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January 2016
The year of standing together
to ascend the hill
b
efore writing this editorial, I looked back at what I
wrote in the editorial of January 2015 about the issues
I thought should be attended to and which were cru-
cial. And did I have it wrong?! It surely keeps me humble
regarding all the predictions.
Land reform, biofuel and exports of maize to China never even
surfaced. The wheat industry, despite various efforts, still has not
been turned around but fortunately is on its way there. The drought,
poor economy and chaos in politics put a stopper on all our beauti-
ful dreams.
If I had to write exams, I would not have received a good result,
but with student mischief as it is nowadays, they would most like-
ly have let me pass and wished my future employer all the best.
However, there was some progress with matters such as the restruc-
turing at Agri SA, the record soybean crop despite the drought and
the advances with the grain producers’ development programme.
Grain SA is currently engaged in drawing up various scenarios
about how severe the drought can be. When reading this, all of us
will be better informed about what to expect in 2016. Maybe it would
be the year I have dreamed about, where there might just not be
enough white maize in South Africa – with millers having to scurry
about to keep their maize meal white.
Maybe it is not quite unrealistic to once again expect a blend of yel-
low maize meal in 2016. The unpleasant thought that sometimes
clouds my thoughts is that government might in this year decide
that it can better control the grain market than the free market and
then food shedding is a reality.
Our foundation, however, dictates something quite different! We
cannot change anything by drowning ourselves in bad scenarios.
This is exactly what differentiates us from the blog writers of our
country. They who constantly only write about the dark side of life
and sing its praises to the extent that one thinks it is the only
reality. Maybe it is easy to predict that it is going to be a very
difficult year – production wise and also economically. The elec-
tions may bring about more and more violence with high food prices
spurring it on.
We have a convention at home to, when all of us are very busy,
gather around the table to again remind everyone that we are there
for one another and that we should not get into each other’s hair.
Thus remain focused with the real goal in mind.
2016 is also going to bring changes to the leadership team with
the announcement of Louw Steytler (chairperson: Grain SA) that
he will be stepping down at Congress 2016. After so many years and
years of service to organised agriculture and his fellow producers
(not to even mention thousands of kilometers of travelling to meet-
ings) we wish to extend our best wishes to Louw when he “starts”
farming again. We who remain will once again have to gather around
the table to renew our focus.
I am not going to make any predictions this year, but one thing re-
mains certain and that is that we at Grain SA are gearing ourselves
to be a refuge for our members on whom a difficult year is waiting.
We will cheer with you when the rains come and will cry with you if
there is no crop. May 2016 then be the year of standing together to
ascend the hill.
May all South African producers have a prosperous 2016!
DS KOOS KIRSTEN
WOORD
Uit die
d
ie ou jaar is verby en die nuwe het gekom. Saam met die
nuwe jaar kom ook vrae soos wat hierdie jaar vir ons gaan
inhou. Verlede jaar het ons interessante en ook moeilike
tye beleef. Die somer het met ‘n knellende droogte begin.
Min lande is bewerk en geplant en diere is op groot skaal
gevoer. Daarby wou die ekonomie van die land ook nie kop optel
nie en die laaste kwartaal van die studiejaar is met protesoptogte
en geweld afgesluit. Genoeg om ‘n mens sommer swaarmoedig te
maak, want wat gaan die nuwe jaar vir ons inhou?
Midde in hierdie moeilike en amper troostelose situasie, kom die
evangelie met ‘n heerlike troosryke boodskap. As alles om ons val en
tot niet gaan, bly die beloftes van God vasstaan. Elkeen wat in Jesus
Christus glo, sal nie verlore gaan nie, maar die ewige lewe beërf
(Joh 3:16). In die lig hiervan kan ons dan die woorde van ons Here
Jesus in Joh 15:11 ter harte neem waar Hy sê dat as sy blydskap in
ons sal bly, ons blydskap volkome sal wees.
Hoe is dit moontlik dat ‘n mens in uiterste omstandighede tog nog
bly kan wees? Hierdie blydskap is nie oor uiterlike en sigbare dinge
nie. Dit kom nie omdat dit goed gaan met ‘n mens nie. Dit kom van
die Here Jesus self af omdat Hy ons red en salig maak. Hierdie
blydskap is nie oppervlakkig en kortstondig nie. Dit word nie deur
allerhande omstandighede en selfs mense vernietig nie. Hierdie
blydskap is diep gewortel. So diep dat Habakuk in ‘n tyd van oordeel,
oorlog en rampspoed kon uitroep: “Alhoewel die vyeboom nie sal
bloei nie en aan die wingerdstok geen vrug sal wees nie, die drag van
die olyfboom sal teleurstel en die saailande geen voedsel oplewer
nie, die kleinvee uit die kraal verdwyn en geen beeste in die stalle
sal wees nie – nogtans sal ek jubel in die Here, ek sal juig in die God
van my heil.” (Hab 3:17 en 18).
Hierdie selfde gesindheid kry ons by die apostel Paulus. Hy sit in
die tronk in Rome en skryf ‘n brief aan die gemeente in Filippi. In
Filip 4:4 gee hy die opdrag aan hulle om hulle te verbly in die Here.
Hulle kon dit doen omdat hulle geloof gewortel was in die Here.
Deur die geloof kon hulle verby die aardse dinge en ellende kyk en
die heerlikheid van die Koninkryk van God sien. Hulle kon verder
kyk as net dit wat hier en nou gebeur. As omstandighede jou lewe
moeilik maak en jy terneergedruk voel en selfs wil boedel oorgee,
rig jou oë, jou hart en gedagtes op die Here en kyk verby dit wat hier
en nou gebeur. Kyk verby môre en oormôre, kyk verby droogte,
rampe en ekonomiese ellende. Kyk na die ewige en leef vandag
vanuit die ewige.
Baie geluk aan
Annatjie French van
Stellenbosch wat vir die
Oktober-uitgawe van
SA Graan/Grain
die gratis
Bybel gewen het.