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THE
GRAIN AND OILSEED INDUSTRY
OF SOUTH AFRICA – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
ႃႂ
He also thinks that there has been a shift in emphasis from a family industry with
a patriarch at the head to that of a business. It is necessary today for a producer
to build a support network. The years in which he could do everything on his own
are something of the past. Producers must also be much more conscious of the
environment than formerly.
‘The winning producers are realistic, but stay unbelievably positive and have the
ability to handle risks.’
OTHER AWARDS
From1996 the National Oilseeds Producers Organisation (NOPO) awarded honorary
membership to producers and role-players in the industry in recognition of
exceptional and excellent service to the organisation. Developing sunflower and
groundnut producers were also honoured from 1999. Mr Basie Ntsimane, well-
known in agricultural circles, was named Developing Sunflower Producer of the
Year, and Mr Edmund Tsogang as Developing Groundnut Producer of the Year.
Criteria included successful production practices, involvement with study groups
and support to other producers.
When asked, Mr Anton Nebe from Potchefstroom, who is actively involved in the
grain sorghum industry, confirmed that there no awards had beenmade to excellent
producers in this industry before the establishment of Grain SA. Andries Beyers,
the last Chairperson of the Winter Grain Producers Organisation (WPO), also
confirmed that no awards had been made by the WPO to outstanding producers.
However, in the wheat industry a Wheat Man of the Year was selected in the past.
That was an initiative by three agribusinesses in the Cape.
There were also sporadic awards for the Agricultural Leader of the Year as well as
the Maize Personality of the Year. For example, Mr Giel van Zyl, former General
Manager of NAMPO/Grain SA, was selected as Maize Personality in 1985.
Particularly since 2010 special tributes or certificates of honour were presented
to agricultural leaders or industry role-players by Grain SA during Congress or
during the Grain Producers’ function.
The Golden Maize Kernel Award – a real gold maize kernel that could be worn as
lapel badge – was the highest honour that NAMPO presented. This award was
apparently only made twice, namely to the eight producer members who re-
signed from the Maize Board in 1985 (Messrs Cerneels Claassen, Hennie Delport,
Gerrit Green, Cornelis Leonard, Willie van der Ryst, Boetie Viljoen, Mof Visser
and Crawford von Abo), and again in 1996 to the five persons who had served
on NAMPO’s executive committee for seven consecutive years since 1989. The
latter were Messrs Cerneels Claassen, Jan Schabort, Japie Grobler, Bully Botma
and Pieter Meyer. Claassen was therefore the only person who received the
Golden Maize Kernel twice.
The Agricultural Writers Shield and the Koster Shield were also presented annually.
The Agricultural Writers Shield went to the best speaker at the annual congress,
Honorary membership
Developing Groundnut Producer
of the Year
Developing Sunflower Producer
of the Year
1996
SJ Malherbe
– Chairperson:
Sunflower Industry Congress
1997
JE Grobler
– Member of the Management
Committee and Vice-chairperson NOPO
Dr CJ Swanevelder
– Groundnut expert ARC-GCI
1998
PJ Wessels
– National Agricultural Marketing Council
1999
J du Plessis
– Oilseeds Board
Edmund Tsogang
– Genesa Study Group
Basie Ntsimane
– Bafokeng North
Study Group
TABLE 3: AWARDS MADE BY NOPO (1996 - 1999)
The Koster Shield annually goes to the
best series of articles that appeared in
SA Graan/Grain
.
Developing Groundnut Producer of the Year
Edmund Tsogang receives a certificate from
Mr Gert Pretorius, NOPO Chairperson.
Messrs Francois Basson and Louis Joubert
(both from Advanta) and Basie Ntsimane,
Developing Sunflower Producer of the
Year.