent steel st¢§ct§re.
In 1999 a pilot with an exerimen-
tal aircraft came in for landing,
missed the r§nway, ran over the
nicely cut shoulder and came to a
standstill nex¥ to a large boulder.
And a pilot who neglected to secure
the plane’s anchor cables found it
on its roof later on after the cheeky
Free State wind got hold of it.
During NAMPO 2016 a record
number of 448 aeroplanes/helicop-
ters utilised the landing st¢ip.
NAMPO PARK’S
AIRFIELD
International delegations from the following countries were accommodated in
2014: America, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Israel, India,
Canada, Ukraine, China and various African countries. Around 60 international
exhibitors from nine countries took part in the Harvest Day in 2015.
INVOLVEMENT OF MEMBERS, SPOUSES AND STAFF
The active participation in the Harvest Day by agricultural leaders’ spouses deserves
mention. The spouses of Haddad, Van Wyk and Stegmann handled the refreshments
in the early days. This example was spontaneously continued after 1974, and over
the years the leaders’ spouses made their mark regarding the refreshments and
the ladies’ programme. One thinks automatically of names like Mss Isabel de Jager,
Hettie Ferreira, Bibi von Abo, Lina Viljoen, Ida Claassen, Malie Grobler, Hannetjie
Botma, Drisette Mouton, Lettie Jubelius, Ina Ferreira and Philine Steytler.
Since the days of the SAMPI Harvest Day – as well as in NAMPO and even Grain SA
– it was part of the culture that the office staff were selected to be on duty during the
Harvest Day. In the days when Grain SA’s office was in Bothaville, it was common for
the spouses of senior staff members also to be on duty during the Harvest Day and
even serve on the Harvest Day Committee as conveners, like Ms Annatjie van Zyl on
the refreshments committee and Ms Margot Loxton for the ladies’ programme. The
wife of Dr Kit le Clus, Lynette, was also involved for years.
The staff of Grain SA have been used in key positions increasingly since 2012, as
well as to represent the organisation in the VIP area and the Members’ Hall.
GRAIN SA FOCUSES ONMEMBERS AS WELL AS STAKEHOLDERS
According to Grain SA’s CEO since 2011, Mr Jannie de Villiers, the organisation sees
the Harvest Day as one of the best contributors to the assurance of sustainable food
production and security in South Africa and in southern Africa. This prominent op-
portunity is therefore perfectly in line with the vision of Grain SA as representative
grain producers’ organisation.
The Harvest Day also provides the ideal opportunity for all producers to compare
new technology and other products in one place and decide which product, pat-
ent or technology will be the most suitable on the farm. There is also ample time to
The international interest in the Harvest Day was highlighted by the signing of a collabo-
ration agreement with the Argentine Expoagro Show in 2010. Around 60 international
exhibitors from nine countries took part in the Harvest Day in 2015.
Sound bite: Wives of producer members and of-
ficials pulled their weight over the years – Giel
van Zyl.
