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5
September 2017
The changing of a season
i
always did and still enjoy those parts of my job related to ag-
riculture and economy considerably more than the political
part. From where I sit, I can, however, report that politics is
not in a good place currently. The basic fundamental require-
ments for a healthy democracy are increasing the heat me-
ter of every political chair closer to red: Freedom of speech,
transparency, private property rights, a free media and perhaps
even a good quota of logical distinguishing between good and bad.
And then I listen to Minister Zokwana’s reaction to the church’s com-
mentary on corruption in Parliament and how he justifies himself
by suggesting that it is not the role of the church to drive people
into the arms of the opposition. It is clear that this matter hurts.
People in general might still ignore the leaders of big businesses,
but when church leaders (black and white) start pointing out all of
government’s mistakes to the people of the country, senior politi-
cians take note.
Yes, the role of the church is to pray for the government, but defi-
nitely also to indicate the true North when politicians lose their moral
compasses. Politicians can never take that role from the church.
Heat, though, has the inherent ability to change the form of every-
thing if it remains focused in one place for long enough. That can and
will change the political playing field permanently.
Whilst the producers in the south are still waiting for rain and
those in the north are still harvesting, the next summer season is
creeping up on us with speed. Wet maize this year definitely inter-
fered with the hunting programmes of a number of the guys. August
and September, however, are payback time and also time for consid-
erably difficult decisions about the coming season.
I listen to how uncertain the producers are about the combination
of what and how much they should plant. The broad move should
be towards more yellow and less white maize and more soybeans
and sunflowers instead of maize. Perhaps the change of a season is
a God-given – in the sense that one’s mind does not remain dwelling
on the current season and all its challenges.
Profitability in the grain industry is under great pressure all over.
There is no way that we can go through another season with current
price levels without big permanent changes to the composition of
our farming operations. What will come about as a result of these
changes is still uncertain, but the climate in South Africa and the
rest of the world is certainly going to play a major role in it.
The research and technological development wheel turns slowly,
but that it turns is a certainty. The question just remains whether it
will be in time to prevent a massacre. I am fairly positive that it can
and shall make a major contribution in the near future.
One big positive change is the developments at Agri SA. The
Agri SA leadership approved new plans that will be presented to the
Congress in October this year. A smaller, more flexible board of di-
rectors will be recommended and the qualifications of the new staff
members are a clear indication that organised agriculture is geared
to take on a number of legal issues on every terrain.
The new corporate members that have joined Agri SA are a clear
message that big businesses are ready to flash their cheque books
when it comes to defending matters that affect all – and not just
the producers of the country. They are not concerned about voting
rights, but rather about their assets and the value of their sharehold-
ers. This is really encouraging.