Emerging farmers will have a rare opportunity to put their questions directly to industry leaders, finance specialists, government representatives and legal experts at a special programme at Nampo Cape next week.
Food For Mzansi and the Western Cape P.L.A.S. Farmers’ Alliance are bringing together a powerful line-up of speakers on Thursday, 10 September, for a practical session focused squarely on the challenges and opportunities facing the province’s emerging farmers.
The programme runs from 09:00 to 11:45 at the Food For Mzansi venue in the Santam auditorium at Nampo Cape, Bredasdorp, and farmers are encouraged to attend.
And you do not need to have RSVP’d to get into the room. Walk-ins are welcome on the day, although farmers are encouraged to RSVP in advance by clicking on this link.
Focus on funding for emerging farmers
The morning kicks off with a few words by Food For Mzansi managing director Ivor Price, followed by an introduction to the newly established Western Cape P.L.A.S. Farmers’ Alliance by award-winning Overberg farmer André Cloete.
The alliance aims to create opportunities, build partnerships and strengthen support for emerging farmers across the Western Cape, making its introduction particularly relevant to farmers looking for greater representation and practical support.
Dr Jack Bloom, the newly appointed deputy minister of water and sanitation, will unpack how the country can turn sanitation from a costly liability into an agricultural asset by safely recovering water, nutrients and organic matter.
He will explore how the sanitation economy could reduce input and irrigation costs for emerging farmers while creating new opportunities for small businesses and cooperatives through resource recovery, treated wastewater, composting and biogas.
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Finance is another major focus, with Matthew Musandiwa from Khula! exploring alternative funding models for emerging farmers. For farmers who have struggled to access traditional agricultural finance, the session promises to unpack different ways of finding capital and building more sustainable farming enterprises.
The future of grain production will then come under the spotlight, with Grain SA vice-chairperson Jeremia Mathebula discussing the opportunities and challenges facing grain producers in South Africa, and what these trends could mean for emerging farmers.
Land reform and legal issues
Land remains one of the most important issues facing farmers seeking to grow their businesses, and representatives from the department of land reform and rural development will tackle land reform and title deeds. The discussion will look at the importance of secure land tenure for farmers who want to build sustainable and investable businesses.
Farmers will also get practical legal guidance from Falon Mars of Mars Rossouw Attorneys INC. Her session will cover some of the legal issues that can have a major impact on farming businesses, from labour law and workplace disputes to evictions, wills and succession planning.
Risk is another reality of farming, and Mario Ruiters, senior risk adviser at Integrisure, will unpack agricultural insurance and risk management. The session will focus on how emerging farmers can protect their enterprises against risks and build greater resilience.
But perhaps the most valuable part of the morning will come when the floor opens for questions.
The interactive Q&A will give farmers the chance to put their real-world challenges directly to the speakers and explore practical solutions. It is an opportunity to move beyond presentations and have the conversations that matter on the farm.
The programme closes with reflections from Egan Duminy, chief operating officer at LenQua Group, followed by networking.
For emerging farmers, this is more than another Nampo Cape session. It is a chance to connect with people who can help answer some of the difficult questions around finance, land, production, law and risk, while meeting fellow farmers and potential partners.
Click here to RSVP for the special programme for emerging farmers.
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