Afgri and Grobank are the main sponsors of this conference and expo.  Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, will give the key-note address. Leona Archary, business unit manager for agriculture at Bigen Africa, and a member of the task force involved in developing the AGDA, says the agency is part of the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) led by the peace negotiator and former minister, Roelf Meyer. It was inspired by President Cyril Ramaphosa and aims to align strategic planning between the government and the private sector with a view to improving economic growth. OFM News' Christal-Lize Muller spoke to Archary...

See PODCAST below

She says AGDA will support sustainability in the agricultural industry through a partnership model that will be implemented. Various roleplayers in the agricultural sector are brought together through the agency. They consist of technical skills and the ability to provide finance to the sector in order to offer it to developing farmers including smallholder and black farmers moving into the commercial sector.

Commercial farmers, the banking sector, agricultural unions as well as private farmers from commercial areas as well as black farmers engaged in a lengthy consultation process. Archary says although the agency is privately driven, government also has a role to play. The agency needs to work in support of government and in line of its objectives in order to render support towards sustainable land reform in South Africa.

Bigen Africa is an infrastructural development company. 

That was Leona Archary from Bigen Africa only on Before Dawn.

The AAT conference at the Sun Arena, Maslow Hotel, in Menlyn ends on Thursday. Topics covered range from the local and international agricultural economy and access to capital to mitigating drought conditions. The conference is open daily from 08:00 to 13:00 and again at 14:00 and 17:00, while exhibitions can be visited daily from 14:00 to 17:00. For more information visit media@africa-agri.co.za. OFM News' Christal-Lize Muller will be attending the conference. Tune in for more about the conference during the 11:00 and 13:30 OFM Agri News bulletins today.

OFM News