78 Producer of the Year competition: The purpose of the competition is to showcase development, recognise excellence, and create role models with whom the different levels of producers can identify. Training courses: PGP has developed several training courses over the years which address all aspects of crop production, marketing, mechanisation and management. These are intensive courses presented to the producers within the radius of their farming operations. Agricultural transformation in South Africa is more than a policy directive – it is a moral and economic imperative. Overcoming the stigma of a dualistic sector requires bold leadership, innovative partnerships, and a shared vision for an inclusive future. By aligning resources, policies, and people, South Africa can build an agricultural sector that is not only globally competitive but also socially just and sustainable for generations to come. Measuring impact in the sector The phrase ‘To measure, is to know’ is an aphorism commonly attributed to the British scientist William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), and it embodies the idea that only by quantifying something can we truly understand it. A related sentiment often paired with this idea is, ‘If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it’, which emphasizes how measurement provides the foundation for control and progress. In this development sector, knowing what to measure and how to measure it has remained a critical question for which we still do not have a definitive answer. The Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) uses three important dimensions namely health (measure in life expectancy), education (measured in years of schooling) and quality of living (measure as income per capita). In the agricultural sector, it is relatively easy to measure aspects including land tenure, size of land, area planted, enterprise budgets, yield attained, income achieved etc. However, the development of people is far broader than those measures. Therefore we need to include human outcomes and people’s capabilities. Through agriculture, we can contribute to the UNDP sustainable development goals which include, no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education and training, gender equality, economic growth, industry innovation, sustainable communities, and climate action (smart agriculture). In the coming months, we will be working on how we are to measure the broader impact of our agricultural development on the lives of people on the programme. We are also partnering with BFAP to align our measurement systems. Footprint of the PGP Development Programme The PGP Programme continues to support producers in all the provinces except for the Northern Cape. As a result of the history of South Africa, the land tenure arrangements and population distribution in each area is different. The map below shows the areas that are well suited for grains, oilseeds and grain production. PHAHAMA GRAIN PHAKAMA NPC
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