Free State farmer, Dan Kriek, was elected Agri SA’s new president during its congress in October. He spoke to Sabrina Dean about the association’s new strategy, and its vision to achieve ‘unity about agriculture’, a scenario in which all authorities agree on agriculture’s critical role.
What is your agricultural background?
I started out as a commercial farmer running sheep and cattle. Now I focus on cattle only, and more specifically, cattle breeding, after founding my Bellary South Devon stud in 2001. I’m also involved in the South Devon Breed Society.
Are you ready to engage with and promote Agri SA’s new strategic positioning?
I’ve served as vice-president since 2014 and was on the committee that carved out the new strategy, so it’s not new to me.
There will be new processes as we roll it out, but the strategy itself has been a long time in the planning and we know what we want and need to do. An entire team is actively working on it.
Agri SA has reinvented itself; it’s undergone a brand refresh. When we began strategic deliberations, we tried to look ahead to a future Agri SA, and we wanted to say with honesty that Agri SA is the home of every farmer.
Our vision is unity about agriculture, not unity in agriculture. Unity about agriculture is a broader concept, where people don’t necessarily agree with each other, but all of society understands the importance and relevance of agriculture.
I’m excited about it. Obviously it’s new for everybody, with the new board of directors also having just been elected. But we’re very excited to give it a go and roll out our new strategy.
Are you not worried that Agri SA’s plans to serve the entire value chain will dilute your power as a lobby group for primary agriculture?
No. The farmer is still the central player in this ecosystem. So that’s where our focus will be. Agri SA is the home of the farmer, that’s what it stands for.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 17 November 2017 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 17 November 2017 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
