Agricultural innovation takes centre stage at Nampo Harvest Day 2025

IOL News

15-05-2025

Agricultural experts continue to heap praise at the Nampo Harvest Day conference, which entered the second day o in Bothaville in the Free State on Wednesday.
South Africa's agricultural industry has highlighted its resilience in the face of many challenges at the 2025 Nampo Harvest Day conference, which entered the second day on Wednesday in Bothaville in the Free State.
Brendan Jacobs, head of agribusiness at Standard Bank South Africa, said agriculture was under pressure from rising input costs, extreme weather events, tightening margins, and trade agreement challenges.
'Nampo Harvest Day 2025 arrives at a pivotal moment for South Africa's farming sector. This year's Nampo is more than an exhibition; it is a rallying point for real-world, farmer-led solutions.
"From mechanisation and market access to financial tools and agri-tech, the event brings together farmers, agribusinesses, and financiers to explore what it will take to sustain growth and resilience across the sector.'
Jacobs said the discussions at Nampo were foscused on enabling long-term resilience in the sector.
He said that as trade uncertainty looms, especially around the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) and shifting global trade dynamics, there was growing urgency to expand regional trade and create new pathways for South African produce into other global markets.
'One such market is furthering trade into Africa, and we are very excited as Standard Bank to be hosting our Heads of Agribusiness from 14 other African countries at Nampo 2025," he said.
"We look forward to the opportunity of connecting our South African clients with leaders in these countries in which we operate on the continent for potential opportunities and simultaneously for our colleagues from these countries to take best practices identified at Nampo back to their environments.'
Jacobs said that with South Africa exporting over half its agricultural production by value, and nearly 26% by volume, the resilience of the sector depended on agility in the face of both global and domestic shifts.
'This is arguably one of the most significant years for agriculture in decades. Whether we are talking about export markets or sustainability, success will hinge on how well we align policy, innovation, and grassroots execution to support those who feed the nation," he said.
Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, said Nampo was well attended and the mood was upbeat amongst farmers when he was a panellist on Tuesday.
"I also participated in a panel discussion hosted by Nation In Conversion. In front of a packed studio audience, we focused on South Africa's agriculture outlook. We covered agricultural production, trade, macroeconomic conditions, and the global political environment, among other themes,' he said.
Sihlobo added that the various commodity associations, anchors of South Africa's commercial agriculture, were also present, and multiple stakeholders were engaged.
'The farm stalls would not miss the opportunity to showcase the cuisine and 'koeksisters,' amongst other delicacies, one would typically find in rural South Africa. The members of the public — young and old, established and aspirant farmers — were there in droves to feast on the Nampo activities.'
Agri SA CEO, Johann Kotze, said farmers will always found opportunities and continue with what they know best—farming—regardless of what people say, locally and internationally.
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