Marketing council chair calls for better protection

“The time has come for us to devise a system to make agriculture internationally competitive, as it is done all over the world,” says National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) chairperson Ntombi Msimang in an address to the Grain SA congress. “If we don’t want to use the word subsidy let’s devise a new word from Sotho or Zulu.
“It’s politically correct to say we’re not subsidised, but if the majority of people can’t afford our products we need to innovate. We’re not supposed to talk about subsidies, but it’s high time we ask what can be done to keep agriculture sustainable.”
Msimang is of the opinion the agricultural sector must become more assertive and its voice must be heard.
“We must find holistic and common ground for all roleplayers in agriculture with no holy cows,” she said. “We must also get all government departments to function in orchestra and leverage public-private partnerships. This might open a Pandora’s box, but all stakeholders must be sincere and dedicated because government has finally prioritised agriculture.”
Responding to Msimang’s submission, Grain SA chairperson Neels Ferreira said grain producers are not on a level playing field and protection through adequate import tariffs is essential. “We don’t have much time to become sustainable and the entire wheat industry could be wiped out in a season,” he warned.
Msimang consequently called on Grain SA to come up with a plan and a strict time table. “Such a plan must make it very clear we could soon be without wheat in South Africa,” she said. “From NAMC’s side we will make sure the message is heard, but the plan must come from the organisation.”- Annelie Coleman