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The NAMPO Harvest Day that kicked off yesterday near Bothaville ensured the same good attendance figures as on the first day of last year's event. Almost 100 private planes were counted yesterday as part of the air traffic on the first day.
Grain SA, which organises this popular agricultural show, says that the new exhibition area that was commissioned this year is drawing considerable interest and supports the strategy of ensuring a more even distribution of visitors across the grounds.
According to Cobus van Coller, NAMPO Harvest Day chairperson, NAMPO Park is in top form. ‘We are pleased to be able to say that the home of the Harvest Day is handling the number of people well. The expanded section of the exhibitors’ area and the new parking area on the southern side of the grounds are performing well,’ he said.
With more than 650 exhibitors Grain SA remains focused on enabling producers to achieve better yields and developing the image of agriculture via the NAMPO Harvest Day. The 13 countries and 52 overseas companies participating in the Harvest Day are also a good barometer of the prestige enjoyed by this trade show.
The effectiveness of the Harvest Day in building networks and serving as discussion forum is becoming stronger every year and confirms its status as networking platform for agriculture in Africa. A trend that has been identified is that countries from the northern part of sub-Saharan Africa are now also visiting the Harvest Day. These are countries that have a particular investment focus in an effort to ensure food security.
‘Discussions with Grain SA concentrate in particular on food security and how these countries can improve their systems to ensure food security,’ said Jannie de Villiers, Chief Executive Officer of Grain SA. Delegations from Sudan, Eritrea and Botswana yesterday visited the Harvest Day, and talks are scheduled for later in the week with representatives from Kenya, Mozambique, the Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.
‘Every year we are astonished by the interpersonal-relations nature of the Harvest Day. This amounts to recognition that we give to people who made their mark before us. Traditions are created here to offer a foundation for an effective agricultural industry in southern Africa,’ De Villiers added.
The recordings of Nation in Conversation of the agricultural business, Senwes, and its partners, which took place at the Harvest Day for the first time last year, are taken to the next level this year. The Nation in Conversation initiative – in which Grain SA is a partner – succeeds in addressing relevant topics in agriculture. The well-known economist Theo Vorster is the programme leader and every day he receives expert panellists, academics and persons who are actively involved in agriculture to take part in the panel discussion.
For more information on the NAMPO Harvest Day, which is on until Friday, 16 May, visit the website at www.nampo.co.za.
Die NAMPO Oesdag wat gister naby Bothaville afgeskop het, het vir dieselfde goeie bywoningsyfer as verlede jaar se eerste dag gesorg. Bykans 100 privaat vliegtuie is gister getel as deel van lugverkeer net vir die eerste dag.
Graan SA, wat dié gewilde landboutentoonstelling organiseer, sê die die nuwe uitstalarea wat vanjaar in gebruik geneem is, trek goeie belangstelling en ondersteun die strategie om 'n meer eweredige verspreiding van besoekers oor die terrein te verseker.
Volgens Cobus van Coller, NAMPO Oesdag-voorsitter, is NAMPO Park in top-vorm. Ons is dankbaar om te sê dat die tuiste van die Oesdag die hoeveelheid mense goed hanteer. "Die uitgebreide gedeelte van die uitstallersarea en die nuwe parkeerterrein aan die suidekant van die terrein presteer goed," het hy gesê.
Met meer as 650 uitstallers bly Graan SA daarop gefokus om met sy NAMPO Oesdag produsente in staat te stel om beter te presteer en om die beeld van landbou uit te bou. Die 13 lande en 52 oorsese maatskappye wat aan die Oesdag deelneem, is verder ook 'n goeie barometer van die aansien wat die handelstentoonstelling geniet.
Die Oesdag se doeltreffendheid om netwerke te bou en as gespreksplatform raak al hoe sterker elke jaar en bevestig sy status as netwerkplatform vir landbou in Afrika. 'n Tendens te bespeur, is dat lande uit die noordelike deel van sub-Sahara Afrika ook nou die Oesdag besoek. Dit is veral lande wat 'n beleggingsfokus het in 'n dryf om voedselsekerheid te bewerkstellig.
"Gesprekke met Graan SA is veral gesentreer rondom voedselsekerheid en hoe die lande hulle stelsels kan verbeter om voedselsekerheid te verseker," het Jannie de Villiers, Uitvoerende Hoofbestuurder van Graan SA gesê. Afvaardigings uit Soedan, Eritrea en Botswana het gister besoek afgelê by die Oesdag en gesprekke met verteenwoordigers van Kenia, Mosambiek, die Republiek van die Kongo en Ethiopië is vir later in die week geskeduleer.
"'n Mens staan elke jaar verstom oor die menseverhouding-karakter van die Oesdag. Hierdie is 'n stuk erkenning wat ons gee vir ouens wat diep spore voor ons getrap het. Tradisies word hier geskep wat 'n basis bied vir 'n doeltreffende landboubedryf in Suider-Afrika," het De Villiers bygevoeg.
Die landboubesigheid Senwes en vennote se Nasie in gesprek-opnames, wat verlede jaar vir die eerste keer by die Oesdag plaasgevind het, word hierdie jaar na 'n volgende vlak geneem. Die Nasie in gesprek-inisiatief – waarvan Graan SA 'n vennoot is – slaag daarin om relevante onderwerpe in landbou aan te spreek. Die bekende ekonoom, Theo Vorster, tree op as programleier en ontvang elke dag kundige paneellede, akademici en persone wat aktief in landbou betrokke is, om aan die paneelbespreking deel te neem.
Vir meer inligting oor die NAMPO Oesdag, wat tot Vrydag 16 Mei duur, besoek die webblad by www.nampo.co.za.