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5
Augustus 2016
There is no quick fix
for our problems
I
am sitting and reading news reports about the agricultural
sector in various countries and in so doing I become acute-
ly aware of the unique problems of other producers. The
drought, political upheaval and poor economic conditions in
South Africa tend to make you focus on your own dilemma.
I read about the demonstrations by British producers who received
up to 55% of their annual income from the EU subsidy system. May-
be that is worse than a drought! I often joke with the Europeans and
the Americans about it like this: ‘In South Africa we farm our land
to get an income and you farm your government to get an income.’
The irony is that we are now battling to keep that land with which
we have to guarantee our income while they, on the other hand, are
battling to retain their government subsidies in order to maintain
their income. Both these situations are unfavourable for agricultural
producers, but which in the end is the worst?
Once in class a professor from the Business School in Genève,
Switzerland, told us that policy should be like traffic rules: Predict-
able. You must be able to predict with reasonable certainty that all
cars will stop when the traffic light changes to red. This way all road
users will generally know what to expect and what to do. Well, need-
less to say that it was this professor’s first visit to South Africa and
that he, up till then, had little experience of our taxi drivers. This
principle, however, remains constant.
Grain producers in South Africa have the ability to survive through
droughts and to make do, regardless. We know there are times
like these and therefore we try to prepare in advance by making
plans, but to prepare for the unpredictability of policy is not easy.
Grain SA endeavours on a daily basis to make it more predictable
and to ensure that policy makers better understand the implications
of haphazard changes.
With the municipal elections, high food prices and an increasing
unhappiness among especially the unemployed youth, fiery policy
makers are omnipresent in the meetings we attend here in Pretoria.
It is not only their ignorance in respect of the agricultural sector that
is exposed, but also ill-considered instructions given by politicians
that either this or that should happen instantaneously.
Quite often the outrageous expectations of such officials and their
expected outcomes must yield to the realities of mother nature and
the season: ‘Sir, we cannot plant maize now – even though it rained.
It is winter in the Free State. We only plant again in November.’
This yielding to nature (and not like ‘they’ perceive it as yielding to
stubborn producers) opens the door to continue the discussion on
policy. The harsh realities of the drought and the effect of high food
prices on the poor communities are a big problem for policy makers.
There is no quick fix for this. Good, long term predictable policies
are all that can soften the negative impact. Soften, yes – not remove.
Agriculture is like a large ship; you will not be able to turn it around
within the hour.
If I understand the guys in the south of our country correctly, it ap-
pears like the dry year in the Swartland has turned for the better
and that the winter crops are coming along well. With reference to
the north, we are now in the session after tea on the fifth day of a
cricket test match. We are batting for a draw. We still have a few
wickets in hand, but we cannot win anymore. Hang in there guys!
I am getting just as excited as you and look forward to a new, wet
season.
DS KOOS KIRSTEN
WOORD
Uit die
d
ie nuwe somerplantseisoen kom nou vinnig nader.
Dit laat ‘n mens onwillekeurig wonder of dit ‘n goeie
of slegte seisoen gaan wees. Die weer is nou ook só
deurmekaar dat ‘n mens nie meer weet of dit in die somer
of winter gaan reën nie. Klimaatsverandering, of liewer
klimaatsverwarring, lyk na ‘n werklikheid. Die groot vraag is nou wat
moet ons doen. Moet ons voortgaan soos altyd? Moet ons bepaal-
de veranderinge in ons boerderypraktyke maak, en indien wel,
watter veranderinge?
‘n Belangriker vraag is: Wat wil die Here hê moet ons doen? Ons
lees in Duet. 8 dat die Here deur Moses met Israel praat op die
vooraand van hulle intog in die land Kanaän. Hy wil hulle twee dinge
leer. Hulle moet eers na hulle verlede kyk en daaruit leer en dan moet
hulle dit wat hulle geleer het, in die toekoms toepas. Die Here neem
dan hulle gedagtes terug na hulle omswerwinge in die woestyn.
Daar het hulle swaar gekry. Hulle het geen vaste woonplek gehad
nie en daarby was kos en water skaars. Daar het die Here kos in die
vorm van manna aan hulle voorsien en by twee geleenthede water
uit ‘n rots laat kom. In die woestyn moes hulle leer om op die Here
te vertrou en dat ‘n mens nie van brood alleen lewe nie, maar van
elke woord wat uit die mond van die Here uitgaan (Deut. 8:3). Hulle
moes leer om gehoorsaam te wees. Die Here onderhou nie net die
aardse lewe nie, maar die ewige. In slegte tye, tye van droogte,
skaarste, armoede, siekte en ellende, moet ons dit altyd onthou. Die
Here beskik hierdie dinge oor ons, om ons te leer om nie op onsself
en ons eie vernuf en krag staat te maak nie, maar op Hom alleen.
Hy wil ons leer om gehoorsaam aan Hom te wees. Israel was op pad
na die land Kanaän, die land van melk en heuning. Daar sou hulle
oorvloed hê. Oorvloed aan kos en water, oorvloed aan eiendom
en rykdom, oorvloed aan vrede en voorspoed. Die Here waarsku
hulle om Hom dan nie te vergeet nie. Hulle moet onthou dat Hy
die Gewer van alle goeie dinge is en dat hulle dit nie self verwerf
en ingesamel het nie. Hulle moet onthou dat Hy dit alles aan hulle
gegee het.
As die nuwe seisoen dan nou goed is, met goeie reën op die regte
tyd; as dit ‘n seisoen van voorspoed en oorvloed is, onthou dat dit
die Here is wat alles gee. Onthou ook dat Hy nie net aardse dinge gee
nie, maar die ewige lewe vir dié wat in Jesus Christus glo. Leer dan
uit die verlede en pas dit toe in die toekoms.
Baie geluk aan
Lily Mavulela van
Mbombela wat vir die
Julie-uitgawe van
SA Graan/Grain
die
gratis Bybel gewen het.