Latest news with #NAMPO
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Farmer brain drain could be worse than export loss for SA agriculture
Financial and non-financial incentives must be upscaled to all farmers, especially the developing black farmers, to ensure farmers are committed and not persuaded by short-term political promises in the foreign countries, says the author. Image: File. While excluding South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) would have dire consequences, the emigration of real Afrikaner farmers would be even more damaging to the agricultural sector and the rural economy. Since the departure of 49 white people, who are supposedly farmers, seeking refuge in the US, the country and the agricultural sector have been concerned with the potential Afrikaners exodus to the US. Interestingly, the departure of the 49 self-designated refugees to the US coincided with the NAMPO period, the biggest agricultural show in South Africa. For the past 57 years, NAMPO draws attention of farmers, traders, bankers, technocrats, and other service providers to gather in the Bothaville town and celebrate the grain harvest, appreciate new technologies and agricultural equipment, and welcome new research. The 2025 NAMPO event was particularly unique as it attracted the attention of top public figures and become a diplomatic channel to communicate a message to international communities. President Ramaphosa and Deputy President Mashatile visited the NAMPO event and received a warm and jubilant welcome from true farmers that affirmed their commitment to the country and their devotion to farming. Other prominent public leaders that visited this year's NAMPO event were Minister John Steenhuisen and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Lotriet. The common message emanating from these visits was that there is neither ethnic cleansing nor Afrikaner extermination in the country. Essentially, they dispel the US decision to grant special refugee status to white Afrikaners on the basis of imaginary genocides in South Africa. How Important Is US and Afrikaners to SA Agriculture? Deducing from the messages of farmers and prominent public and private leaders who attended the NAMPO week, there is a solid consensus that farming communities and South Africans, as a whole, are united behind their rainbow nation flag and are opposed to the deluded decision by the Potus. While this may breed confidence and resilience that South Africans are well known for across the globe, it is also important to not lose sight of domestic structural and systematic pitfalls that fuel divisional views that subsequently taint the image of the country in the world. First, is the need to review the current agricultural growth strategy that depends on global demand and innovations while negating the need to build local capabilities on technology and research.\ Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Agoa is important Agoa is one of the important trade agreements that enable South African farmers to produce and export products like fruits, nuts, wine, fish, and prepared foods. Without a doubt, access to the US market has been one of the critical growth factors for South African agriculture. The US accounted for 4% of South Africa's agricultural exports in 2024, suggesting it is not the largest destination market for farmers. However, looking at only trade data could be deceiving because the US's influence on South African agriculture goes beyond trade relations. When the US enacted Agoa in 2000, it aimed to strengthen trade, economic and political co-operation with African states. It is not a coincidence that the biggest companies providing seeds, agrochemicals, and technical services to South African farmers either originate in the US or at least have strong ties with US investors. This illustrates the interconnectedness and high dependency of South Africa's agriculture and food system on the global economy. While thinking global is important but acting local is vital to build resilience, sustainability and inclusivity. Second, it is the lagging development and transformation in the agricultural sector, which at times causes conflicts and division amongst farmers. On February 18, 2025, Minister Steenhuisen painted a concerning picture where he outlined that 90% of agricultural output is from white farmers. Slow transformation Wandile Sihlobo and Johann Kirsten in their book titled, 'The Uncomfortable Truth About South Africa's Agriculture' affirmed these figures and further highlighted the mushrooming divisions amongst farmer organisations. The slow transformation pace tends to portray white farmers, mainly Afrikaners, as the barriers to commercial agriculture which raises frustrations amongst other population groups which are yet to enjoy the full dividends of democracy. Behind these challenges are limited government support to farmers and decaying off-farm infrastructure and stringent market standards that proportionately disadvantaged black farmers. To resolve these challenges, government and private sector must put their hands on the deck to emulate the South African spirit of unity that was radiating in this year's NAMPO. This means the government must upscale its Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme and the land reform. Private sector initiatives such as Metropolitan Collective Shapers, Karan Beef Emerging Academy and HortFin by Fruit South Africa, amongst others, must be promoted and encouraged to expand to all provinces in the country. These private and public programmes will encourage all farmers to work together to build a sustainable and growing agricultural sector. Through these collaborations, real Afrikaner farmers who may be considering emigrating to the US, would be able to realise that they will be foregoing centuries of hard work and investment in agriculture, thus making them to stay. Financial and non-financial incentives must be upscaled to all farmers, especially the developing black farmers, to ensure farmers are committed and not persuaded by short-term political promises in the foreign countries. Agriculture will strive through partnerships. Sifiso Ntombela is an agricultural economist. Image: Supplied Dr Sifiso Ntombela is the President of the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa. He served as the Special Adviser to the former minister Thoko Didiza in the Department of Agriculture, land Reform and Rural Development. Contact details: sifiso@ BUSINESS REPORT
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
At South Africa's top farm fair, Afrikaners are divided over Trump
The 57th NAMPO Harvest Day, proudly presented by Grain SA and held from 13 - 16 May 2025 at NAMPO Park, concluded on a high note last week, reaffirming its position as the Southern Africa's largest and most influential grain-focused agricultural trade exhibition. Image: NAMPO/Facebook South Africa's premier agricultural fair recently showcased livestock, massive tractors and rows of pick-up trucks, a paradise for Afrikaner farmers but many are divided over President Donald Trump's claims of persecution. In trademark khaki shorts and caps, hundreds of farmers gathered at the annual Nampo show in Bothaville, some 220 kilometres south of Johannesburg, days after a first group of Afrikaners were welcomed into the United States as "refugees". "There is no doubt there is a genocide in South Africa," said maize farmer John Potgieter, echoing false claims made by Trump in attacks on the South African government and its policies. Pointing to a nearby monument listing the names of farmers killed in attacks since the 1960s, the 31-year-old insisted that the white Afrikaner minority was a target in the black-majority country. "Obviously, genocide is a broad word. It is not a mass genocide like the Holocaust," Potgieter conceded. A murder rate that averages 75 a day is among South Africa's grim statistics. Most of those who are killed are young black men in urban areas, even if attacks on farms are a harsh reality. Experts say about 50 farmers from all racial groups are killed annually. "It is much safer in a farm than in a town," said sheep and goat farmer Eduard van der Westhuizen. "There are problems, murders sometimes, but it is not targeted," he said, holding a shepherd's crook. "I won't go anywhere else, this is my country, I love it," he added. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ South Africa protested after 49 white Afrikaners flew out of Johannesburg earlier this month, accepting Trump's offer of refuge. "They can't provide any proof of any persecution because there is not any form of persecution to white South Africans or to Afrikaners South Africans," Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters. President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed the claims of genocide as politically motivated, with the countries at odds over a range of policy issues. "There is no genocide here. We are beautiful, happy people, black and white working and living together," Ramaphosa said recently. The first group of Afrikaners from South Africa to arrive for resettlement listen to remarks from US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar Image: SAUL LOEB / AFP Resettlement 'a farce' Held in the heart of South Africa's maize, sunflower and sorghum farming district, this year's Nampo boasted over 900 exhibitors, including dealers in handguns and AR-15 automatic rifles. Gun sales had increased in areas that had seen farm attacks, said Willem Jordaan, head of marketing at Dave Sheer Guns. "It's important to have a means of self-defence," he told AFP. But Trump's invitation to white Afrikaners to settle was a "farce", said a farm equipment dealer with a silver moustache. For Danny Snyman, 18, Trump had raised awareness about the issues in South Africa, admitting though he had never heard of any murders, only "lots of stealing". The rookie farmer said he was attracted by opportunities in the United States. "I would definitely go overseas, maybe to tour and see what it is like and maybe go work there for a month or two, but yeah, I'd probably come back," he said. The US president's claims that white Afrikaners face "unjust racial discrimination" come with ties between Pretoria and Washington at a low over policy issues, including the war in Ukraine. Land ownership remains one of South Africa's most sensitive post-apartheid issues, with the white community, around eight percent of the population, owning more than three-quarters of farms. Afrikaner-led governments imposed the brutal race-based apartheid system that denied the black majority political and economic rights until it was voted out in 1994. AFP
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South African President Calls Out Trump: ‘I'm Sorry I Don't Have a Plane to Give You'
President Donald Trump spent much of Wednesday's Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rambling about disproven claims and conspiracy theories that white South African farmers are the victims of a genocide. Ramaphosa was not interested in indulging Trump's delusions about his country. When a reporter asked Trump what it would take for him to believe that there was no white genocide taking place in South Africa, Ramaphosa interjected to say that such a shift would require Trump actually 'listening to the voices of South Africans, some of whom he is good friends with, like those who are here.' 'It will take him, President Trump, listening to their stories, to their perspective,' Ramaphosa added. Over the last week, attendees at the NAMPO agricultural exhibition in Bothaville, Free State — the largest agricultural expo in South Africa — categorically refuted claims that they were victims of a genocide. The allegations have also been rejected by South African courts who have blocked the transfer of funds to white supremacist groups who spread the conspiracy theory. Nevertheless, Trump has granted refugee status to over 50 white South Africans, and banned the government from participating in this year's G20 summit, which is set to be hosted by South Africa. The claim that South African whites — particularly white farmers and Afrikaners — have been the targets of systematic, genocidal, anti-white violence in post-Apartheid South Africa has existed for decades, and is an extension of global white genocide conspiracy theories. The claims have been repeatedly disputed, with both international and South African investigations finding that rural crime against South African farmers victimizes both Black and white farmers and employees. According to a data review by The New York Times, between April 2020 and March 2024, South African police reported 225 farm murders. 'Many of the victims — 101 — were current or former workers living on farms, who are mostly Black,' the report read. 'Fifty-three of the victims were farmers, who are usually white.' Trump seemed unmoved in Wednesday's meeting, at one point handing Ramaphosa — who repeatedly attempted to correct the president's narrative in as respectful manner as possible — a stack of printed articles he said were related to the murder of a white farmer. 'Death. Death. Death,' Trump repeated while flipping through the printouts. After Ramaphosa suggested Trump actually listen to the perspective of South Africans, Trump had the lights of the Oval Office dimmed and played footage of members of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party singing the controversial anti-Apartheid song 'Kill the Boer.' The presentation also included social media footage of white crucifixes lining a highway in South Africa purporting to represent murdered white farmers. 'I would like to know where this is because this I've never seen,' Ramaphosa said. 'It's in South Africa,' Trump replied, without stating a specific location. Ramaphosa also attempted to explain that while the EFF's songs were a point of controversy even within South Africa, and he personally disagreed with the content, the party had constitutional protections and free speech rights preventing the government from shutting them down. Never one to ignore the Oval Office press gaggle, the president repeatedly complained that the 'fake news' media refused to report on the alleged race-based killings and instead was criticizing him for accepting a $400 million airplane from the government of Qatar. The Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday that it had accepted the plane. 'I wish I had a plane to give you,' a seemingly exasperated Ramaphosa said at one point. 'I wish you did. I would take it,' Trump responded. 'If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it.' Others in the room seemed baffled by the ambush and complaint session Trump had orchestrated at the meeting. At one point, South African businessman Johann Rupert attempted to gently explain to Trump that while South Africa does have 'too many deaths. It's across the board. It's not only white farmers. It's across the board.' Rupert went on to implore Trump to help provide American technology like drones and Starlink — headed by South African billionaire and regular conspiracy monger Elon Musk — to law enforcement in South Africa, which would help curb crime rates in rural areas. More from Rolling Stone Dems Hemorrhaged Support from All Demographics in 2024 - Including New Voters Trump Posts Video of Himself Hitting Bruce Springsteen With a Golf Ball AOC to Reintroduce Bill Combating Deepfake AI Porn Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
eNCA
16-05-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Farmers call for more government support
BOTHAVILLE, FREE STATE - Agriculture remains a key driver of economic growth, although issues such as poor infrastructure and limited market access, is stifling the sector. Farmers have repeatedly called on government for more support to address these problems. READ: Trade show to plough through agriculture sector issues Sector leaders have met over the past three days at NAMPO, one of the largest agri expos in southern hemisphere. ENCA business anchor Rofhiwa Madzena spoke to Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen.
eNCA
16-05-2025
- Business
- eNCA
NAMPO wraps up after a week of agri-innovation
BOTHAVILLE - The quiet fields of Bothaville in the Free State transformed into the epicentre of the country's agricultural industry this week. NAMPO, one of the largest agricultural exhibitions in Africa has drawn thousands of farmers and industry leaders to the area. According to Leon Kotze of Standard Bank, their presence in several nations allows for a warm handshake and trade solutions across borders.
