During the 2022/2023 marketing year, the local grain industry entered several new markets in terms of white and yellow maize exports, while soybean exports increased significantly. The country’s grain storers and handlers once again played a key role in this.

“GOSA is proud to mention that our members from the entire grain value chain were responsible for successfully facilitating this past season’s exports. The destination for around 195 000 tonnes of South African white maize was South Korea, Portugal and Honduras. White maize was again exported to Mexico and a deep-sea export cargo to China was shipped for the first time. The export of soybeans for 2022/2023 totalled 277 504 tons,” said Hein Rehr, president of the Grain Handling Organisation of Southern Africa (GOSA), during its 39th symposium in Stellenbosch.

In line with the symposium’s theme, ‘Stability in Progress’, several speakers shed light on how to stay focused in a volatile environment amid deteriorating infrastructure, a struggling economy, political turmoil and climate change.

Prof Theo Venter, a political analyst from the University of Johannesburg, focused on agriculture in South Africa with the forthcoming general election. He reckoned that the general level of frustration is fuelled by load shedding and cost of living issues and that this increases voters’ need to be liberated from it. Opposition parties have sensed a crack in the 30-year reign of the ruling party and are going to capitalise on it. Coalition formation is the norm that even the ANC will have to use if it remains in power with a small margin after the election.

The chief economist of the Efficient Group, Dawie Roodt, said the ANC is the most destructive force that the country’s economy has ever encountered. This is visible in dysfunctional local authorities, the state-owned institutions and the state’s debt burden. He went on to say that what is needed for economic stability is that the party or coalition government that controls South Africa after the upcoming election establishes good economic policies with the political will to implement it.

Dr Wallace Vosloo, a corporate specialist in high voltage engineering, gave his impressions about a life with controlled load shedding by Eskom as power supplier. He referred to Eskom’s then world-class status versus the aggravating current effect of bureaucracy, cadre deployment and a corrupt procurement system of this state institution. Vosloo’s expectation is that load shedding will be a given for the next decade; therefore the grain value chain must renew its thinking on this and embrace alternative energy. “The future of energy lies in hydrogen, because oil and coal reserves are not going to last forever,” he added.

FNB Agribusiness’ Dawie Maree, delivered an economic view on progress in the agricultural sector. Although the sector showed progress in general, risks such as the policy environment had a negative impact. In terms of production and management, efficiency in the sector has increased with the adoption and utilisation of technology as an important positive driver.

A total of three technical workshops were presented as part of the symposium by Professor Jan Havenga (Stellenbosch University), Japie Snyman (Olam Agri) and Johan van Rensburg (VKB). Dr Gustav Gous, a management coach and chief executive officer of Short Walk Seminars, was the inspirational speaker.

During the annual general meeting, Rinus Bezuidenhout (Bester Feeds) was elected to the board in the stead of Lukas Swarts (Ensign), who concluded his term. During a subsequent board meeting, Hein Rehr (RehrCo) was appointed as president, Johan van Rensburg (VKB) as vice-president and Dries Dannhauser (Tiger Brands) as treasurer – replacing Marco Pretorius (AFGRI) who continues as a board member. The remainder of the board consists of Ferdinand Meyer (Ronin), Michal Rehr (National Fumigants), Willem Strauss (RMB), Stefan van Staden (AFGRI) and Tom Terblanche (Grain Carriers).

General
GOSA’s 39th symposium and annual general meeting was held on 18 and 19 March this year at the Protea Hotel in Stellenbosch. Nearly 70 agricultural companies and institutions attended with representation from the entire grain value chain.

GOSA would like to thank Bessemer Africa as main sponsor of the symposium.