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IOL News
13-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Nampo Harvest Day kicks off, spotlighting the future of South African agriculture
Nampo Harvest Day, hosted by Grain SA, earmarked as the biggest agricultural show in the Southern hemisphere, kicked off in Bothaville in the Free State on Wednesda Nampo Harvest Day, hailed as the largest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere, officially commenced on Wednesday, welcoming industry professionals and enthusiasts alike. Hosted by Grain SA, the annual event anticipates a robust showcase of innovations, technologies, and collaborations designed to fortify the future of South African agriculture. Grain SA acknowledged the pressing global challenges that modern agriculture faces, ranging from climate change to the intricacies of interconnected food systems. The forthcoming Nampo Harvest Day, running from 13 to 16 May, will emphasise the importance of utilising global knowledge and innovations to empower local producers. The Nampo Harvest Day continues to uphold its reputation as a platform where local farmers can engage with international advancements while respecting South Africa's unique agricultural landscape. Grain SA said the event remained the one-stop platform for producers, agribusinesses, and service providers to connect, collaborate, and trade. 'Global Agriculture Locally' is not just a theme: it's a timely lens for South Africa's grain producers to view their role in a fast-changing agricultural economy," it said. "The exchange of ideas, technology, and practices across borders presents unprecedented opportunities for local farmers to increase their resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability. From climate-smart practices to precision agriculture, South African producers are part of a global network of knowledge - but with deep roots in local soil.' Grain SA said that food security, input costs, and production efficiency continue to dominate agricultural conversations. Nampo 2025 provides producers with the tools, technologies, and relationships they need to navigate this complex landscape. 'Whether it's cutting-edge machinery, climate-adaptive seed varieties, agri-finance services, or digital solutions, Nampo remains the platform where local meets global in real time.' Dr Dirk Strydom, managing director of Nampo, said that South African producers understand that they were not farming in isolation. 'What happens globally, whether it's innovation, trade flows, or climate patterns, affects what happens locally," Streydom said. "Nampo gives producers access to global agriculture in one location, with solutions they can use today. It remains the ultimate one-stop event for any serious player in the agricultural industry.' Francois Rossouw, CEO of Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), said that Nampo remained the single most important event on the South African agricultural calendar. 'It is not just a showcase of the latest technology and innovation; it is a place where relationships are built, businesses are formed, and the future of farming is discussed," he said. Rossouw added that for family farmers, Nampo was a vital platform to access the tools and networks they needed to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving sector. 'From mechanisation to digital solutions, and from policy dialogue to youth involvement, Nampo creates the space for farmers of all scales to find their place in the future of agriculture,' Rossouw said. He added that its significance to the sector lied in its ability to bring the entire value chain together: government, private sector, organised agriculture, and farmers, all in one place, sharing ideas and driving the industry forward. Theo Boshoff, CEO for the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA (Agbiz), said that Nampo was an opportunity both for the sector to showcase the latest innovations, trends, and technology but also to celebrate the role of the industry in the broader economy. 'It is therefore as much an opportunity for companies to market their products as it is to celebrate the sector at the time when the summer crop is being harvested,' he said. 'It brings together agricultural leaders, experts, and policymakers to discuss the burning issues facing the sector.' Visit
IOL News
29-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
SA farmers have mixed reactions about implications of VAT increase reversal
The agriculture sector has given mixed reactions following the announcement by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana that the proposed Value Added Tax increase of 0,5 % was reversed on Thursday. The agricultural industry in South Africa has given mixed reactions to the reversal of the proposed 0.5 percentage points increas in the Value-Added Tax (VAT) by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana that the proposed on Thursday. Francois Rossouw, CEO of Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), on Friday said that the reversal of the proposed VAT increase was positive news for the agricultural sector and the consumers. 'A VAT increase would have put additional financial pressure on farmers, particularly smaller-scale and emerging producers who are often not VAT-registered and therefore unable to reclaim increased input costs. It would also have negatively impacted consumer affordability of essential agricultural products,' he said. Rossouw added that while the VAT remaining at 15% would alleviate immediate cost pressures, the sector was still faing significant challenges, including rising input costs, infrastructure limitations, and logistical inefficiencies. 'We therefore urge the government to focus on improving infrastructure and logistics, and ensuring stable, supportive trade policies to foster sustainable growth and stability within agriculture,' Rossouw said. Dawie Maree, head of information and marketing at FNB Business and Agriculture, said that a change in VAT will not have ahd a significant impact on commercial agriculture since commercial farmers were VAT registered, so there was a pass-through. 'Small-scale farmers who are not registered would have been negatively affected since they would have had to absorb the VAT increase. Indirectly it is good news for agriculture if there were a VAT hike, consumers who are still struggling would have less disposable income to spend,' he said. Jaco Minnaar, president of Agri SA, said that they welcome the increase being scrapped because it will just be an additional burden to consumers. 'All VAT-rated product prices would have increased if the bill was passed, like white bread, other services and products prices would have increased by an extra 0.5%,' he said. Minnaar added that the pity was the timing of scrapping the increase seven days before implementation, where a lot of businesses already had huge expenses to prepare for the increase. 'Now all the time, effort, and costs have gone to waste,' Minaar said. TLU SA general manager, Bennie van Zyl, said the cancellation of the planned VAT increase was a victory for healthy opposition and cooperation. 'However, it does not solve the deeper crisis. The problem is not VAT but decades of policy direction that have suffocated the private sector. We need structural reform and expertise and more support for the agriculture sector,' Van Zyl said. Francois Baird, founder of the FairPlay movement, said that poor people will be the hardest hit by the government's decision to scrap the proposed additions to the list of VAT zero-rated foods. 'The decision is a consequence of the welcome reversal of the proposed increase in VAT from 15% to 15.5%. But forcing poor people to pay more for food is a shocking way for the government to try to make up for the revenue it will lose by not increasing VAT,' he said. Baird added that since the last VAT increase in 2018, FairPlay has campaigned vigorously for 'VAT-free chicken', the removal of VAT from the chicken portions most consumed by low-income households. Baird said that this year, FairPlay supported the application by poultry producers and chicken importers for the removal of VAT from frozen chicken portions and fresh and frozen offal products such as chicken heads, feet, and livers. 'This was a pro-poor proposal aimed at helping poor people feed themselves and their families. The need is urgent.' Aliya Chikte, project officer at the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), said that the reversal of the VAT hike was welcome, particularly in the context of horrific impoverishment and hunger. 'However, there is growing concern that this move may be offset by deeper spending cuts, potentially harming grant recipients and the majority who rely on essential public services,' Chikte said. 'The Minister stated that the decision to not increase VAT means that the measures to cushion lower-income households against the potential negative impact of the rate increase now need to be withdrawn and other expenditure decisions revisited.' Chikte added that this means that offal and tinned vegetables will not be included in VAT zero-rated goods. 'Pro-poor expenditure such as above-inflation increases to social grants and expenditure on health and education should be protected.' BUSINESS REPORT
