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5
January 2018
Focus on those things you can
do something about
w
hat will 2018 hold for us as grain producers and
citizens? I wonder what we would have done had
some of the uncertainties been known to us in ad-
vance – would it to any extent have assisted us in
taking on the future better?
Last year this time we dreamt of a year of recovery. With low grain
prices and drought in the Western Cape, however, there were few
signs of recovery.
At the time of writing this, the impossible became possible: Presi-
dent Mugabe of Zimbabwe resigned. It is somehow heartening
that even the most loyal of supporters can come to the end of
their tether. These events will most definitely have an effect on
South Africa – politically and economically.
To speculate and to risk making predictions for 2018 have disap-
pointed many people. Therefore, my advice is to focus on those
things you can do something about in order to keep your farming
operation sustainable: The managing of risks and the managing of
income and expenses.
Over the years we have seen how innovative the South African
grain producers are and that they are considered as the best in the
world. It is especially on the expense side that the free market has
groomed our producers over the past 20 years. The surpluses and
low grain prices of 2017, however, were the unpleasant realities
that reminded us that we also have to focus on the income side. We
will forever remain price takers, but the management of price risks
remains something we can pay attention to.
The role of Grain SA in 2018 will be to continue the work with
regards to the improvement of the yields of all our grains through
the research we are doing and the partnerships we form. Further-
more, we are going to endeavour to improve the entrance to mar-
kets (locally and internationally) with a view of addressing surpluses
and we are going to work towards improving the policy environment
to ensure sustainability.
In these turbulent times where the agricultural sector is sadly left
to its own devices, we will continue to act collectively on behalf of
producers and to create an environment where we ‘hear’ one an-
other and take actions to improve conditions on the farm.
I do think that we as organisation should make more time to bear
one anothers’ burdens. Generally, support to agriculture is rather
negligible and therefore we are becoming more and more depend-
ent on each other for support. This will definitely be a new challenge
for 2018.
Grain SA would like to be there for each member when he/she
individually has to make decisions during planting time or when sell-
ing produce or if there are disasters looming – or merely if there is a
negative security situation.
I also notice that all the additional burdens that the state is shoving
onto the citizens of our country are leaving their mark on leaders in
agriculture. Their loads are getting heavier.
Despite all this, we remain positive about the future, not only as
producers, but also as believers. That is something in our DNA
which neither drought nor storm can obliterate. We call on our
members not to withdraw or retract, but that we should reach out
to fellow producers and help bear one anothers’ burdens in 2018.
Best wishes for 2018!