Agricultural processing machinery and the necessary logistical means to move product to markets fast and efficiently will be the focus when thousands converge in the Free State for next week’s expo by the National Maize Producers’ Organisation (Nampo).
Bothaville’s population is estimated at just over 71 000 people, but more than 85 000 visitors are expected for the four-day duration of “Nampo Harvest Day” from 13–16 May.
Each day, more than 21 000 people are expected to stream through the gates of Nampo Park.
With accommodation in Bothaville completely booked out for the biggest agri expo in the Southern Hemisphere, including additional accommodation in nearby towns like Viljoenskroon, the skies above the small town are predicted to turn into a hive of activity.
More than 200 light aircraft, including helicopters and small twin-prop planes, are expected to fly in and out of the makeshift aerodrome near the showgrounds.
Although farming machinery generally steals the show, logistical capability is fast catching on as a necessary and crucial component to Nampo’s showstopper event – a development well illustrated by the deplorable condition of the province’s roads into Bothaville.
According to trade fair publication Expo Book, Nampo 2025 is expected to host a significant number of international exhibitors from countries such as Australia, Sweden, the USA, Britain, Italy, Pakistan, Germany, and Brazil, reflecting the expo’s global reach.
The only other such gathering drawing a larger crowd than Nampo is the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, boasting about 100 000 visitors annually.
Although many visitors will most likely fly in from Johannesburg, those coming by road from Gauteng have been advised to avoid the N1 route veering off through Parys, Vredefort and Viljoenskroon.
Although the R59 is the straightest, as-the-crow-flies route from the Rand to Bothaville, vast stretches of the road, especially between Parys and Viljoenskroon, have become so pothole-ridden that people are advised to use alternate routes.
These include roads coming from the North-West via Potchefstroom and Orkney.
The province’s dilapidated roads illustrates some of the challenges farmers face in overcoming tough market conditions.
According to Nampo chief executive, Dr Dirk Strydom, farmers don’t get subsidies but still have to make a living.
He said nowhere will this be better illustrated than at this year’s expo, marketed this time around as “Global farming, locally.”
He told Netwerk 24: “South Africa doesn’t exist as an island. Our producers compete on a global level and agriculture is increasingly blended with international challenges and technology.”
Unusually late rain in the Free State has soaked the ground and visitors have been warned to expect colder-than-usual temperatures.
But it’s the prospect of new machinery, advanced agri processing methods and technology, totalling well over R1 billion in value, that is said to be the biggest drawcard at Nampo Harvest Day.
Braving bad roads and wintry weather is worth the effort when there’s so much to learn from the latest developments in agri processing and produce-related logistics.
- Now Media’s new title for the agricultural sector, Farm.co.za, an offshoot of the existing and well-established directory, Agrifood SA, will have a stand at Nampo Harvest Day. Come and say hello.
