Agri SA: New President, New Energy, New Strategy

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.