SA Graan November 2016

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AKTUEEL/ RELEVANT
62 The new DG of the DAFF, Mike Mlengana:
‘The drought as such was not the issue’
67 Afrika wink, hoor produsente
69 Sentrum bied waarde vir totale landbougemeenskap
70 Global player sees (South) Africa rising
75 Familieboerderye in die kollig
76 Mega deal to forge new agricultural force
78 Boer slim – begin by klein veranderinge
80 New trading environment analysed at
25th International Grains Council Conference
82 Graan SA/Sasol fotokompetisie: Nuttige wenke om in gedagte te hou
85 New leaders at ARC
RUBRIEKE/ FEATURES
4 Graan SA Standpunt: Graanboerdery is nie vir sissies nie!
5 Grain SA Point of View: Grain farming is not for sissies!
5 Uit die Woord
7 Om die waarheid te sê...
7 Op die kantlyn
87 Wiele vir die plaas: Chevrolet Trailblazer opgeknap vir 2017
– geharde nutsvoertuig teen ‘n goeie prys
88 E-posse: Die vlieënde piering
Die Graanprodusent van die Jaar-toekenning
(waarvan Syngenta die hoofborg is) is in
Oktober vanjaar oorhandig.
Foto: Helenus Kruger
3
Voorblad/ Cover
November 2016
62
‘The drought as such
was not the issue’
Confident, respectful and critical. This is how the newDirec-
tor-General (DG) of theDepartment ofAgriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (DAFF),MrMzamoMichaelMlengana, better
known asMike, describes himself.Mlengana took over the
reins fromProfEdithVrieson 1 July.
As the former president of the African Farmers’ Association of
South Africa (AFASA)Mlengana has proven himself as a leader in
the agricultural field. He also brings experience from his previous
topmanagement positions like Telkom SA Limited, where he was
the vice president of Corporate Development at Telkom aswell as
otherprivateandpubliclyownedentities.Mlengana sayshe is ready
to takeon the challengesof thismultifaceteddepartment.
To role-players in organised agriculture his appointment is good
news. As a commercial producer he has first-hand knowledge of
the challenges facing the farming industry and heworkedwith both
smallholder and established farmers.
He farms with Bonsmaras andmeatMerinos in theMagaliesburg
district and also cultivatesmaize and vegetables.
‘Tome farming creates harmony betweenman and nature.Harmo-
ny that is indescribable as you interact with the land and animals.
It brings a sense of fulfilment which generates passion,’ he says
about his love for farming and adds, ‘It is an intuitive reaction that
Godhas instilled in the innerbeingofwho I am.’
Dealingwith challenges
After only two months in office Mlengana is still in the process
of rectifying the shortcomings he has identified in the department.
As an analytical person, he focuses on the benefit of processes and
concentratesmoreon solutions thanon theproblem itself.
‘It has been necessary to give effect to transparent decision-mak-
ing and themanifestation of proper leadership skills to employees,’
he shares. Hewould like to see this department converted into an
efficient organisation to promote the collective interests of the
agricultural industry.
Takingover the reins in adifficultperiod in agriculture after a severe
drought, is not an easy task. He has already analysed the circum-
stances of the past season. ‘Indeed the drought has dealt a blow to
the farming community, but tome the drought as suchwas not the
issue. I believe the issuewas our inability to predict the economic
shocks that accompanied thedrought,’he shareshis viewpoint.
Mlengana believes that there should be greater co-operation
between the agricultural industry, the Weather Bureau and the
DisasterManagementCentre to provide a pro-active understanding
ofwhat todobefore andwhenproblems arise.
‘We should use the information of past events with current re-
sources and skills to help usmake predictions and come up with
solutions to events that can present challenges to us, like the
drought,’he expands.
In his opinion crisismanagement should be handled in two phases:
Short term interventionwhere the immediate identification of areas
whichwere affected themost severely should be declared as dis-
aster zones and aided accordingly andmedium term intervention
where strategies shouldbeput inplace tomanagedisasters.
63November 2016
RELEVANT
LOUISEKUNZ, SAGraan/Graincontributor
His solution to problems resulting from drought is to be better
prepared. Smallholder farmers should plant fodder this season for
next winter. South Africa should also start investing in water har-
vesting technologies where water can be stored underground for
future use – 50 x 10 000 litre tanks could have a big impact during
adrought.
Working with the Department ofWater and Sanitation a strategy
should be formulated to predictwater shortages timeously and to
ensure that the currentdam levels increase.
Plans and objectives
The new Director-General hopes to improve the role the DAFF
plays in the agri-cultural industry.One of the areaswhere hewants
tomake thebiggest impact is in rural areas.
‘Government grants have had the unintended consequence of
making people dependent on the government. People are not des-
perate todo things for themselves.They arenot self-reliant so fields
are left uncultivated and cattle are not cared for properly because
at the end of themonth the government will bring assistance,’ he
elucidateson this seriousproblem.
He would like to see extension officers training subsistence farm-
ers in rural areas to improve their farming skills. To ensure that this
realises, sufficient fundswillbeneeded.
Converting dependence on government to self-reliance is however
not his only priority.Other issues on his agenda include support to
white commercial producers to findmarkets overseas and a closer
working partnership between producers of all backgrounds which
can lead to aunitedorganised agricultural sector.
Mlengana’s five-pointplan tooptimise theDAFF’s functionality is as
follows:
The revitalisation of all agricultural projects that have failed in
the past, like dams and irrigation schemes. Agro-processing
likeamealing facility isvitalasprimaryproductionandmust lead
to value creation in the value chain.
The department has to ensure that smallholder farmers own
assets thatwill lead to lessdependenceon thegovernment.
An electronic producer register has to be established where
a complete profile of all producers in South Africa are listed
for referencepurposes.Theremustalsobea technologicalman-
agement system that captures all assets and activities in agricul-
ture inone central system.
Broadconsultationwithall stakeholders ina transparentmanner
has to takeplace aboutplanned action and strategies.
To verify and validate all assets of the department that have
been purchased, for example unutilised tractors have to be re-
storedas thedepartmentcannotbuynewequipmentall the time.
His biggest dream for his term as Director-General is to have
achieved the development of at least 50 fully fledged African
commercial producers per province – producers who are able to
produce quality products that give rise to foreign earnings and con-
tribute to growth in the country. In addition hereto he dreams of a
commercial business owned by emerging farmers – a commercial
entity that serves the country.
On his wish list is also the establishing of an electronic producer
register where the complete profile of a producer can be seen at
the press of a button. During his term hewants to ensure that the
capacityprofileof thedepartment is improved.
Food security
To Mlengana food security is a poverty alleviator which is there-
fore a priority. He believes that importing food from outside South
Africawill not stoppoverty, so the communities have tobe assisted
toproduce theirown food.
‘Communities must develop a self-reliance attitude to prevent
them from being dependent on others for the rest of their lives,’ he
says. To him hunger is at the centre of almost all the problems in
Africa. Itwill therefore continue to be a priority to the government
togetherwith job creation.
The newDG of theDAFF,MikeMlengana
Onapersonalnote
MikeMlengana was born and raised in a rural farming
community in the small town of Port St John’s (former
Transkei)on theWildCoastof theEasternCapeProvince
as the son of a subsistence farmer. ‘Subsistence farm-
ing was all I knew. It was at the core of the communal
livelihood and what was done to survive in our area,’
he recalls. The society inwhich hewas raisedwas one
of conservatismwith a traditional culture and rules. He
mentions that he still respects those values and rules
wheneverhe visits the area.
He grew up in a semi-literate family with a father who
was not schooled andwas therefore determined to get
a good education. His undergraduate degrees were
completed at the University of Fort Hare and Rhodes
University, after receiving a German scholarship to
study at this institution. He is also a Fulbright scholar
with anMA in Financial Economics and Economic De-
velopment from the Graduate School of Economic and
International Studies in Denver, Colorado in the Unites
StatesofAmerica.
As a young boy growing up in a rural community he
was eager to have a job and earn a small income. He
was eventually employed by a store owner inGrahams-
town where school uniforms and sporting goods were
sold. Here as an honest child who wanted to ensure a
better future for himself and generations to come he
cleaned between the ceiling and the roof and earned a
mere R15 perweek. This humble beginning in the busi-
nessworldmadehimdetermined to succeed in life.
Themotto bywhich he lives is: Live everyday as if it is
your last day.Appreciate nature – appreciate thatwhich
God has created for us to enjoy – and live in harmony
with it.
He ismarried toPatience and theyhave three children.
MikeMlengana
t
Hewants a closerworkingpartnershipbetweenproducersof allbackgrounds,which can lead to aunitedorganised agricultural sector.
f
62 PROFILE