By Alani Janeke
Most of the implement exhibitors at Nampo Park usually start working on their exhibition spaces about a month in advance, but this year they were only able to start later after heavy rains fell here in April.
About two weeks ago, it was still a big headache for the organisers and exhibitors near Bothaville in the Free State because the date of the event was drawing closer.
On 23 April, the site of the Harvest Day, where more than 920 exhibitors will showcase their implements from 13 to 16 May this year, was still under water after heavy rains fell over large parts of the country since the previous day. Thanks to the sunny weather and a large water pump deployed on the site, as well as the plans devised by the exhibitors, the tractors and combine harvesters were roaring on the site on Tuesday as the exhibitors started getting everything ready for the first visitors on 13 May.
No rain is predicted for this district this week or next week, says Johan van den Berg, independent agricultural meteorologist.
Jaco du Preez, marketing manager for New Holland in Southern Africa, says there was a lot of water on their stand, but the sunny weather helped a lot in drying up the water.
On Monday they were a little behind with unloading their equipment, but he is confident that they will have everything ready by next Tuesday. They usually unload their first equipment on site before Easter weekend every year, but due to the wet conditions this year they were only able to start on the Thursday after Easter weekend. The planning is done months in advance and work on the exhibition space usually starts on site about a month in advance.
John Deere starts planning its exhibition space in November every year, says Lukas Groenewald, sales manager for John Deere in Africa and the Middle East. Some of the tractors to be exhibited are built on dealers’ premises or supplied by dealers for the exhibition, while others are built piece by piece on their premises, after which the final product is assembled on site. “Of course, it all depends on the exhibition of the year.”
And what about the star at their annual exhibition? “We usually have a secret location near the site where it is assembled and brought to the site shortly before the time.”
André Olwagen, Case IH’s head of tactical marketing and product portfolio, says they had to use a generator and water pump to dry their stand this year. “Last week, there was still water here and there but it has dried up. We believe everything will be dry next week.”
According to Grain SA’s information, the first Nampo Harvest Day was held in 1967, and it has been held at Nampo Park since May 1974. The total site covers 40 ha. In 2010, 650 exhibitors participated and 68 900 visitors visited the site. Last year, 865 exhibitors were involved and 86 474 visitors passed through the gates.
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