The largest show of agricultural machinery and livestock in the southern hemisphere, NAMPO Harvest Day, has now been cancelled for a second consecutive year due to Covid-19 infections in the Free State.
Last year, the event was held in a virtual format. According to the organisers, the 2020 digital trade fair was attended by 31 500 visitors and 93 exhibitors. Many exhibitors were, however, disappointed with online sales made.
This morning, Grain SA announced that the 2021 NAMPO Harvest Day has now been cancelled in its entirety. Originally, the Bothaville event was rescheduled from May to August this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a media release, Grain SA says it was left with “no alternative”. With more than 750 exhibitors, sights are now rather set on 2022. The organisation says this decision was taken “in the interest of all visitors, event personnel, exhibitors and the local community’s health and safety.”
Stakeholders widely consulted
“The decision to cancel or postpone any event, especially the NAMPO Harvest Day, is not an easy call for any organisation,” says Grain SA chief executive Jannie de Villiers.
“Events of this scale require significant investment of time and resources by the organisers, approval institutions at local and national levels, exhibitors and service providers alike, and a decision as to whether NAMPO 2021 should go ahead had to be taken timeously.”
De Villiers adds that Grain SA continuously consulted with event stakeholders and partners.
“The NAMPO Harvest Day requires months of planning from the organisation and its exhibitors and with many of its stakeholders still prohibiting participation in, and attendance of events, the decision to cancel the event was once again, a necessary one,” Dr Dirk Strydom, manager: grain economy and marketing at Grain SA added.
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