Photo: Lindi Botha
Amid ongoing debates over the emigration of 54 South Africans to the US under refugee status, delegates were unified in their undertaking to remain in South Africa and continue farming.
While delegates noted the considerable challenges the sector was facing in maintaining viability, they agreed that there were many positive aspects that farmers should focus on instead.
However, Jaco Minnaar, president of Agri SA, said that to remain in business, farmers needed to make several mind shifts. The first was thinking that the state could be relied on to provide the operating environment and resources farmers needed to keep producing food.
“The days are over that we can depend on the state. If circumstances change, we need to adapt [and] not get angry and keep doing what we were doing before and hoping that circumstances will change back to how they were. We need to take responsibility for ourselves and get past the idea that the state is going to provide.”
He referenced the current foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Gauteng, which created a national outcry that government needed to take more decisive action to prevent the spread.
“[However], it’s up to us, not the state. If we don’t [put measures in place to prevent the spread] ourselves, it won’t happen.”
Johann Kotzé, CEO of Agri SA, added that the new generation of farmers were already more focused on self-governance, but echoed the need for a complete mind shift from the sector at large.
“We need to align more with each other and work together as a sector to reach our goals. We must recognise friends of agriculture (those outside the sector but who support it) and draw them in, because agriculture is about more than just what happens on the farm.”
He noted that the narrative around commercial farmers in the halls of government needed to become more positive. The sector therefore needed to ensure that the state understood the importance of keeping commercial farmers in business.
“There are three reasons why farmers have a right to exist: a world population that will reach 9,7 billion in 2025, rapid urbanisation, and climate change. Farmers are the biggest custodians of the environment and have the biggest role in preserving it, while maintaining food production.
“We need to start speaking about food security and what it will mean for South Africa if our farmers are no longer viable. Politicians are less interested in farm murders and job losses; it goes in the one ear and out the other.
“They are so tired of hearing that message that they don’t even listen anymore. But affordable, available and safe food for the nation is critical. They can see first-hand in Africa what happens when a country is not food secure.”
