Farmers flock to Nampo Harvest Expo

The sleepy maize farming town of Bothaville in the Free State burst into activity this week as the agricultural community from around Southern Africa made its annual trek to the Nampo Harvest Expo.

Organisers estimate that more than 80 000 people – almost twice Bothaville’s population – will attend the four-day agricultural extravaganza which ends today at the Nampo show grounds.

ALSO READ: Embracing the power of drones to revolutionise farming practices

Owned by Grain SA members, a unique feature of the show is the absence of paid officials. It is operated by farmers for farmers.

Nampo dates back to 1967 when a mere 200 producers attended the inaugural show on a farm outside Bloemfontein.

These days more than 200 aircraft, consisting of helicopters and small twin prop airplanes, can be found on a makeshift aerodrome outside the show grounds.

In the adjacent parking lot, thousands of cars, of which more than half are bakkies, sit.

Apart from the scores of tractors, vehicles and farming implements and equipment, there is much more to see at the expo. This includes new energy solutions, aftermarket off-road modification equipment and outdoor lifestyle products and recreational vehicles. One of the many exhibitors was Ford Motor Company of South Africa.

The Blue Oval, South Africa’s second biggest bakkie producer, is showcasing a variety of vehicles at Nampo.

“Nampo is undoubtedly the backbone of the agricultural community’s economy in this country,” Neale Hill, managing director of Ford SA and Sub-Saharan Africa, said yesterday at the show.

“It is a privilege to be involved in Nampo. You have to be present here to get an idea of the sheer magnitude of the event. It is evident in the number of people that attend Nampo.

“As a producer, a large percentage of our bakkies are purpose-built vehicles that are designed for working.

“And the people you see here are the ones working around the clock on our country’s farms,” Hill added.

ALSO READ: Agriculture dept assessing severity of drought on SA crop yield

“As a manufacturer, our commitment doesn’t merely stop when a customer drives off in a new Ranger.

“After that stage we are dedicated to offering further support, like for the farming community we see here today.”

According to the organisers, it’s hard to estimate how much money is spent over the four days every year.

However, it is speculated that the amount runs into 10 figures.

The biggest spenders are believed to be the farmers from the remote corners of the country, who use the show as a one-stop shop for all their annual farming needs.

It only takes a few minutes – while queuing for a famous curry mince vetkoek – before fellow show-goers start telling tales of wealthy farmers flying in for the day to spend R75 million on three mega tractors. Judging by the size of some of those monstrosities, that sounds like a bargain.