CEO, Grain SA
EVERY YEAR IS REMEMBERED FOR ITS UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES. NAMPO 2026 WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR A YEAR MARKED BY UNPRECEDENTED FUEL AND FERTILISER COSTS DUE TO THE IRAN WAR. PRESSURE ON PRODUCERS WAS EVIDENT IN ALMOST EVERY NAMPO CONVERSATION, DRIVEN BY LOW COMMODITY PRICES, HIGH FUEL COSTS, EXPENSIVE FINANCING, DIFFICULT LOGISTICS, REGULATORY PRESSURE, AND UNCERTAINTY IN WEATHER AND MARKETS.
Yet, walking through NAMPO Park, meeting producers, exhibitors, financiers, input suppliers, families, and old friends, I was struck by something remarkable. Despite tough times, people still arrived with plans. They came to look, compare, negotiate, test ideas, and encourage one another. While realism and concern were present in the discussions, they did not translate into defeat or displace the sense of purpose and forward momentum evident across the event. That is resilience.
But we must be careful with the word ‘resilience’. In difficult times it can sound easy from the outside, as if producers are simply expected to absorb more pressure, take on more risk, and keep tightening already strained belts. Many producers are under immense strain. However, resilience is a choice of will. It means preparing yourself, your farm, and your support network to absorb shocks, but also to recover, adapt, and move forward again when opportunity arises.
In his book How to Thrive in Turbulent Times Donald Sull reflects on Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’. Foreman was the heavy hitter and expected to overpower Ali, while Ali was known for speed and agility. But in that fight, Ali realised that agility alone would not be enough – he had to make resilience part of his strategy.
When Foreman cornered Ali, his survival depended on absorbing the punches. That is where the often repeated ‘rope-a-dope’ strategy came in. Ali leaned back against the ropes, covered up, and absorbed Foreman’s attacks. He did not win by pretending the punches were light. He showed resilience by managing his energy and staying mentally clear while he waited for the right moment to act. This is what I saw at NAMPO.
Producers were building the first part of resilience in their ability to absorb shocks. This requires an understanding of numbers, cost structures, debt exposure, break-even prices, and cash-flow requirements, since financial resilience is built on solid information. At the same time, producers were exploring ways to protect productive capacity by reducing costs, but without undermining their core business. Soil fertility, maintenance, skilled labour, seed choices, crop protection, and basic operational readiness cannot be neglected without long-term consequences. The challenge is to cut waste without weakening the farm’s ability to produce again.
The second part of active resilience is conserving energy, as Ali did. Producers need to avoid fighting the wrong battles. In difficult times, management attention and cash are the farm’s most valuable resources. Of key importance are production efficiency, market strategy, input discipline, logistics, and relationships.
Thirdly it is about building options such as diversified crop choices, better storage and marketing flexibility, different buyers, carefully structured forward contracts, livestock integration, off-farm income, contracting opportunities, or collaboration with neighbouring producers. Dependence on only one plan or one season increases vulnerability.
The fourth part is investing in competitiveness with caution. Technology is not a luxury, but it should not be adopted blindly. The question is whether it reduces cost per ton, lowers risk, improves quality, or supports better decisions. Precision application, planter accuracy, soil data, cultivar selection, mechanisation efficiency, digital records, and market intelligence all help to strengthen active resilience when they improve the farm’s performance.
Then there is the symbolism of the ropes in Ali’s strategy that kept him upright in the fight. Producers also need ropes. Those ropes are the relationships around the enterprise, including financing and insurance partners, input suppliers, grain buyers, advisers, organised agriculture, and trusted peers. Strong partners help a producer recover more quickly, create space to adjust, and enable renewed momentum when conditions improve.
Lastly, resilience depends on community. Farming can be isolating under pressure, which is why family, neighbours, farmer groups, organisations, and attending NAMPO all matter. This provides perspective, support, and shared experience. Producers are encouraged to stay connected through meetings, conversations, and industry events. Isolation weakens resilience while community strengthens it.
The punishing blows of 2026 remind us that South African producers are plan makers who absorb, adapt, learn, connect, and move again. That is active resilience – one of the most important strategies for the season ahead.
