NUWE SPAN LEI DIE RPO NOORD-KAAP / NEW TEAM LEADS THE RPO NORTHERN CAPE
NUWE SPAN LEI DIE RPO NOORD-KAAP
Die RPO Noord-Kaap het tydens sy onlangse jaarlikse kongres ‘n nuwe bestuurspan verkies.
Hier is ‘n oogblik oor die struktuur en die beplanning vir die jaar wat voorlê. Die RPO Noord-Kaap sien uit daarna om vanjaar ‘n pad saam met die landbouers asook die rolspelers in die waardeketting te loop sodat elkeen meer winsgewend en volhoubaar sal wees.
- Hoe lyk die dagbestuur van RPO Noordkaap en wie is verantwoordelik vir wat?
Brand du Toit is die voorsitter en Charl Saunderson is die vise-voorsiter asook die RPO se verteenwoordiger by die provinsiale dieregesondheidsforum.
Johan du Toit is ‘n addisionele lid op die dagbestuur, die verteenwoordiger by die provinsiale predasiebestuurforum, asook die voorsitter van die RPO Noord-Kaap se oudit- en risikokomitee.
Frederick van Zyl is ‘n addisionele lid op die dagbestuur, en ook die RPO Noord-Kaap se verteenwoordiger by die provinsiale veediefstal- en landelike veiligheidsforum.
Yolande Botha is die bedryfsbeampte van die RPO Noord-Kaap en tree as skakelbeampte op vir enige RPO Noord-Kaap aangeleenthede, sowel as die skakeling tussen die verskillende forums.
- Dink jy die RPO is ’n noodsaaklike diens wat vir produsente gelewer word?
Landbouers se fokus moet op hul boerdery wees. Die RPO Noord-Kaap tree namens die rooivleisprodusent op sover dit alle faktore betref wat ‘n invloed op hul voortbestaan en winsgewendheid op provinsiale, nasionale en internasionale vlak het.
Die rooivleisbedryf het die potensiaal om teen 2030 ‘n geraamde R12 miljard in reële terme by die land se jaarlikse bruto binnelandse produk te voeg. Dit is een van die redes waarom sleutelrolspelers, naamlik die Rooivleisprodusente-organisasie (RPO), die Nasionale Opkomende Rooivleisprodusente-organisasie, die Suid-Afrikaanse Voerkraalvereniging en die Rooivleisabattoirvereniging, die Buro vir Voedsel- en Landboubeleid (BFAP) versoek het om die intervensies wat nodig is vir groei in die bedryf, te identifiseer. Die rooivleisbedryf word beskou as die slapende reus in die Suid-Afrikaanse landbousektor. Beesvleis-uitvoere het byvoorbeeld die potensiaal om van die huidige 5% van plaaslike produksie tot 20% te groei. Wat die kleinveebedryf betref, is daar ook groot potensiaal in terme van lewendige uitvoere na die Midde-Ooste vir slagdoeleindes, maar dieselfde geld vir vleis-uitvoere, wat in die toekoms soveel as 6% van die mark kan opneem. Dit is van kritieke belang dat vleisveiligheid en -gehalte deur middel van vleisklassifikasie gewaarborg word.
- Het julle enige projekte waaraan julle hierdie jaar werk?
Predasiebestuurskursusse: In Julie word die kursus op die volgende dae en dorpe gehou: 24 Julie – Loeriesfontein, 25 Julie – Calvinia, 30 Julie – Pofadder, 31 Julie – Prieska, 1 Augustus – Kimberley.
Rooivleisdae word vanaf 1 tot 3 Oktober in Upington en Olifantshoek aangebied met die doel om die kommunikasie tussen RPO en landbouers te versterk en om hul te bemagtig met inligting deur middel van gassprekers.
Damesoggend – om die gebruik van rooivleis as proteïenbron aan te spoor deur kooklesse aan te bied. Daar word ook beoog om skole wat gasvryheid as vak aanbied hierby te betrek. Vrouedagkompetisie.
Braaidag – ‘n kompetisie word aangebied om die gebruik van rooivleis te verbeter asook die band en verhouding tussen verskeie rolspelers in die waardeketting.
Borgskappe – verskeie landbouskole, veehanteringskursusse en karkaskompetisies. Die RPO Noord-Kaap sal onder die jeug bemark word met die oog op ‘n voortdurende toevloei van landbouers na die sektor.
Opleiding vir opkomende boere – datums en onderwerpe gaan bepaal word deur die behoefte van die mark.
Die ledebasisstelsel se voortdurende bou en instandhouding vir kommunikasiedoeleindes asook navorsingsprojekte en geleenthede wat hul voordoen soos byvoorbeeld die grondgesondheidsprojek deur dr Riana Jacobs-Venter.
Toekenningsaand. Hier wil ons die beste van die beste vereer vir hul harde werk. Afdelings waarna ons vanjaar kyk is:
- Beste veediefstal- en ondersoekbeampte.
- Top kandidaat tydens opkomende sektor-kursus.
- Top veearts in die privaat sektor m.b.t aanmelding van siektes asook bywoning van die provinsiale dieregesondheidsforum.
- Beste abattoir m.b.t RPO vrywillige bydraes ingevorder.
- Beste bemarkingsagent/veilingshuis m.b.t RPO vrywillige bydraes ingevorder.
- Beste voerkraal agent m.b.t. RPO vrywillige bydraes ingevorder.
Werksessies tussen rolspelers in die waardeketting
(RPO, abattoirs, voerkrale, veilingsagente, kettingwinkels, slaghuise)
Werksessies tussen rolspelers m.b.t veediefstal
(RPO, Nafla, Saamstaan Saamwerk, SAPS, Landbou-unie)
Werksessies tussen rolspelers m.b.t dieregesondheid
(Departement veeartsenykunde, munisipaliteit, verkeer, polisie, privaat veeartse, laboratoriums).
- Wat is die fokus areas in die rooivleis bedryf waarop julle gaan fokus vir die volgende jaar?
Daar word verwag dat die nasionale verbruik van rooivleis oor die volgende twee jaar stabiel sal bly. Daar is toenemend belangstelling in alternatiewe proteïnebronne. Ons een doelwit gaan dus wees om die verbruik van rooivleis te verhoog deur die fokus te plaas op die gesondheidvoordele en die diversiteit wat rooivleis bied. Daardeur kan ons die nasionale vraag na rooivleis verhoog. Ons wil landbouers ook die geleentheid gee om voordeel te trek uit internasionale handel deur van geleenthede binne die BRICS-groep gebruik te maak sodat dit op die lang duur ‘n meer stabiele prys vir produsente kan lewer.
Nog ‘n fokus gaan op kommunikasie wees. Deur gebruik te maak van verskeie platforms soos ons webtuiste (www.rponk.co.za), Facebook en Instagram, gaan ons landbouers bemagtig met inligting wat ‘n verskil kan maak in hul boerdery. Die jaar is die fokus op die landbouer, ons wil “LUISTER” na wat hul uitdagings is en saam met verskeie rolspelers werksessies hou om antwoorde te vind op uitdagings wat hulle in die gesig staar. Ons fokus gaan wees op wat vir ons landbouer werklik saakmaak en nie noodwendig wat markte dikteer nie. Ons glo in ‘n “onder-na-bo kommunikasiemodel” om verandering in die bedryf teweeg te bring wat tot voordeel van almal in die waardeketting gaan wees.
Daar gaan gefokus word om meer opkomende boere by die formele sektor te betrek. Ons beoog ook om ‘n werksessie met verskeie rolspelers in die waardeketting te hê om die probleme en uitdagings van plaas na abattoir na kettingwinkel aan te spreek sodat almal saam kan werk om so optimaal en winsgewend as moontlik handel te dryf. Daar is tans baie misverstande rondom prys-oordrag in die waardeketting.
Ons wil ook op dieregesondheid en naspeurbaarheid fokus. Ons wil poog om ‘n naspeurbaarheidstelsel in die provinsie op die been te bring wat nie net voordeel inhou vir uitvoere nie, maar ook sodat die plaaslike produsent verseker kan wees van die kwaliteitproduk wat hy ontvang. Verder sal die stelsel ook help met naspeurbaarheid tydens siekte-uitbrekings, wat ‘n groot finansiële impak op landbouers en hul voortbestaan kan hê. Dit gaan ons in staat stel om meer pro-aktief op te tree, eerder as reaktief.
NEW TEAM LEADS THE RPO NORTHERN CAPE
The RPO Northern Cape elected a new management team during their recent annual congress.
Here is an overview of the structure and the planning for the year ahead. The RPO Northern Cape looks forward to collaborating with the farmers as well as the role players in the value chain so that everyone will be more profitable and sustainable.
- What does the daily management of RPO North Cape look like and who is responsible for what?
Brand du Toit is the chairman and Charl Saunderson is the vice-chairman as well as the RPO’s representative on the provincial animal health forum.
Johan du Toit is an additional member on the management committee, the representative on the provincial predation management forum, as well as the chairman of the RPO Northern Cape’s audit and risk committee.
Frederick van Zyl is an additional member on the management committee, and also the RPO Northern Cape’s representative on the provincial livestock theft and rural security forum.
Yolande Botha is the operations officer of the RPO Northern Cape and acts as liaison officer for any RPO Northern Cape matters, as well as the liaison between the various forums.
- Do you think the RPO is an essential service provided for producers?
Undoubtedly. farmers’ focus must be on their farming. The RPO Northern Cape acts on behalf of the farmer as far as all factors are concerned that have an influence on their survival and profitability at provincial, national and international level.
The industry has the potential to add an estimated R12 billion in real terms to the country’s annual gross domestic product by 2030. This is one of the reasons why key players, namely the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), the National Emerging Red Meat Producers Organisation, the South African Feedlot Association and the Red Meat Abattoir Association, requested the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) to investigate the interventions that are necessary for growth in the red meat sector. The red meat industry is considered the sleeping giant in the South African agricultural sector. Beef exports, for example, have the potential to grow from the current 5% of local production to 20%. As far as the livestock industry is concerned, there is also great potential in terms of live exports to the Middle East for slaughter purposes, but the same applies to meat exports, which could take up as much as 6% of the market in the future. It is critical that meat safety and quality is guaranteed through meat classification.
- Do you have any projects you are working on this year?
Predation management courses: In July, the course is held on the following days and towns: 24 July – Loeriesfontein, 25 July – Calvinia, 30 July – Pofadder, 31 July – Prieska, 1 August – Kimberley.
Information days are presented from 1 to 3 October in Upington and Olifantshoek with the aim of strengthening the communication between RPO and farmers and to empower them with information by means of guest speakers.
Ladies Morning – to encourage the use of red meat as a protein source by offering cooking lessons. It is also intended to involve schools that offer hospitality as a subject. Women’s Day Competition.
Braai day – a competition is presented to improve the use of red meat as well as the bond and relationship between various role players in the value chain.
Sponsorships – various agricultural schools, livestock handling courses and carcass competitions. The RPO Northern Cape will be marketed among the youth with a view to have a continuous influx of farmers into the sector.
Training for emerging farmers – dates and topics will be determined by the needs of the market.
The member base system’s continuous building and maintenance for communication purposes as well as research projects and opportunities that arise, eg the soil health project by Dr Riana Jacobs-Venter.
Awards night. Here we want to honour the best of the best for their hard work. Divisions we look at this year are:
- Best livestock theft and investigation officer.
- Top candidate during emerging sector course.
- Top veterinarian in the private sector in terms of reporting diseases and also attending the provincial animal health forum.
- Best abattoir regarding RPO contributions collected.
- Best marketing agent/auction house in terms of RPO contributions collected.
- Best feedlot agent RPO contributions collected.
Workshops between role players in the value chain
(RPO, abattoirs, feedlots, auctioneers, chain stores, slaughterhouses)
Workshops between role players regarding livestock theft
(RPO, NaLFA, Saamstaan Saamwerk, SAPS, Agricultural Union)
Workshops between role players regarding animal health
(Department of veterinary medicine, municipality, traffic, police, private vets, laboratories).
- What are the focus areas in the red meat industry that you will focus on during the next year?
It is expected that the national consumption of red meat will remain stable over the next two years. There is increasing interest in alternative protein sources. Our main goal will therefore be to increase the consumption of red meat by focusing on the health benefits and the diversity that red meat offers. By doing so, we can increase the national demand for red meat. We also want to give farmers the opportunity to benefit from international trade by making use of opportunities within the BRICS group so that a more stable price for producers will be realised over the long term.
Another focus will be on communication. By using various platforms such as our website (www.rponk.co.za), Facebook and Instagram, we will empower farmers with information that can make a difference in their farming. This year the focus is on the farmer, we want to “LISTEN” to what their challenges are and hold workshops with various role players to find answers to the challenges they face. Our focus will be on what really matters to our farmers and not necessarily what markets dictate. We believe in a “bottom-up communication model” to bring about change in the industry that will benefit everyone in the value chain.
The focus will be on involving more emerging farmers in the formal sector. We also intend to hold a workshop with various role players in the value chain to address the problems and challenges from farm to abattoir to chain store so that everyone can work together to trade as optimally and profitably as possible. There are currently many misunderstandings around price transfer in the value chain.
We also want to focus on animal health and traceability. We want to try to set up a traceability system in the province that not only benefits exports, but also in order for the local producer to be assured of the quality product he receives. Furthermore, the system will help with traceability during disease outbreaks, which can have a major financial impact on farmers and their survival. This will enable us to act more proactively, rather than reactively.
