op Bothaville het in die boekjaar gerealiseer. Weens stram
toestande in geldmarkte, het groei op beleggings nie
dieselfde tempo as vorige jare gehandhaaf nie hoe-
wel ‘n matige groei steeds gerealiseer het.
Die organisasie het weer eens ‘n ongekwalifiseerde
oudit ontvang.
Herstrukturering
Wat herstrukturering betref, verwys ek na vernuwing en
aanpassings nie net binne Graan SA nie, maar ook wyer
in die bedryf. Graan SA is veral positief oor Agri SA se
uitvoerende bestuurspan. ‘n Mens ervaar ‘n gees van
samewerking, leierskap en innovasie wat tans impetus
aan georganiseerde landbou se teenwoordigheid in
die land en ekonomie gee.
Graan SA se rol in industriestrukture soos die graantrusts en
GFADA moet herdefinieer word om effektief in ‘n nuwe
landbouklimaat in te pas en steeds tot die ontwikkeling
van die graan- en oliesadebedryf by te dra.
Met finansies wat onder druk is in ‘n droë landboujaar
is Graan SA se begrotingsallokasies herbesoek en
aangepas waar nodig. Aandag is ook geskenk aan
die herprioritisering van personeelkapasiteit vir die
toekoms. In lyn met die strategiese oogmerke het
die Bedryfsdienste-afdeling plek gemaak vir twee
behoeftespesifieke afdelings, naamlik Navorsing
en Skakeling met Owerhede (onder leiding van
Dr Marinda Visser) en Graanekonomie en Bemarking,
waarvan Dr Dirk Strydom van die Universiteit van die
Vrystaat vanaf 1 April 2016 aan die hoof sal staan.
‘n Datawetenskap-pos is in Graanekonomie- en
Bemarkingsafdeling gevestig en is gevul deur Landi Kruger,
wat aan die Landbouontwikkelingafdeling verbonde was.
Christa Herbst is bevorder tot finansiële bestuurder en maak
nou deel uit van die bestuurspan.
Na die verkoop van ou hoofkantoorgebou op Bothaville is die
Graan SA-kantoor en personeel op NAMPO Park hervestig.
Die formaat van die Kongres is aangepas om meer deel-
nemende gesprek van die afgevaardigdes te verkry en
sodoende saam na oplossings te soek. ‘n Gesprekforumstyl,
bevorder deur dinamiese kommunikasiegeleenthede, gaan
ingespan word om meer opinies van grondvlak te hoor.
Navorsing, produktiwiteit en inligting
Graan SA se kerndoel is om produsente se produktiwiteit
te verhoog en om objektiewe, intydse inligting te verskaf.
Die besluit om meer verantwoordelikheid te neem vir die
rigting waarin navorsing gaan en hoe navorsingsfondse
aangewend word, sluit hierby aan en verseker die
relevansie daarvan op plaasvlak.
As navorsingskundige is Dr Marinda Visser besig om die
bedryf se
navorsing
in ‘n nuwe rigting te stuur en selfs op
streeksvlak te koördineer deur Suid-Afrika te verteenwoordig
op die SADC navorsingsprioriteitskomitee. Die sleutelpunte
van Graan SA se navorsing- en ontwikkelingsprogram is:
► Ontwikkeling van gesamentlike navorsingsprogramme
soos geïdentifiseer.
► Ontwikkeling van konsortiums en vennootskappe by
verskeie instellings, wat virtueel ontmoet en saamwerk.
► Skakeling van verskeie tegnologie-gedrewe inisiatiewe
met toepaslike tegnologie-oordrag.
Graan SA se poging in oorleg met rolspelers in die bedryf
om ‘n
koringomkeerstrategie
te aktiveer, het in die jaar
onder oorsig heelwat tyd in beslag geneem. Hier is klem
geplaas op addisionele opbrengs as teenvoeter vir
produksie-afnames, aanpassings aan graderingsreëls
en die verslapping van vrystellingsnorme.
Die stewige pas waarteen die
sojaboonbedryf
groei, het
‘n kundigheid-kapasiteitsgaping laat ontstaan. Beurse is
gevolglik in plek gestel om dit aan te spreek en Graan SA
poog tans om nuwe befondsing vir navorsing te bekom.
Geleenthede vir die verkryging van internasionale fondse
vir dié en ander navorsing is in die vooruitsig.
‘n
Oesversekeringskema
is steeds nog nie in plek nie en
die kwotas van versekeringsmaatskappye per streek is
beperkend. Die staat sal veral ná die droogte moet ingryp
om die bekostigbaarheid daarvan vir produsente te help
verseker. Graan SA werk hard aan hierdie saak.
Sterk fokus is daarop geplaas om
eindpunt-tantieme
te
bewerkstellig vir oopbestuifde kultivars soos sojabone,
koring en kanola met die oog daarop om oesopbrengs
te verhoog en surplusse te produseer. Graan SA is bykans
gereed vir die eerste indiening van die stelsel.
Winsgewendheid en volhoubaarheid versus die
maatskaplike opheffing van plaaswerkers
bly belangrik.
Graan SA het in die afgelope jaar ‘n begrafnispolisskema vir
plaasarbeiders saam met Momentum ontwikkel. Dit is nog
in die kinderskoene, maar toon potensiaal.
Die Hoofbestuur en personeel het gedurende die jaar
verskeie opleidingsgeleenthede bygewoon om hul
vaardighede te verbeter. Dit het tot gevolg dat selfkennis
verbeter en bevorder ook kommunikasievaardighede.
Pogings om die saak van die graanprodusent in die Engelse
media
te stel, werp volgens mediamonitering vrugte af en
heelwat meer verbruikers word sodoende bereik. Graan SA
het ook groot waardering vir die landboumedia se deurlo-
pende ondersteuning. Benewens die publikasie van ons
eie maandelikse tydskrifte en gewildheid van die webtuiste,
is die sosialemedia-veldtogte suksesvol. Dit is goed om waar
te neem dat die landboufamilie besig is om sosialemedia
aktief te benut.
Graan SA beskik oor ‘n sterk
handelsmerk
en die aksies
om dit uit te bou, is suksesvol. Ek is hoopvol dat die organi-
sasie die huidige droogte kan oorleef en volgehoue
ondersteuning van produsente sal kry.
Beeld van landbou
Die sektor kon nog nie daarin slaag om ‘n eenheidstem vir
landbou te skep nie. Omdat Graan SA ten gunste is van
een mondstuk vir georganiseerde landbou, is sekretariaat-
ondersteuning in die afgelope jaar aan ASUF as landbou-
eenheidsorganisasie gebied.
TOEKOMS
Die organisasiekultuur is van so ‘n aard dat ons besig
is om ons te rat om in die nuwe klimaat steeds vir
produsente van waarde te wees. Die vestiging van
die Graanekonomie-afdeling is ‘n positiewe uitdaging.
Vennootskappe sal aangegaan word met diensverskaffers
in die bedryf om ons met spesifieke kundigheid en
kapasiteit te ondersteun.
2015 in perspective (continued)
2015 IN PERSPEKTIEF (vervolg)
money markets, growth on investments was not maintained
at the same rate as in previous years, although moderate
growth was achieved.
The organisation once again received an unqualified audit.
Restructuring
As far as restructuring is concerned, I would like to refer
to innovation and adjustments not only within Grain SA,
but also in the wider industry. Grain SA is particularly
positive about Agri SA’s executive management team.
One experiences a spirit of cooperation, leadership and
innovation that is currently giving impetus to organised
agriculture’s presence in the country and economy.
Grain SA’s role in industry structures like the grain trusts
and GFADA must be redefined to effectively fit into a new
agricultural climate and still contribute to the development
of the grain and oilseeds industry.
With finances under pressure in a dry agricultural
year, Grain SA’s budget allocations were revisited and
adjusted where necessary. Attention will also be given to
the reprioritisation of staff capacity for the future. In line
with the strategic objectives the Industry Services division
was replaced by two needs-specific divisions, namely
Research and Liaison with Authorities (led by Dr Marinda
Visser), and Grain Economy and Marketing, with Dr Dirk
Strydom from the University of the Free State at the helm
from 1 April 2016.
A data science position was established in the Grain
Economy and Marketing division and was filled by Landi
Kruger, who worked in the Farmer Development division.
Christa Herbst was promoted to financial manager, and is
now a member of the management team.
After the sale of the old head office building in Bothaville the
Grain SA office and staff were relocated to NAMPO Park.
The format of Congress was adjusted to obtain more
participating discussions from the delegates in order to find
solutions together. A discussion forum style, promoted by
dynamic communication opportunities, will be used to hear
more opinions at grassroots level.
Research, productivity and information
Grain SA’s core aim is to increase producers’ productivity
and provide objective, real-time information. The decision
to take greater responsibility for the direction research is
taking and for how research funds are employed links up
with this and ensures the relevance of this at farm level.
As research expert Dr Marinda Visser is guiding industry
research
into a new direction, and is even co-ordinating it
at regional level by representing South Africa on the SADC
research priority committee. The key points of Grain SA’s
research and development programme are:
► Development of joint research programmes as
identified.
► Development of consortiums at various institutions that
meet and work together virtually.
► Liaison with various technology-driven initiatives with
appropriate technology transfer.
Grain SA’s attempt, in consultation with role-players in the
industry, to introduce a
wheat turnaround strategy
took
up considerable time in the year under review. The focus
here fell on additional yield to compensate for reduced
production, adjustment of the grading rules and the
relaxing of exemption norms.
The steady rate at which the
soybean industry
is growing
has led to the development of a gap in expertise capacity.
Bursaries were therefore established to address this, and
Grain SA is currently attempting to obtain new funding for
research. Opportunities for obtaining international funds for
this and other research are envisaged.
A
crop insurance scheme
has still not been introduced,
and the quotas of insurance companies per region are
restrictive. The state will have to intervene, particularly
after the drought, to help assure the affordability of this for
producers. Grain SA is putting a lot of effort into this.
A strong focus is placed on establishing
end-point royalties
for open-pollinated cultivars like soybeans, wheat and
canola with a view to increasing crop yield and producing
surpluses. Grain SA is almost ready with the first submission of
the system.
Profitability and sustainability versus the
social upliftment of
farmworkers
remain important. In the past year Grain SA
developed a funeral policy scheme for farmworkers in
collaboration with Momentum. It is still in its infancy, but
shows potential.
The Executive and staff attended several training sessions
during the year to improve their skills. The training led to
improved self-knowledge and furthermore enhanced
their communication skills.
Efforts to promote the cause of grain producers in the
English
media
are bearing fruit according to media
monitoring, and a considerable number of additional
consumers are reached in this way. Grain SA also has
great appreciation for the ongoing support of the
agricultural media. In addition to the publication of
our own monthly magazines and the popularity of
the website, the social-media campaigns have been
successful. It is satisfying to observe that the agricultural
family is actively utilising social media.
Grain SA has a strong
brand
and the activities for promoting
it have been successful. I trust that the organisation will
survive the current drought and will receive sustained
support from producers.
Image of agriculture
The sector has not yet succeeded in creating a unified
voice for agriculture. Because Grain SA is in favour of one
mouthpiece for organised agriculture, secretariat support
was offered to ASUF as organisation for agricultural unity in
the past year.
FUTURE
The organisational culture is such that we are gearing
ourselves to remain of value to producers in the new
climate. The establishment of the Grain Economy and
Marketing division is a positive challenge. Partnerships will
be entered into with service providers in the industry to assist
us with specific expertise and capacity.
Members of Grain SA are reassured that the organisation is
financially sound. The leadership participates actively and
producers can be proud of sound corporate governance
Review and strategic objectives
terugblik en strategiese oogmerke
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