Since its inception, the NAMPO Harvest Day has grown in leaps and bounds, evolving into the standard bearer of agricultural innovation on a one-stop platform in South Africa.
The theme
NAMPO Harvest Day 2024 has raised the bar, as the selection of the theme of ‘Agriculture in the Digital Age’ underscores. The theme couldn’t have been more perfect. It has been deliberately selected to coincide with the time when grain producers are grappling with a myriad of challenges, including climate change, rising input costs, and supply chain constraints due to geopolitical factors beyond their control.
Exciting time
In an event preview, Dr Dirk Strydom, Head of NAMPO, Marketing & Research Coordination, deems the 2024 event ‘an exciting time for local grain producers”. Through an interview, he informs Farmers Review Africa about the theme’s relevance and the abundance of networking opportunities.
The relevance
The theme of “Agriculture in the digital age” is commensurate with current priorities in grain production, the agricultural sector generally, explains Dr Strydom. “With margins within the agricultural spectrum under pressure, without subsidies or similar support measures, it is important to ensure efficiencies are as high as possible. The digital environment plays a pivotal role in increasing efficiencies and limiting risks,” he says, spelling out that it is about recognising the significance of connectivity in driving efficiency, sustainability, and prosperity in farming practices. Grain SA is mindful that the convenience of digital tools and platforms can open up opportunities for farmers to enhance productivity, optimise resource utilisation, and improve livelihoods.
There are several areas farmers can leverage opportunities technology presents. Specifically, Strydom mentions the following need avenues: Quicker research, Quicker data/answers, Managing risks; Better production processes; and Precision, which entails increasing every percentage that can be increased.
Already, technology, digitisation, in particular, is gaining traction in farming. Precisely, Dr Strydom cites precision agriculture as an area where this is prominent. “Precision agriculture is playing an enormous role in this time frame variable rate application. It enables applying the right resource at the right time in the right position. Obtaining the optimal yield means the combination of costs and yields providing the highest profits on a sustainable basis,” he expounds.
A network of new opportunities
Regarding the 2024 event, Grain SA affirms to stakeholders that it is a notch higher, tailored for the contemporary needs of producers. Esteeming grain producers as problem solvers, the 2024, as in previous events, NAMPO provides a one-stop platform where a network with service providers can be facilitated to obtain new opportunities. They can access information and interact, with services and products on offer related to production, machinery, food-processing, inputs, precision agriculture and financial solutions. Besides, NAMPO is a platform for service providers to showcase their innovative ideas.
More goodies in store
With anticipation, Dr Strydom promises stakeholders in the agricultural sector that there will be more goodies at the 2024 event. In readiness for the event, there have been infrastructure upgrades in the park, with a whole new hall to host additional indoor exhibitors. On schedule, there are innovative exhibitions.
NAMPO 2024, the 56th presentation of the Harvest Day from 14 – 17 May 2024 is geared to showcase the newest trends and developments on offer!
