It’s official. Nampo Cape has become the latest agricultural event to be cancelled amid the battle against covid-19. Grain SA says in a late-night statement that it had reached its “final decision” about the event that was initially scheduled for September 2020.
Organisers say they hoped for a “better indication” of the pandemic’s consequences for mass events. It adds, “Unfortunately, the difficult, yet responsible decision, had to be made sooner, thus avoiding the possible cancellation of the show at short notice.”
The announcement follows that of Dr Zweli Mkhize, the minister of health, that South Africa reached another new daily record with 9 063 new covid-19 cases reported today, bringing the total positive cases to date to 177 124. Of the total cases, 38% are in the Western Cape and 31% in Gauteng, with the gap narrowing fast.
More than 16 000 people attended the first Nampo Cape, held in 2018 at Bredasdorp Park, and organisers had hoped that this year’s event would reach record-numbers. Arrangements for Nampo Cape 2021 will commence soon, with organisers promising “an agricultural show in the Overberg that will offer a continuation of the growth and quality of presentation they have become accustomed to.”
In a statement, Toit Wessels, assistant manager at Nampo, says, “At present, there is no indication what the situation and legislation will be around mass events in September, and the Nampo Cape management cannot reduce or completely mitigate visitor risk in any way.”
Earlier, organisers announced that Nampo Harvest Day, known as the southern hemisphere’s largest agricultural expo, will this year be held virtually instead. From 9 to 12 September 2020 the exhibition, themed “Find your 2020 Agri-Vision”, will virtually connect farmers, suppliers, and colleagues. Virtual attendees will be able to enjoy their favourite exhibitors and consume a wealth of online content across the industry and the globe from the comfort of their homes.
