‘N ORGANISASIE VIR PRODUSENTE, DEUR PRODUSENTE

Dr Frikkie Maré, Hoofuitvoerende Beampte van die nasionale RPO, het tydens die nasionale RPO se konferensie wat onlangs by Nampo/ALFA in Bothaville plaasgevind het, produsente uitgenooi om deel te wees en te bly van die RPO, ‘n organisasie vir produsente, deur produsente. Dit sal verseker dat daar op die ware brandpunte in die bedryf gefokus word.

AN ORGANISATION FOR PRODUCERS, BY PRODUCERS

Dr Frikkie Maré, Chief Executive Officer of the National RPO, during the National RPO’s conference which took place recently at Nampo/ALFA in Bothaville, invited producers to be and remain part of the RPO, an organisation for producers, by producers. This will ensure that the real issues in the industry are focused on.

 

Dr Maré is reeds sedert 2011 by die RPO betrokke, aanvanklik by die Vrystaatse RPO, maar later het hy ook by die Vrystaat RPO se uitvoerende raad betrokke geraak, waar hy verskeie vergaderings bygewoon het. Hy was getref deur die sukses wat boere kan behaal as hulle saamwerk om probleme in die rooivleisbedryf aan te spreek, op beide provinsiale en nasionale vlak, asook die feit dat ‘n handjievol boere so hard baklei vir die res van die land se rooivleisboere.

 

In dié tyd het boere hom dikwels gevra hoekom dit nodig is om ‘n lid van die RPO te wees, en dr Maré het altyd daarop gewys dat baie boere eers die waarde van die RPO sal besef as dit nie meer daar is nie.

 

Volgens dr Maré het hy dus ‘n goeie agtergrondkennis van die RPO gehad, sodat hy die pos as Hoofuitvoerende Beampte met oop oë aanvaar het. Hy was ten volle bewus van wat die organisasie vir produsente beteken, die uitdagings wat die rooivleisbedryf die hoof moet bied, asook die uitdagings wat binne die RPO ervaar word. Hy het die pos aanvaar om ‘n verskil te maak, nie net in die RPO nie, maar ook in die bedryf.

 

Hy het daarop gewys dat die rooivleisbedryf en die RPO egter nie meer heeltemal dieselfde is as dié wat hy 13 jaar gelede leer ken het nie. Dit is nog minder dieselfde as wat dit was toe die RPO 38 jaar gelede tot stand gekom het.

 

Tye het verander; die waardeketting het verander; die Suid-Afrikaanse markomgewing is gedereguleer; voerkrale het ‘n al groter rol begin speel; internasionale handel lyk nie eers jaar-op-jaar dieselfde nie; supermarkte het die tradisionele slaghuise basies vervang; verbruikers het oor die jare verander; voedselvoorkeure verander voortdurend; en produsente het al minder geword soos wat die ekonomie van skaal produsente van die plaas af gedwing het. Verder het uitdagings soos predasie, siektes en veediefstal oor die afgelope jare proporsioneel toegeneem.

 

Kommunikasiekanale het ook verander, sodat dit vandag ‘n uitdaging is om iemand sover te kry om te lees, want video’s en kort stemboodsakppe word as kommunikasiemiddels verkies. Daar is egter steeds mense wat ‘n papier in die hand wil voel, anders lees hulle nie. Almal moet op een of ander manier bereik word, het hy gesê.

 

Volgens dr Maré was daar deur al die verandering een konstantheid: deur al die jare is daar steeds ‘n rooivleisprodusente-organisasie wat elke uitdaging die hoof bied om steeds te verseker dat kos geproduseer word. Die RPO doen dalk nie meer presies dieselfde dinge op dieselfde manier nie, maar dit is steeds ‘n organisasie deur produsente vir produsente, met die doel om die produsent by te staan.

 

Dr Maré het gesê die tyd het egter aangebreek dat daar weer oor die organisasie besin moet word, nie oor sy primêre doelwit nie, maar hoe die organisasie gaan verseker dat dit belyn bly met die uitdagings wat in die rooivleisbedryf ervaar word.

 

Hy het aangedui daar gaan volgende jaar op verskillende platforms met die RPO se lede in gesprek getree word om hul insette in te win en om te verseker dat hulle inkoop by die organisasie. Tydens die kongres wat in 2025 gehou gaan word, sal daar rigting gegee word oor waarheen die organisasie in die volgende vyf tot tien jaar gaan beweeg.

 

Dr Maré has been involved in the RPO since 2011, initially with the Free State RPO, but later he also became involved in the Free State RPO’s executive council, where he attended several meetings. He was struck by the success that farmers can achieve if they work together to address problems in the red meat industry, both at provincial and national level, as well as the fact that a handful of farmers are fighting so hard on behalf of the rest of the country’s red meat farmers.

 

During this time, farmers often asked him why it was necessary to be a member of the RPO, and Dr Maré always pointed out that many farmers would only realise the value of the RPO when it was no longer there.

 

According to Dr Maré, he therefore had a good background knowledge of the RPO, so that was the reason he accepted the position as Chief Executive Officer with open eyes. He was fully aware of what the organisation means to producers, the challenges the red meat industry has to face, as well as the challenges experienced within the RPO. He accepted the position to make a difference, not only in the RPO, but also in the industry.

 

He pointed out that the red meat industry and the RPO are no longer quite the same as those he got to know 13 years ago. It is even less the same than it was when the RPO was established 38 years ago.

 

Times have changed; the value chain has changed; the South African market environment is deregulated; feedlots began to play an ever-greater role; international trade does not even look the same from year to year; supermarkets have basically replaced the traditional butchers; consumers have changed over the years; food preferences are constantly changing; and producers have become fewer and fewer as economies of scale have forced producers off the farm. Furthermore, challenges such as predation, disease and livestock theft have increased proportionally over recent years.

 

Communication channels have also changed, so that today it is a challenge to get someone to read, because videos and short voicemail messages are preferred as means of communication. However, there are still people who want to feel a paper in their hand, otherwise they won’t read anything. Everyone must be reached in some way, he said.

 

According to Dr Maré, there has been one constant through all the change: through all these years there is still a red meat producer organisation that faces every challenge to ensure that food is still produced. The RPO may no longer do exactly the same things in the same way, but it is still an organisation by producers for producers, with the aim of assisting the producer.

 

Dr Maré said the time had come to reflect on the organisation, not in terms of its primary objective, but how the organisation would ensure that it remains aligned with the challenges experienced in the red meat industry.

 

He indicated that next year there will be discussions with the RPO’s members on different platforms to get their input and to ensure that they buy into the organisation. During the national RPO congress which will take place in 2025, direction will be given on where the organisation will move in the next five to ten years.

Dankie / Thank You

Die nasionale RPO wil graag die volgende borge hartlik bedank vir hul betrokkenheid wat bygedra het tot die sukses van die geleentheid. /

The national RPO would like to sincerely thank the following sponsors for their involvement which contributed to the success of the event.