AgriSA is celebrating 120 years of leadership in the South African agricultural sector, highlighting the hard work and determination of Mzansi’s farmers who stay competitive globally while managing challenges at home.
Leaders in agriculture have gathered at AgriSA’s Green Horizons Congress at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Wednesday, 09 and Thursday, 10 October 2024.
The event aims to explore sustainable farming practices, innovative strategies, and collaborative approaches to address future challenges facing the industry.
According to AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé, this year’s congress represents a significant opportunity to reflect on the investability of the food economy and agriculture’s role in sustaining food security.
Since the dawn of South African democracy and the deregulation of the agriculture sector, the sector has seen immense growth, Kotzé added.
“Over the past 20 years, the agricultural sector’s average growth rates have been well above the rest of the economy.”
AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé
Even with the ups and downs of agricultural markets and political challenges, South Africa has seen a significant boost in the sales of farming equipment and new technologies in recent years. This is demonstrated by maize and soybean crops, which have grown by an impressive 30% on average over the past ten years.
This, Kotzé said, indicates farmers’ resilience and commitment to remaining globally competitive while navigating a complex local landscape.
“Agriculture is a national asset which all South Africans should be proud custodians of. We all have a role in ensuring food security while protecting our natural resources.”
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Positive outlook on the future of agriculture
The congress began on Wednesday with AgriSA’s annual general meeting, followed by a welcoming cocktail reception. The main event on 10 October featured a series of dynamic discussion sessions in various venues around the V&A Waterfront, covering critical topics such as sustainability, innovation, and the future of agriculture.
Reflecting on AgriSA’s milestone, AgriSA president Jaco Minnaar said they are privileged to host the event in Cape Town.
“The Cape Town harbour, the silo complex, played a very major role in agriculture for the past 100 years in exports and imports. It’s actually a privilege to be here and to celebrate 120 years at this prestigious event.
“I think the farmers are very positive, farmers are very excited about the future of agriculture, and we’re looking forward to talking about the green horizons of agriculture, the future of agriculture, and what we can expect in the next year or two or five to be better farmers,” said Minnaar.
Some of the programme highlights included a panel discussion on “The investability of the food economy”.
This session was facilitated by Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, and featured panellists including Mooketsa Ramasodi, director general of the department of agriculture; Thabi Nkosi, chairperson of Land Bank; Louis van Ravesteyn, group head: agribusiness, Standard Bank; John Hudson, head of agriculture at Nedbank; and Bertie Huggett, CEO of agriculture at FNB.
The programme also featured three parallel sessions on utilising data and technology to pioneer agricultural innovation, another on ESG – cultivating sustainability across the agricultural value chain, and another on sustainable food systems.
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