TLU SA have been inundated with enquiries after a report about Dr Theo de Jager’s new agricultural organisation, SAAI, appeared in the Rapport newspaper.
Unity in agriculture has been a subject of great debate the past few years. Farmers wanted to know where the unity lies when there is more than one organisation. TLU SA had probing conversations with Dr de Jager concerning this subject.
He decided to establish a new organisation. It is his right and TLU SA respects his decision. However, the question concerning unity must still be answered by him.
TLU SA can confirm that we will work side by side with SAAI to conceive a better dispensation for farmers. In saying this, we would like to confirm our stance and policy.
TLU SA have always sold the farmers point of view to the government. We do not sell the government’s stance to our farmers. This was confirmed time and again during TLU SA’s annual congresses. TLU SA do not speak for the farmers, they speak for themselves. TLU SA’s power lies at grass-root level – where it really matters for the farmer in his day to day survival.
Agriculture in South Africa is very complicated since we are seen as a marginal agricultural environment in comparison to other countries. The uncertain policy situation projected by the ANC worsens the situation. As TLU SA we are currently focussing on three aspects to create stability.
Firstly, the safety of farmers, their families and the workers on the farms. The reality is that the government have lost control over the safety of South Africans. Our safety committee has, over time, been established where realistic and achievable plans are implemented to look after our own safety. Various other institutions have built on this TLU SA model.
Furthermore, the uncertainty over property rights, clearly created with a political agenda, holds nothing positive for investors. Agriculture cannot go forward under these circumstances. TLU SA is constantly making every effort to not support the ANC’s slipway into socialism, but to focus on the principles needed to help agriculture survive.
In the third place, farmers have been struggling under extreme financial pressure brought on by not least of all, the drought.
TLU SA held a sustainability conference on 6 December 2018 after which a committee started working on ways to distribute the risk from the producer only to other players in the supply chain.
As TLU SA we are concerned about a notion spread by some roleplayers that just 20% of farmers are producing 80% of the country’s food and the remaining 80% are only producing 20%. This creates the impression that we can do with only 20% of farmers. The question arises if this 20 % of farmers will also be responsible for supplying 100% of the current labour market in agriculture. We have picked up that this opinion is supported by some agricultural leaders.
But if you drive through the countryside it is plain to see how farm after farm is producing. It is not only some big farms making a contribution.
TLU SA have always stood by the viewpoint that family farms are the foundation of agriculture. It is their contribution to the rural areas which creates jobs and sustains smaller towns.
We have been saying that the time is right to stand together for the past few years. It can only be done with the support of people and institutions serving the same ideals and principles we serve. These are the same principles followed by TLU SA since its inception and which are still in the best interest of the farmer. It is set out in the Manifest and the Constitution. The most important is still the belief in our Almighty God, as shown in His Word, the Bible.
The other important principles TLU SA stands for is the protection of property rights and the fact that market demand determines prices.
Since January 2019 we had 450 new members join TLU SA. By keeping true to the principles in the best interest of everyone, agriculture will be kept sustainable. It is these beliefs creating a renewed interest in TLU SA.
We are committed to offering a structure for the commercial farmer and in doing so building a bridge to the consumer.
TLU SA’s Young Farmer Conference – which took place 22 February at Weesgerus – left our young farmers with a realistic and positive message. Without ignoring the reality, we created hope.
The agricultural sector certainly has its challenges and through all our years of existence we have never backed down from it. In fact, since 1897 we have continuously looked for solutions in the interest of the commercial farmer’s sustainable and safe future.
Mediavrystelling: NUWE LANDBOU-ORGANISASIE IN LANDBOU
Uitgereik deur: TLU SA
Navrae: Mnr Louis Meintjes, President TAU SA,
Cell.: 082 461 7262
Mnr Bennie van Zyl, Hoofbestuurder TLU SA,
Sel.: 082 466 4470
Datum: 24 Februarie 2019
TLU SA is oorval met navrae na die berig in Rapport verskyn het oor Dr Theo de Jager se nuwe landbou-organisasie, SAAI. Eenheid in landbou was 'n aspek wat die afgelope jare die groot besprekingspunt was, en boere wou weet hoekom daar nie eenheid in landbou is nie. Hoekom is daar meer as een organisasie? TLU SA het indringende gesprekke gehad met Dr de Jager oor die onderwerp. Hy het besluit om 'n nuwe organisasie te stig. Dit is sy reg en TLU SA respekteer dit. Die vraag oor eenheid in landbou moet nou deur hom beantwoord word.
TLU SA bevestig dat daar met SAAI saamgewerk sal word vir 'n beter bedeling vir boere.
Ter wille van volledigheid bevestig TLU SA sy standpunte en beleid.
TLU SA het nog altyd die boer se standpunt aan die regering verkoop. Nooit die regering se standpunt aan die boere nie. Dit is herhaaldelik op TLU SA se kongresse van die afgelope aantal jare bevestig. TLU SA praat nie vir die boere nie – die boere praat self. Daarmee saam is TLU SA se krag op grondvlak - daar waar dit vir die boer regtig saak maak in sy dag tot dag oorlewing.
Landbou in Suid-Afrika is gekompliseerd met die dat ons in vergeleke met ander lande as 'n marginale landbou-omgewing beskou word. Die onseker beleidsomgewing wat deur die ANC-regering geprojekteer word vererger die situasie. Daar is drie aspekte waarop TLU SA tans fokus wat noodsaaklik is om stabiliteit te verkry. Eerstens die veiligheid van die boere en hul naasbestaandes en werkers op die plase. Die werklikheid is dat die regering grootliks beheer verloor het oor die veiligheid van die inwoners van die land. Die veiligheidskomitee het oor tyd heen homself gevestig waar daar realistiese en haalbare planne geïmplemteer word om na ons eie veiligheid om te sien. Verskeie ander instansies het op die TLU SA model voortgebou. Verder is die onsekerheid oor eiendomsreg wat baie duidelik met 'n politieke agenda geskep word vir geen belegger positief nie. Landbou kan nie gedy onder sulke onseker omstandighede nie en is TLU SA deurlopend besig om nie die ANC se glybaan na sosialisme te ondersteun nie, maar klem te plaas op daardie beginsels wat nodig is om seker te maak dat landbou sal leef. Derdens het die boer op die plaas onder uiterste ekonomiese druk gekom om verskeie redes waarvan die uitmergelende droogte in groot dele van die land seer sekerlik die grootste rede is. TLU SA het op 6 Desember 2018 'n volhoubaarheidskonferensie gehou waarna 'n komitee begin werk het aan 'n manier hoe daar gekyk moet word om die risiko nie hoofsaaklik op die produsent alleen te plaas nie, maar om dit te verskans en te versprei.
TLU SA het kommer dat daar rolspelers is wat die gedagte verkondig dat 20% van die boere 80% van die voedsel produseer en dat die ander 80% net 20% van die voedsel produseer. Daardeur word die indruk geskep dat daar eintlik reggekom kan word met net 20% van ons boere. Daarmee saam kom die vraag ook op of die 20% boere vir 100% van die huidige arbeid in die landbou-omgewing gaan werk verskaf? Dit word selfs opgetel dat sodanige standpunt ondersteun word deur sommige landbouleiers. Soos daar deur die platteland gery word kan enige persoon self sien hoe daar plaas vir plaas geproduseer word en is dit nie slegs die enkele groot plase wat hul bydrae maak nie. TLU SA het deur al die jare daarby gestaan dat die rol van die familieboerdery die basis vorm van landbou en dat dit juis hul bydrae in die landelike omgewing is wat werk skep en die plattelandse dorpe laat leef.
TLU SA dra die laaste aantal jare die boodskap uit dat dit tyd is vir saamstaan. Dit kan net gedoen word saam met mense en instansies wat uit innerlike oortuiging dieselfde ideale nastreef. Die regte beginsels moet uiteraard nagestreef word en is die waardes wat TLU SA sedert sy ontstaan gevestig het steeds daardie waardes wat in belang van elke boer is. Dit word in die Manifes en die Grondwet uiteengesit. Die belangrikste hiervan is steeds die vaste geloof in God Drie-enig soos geopenbaar in sy Woord die Bybel. Daarmee saam staan TLU SA vir die beskerming van eiendomsreg en die feit dat die markkrag beginsel bepalend is in prysvasstelling.
Sedert Januarie 2019 het daar reeds 450 nuwe lede by TLU SA aangesluit. Deur te volhard by daardie beginsels wat in belang van almal is en wat landbou volhoubaar kan laat lewe bring nuwe belangstelling in TLU SA. TLU SA is verbind daartoe om vir die kommersiële boer 'n bedingingstruktuur te wees en daarmee saam 'n brug te bou na die verbruiker toe.
TLU SA se Jongboerkonferensie wat op 22 Februarie 2019 by Weesgerus aangebied was het die jong boere met 'n baie realistiese en positiewe boodskap terug na hulle plase gestuur. Sonder om terug te deins van werklikhede is daar hoop gegee. Die landbou-omgewing het gewis sy uitdagings en deur al die jare het TLU SA nie teruggedeins daarvoor nie. Daar is inteendeel sedert 1897 deurlopend gesoek na uitkomste wat in belang van die kommersiële boer se volhoubare en veilige toekoms is.
