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4
GRAANGIDS
2017
GRAIN GUIDE
Grain SA wishes you a speedy
recovery – on all fronts
The elders allege that it could take a grain
producer up to five years to recover after such
a cripplingly dry year. I have learnt during the
past year that there are always people in the
country who care about someone else’s suffer-
ing. The voluntary hands of support extended
towards agriculture from across our communities
is something that we will remember for a long
time. However, it is unfortunately also true that
consumers’ memories are short when it comes
to certain things, like where food comes from,
particularly the fact that when food prices drop,
producer prices drop as well.
A recovery year requires you to formulate new
plans and reflect carefully on all your expenses
in contemplation of taking your business to
profitability. Specifically take note of who helped
you through the difficult times and did not back
away from helping at organised agriculture
level. There will invariably be those who made
sure they stayed in the background during the
drought and who will now come forward to
claim your business. As a producer, you will
again have the opportunity to decide who will
be you partners on the farm. Many of our input
providers did not hesitate to take money from
their own pockets to support us during the past
season. Let us remember that!
Research
Our research focus is nearly always aimed at
higher yields. The sustainability of grain
Following the destructive drought in the Western Cape and north-
western parts of our grain production areas, the hope for a new
recovery season is the main thing on everybody’s minds. The Western
Cape has already shown beautiful signs of recovery, but at the time
this article was written, we were still waiting on rain for the
summer crops.