Last week, I had the privilege of attending two significant agricultural events in the North West province. Both reminded me of the challenges our farming communities are facing, but also the opportunities that lie ahead if we commit to supporting and strengthening agriculture.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
The first was in Taung, hosted by FarmSol and its partner, South African Breweries (SAB). They were celebrating their annual machinery handover to the irrigation scheme project they have been supporting since 2022. This year’s celebration carried extra weight, as it also marked SAB’s 130th anniversary. Fittingly, the event was called “Cheers to Farmers”, a recognition of the critical role local farmers play in powering the country’s beer value chain.
I’ve attended this event for the past three years and witnessed it grow in leaps and bounds. The partnership between SAB and FarmSol has become a lifeline for many small-scale barley and maize farmers in the region. FarmSol, as SAB’s implementing partner, serves as an aggregator, providing sustainable solutions that link smallholder farmers with customers in the food and beverage sector. Farmers benefit from skills development, technical and infrastructure support, access to mechanisation and agronomy services. These interventions don’t just grow farmers; they uplift entire communities through food security and job creation.
Watch: Taung barley farmers celebrated at SAB’s 130-year agricultural milestone
The impact is tangible. According to SAB, about 62 smallholder farmers are currently producing 4 000 tonnes of barley under this programme. Over the past three years, more than R20 million has been disbursed in interest-free loans and R16 million in mechanisation support, co-funded by SAB and the South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA). Beyond productivity gains, the programme has created and sustained jobs, both direct and seasonal, spreading benefits to households and communities across Taung.
Yet, even as we celebrate these achievements, the question remains: Where to from here? The land arrangements on that irrigation scheme are far from perfect. Encouragingly, Madoda Sambatha, North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, attended the event and commended the project. He described it as “a model for successful public-private partnership that follows government policy and contributes directly to community upliftment.” He also acknowledged that SAB’s initiatives have relieved pressure on government resources while fostering both economic and agricultural growth.
Most importantly, he made a commitment: to collaborate with SAB, the National Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water and Sanitation to expand initiatives like the irrigation scheme, increasing its capacity to cover more areas in the province. Whether those promises will translate into action remains to be seen, but at least the conversation is happening.
Also read: Revived North West Agricultural Show puts farmers first
The next day, I travelled to Vryburg for the much anticipated North West Agricultural Show. At first glance, things weren’t looking promising. The night before the opening, the lack of organisation was glaring, and by the following morning it was clear that everything was running behind schedule. I’ll admit, it was critical. But once the first farmer workshop I facilitated kicked off, and as I walked through the exhibition stalls, I realised just how important this platform is.
MEC Sambatha perhaps put it best in his opening speech. He described the revitalised show as an economic and community driver, placing agriculture at the forefront of development in the Dr Ruth S. Mompati District Municipality. He emphasised that the show was designed to be business-driven and market-oriented, aiming to attract investment, foster entrepreneurship and position the North West province as a leader in agricultural development.
Also read: North West Agricultural Show: Farmers spoke and institutions listened
Over the years, we’ve watched these kinds of shows disappear from many of our farming towns. When I was growing up, agricultural shows were a fixture. I remember attending them in Brits and Rustenburg, and I’m glad there are now efforts to revive the Rustenburg Show. These platforms matter more than we sometimes realise.
Agricultural shows are not just about livestock parades and exhibitions. They are about innovation and knowledge-sharing. They stimulate local economies through tourism and income generation. They foster community cohesion and provide a space to celebrate the agricultural sector. They connect farmers with experts and with each other, expose the public to farming realities, and generate economic and social benefits that ripple across entire communities.
Perhaps most importantly, they bridge the gap between the non-farming public and agricultural producers. They improve public understanding of farming practices and highlight the sector’s importance in ensuring food security and economic growth.
The North West Agricultural Show was far from perfect, but it was a step in the right direction. If we want to strengthen agriculture in our rural provinces, we need to support and sustain initiatives like this. The same way SAB and FarmSol have invested in small-scale farmers in Taung, we need to invest in bringing back these vital community platforms.
Yes, agriculture is about production, yields and markets, but it’s also about people, relationships and shared spaces where farmers and communities can grow together. Cheers to farmers, indeed. And cheers to the return of agricultural shows.
