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The last issue for May, which is the 28 May issue of Farmer’s Weekly, takes a look at the agriculture masterplan.

Erasmus explains that there are various masterplans within the agricultural sector, such as masterplans for the poultry as well as the sugar industry.

She further adds that the agriculture roleplayers have been working with government on the overarching plan for agriculture.

Furthermore, roleplayers such as the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the Bureau for Food and Agriculture Policies (BFAP), amongst other relevant organisations, have worked hard on this master plan. However, once this plan is finalised, the execution will be of utmost importance.

Another article talks about recent suspensions within the agriculture sector. This, as the Milk Producers Organisation (MPO) has announced that it is restructuring, and because of this, they have suspended their CEO, Chris van Dijk.

Erasmus says that according to the chairperson of the MPO, Colin Wellbeloved, the board aimed to complete this restructuring process as soon as possible, but they do not have an exact timeline yet. He, however, adds that it was clear that the industry could no longer sustain the MPO and its subsidiaries in its current form.

Also, the CEO of Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), Dr Baptiste Dungu, was recently suspended. Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), says that he hopes that this move would help improve management at OBP and that this will in turn result in fewer vaccine supply constraints.

Erasmus concludes by saying that Rene Kenosi, chairperson of the OBP, says that Dungu has been served with a notice of precautionary suspension.

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