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March 2016
Whereto now?
t
he other day I came upon a part in the Bible where the na-
tion of Israel tells the Lord: ‘We do not know what to do.’
My thoughts involuntarily turned to South Africa consider-
ing our circumstances. We are surely surrounded by difficult
circumstances: Economically, politically, relationship wise
and even in nature. Whereto now? This is every day’s ques-
ion to ponder. (I think I would even refer to my pondering as ‘suf-
fering’.)
Our country is encountering various crises and standing together
is the only way ahead. I am dumbfounded by certain entities’ lead-
ers who are seeking confrontation and are finding fault with others
while we have not swept in front of our own doors. I also had to
do some serious introspection to analyse my concerns about our
country. It certainly does not belong to me, but then again, we have
a calling to be here and to carry out the task laid upon us. How are
we going to produce food sustainably under such difficult circum-
stances so that we may live and work peacefully as promised?
The drought of 2015 and 2016 has the tendency to divert the fo-
cus to the short term issues. Lots of energy and resources are
committed to the survival of the here and now. Although the cur-
rent circumstances must be overcome, there were a number of seri-
ous strategic tendencies towards the end of 2015 that require long
term attention: The intensity of climate change and the increase
in the number of rumours regarding interference in the market by
the government. These two tendencies will have to be discussed ex-
tensively during the Grain SA Congress of 2016.
There are more and more voices joining the choir that the country
is heading for a total disaster. Are we just on an irreversible
trajectory or can things still change? Based on our nature as grain
producers we remain optimistic. Around Christmas when everyone
thought that it was all over and done, the grain producers planted
around 700 000 hectares in merely ten days. That certainly takes
some doing!
A Grain SA survey on 15 January indicated that the maize plantings
would be around 1,3 million hectares. The Crop Estimates Commit-
tee’s figure on 25 January (and after a number of good rain showers)
was 1,99 million hectares.
This can be expressed as 1,26 million maize kernels per minute,
which represents a capacity for food security that cannot be denied.
We, however, know that the maize is not in the silos yet, but there is
a chance now that we might at least harvest something.
Grain SA wishes to draw the outlines of the road for the future dur-
ing Congress 2016 so that proper planning may be done for what is
necessary – not only to survive, but also to be able to forge ahead.
The market has been brutal but fair since 1997, but what lies ahead
may be even more unpredictable. We have consistently considered
the grain producer as the starting point of food production, and it
will be interesting to see where the producers are positioned in the
dispensation that is to follow.
One sometimes gets the impression that other parties regard them-
selves as being the centre of the universe! Time will teach us, but
the price of mistakes has been very costly for many people in this
country.
DS KOOS KIRSTEN
WOORD
Uit die
e
ers magteloos, sonder hulp en sonder raad, hopeloos
en hooploos. Dan kom die hulp. Wat ‘n verligting en wat
‘n uitkoms! Dit is hoe die digter van Ps 40 gevoel het.
In die dieptes van ellende en dan daaruit gered. Hy kan
nie anders nie, hy moet daaroor sing en praat. Hy
wil dit aan almal bekend maak. Hy wil jubel en juig oor
die uitkoms.
Ps 40 is in ‘n besondere struktuur geskryf. Eers sing die digter oor
die feit dat hy hulp gekry het, dan besing hy sy Helper (die Here) en
dan kom hy tot die besef dat hy altyd hulp nodig sal hê en vra dit dan
onbeskaamd.
Hoeveel keer gebeur dit nie met ons dat ons hulp nodig het nie?
Ons leen geld by die bank, of vra ons bure om implemente aan ons
te leen. Ons kry kontrakteurs om ons te kom help met dit wat ons
nie self kan doen nie. Ons vra medegelowiges om saam met ons
en vir ons te bid. Maar hoe gemaak as niemand meer kan help nie?
Dit was die punt waar die psalmdigter gekom het. Hy het besef
net die Here kan hom help. Hy het gebid en die Here het gehelp en
daarom hierdie reaksie van hom.
Die Here kan dáár help waar mense nie meer kan nie. In verse 10
tot 12 gebruik die digter vier woorde om die Here mee te beskryf.
Hy praat van die Here se geregtigheid wat oor ons verlossing in
Christus gaan. Die goedertierenheid van God wat alle vorme van
goedheid op aarde oortref. Die trou (getrouheid) van God wat
Homself in die verbond aan ons verbind het. Die barmhartigheid
van die Here wat daarop wys dat die Here sy hart vir ons oopgemaak
het. Hierdie God is ons Helper in die nood. Op Hom kan ons vertrou,
want Hy het sy hart vir ons oopgemaak.
Wanneer Hy help, het ons oorvloedige rede om Hom te loof en
te prys, met die besef dat ons nooit sonder sy hulp kan of wil leef
nie. Loof en prys dan sy Naam. Maak dit bekend sodat almal dit
kan hoor. Vra dan weer met vrymoedigheid dat Hy in die toekoms
sal bly help.
Baie geluk aan
Magdalena Groenewald van
Klerksdorp wat vir die
Desember-uitgawe van
SA Graan/Grain
die gratis
Bybel gewen het.