Tales from Nampo

We live in a world where much clamours for our attention, proclaiming importance and significance, putting us in the wrong or making us feel uncertain. The sought-after result is for us to back whatever and whoever the speaker is, and to hand over our money.

The issue may be very important indeed, but the challenge is to discern what has substance and what consists mostly of noise and show. You may fly the right flag (good) -- what are you really offering?

There are media and event companies in agriculture which fly the transformation flag, and pretty much empty the marketing budgets of well-meaning role players in the process. Is their contribution to the sector and to the so-called emerging farmer sector real? At Nampo, one such company came to collect a copy of The Agri Handbook for South Africa. We duly handed over a book, albeit with great reservation.

There were no such misgivings when dropping off books at the Grain SA building and meeting three members -- one person in particular -- of the team responsible for farmer development. Surely the chances of success for training a new generation of farmers are heightened by the involvement of people like this! But go meet them yourself. Do some checking up on the work they are doing. Speak to people involved on the ground and form your own opinion.

When we pronounce on the moral right of an individual or company to exist we wander into dangerous territory. More often than not, persons we praise either have a fall ahead of them or have earned their stripes elsewhere on the journey.

Yet how thrilled we are when appearance and essence are the same! It may be just one individual in the organisation, offering up his or her work from an undivided self. Agriculture -- indeed the world -- is better of for their being here.