Weekly neWs Wrap
20 farmer’sweekly 2 August 2019
The ninth annual Produce
Marketing Association’s (PMA)
Fresh Connections: Southern Africa
Conference and Trade Show will take
place at the Century City Conference
Centre in Cape Town from 30 to 31 July.
This year, the conference will feature
discussions on five main topics: global
and local industry insights and trends
affecting the entire supply chain;
considerations for a sustainable future;
the impact of various disruptions on
the industry; doing business in Africa;
and understanding existing, new and
potential international markets.
The conference will also feature
the popular connections round table,
an interactive ‘speed-dating’ session
where growers, retailers and buyershave an opportunity to meet and
get to know each other. Role players
in the industry will also be able
to network with 600 decision-
makers in the local and global
fresh produce supply chain.
In addition, conference attendees
will have the opportunity to visit
the trade show, where exhibitors
will showcase the latest innovations
in the fresh produce industry.The event will also focus on
developing new talent in the
industry. This year, various
events, including a Women’s Fresh
Perspectives Breakfast, Young
Professionals’ Breakfast, and Career
Pathways programmes, are on
offer with the aim of attracting,
developing and retaining talented
people in the produce and floral
industries. – Staff reporterFresh produceSpotlight on global
trends in the fresh
produce industry
The KwaZulu-Natal chapter of
the African Farmers’ Association
of South Africa (KZN AFASA)
will be scrutinising the actions
of Bongi Sithole-Moloi, the new
MEC for the KwaZulu-Natal
Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development (KZN DARD),
during her first 100 days in office,
said KZN AFASA’s provincial
secretary, Thube Zondi.
This would give the
association an indication of
Sithole-Moloi’s ability to lead
the department in achieving
its mandate of developing
and supporting agriculture
in the province, he said.
Zondi told Farmer’s Weekly
that KZN AFASA was already
“unhappy” about the fact that
Sithole-Moloi had not yet engaged
“one-on-one” with the association
by the time of going to print.
Sithole-Moloi, who was
previously the MEC for Arts,
Culture, Sport and Recreation
in the province,
replaced Themba
Mthembu, who had
held the position
for the preceding
three years, and had
repeatedly vowed
to clamp down on
the corruption and
inefficiencies that
had long plagued the
KZN DARD’s service
delivery efforts.
Sithole-Moloi
also previously
served as mayor of
the uMgungundlovu District
Municipality; was chairperson
of the Royal Household
Portfolio Committee; and
Chief Whip for the ANC in
KwaZulu-Natal, according to
a statement by KZN DARD.
Zondi said that despite KZN
AFASA’s belief that the ruling
ANC only appointed MECs who
“balance [the ANC’s] forces” andGovernance
KZN agri role players already ‘unhappy’ with new MEC
“not for the interest of farmers”,
the association would afford
Sithole-Moloi her first 100 days in
office to prove herself. “We did
the same with her predecessors.”
Also commenting on the
new MEC’s appointment,
spokesperson for the South
African Farmers’ Development
Association, Ronda Naidu,
said the association was “fully
aligned with KZN DARD’s
vision and mission to ensure
that we have thriving and
sustainable rural communities
in KZN, and we look forward to
constructive engagements with
the MEC and her department”.
Naidu said the province’s many
small-scale and land reform
farmers, who formed the core
demographic of its membership
base, continued to struggle
with high input costs, lack of
access to finance, and other
challenges that threatened their
sustainability. – Lloyd PhillipsBoNgi SitholE-Moloi
K ZN DARDABoVE: This year’s Fresh Connections conference in Cape Town will focus on attracting, developing
and retaining talented people in the fresh produce industry. FW ARCHIVE