Your message regarding the drought to younger
producers?
To the agricultural community, specifically the
younger producers: WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION
BEFORE and we survived with courage and pluck and
with honesty towards financiers to compromise on the
financial implications of the current disaster in which we find
ourselves. I am convinced that financial institutions and the
agribusinesses will be prepared to assist producers in the
interests of society in one of the biggest challenges that has
faced agriculture so far. Remember, you play a vital role in
the production of food for all citizens of South Africa.
Which individuals stand out to you in your 25-year
career as leader in the grain industry?
I had the special privilege of meeting and working with
competent leaders who preceded me and who are
currently serving. I do not want to single out individuals,
because everybody played such an important role, and
there is always the risk of accidentally leaving someone
out. I will privately, as the occasion arises, acknowledge
specific individuals whom I regard as role-models. However,
there is one man who stands out and who played a great
role in my life and whom I would like to mention, namely
my father, Jan Steytler. His views are still extremely relevant
today and many issues in South Africa would have been
so much easier to handle if they had listened to him. My
approach is based on what I learnt from him.
How many chickens and eggs have you purchased
over the years to use in speeches?
I purchased hundreds of eggs and almost as many
chickens over the years and used them in my speeches
– to such an extent that I could be considered for honorary
membership of the poultry industry. You know, at airports
the staff greet me like a relative. I have worn out the seats
of roughly ten suits during meetings. However, serving the
interests of producers made the tired backside worthwhile.
What is your dream for the future of agriculture?
Like all South Africans we yearn for a functional,
democratic society within which people can live in
safety and security. A South Africa that is led by leaders
of stature and vision. A South Africa with a flourishing
economic system that can resolve the evil of our time:
Grinding poverty. A South Africa that is led by people
who understand the aspirations and fears of our people.
An agricultural sector that is able to create its own risk
management through tax concessions in investment in
the Land Bank in years of plenty to be used later in disaster
years, and a state-supported insurance that can be used
to mitigate the risk of agricultural commodity production.
Any final thought you would like to share?
All the honour goes to our Heavenly Father. Without
Him nothing is possible. With these words I say goodbye
to one and all. My regards to everybody at home. All the
best, Ouboet!
Louw Steytler
Chairperson
Boodskap van die Voorsitter
Message from the Chairperson
“Dit is my droom vir Suid-Afrika”
Met ‘n oorsig oor jou termyn as Voorsitter van Graan SA,
waar bevind die organisasie hom tans?
Hierdie geslag is bevoorreg met die versiendheid van
dié wat voorgeloop het oor die jare heen. En dit is op
hulle skouers wat ons voortgebou het in Graan SA, ons
produsente-organisasie, wat vandag uiters relevant is tot die
toekomsdebat oor sleutel-landbouvraagstukke. Graan SA,
Agri SA, provinsiale unies en ander bedryfsorganisasies
kan met reg die voedselsekerheid wat alle Suid-Afrikaners
geniet, as een van hul gesamentlike suksesse toe-eien.
Die goedkoopste, gehalte voedsel ter wêreld wat plaaslik
geproduseer word, word alleenlik bewerkstellig deur same-
werking deur die totale voedselwaardeketting en kry nou
eers die breë erkenning vanweë die realiteit van die
huidige rampsituasie waarin suidelike Afrika hom bevind.
Wat was vir jou sleutelelemente van die sukses van
die organisasie tydens jou voorsitterskap?
Die vertrekpunt oor die toekoms van ons land is die
Grondwet – wat wyd beskou word as die beste ter
wêreld. Dit moet dien as die uitgangspunt vir enige debat
oor die toekoms van die landbou. Dit is noodsaaklik dat die
letter en gees van ons Grondwet gehandhaaf word om
sodoende ‘n omgewing te skep waarin alle Suid-Afrikaners
kan deel hê aan die groter ekonomiese skatte waarmee ons
so geseënd is. Verder skep die toepassing van die Grondwet
‘n omgewing waarin ekonomiese aktiwiteit kan floreer. Die
logika van ‘n vryemark sonder staatsintervensie wat tans op
die landbousektor betrekking het, is medeverantwoordelik
vir die voedselsekerheid van alle Suid-Afrikaners en is direk
verantwoordelik vir dié grootste bate wat die land geniet.
Dit is daarom noodsaaklik om die waarde van grond te
handhaaf en ons Grondwet, ongebonde bemarkings-
beginsels en samewerking dwarsoor die waardeketting
– wat verantwoordelik is vir ons voedselsekerheid – te
versterk en te koester.
Om terug te keer na grondvlak en persoonlik met
produsente te kommunikeer, was deurgaans vir jou
‘n prioriteit?
My antwoord op die vorige vraag, is die boodskap
wat na grondvlak gekommunikeer is aan produsente
groot en klein, wat uiteindelik die eienaars van Graan SA
as organisasie is. Dit is hulle wat die boodskap bekragtig
het. Positiwiteit oor ons toekoms is onmisbaar, want ons bly
almal trots Suid-Afrikaans. Hierdie benadering is geskoei in
belang van alle Suid-Afrikaners oor die kleurgrense heen.
Enige persoon of instansie in die samelewing wat hierdie
positiewe boodskap en benadering bevraagteken behoort
gekonfronteer te word. Dit sal alle produsente en veral
die nuwe generasie produsente wat Suid-Afrika ontwikkel,
goed bystaan en ondersteun.
Hoe lyk die leierskapspan wat jy agterlaat?
Graan SA is geseënd met ‘n Hoofbestuur van
genoegsame diepte en ‘n personeelkorps met
kundigheid en die nodige sensitiwiteit om enige uitdaging
die hoof te kan bied.
‘This is my dream for South Africa’
Reviewing your term as Chairperson of Grain SA, where
does the organisation find itself now
?
This is a generation privileged by the far-sightedness of
those who preceded them over the years. And it is on
their shoulders that we continued building in Grain SA, our
producer organisation, which is extremely relevant today
to the debate on key agricultural issues. Grain SA, Agri SA,
provincial unions and other industry organisations can
with good reason regard the food security that all South
Africans enjoy as one of their joint successes. The cheapest
quality food in the world, produced locally, can only be
accomplished through cooperation throughout the entire
food value chain, and is only now gaining wide recognition
on account of the reality of the current disaster situation in
which southern Africa finds itself.
What do you regard as the key elements for the success
of the organisation while you were the Chairperson?
The premise of departure with respect to the future of our
country is our Constitution – which is widely regarded as
one of the best in the world. This must serve as the premise
for any debate on the future of agriculture. It is imperative
that the letter and spirit of our Constitution be upheld in order
to create an environment in which all South Africans can
partake in the greater economic bounties with which we are
so blessed. The application of the Constitution furthermore
creates an environment in which economic activity can flour-
ish. The logic of a free marketeerism that currently pertains to
the agricultural sector is co-responsible for the food security
that all South Africans enjoy and is directly responsible for the
greatest asset this country has. It is therefore essential for the
value of land to be maintained and to strengthen and nurture
our Constitution, unfettered marketing principles and coop-
eration across the value chain – which is responsible for our
food security.
Returning to grassroots and communicating personally
with producers was always a priority for you?
My reply to the previous question is the message that was
communicated to grassroots level, to large and small
producers, who are after all the owners of Grain SA as organi-
sation. They were the ones who sanctioned the message. Posi-
tivity about our future is vital, because we all remain proudly
South African. This approach was developed in the interests of
all South Africans, across colour lines. Any person or institution
in society questioning this positive message and approach
should be challenged. It will provide sound assistance and
support to all producers, and particularly to the new genera-
tion of producers that South Africa is developing.
What does the leadership team you are leaving behind
look like?
Grain SA is blessed with an Executive with sufficient
depth and a staff complement with expertise and the
necessary sensitivity to face any challenge.
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conversation with...
gesprek met...
Louw Steytler, Grain SA Chairman, gives advice to
producers on how to survive the drought.
(Internet access is required to view this clip.)
Louw Steytler, Voorsitter van Graan SA, sê wat nodig
is vir produsente om die droogte deur te sien.
(Internettoegang word benodig om die insetsel te besigtig.)
2
3
Jou boodskap oor die droogte aan jonger produsente?
Aan die landbougemeenskap, spesifiek die jonger pro-
dusente: ONS WAS AL VOORHEEN IN HIERDIE SITUASIE en
ons het oorleef met moed en durf en met eerlikheid teen-
oor finansiers om tot ‘n vergelyk te kom oor die finansiële
implikasies van die huidige ramp waarin ons ons bevind. Ek
is oortuig dat finansiële instansies en die landboubesighede
hulle weg sal oopsien om in die belang van die samelewing,
produsente by te staan in een van die grootste uitdagings
waarmee landbou tot dusver gekonfronteer is. Onthou, u
speel ‘n onmisbare rol in die produksie van voedsel vir al
die burgers van Suid-Afrika.
In jou 25-jaar loopbaan as leier in die graanbedryf,
watter individue staan vir jou uit?
Ek het die besondere voorreg gehad om bekwame leiers
wat voorgeloop het en wat tans dien, te ontmoet en mee
saam te werk. Oor individue wil ek my nie graag uitlaat nie
vanweë die feit dat almal so ‘n belangrike rol gespeel het
en daar altyd die gevaar is dat iemand per abuis uitgelaat
kan word. Spesifieke individue wat ek as rolmodelle ag, sal
ek per geleentheid die nodige erkenning in privaatheid gee.
Daar is egter een man wat uitstaan en ‘n groot rol in my lewe
gespeel het, wat ek graag wil vermeld, naamlik my vader,
Jan Steytler. Sy standpunte is vandag nog uiters relevant en
dit sou talle vraagstukke in Suid-Afrika net soveel makliker
gemaak het indien daaraan gehoor gegee is. My bena-
dering is geskoei op dit wat ek by hom geleer het.
Hoeveel hoenders en eiers het jy oor die jare gekoop
om in toesprake te gebruik?
Ek het honderde eiers en naastenby soveel hoenders
oor die jare heen gekoop en in my toesprake gebruik.
Soveel so dat ek dalk oorweeg kan word vir erelidmaatskap
in die pluimveebedryf. Weet jy, op lughawens groet die
personeel my soos familie. Ek het naastenby tien pakke
se broeke blink gesit in vergaderings. Om die produsente
se belange te dien, was egter die moeë sitvlak werd.
Wat is jou toekomsdroom vir die landbou?
Soos alle Suid-Afrikaners smag ons na ‘n funksionele,
demokratiese samelewing waarbinne mense in veiligheid
en sekerheid kan lewe. ‘n Suid-Afrika wat deur leiers van
formaat en visie gelei word. ‘n Suid-Afrika met ‘n florerende
ekonomiese bestel wat in staat is om die euwel van ons tyd,
naamlik nypende armoede, die hoof te bied. ‘n Suid-Afrika
wat gelei word deur mense wat die aspirasies en vrese van
ons mense verstaan. ‘n Landbou wat in staat gestel word
om sy eie risikobestuur te skep deur belastingtoegewings
in belegging by die Land Bank te plaas in jare van oor-
vloed vir latere aanwending in rampspoedige jare en ‘n
staatsondersteunde versekering wat gebruik kan word om
die risiko van landboukommoditeitsproduksie te ondervang.
Enige laaste gedagte wat jy wil deel?
Aan ons Hemelse Vader al die eer, sonder Hom is niks
moontlik nie. Met hierdie woorde groet ek u een en
elkeen. Sê groete by die huis. Mooi loop, Ouboet!
Louw Steytler
Voorsitter
