If you want clients to support your business, you have to provide a product or service they want at a competitive price. So what do our fresh produce markets do? (I’m talking about those owned by municipalities). They steadfastly refuse to upgrade or improve their facilities and services and they seem hell-bent on a path of self-destruction. Yet, they expect farmers and buyers to continue supporting them despite the fact that many have lost confidence in them.
If you want clients to support your business, you have to provide a product or service they want at a competitive price. So what do our fresh produce markets do? (I’m talking about those owned by municipalities). They steadfastly refuse to upgrade or improve their facilities and services and they seem hell-bent on a path of self-destruction. Yet, they expect farmers and buyers to continue supporting them despite the fact that many have lost confidence in them.
Over the last 10 years or so, we’ve seen many of our markets undergo considerable transformation in management, and all of them now reflect the South African demographic to some degree. Yet, the markets as a group remain a shambles, despite having some pretty impressive-sounding people (according to their CVs) supposedly managing them. Infrastructure is either outdated or are in a state of collapse. Filth is not being properly removed, either through mismanagement or incompetence. Food safety is a joke. South Africa is a hot country and Bloemfontein is the only market with an aircooling system in the hall.
Every market should have one. The once-famous Durban Market cooling system doesn’t work anymore, and nobody seems to be rushing to fix it. On some markets, the new managers when appointed, promptly spend money on upgrading their offices but “forget” to fix their run-down cold rooms or other facilities. Others are simply too busy rushing abroad to see how fresh produce markets work, when their own markets are in a mess. If they have such a dire need to travel, then that money would be better spent calling on farmers and buyers to rebuild confidence in the markets.
Some senior managers spend more time flitting around the country to meetings in fine suits, than being on their market floor – where they are supposed to be. Managing a market is a hands-on business and you can’t do it from your laptop sitting in Business Class!
What about the market manager who has not seen his municipal “boss” for six months despite constant requests and efforts to do so? He needs signatures and decisions which are critical to the functioning of the market, but he can never pin this person down. How is he expected to run a successful market?
The politicians must take final responsibility, but I suspect there’s little chance of that happening. – Mike Cordes (e-mail [email protected]). |fw
