Mr Bully Botma, chairman of Grain SA, said that various developments in the marketing of summer grains have posed numerous problems for grain farmers this season. Large carry over stocks, lower international prices since the beginning of the season and a much stronger rand than was expected, have all resulted in sharp declines in almost all summer crop prices.

Mr Botma said the current poor market conditions will definitely have serious consequences for the coming production season and will put the sustainability of grain production at risk. Applications for production credit for the coming season will also be affected and grain farmers will have to carefully plan their production intentions.

Grain SA has, as a result, decided to support farmers in this regard and provide the opportunity to jointly plan actions for the coming season. Four regional conferences will be held this coming month during which the current situation in the grain market and the production opportunities for the coming season will be urgently discussed.

The first conference will take place on Tuesday, 27 July 2004 at ARC-Small Grains Institute outside Bethlehem. The dates and venues of the other conferences are as follows:

Thuesday, 3 August 2004                        Sasol Recreation Club, Secunda
Wednesday, 11 August 2004                    SAVF - Wilgersdienssentrum - Lichtenburg
Thursday, 12 August 2004                       NAMPO Park, Bothaville

All the conferences will start at 10:00.

Mr Botma appealed to all grain farmers to attend these conferences and contribute to the formulation of solutions for the problems currently being faced by the industry. All other roleplayers in the grain industry and interested parties are welcome to attend the conferences.

For enquiries contact Grain SA in Bothaville on telephone (056) 515 2145. Full details are also available on Grain SA’s website: www.grainsa.co.za. c

Konferensies oor graanbemarking en produksie

Mnr Bully Botma, voorsitter van Graan SA, sê verskeie verwikkelinge in die bemarking van somergrane het hierdie seisoen ‘n baie ongunstige verloop vir graanboere gehad. Surplus graanvoorrade, laer internasionale graanpryse as wat aan die begin van die seisoen geheers het en ‘n heelwat sterker R/$-wisselkoers as wat algemeen verwag was, het tot skerp dalings in die meeste graanpryse aanleiding gegee.

Mnr Botma sê die huidige swak marktoestande sal beslis ernstige gevolge vir die komende produksieseisoen inhou en die volhoubaarheid van graanproduksie in gedrang bring. Aansoeke om produksiekrediet vir die nuwe seisoen sal beslis ook hierdeur geraak word en graanboere sal hulle produksiebeplanning baie deeglik moet doen.

Graan SA het gevolglik besluit om graanboere in hierdie verband by te staan en die geleentheid te bied om gesamentlike aksies vir die komende seisoen te beplan. Vier streekskonferensies gaan binne die volgende maand in die somersaaigebied gehou word waartydens die huidige verwikkelinge in die graanmark en die beraamde produksieruimte vir die komende seisoen indringend bespreek sal word.

Die eerste konferensie word op Dinsdag, 27 Julie 2004 by die LNR-Kleingraaninstituut buite Bethlehem gehou. Die volgende drie konferensies sal op die volgende datums en plekke gehou word:

Dinsdag, 3 Augustus 2004            Sasol Ontspanningsklub, Secunda
Woensdag, 11 Augustus 2004      SAVF - Wilgersdienssentrum - Lichtenburg
Donderdag, 12 Augustus 2004      NAMPO Park, buite Bothaville

Al die konferensies begin om 10:00.

Mnr Botma het ‘n beroep op alle graanboere gedoen om die konferensies by te woon  en insette te lewer om saam met die bestuur van Graan SA planne te beraam vir die probleme wat die graanbedryf op die oomblik in die gesig staar. Alle ander rolspelers en belangstellendes in die graanbedryf is ook welkom om die konferensies by te woon.

Enige navrae kan aan Graan SA se kantoor op Bothaville by telefoonnommer (056) 515 2145 gerig word. Volledige besonderhede sal ook op Graan SA se webblad verskyn. Die webadres is www.grainsa.co.za.