Agri 5 Expo has encouraged Free State youth to tap into agro-processing and other sectors within agriculture. The expo is assisting farmers to increase their participation in the agricultural sector within poultry, livestock, dairy crop and piggery commodities.
It is also creating awareness among emerging farmers on how their primary produce can be transformed into secondary commodities. It has brought together various sectors to help farmers to access further markets and ensures business growth.
Farmers and businesses have gathered at the expo taking place at the Bloemfontein Showgrounds.
The expo aligns opportunities to the youth and female farmers by exposing them to agro-processing and its potential in the commercial retail market.
Local farmers say this networking expo has also brought advanced technologies, safety mechanisms and more in one place.
For exhibitors this platform unlocks economic opportunities.
“It helps us to get clients, for people to know us, for us to connect with local buyers and all that. So, this thing is an exposure and a good advantage for us to be known, recognized, and for people to move in. But otherwise, like visuality, face-to-face, this helps us for people to connect with us, face-to-face and all that,” says one of the exhibitors.
“So, what the Agri 5 Expo is helping us with, it’s putting us out there as agro-processors and it’s just also helping me with putting out my brand out there,” says another.
Safety and security was also on the spotlight. Fight or flight tactical supplies’ Tiaan Jooste says this exhibition was to educate farmers about safety measures.
“So, we are mainly about farm safety. A lot of people can’t get a real gun, and it takes time to get a gun license. So, what we do, we protect you while you’re waiting for a gun license,” he says.
Founder and Managing Director of Agri 5 Expo, Tsholo Mokobe says the expo returned to Bloemfontein after it was launched here 13 years ago.
The expo is all about bridging the gap between commercial and emerging farmers, brings private sector and SOEs.
“Obviously, our objectives are to introduce emerging and an upcoming farmers to technology because you understand to be a commercial farmer you need a lot of technology and precision farming. So, that is what they stand for .That’s our theme for this year and obviously, access to market is a big factor where we have retails and buyers from fresh produce markets that are here,” says Mokobe.
Meanwhile, Free State MEC for Agriculture, Elsabe Rockman says the Agri 5 Expo projects are mostly for women and youth led.
Rockman says the department alongside various stakeholders are planning on branching out and making bigger and bolder move for middle scale farmers to access markets.
She says this type of expos are a good start and a bigger platform for producers once Foot-And-Mouth disease has settled.
Mokobe says the expo also unlocks access to markets and helps with financial assistance. -Abigail Visagie