Grain Producers of the Year
Grain SA
November 2013
22
Grain producers
energise agriculture
RUTH SCHULTZ, SA GRAAN/GRAIN CONTRIBUTOR
“Keep building on your success, because your success as a finalist is
everyone in agriculture’s success,” Louw Steytler (chairman: Grain SA)
told all the finalists at the Grain Producer of the Year Awards Function,
that took place at the Theatre on the Track on 11 October in Midrand.
Anthony Evans of the Rhys Evans Group, Viljoenskroon, was announced
as the winner of the Grain SA/Syngenta Grain Producer of 2013 and
Maurice Boki from the farm Horncroft, situated between Cedarville
and Taylorville, was announced as the Grain SA/Absa Developing Grain
Producer of the Year 2013.
Kobus van Zyl, who is currently working for Omnia, received the award
for Agriculturist of the Year 2013.
The challenge, opportunity and
responsibility
According to Antonie Delport (managing director: Syngenta South
Africa) we need to produce more food in the next 50 years than in the
past 10 000 years. “Do you sense the challenge?” he asked.
“Today we are consuming at the rate of the equivalent of 1,5 planets of
earth and we obviously only have one. Can you now spot the opportunity?
Clearly this is not sustainable.”
Continued on page 25
In the foyer of the Theatre on the Track canvases of all the
finalists in the Grain Producer of the Year and Developing
Grain Producer of the Year competition were exhibited.
The three Developing Grain Producer of the Year finalists receive their certifi-
cates. From the left: Louw Steytler (chairman: Grain SA), Thabang Tsephe,
Maurice Boki, Thembalekhaya Fort Nkuhlu and Brienne van der Walt.
The exquisite roses on the tables made the night even more
memorable.
Guests were captivated by the thrilling opera voices of Veramarie Wil-
lemse and Dewald von Solms. Veramarie, Dewald and all the guests con-
cluded the evening by singing the national anthem.
Brienne van der Walt (group head: Absa AgriBusiness) said that civilisation
started with agriculture. Not only did villages, towns and cities begin to flour-
ish, but also the arts and technological sciences. Agriculture is the foundation
of everything you see around you. Without the physiological foundation pro-
vided by food, one cannot ad the building blocks that should follow – that of
safety, love and belonging, self-esteem and self-actualisation.
The
Harvest SA
magazine was entered for 2013 Tabbie awards in
America. It received a golden award for the best single issue (second
issue). Jannie de Villiers (CEO: Grain SA) handed over this special
award to Tony Saunders, director of Cape Media (left).
