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December 2015
Wanneer ons aan Kersfees dink, is dit gewoonlik met aangename herinneringe: Familie en kinders rondom ‘n Kersboom en geskenke. Maar, daar is diegene wat baie eensaam is tydens die Feesseisoen. Wat, na 2 000 jaar, maak dit nog steeds só ‘n belangrike geleentheid – sonder ‘n vervaldatum? Christene en ook nie-Christene vier almal Kersfees. Dit gaan oor ‘n Koning wat sy alles gegee het – Sy enigste Seun, Jesus Christus, wat gekom het om die wêreld te verlos – om sondaars te red van ‘n ewige verderf. Dit is waarom ons Hom loof en prys deur Kersliedere te sing wat gaan oor ‘n baie spesiale Koning.
As graanprodusente gee ons ook alles: Om ons lande voor te berei, die seisoen te beplan, saam met die natuur te werk (en dikwels daarteen); alles om ‘n oes te kan lewer. Ons voed ons gesinne en die nasie daardeur. Ons gee ons alles om volhoubaar te wees – in harmonie met ons mense en die natuur.
Ons gesinne is dikwels bereid om op verskeie maniere te help, maar ons almal weet: Die graanprodusent sal die verantwoordelikheid en aanspreeklikheid moet aanvaar as bewerker van die grond. Hoe kan ek, as produsent, verantwoording doen aan hierdie Koning? Het jy Hom lief en het jy jou naaste lief? Dit is wat Hy van ons vra. Is Hy nog steeds vir jou belangriker as jou plaas? Het jy die afgelope jaar genoeg tyd saam met jou gesin deurgebring – nie volgens jou eie mening nie, maar volgens hulle s’n?
Desember is ‘n baie besige graanmaand. Sommige produsente in die suidelike produksie-areas kan dalk nog besig wees om te oes, terwyl die meeste produsente in die noorde nog besig is om te plant. Nogtans bly Kersfeestyd die tyd om saam met familie deur te bring. Dit is ook die tyd van nadenke: Om na te dink oor ons prioriteite en verhoudings – ons verhouding met ons Skepper en ons geliefdes. Gebruik gerus hierdie tyd en die geleentheid om eer en dank te bring aan hierdie Koning wat sy alles vir jou gegee het. Dit is ‘n geleentheid om die ewige lewe te verwerf, om in jou liefde te groei, nie net vir die grond wat Hy vir jou gegee het nie, maar in liefde vir die mense rondom jou vir wie Hy net soveel liefde het as wat jy behoort te hê.
Die tyd waarin ek hierdie boodskap geskryf het, was ‘n baie spanningsvolle tyd vir die graanprodusente. Die produsente van die Swartland was stil voor hul Skepper terwyl hul oeste op die lande verdor en verdroog het.
Diegene in die Suid-Kaap het weer hul asems opgehou dat dit nie moes reën voordat hulle nie hul pragtige oeste van die lande afgehaal het nie, terwyl dié in die noorde weer hulle oë op die hemel en hul knieë op die grond gehou het terwyl hulle bid vir reën sodat hulle kan plant.
Dit sal uiteindelik ten beste uitwerk vir dié wat in hierdie Koning glo. Die beste plek vir ons om in 2016 te wees, is waar ons afhanklik is van só ‘n wonderlike Koning! Ons vertrou dat ons goeie Koning jou sal bewaar en beskerm en dat jou oes groot sal wees.
Mag dit vir jou ‘n mooi en geseënde Kersfees wees.
Jannie de Villiers
Uitvoerende hoofbestuurder: Graan SA
The title of Alan Paton’s novel Cry the beloved Country is more applicable to South Africa – now than ever before – to the current situation that all South Africans, irrespective of race, creed or colour, are now confronted with. The greed, corruption and mismanagement of scarce resources that have a direct bearing on sustainable, economic development, have all undermined our international competitiveness and this is applicable to commodity production in South Africa. The escalating electricity costs are a direct result of nefarious interest groups who place their own interests above the interest of South Africans across the board. Is it not time that we as a society, place South Africa’s interest first?
To further exacerbate the deficiency of policy certainty, in which economic activity can flourish, we are now confronted with what may turn into a catastrophe of the greatest magnitude. The greatest asset that this country and her people enjoy, is food security by way of the cheapest, high quality food in the world, produced by the agricultural sector for consumption of our citizenry. The privilege of food security is achievable only by a sophisticated value chain whereby producers, commercial banks, the Land Bank, agribusinesses, input suppliers and processors of agricultural commodities collaborate.
Land reform is an imperative, as is the defence of our constitution and food security. Only by living the letter and spirit of our constitution shall we be able to maintain investor confidence and more importantly redress our tragic history. The free market system has served public interest well. The cheapest way of feeding the nation is by allowing the producers to produce a surplus crop of the main commodity, namely maize. It can be argued that maize producers have indirectly subsidised the consumer over several years by virtue of their production capacity.
Corruption, the evil of our time, as well as political rhetoric, undermine the appetite for investment. We pose the pertinent question that must be answered: How can South Africa spend R88 billion on land reform and yet less than 6% of all agricultural land, on an asset of agricultural land to the value of R190 billion, is transformed? Remember South Africa has to deal with the stark reality of climate which influences production in a major way. We are amidst the grip of the worst El Niño in decades.
Hopefully politicians and policy makers will give this serious consideration in their endeavours to formulate agricultural and land policies. We do not need to further destabilise agricultural commodity production in South Africa for we are dealing with the future sustenance of our nation. Can we afford to stumble from one crisis to the next crisis like a drunkard? We were born here, we shall die here. We are not going anywhere. We are still firmly convinced that the voice of reason both constitutionally and economically is endorsed by most South Africans.
The time has come for us to pray like children, on our knees, humble, sincere and contrite, for man and beast.
A blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year, to all of you. To all the members and my colleagues at Grain SA, my sincerest thanks. It is an honour and a privilege to lead you.
May we all be blessed with plentiful rain.
Louw Steytler
Chairman: Grain SA
Publication: December 2015
Section: Grain SA
