Agbiz Congress 2018 Feedback Report
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The Agbiz Congress 2018 was hosted from 7 to 8 June in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. More than 400 key leaders and decision makers
convened at this premier agribusiness network opportunity to discuss and influence the future of the broader South African agro-food industry.
Herewith a brief summary of the presentations with links to more detailed reports as well as some of the presentations.
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DAY 1
Opening and welcome -
Dr John Purchase
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Agriculture and agribusinesses annually contribute around
14% of total GDP to the economy of the country,
but the value of these sectors cannot be measured in money alone. They make a huge contribution to rural development and sustainable employment. Agbiz’s members’ participation is, therefore, crucial to take agriculture and agribusiness forward in South Africa, said Dr John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz .
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Keynote address -
Mike Mlengana
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Mike Mlengana, director general of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, delivered the keynote address and placed
public–private
partnerships in the spotlight. “These partnerships are important for the South African economy, but they must be meaningful and they must have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. We must have a strategy and a clear vision about these partnerships,” he said.
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Global agribusiness outlook -
Prof Marcos Fava Neves
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Agricultural markets will grow but prices will stay more or less as they are today. The only way for agricultural producers to remain in business is to build their margins. This was the message to congress of Prof. Marcos Fava Neves, professor at the Business School of Economics, Business Administration and Accounting at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.
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Technology and global food security -
Dr Neal Gutterson
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Economic outlook -
Goolam Ballim
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a number of important steps so far this year in stage one of the Ramaphosa reform era. These include recalibrating key areas of economic and institutional importance. He also overhauled the security cluster, said
Goolam Ballim, chief economist of
Standard Bank.
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Socio-economic expectations -
Mpumelelo Mkhabela
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DAY 2
Land reform: PLAAS perspective -
Prof Ben Cousins
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Land reform status update -
Theo Boshoff
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"Agbiz input with regard to land reform so far was primarily viewed from a commercial perspective, thus the creation of successful and viable new entrants. This is only one part of the story. The restoration of dignity is key to the debate, but how does one do this practically?" Theo Boshoff, Agbiz head of Legal Intelligence, discussed the current policy environment for land reform and the relevant legislation and said that Agbiz is closely involved in many land reform forums.
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Water security and water governance in South Africa -
Trevor Balzer
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Without intervention the national water deficit will be around 17% by 2030. Water availability could also deteriorate as supply contracts and demand escalate due to growth, urbanisation, inefficient use, degradation of wetlands, water losses and the negative impact of climate change. This was the opinion of Trevor Balzer, deputy director general: Strategic and Emergency Projects of the Department of Water and Sanitation.
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Developing strategies for export promotion -
Prof Wilma Viviers and Martin Cameron
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Cameron, managing director of the TRADE Research Advisory.
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Navigating SA's trade policy direction and investment opportunities -
Sifiso Ntombela
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Europe remains a major market for South African agricultural exports and has growth potential, but a partnership approach is needed to address the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) measures affecting exports such as citrus, said Sifiso Ntombela, Agbiz head of International Trade and Investment.
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New leadership elected at the AGM
At the conclusion of the Agbiz Congress, the Annual General Meeting was held during which Francois Strydom, managing director of Senwes (left), was elected as the new chairman of Agbiz, while Sean Walsh, managing director of Kaap Agri ( not present) and Dr Langa Simela, agribusiness development manager of Absa (middle), were elected as deputy chairpersons, pictured here with Dr John Purchase, Agbiz CEO.
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View the
gallery
for pictures
of all the events at the congress.
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Company Name | Phone | Address | Website
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