SA Graan Desember 2015

GRAAN SA

Kersboodskappe

Dit sal uiteindelik

ten beste uitwerk

anneer ons aan Kersfees dink, is dit gewoonlik met aan-

gename herinneringe: Familie en kinders rondom ‘n

Kersboom en geskenke. Maar, daar is diegene wat baie

eensaam is tydens die Feesseisoen. Wat, na 2 000 jaar,

maak dit nog steeds só ‘n belangrike geleentheid – sonder ‘n ver-

valdatum? Christene en ook nie-Christene vier almal Kersfees. Dit

gaan oor ‘n Koning wat sy alles gegee het – Sy enigste Seun, Jesus

Christus, wat gekom het om die wêreld te verlos – om sondaars te

red van ‘n ewige verderf. Dit is waarom ons Hom loof en prys deur

Kersliedere te sing wat gaan oor ‘n baie spesiale Koning.

As graanprodusente gee ons ook alles: Om ons lande voor te be-

rei, die seisoen te beplan, saam met die natuur te werk (en dikwels

daarteen); alles om ‘n oes te kan lewer. Ons voed ons gesinne en

die nasie daardeur. Ons gee ons alles om volhoubaar te wees – in

harmonie met ons mense en die natuur. Ons gesinne is dikwels

bereid om op verskeie maniere te help, maar ons almal weet: Die

graanprodusent sal die verantwoordelikheid en aanspreeklikheid

moet aanvaar as bewerker van die grond. Hoe kan ek, as produsent,

verantwoording doen aan hierdie Koning? Het jy Hom lief en het jy

jou naaste lief? Dit is wat Hy van ons vra. Is Hy nog steeds vir jou

belangriker as jou plaas? Het jy die afgelope jaar genoeg tyd saam

met jou gesin deurgebring – nie volgens jou eie mening nie, maar

volgens hulle s’n?

Desember is ‘n baie besige graanmaand. Sommige produsente in

die suidelike produksie-areas kan dalk nog besig wees om te oes,

terwyl die meeste produsente in die noorde nog besig is om te plant.

Nogtans bly Kersfeestyd die tyd om saam met familie deur te bring.

Dit is ook die tyd van nadenke: Om na te dink oor ons prioriteite en

verhoudings – ons verhouding met ons Skepper en ons geliefdes.

Gebruik gerus hierdie tyd en die geleentheid om eer en dank te bring

aan hierdie Koning wat sy alles vir jou gegee het. Dit is ‘n geleentheid

om die ewige lewe te verwerf, om in jou liefde te groei, nie net vir

die grond wat Hy vir jou gegee het nie, maar in liefde vir die mense

rondom jou vir wie Hy net soveel liefde het as wat jy behoort te hê.

Die tyd waarin ek hierdie boodskap geskryf het, was ‘n baie span-

ningsvolle tyd vir die graanprodusente. Die produsente van die

Swartland was stil voor hul Skepper terwyl hul oeste op die lande

verdor en verdroog het. Diegene in die Suid-Kaap het weer hul

asems opgehou dat dit nie moes reën voordat hulle nie hul pragtige

oeste van die lande afgehaal het nie, terwyl dié in die noorde weer

hulle oë op die hemel en hul knieë op die grond gehou het terwyl

hulle bid vir reën sodat hulle kan plant.

Dit sal uiteindelik ten beste uitwerk vir dié van

ons wat in hierdie Koning glo. Die beste plek

vir ons om in 2016 te wees, is waar

ons afhanklik is van só ‘n wonder-

like Koning! Ons vertrou dat

ons goeie Koning jou sal

bewaar en beskerm en dat

jou oes groot sal wees.

Mag dit vir jou ‘n mooi

en geseënde Kersfees

wees.

Jannie de Villiers

Uitvoerende

hoofbestuurder:

Graan SA

Cry the

beloved Country

he title of Alan Paton’s novel

Cry the beloved Country

is more

applicable to South Africa – now than ever before – to the

current situation that all South Africans, irrespective of race,

creed or colour, are now confronted with. The greed, cor-

ruption and mismanagement of scarce resources that have a direct

bearing on sustainable, economic development, have all undermined

our international competitiveness and this is applicable to commo-

dity production in South Africa. The escalating electricity costs are a

direct result of nefarious interest groups who place their own inter-

ests above the interest of South Africans across the board. Is it not

time that we as a society, place South Africa’s interest first?

To further exacerbate the deficiency of policy certainty, in which eco-

nomic activity can flourish, we are now confronted with what may

turn into a catastrophe of the greatest magnitude. The greatest asset

that this country and her people enjoy, is food security by way of the

cheapest, high quality food in the world, produced by the agricul-

tural sector for consumption of our citizenry. The privilege of food

security is achievable only by a sophisticated value chain whereby

producers, commercial banks, the Land Bank, agribusinesses, input

suppliers and processors of agricultural commodities collaborate.

Land reform is an imperative, as is the defence of our constitution

and food security. Only by living the letter and spirit of our consti-

tution shall we be able to maintain investor confidence and more

importantly redress our tragic history. The free market system has

served public interest well. The cheapest way of feeding the nation

is by allowing the producers to produce a surplus crop of the main

commodity, namely maize. It can be argued that maize producers

have indirectly subsidised the consumer over several years by

virtue of their production capacity.

Corruption, the evil of our time, as well as political rhetoric, under-

mine the appetite for investment. We pose the pertinent question

that must be answered: How can South Africa spend R88 billion on

land reform and yet less than 6% of all agricultural land, on an as-

set of agricultural land to the value of R190 billion, is transformed?

Remember South Africa has to deal with the stark reality of climate

which influences production in a major way. We are amidst the grip

of the worst El Niño in decades.

Hopefully politicians and policy makers will give this serious consid-

eration in their endeavours to formulate agricultural and land poli-

cies. We do not need to further destabilise agricultural commodity

production in South Africa for we are dealing with the future suste-

nance of our nation. Can we afford to stumble from one crisis to the

next crisis like a drunkard? We were born here, we shall die here.

We are not going anywhere. We are still firmly convinced that the

voice of reason both constitutionally and economically is endorsed

by most South Africans.

The time has come for us to pray like children, on our knees, humble,

sincere and contrite, for man and beast.

A blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year, to all of you. To all the

members and my colleagues at Grain SA, my sincerest thanks. It is

an honour and a privilege to lead you.

May we all be blessed with plentiful rain.

Louw Steyt ler

Chairman: Grain SA

Desember 2015