Photo: Sindira Chetty
The 2023 Nampo Harvest Day, themed ‘Agriculture Innovated’, was presented in a professional, effective and highly sophisticated manner, according to Dr Kobus Laubscher, an independent agricultural economist.
“GSA needs to be praised for the giant effort the organisation put in for agricultural suppliers and off-takers. What came to the fore during Nampo 2023 is that primary producers fully realised the benefits of technology and its application.
It also showed that the producers were keen to embrace advance technological expertise in order to optimise production per hectare,” he told Farmers Weekly.
According to Laubscher, the interaction between dealers and off-takers that took place during the four-day event was extremely valuable. He said it created the opportunity for the suppliers to familiarise themselves with the needs and requirements from the producers’ side, as well as an opportunity for dealers and manufacturers to introduce new products to the entire agricultural value chain, not only the primary production sector.
“The opportunities and benefits created through a platform such as the Nampo Harvest Day stretch far beyond the actual event. It means the increased transfer of sophisticated skills, creating new, higher-level employment opportunities in rural areas. The bigger demand for new technology also calls for new business development, such as dealer networks in the country’s rural areas, adding markedly to the stimulation of local economies,” he said.
Laubscher said the central message of Nampo 2023 was that primary producers fully understood the realities of food and fibre production in South Africa, and did not shy away from the implementation of technology in order for their businesses to remain sustainable and profitable.
Dr Dirk Strydom, GSA’s Nampo Marketing and Research Development Lead, said the theme Agriculture Innovated confirmed the positive role the Harvest Day played and its contribution to the future of agriculture. Nearly 82 000 visitors attended the event this year.
Nampo 2023 was also a platform for the South African livestock production sector, with the 250 cattle and small stock breeders’ associations represented showcasing the top animals of the respective breeds during the event.
According to PW van Heerden, president of the South African Savanna Goat Breeders Society, participating at Nampo played an invaluable role in marketing the breed, and resulted in an increase in the number of stud Savanna breeders in the country.
