NAMPO 2011 Harvest Day Trade Show

DOWNLOADS:

 NAMPO Activity Outline
(190.88 Kb) 27/05/2011

 ABC_Presentation_to_USA_Exhibitors_May_2011
(3.73 Mb) 15/05/2011

 South Africa Agricultural Situation 2011
(914.50 Kb) 15/05/2011

 Trade Finance for the Agricultural Sector: NAMPO Harvest Day 2011
(166.57 Kb) 15/05/2011

 NAMPO Southern Africa Participants' List  
(285.65 Kb) 16/05/2011

 Sub-Sahara Africa Soy Alliance (SASA) Launch Invitation/Program
(427.06 Kb) 16/05/2011

 SATH Presentation: Doing Business with South Africa
(490.50 Kb) 16/05/2011

 ABSA Presentation: Absa AgriBusiness in Africa
(603.00 Kb) 16/05/2011

 ECIC Presentation: International Delegation to NAMPO
(1.59 Mb) 16/05/2011 

NAMPO a real 'eye-opener' for regional participants

Bothaville, South Africa – From May 17-18, the USAID Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH) facilitated the participation of 52 delegates from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe in the NAMPO Harvest Day agricultural trade show in Bothaville, South Africa.

"The visit was really an eye-opener for what is available for the farming sector in Southern Africa," beams Rene Lourens, Commercial Manager of Livestock Services in Zambia. "In the two days we were there I met a lot of potential suppliers and currently I am making follow ups to start trading relationships with some of them. I am very positive these will result in new trading contacts which will ultimately benefit the Zambian farmer," he confidently continues.

The NAMPO agricultural trade show is the largest in Southern Africa, with a record number of visitors on Wednesday, May 17, which was a public holiday. The show consistently attracts more than 60,000 participants with 650 exhibitors from across the region. This year's exhibitors ranged from tractor suppliers, implement manufacturers, agrochemical and fertilizer companies to feed manufacturers and extension services.

Remarking to the cost benefits of attendance, Tafadzwa Msarara, Chairman of the milling industry in Zimbabwe explains "the convenience it has brought is valueless, where you could be able to go and meet some of the companies where ordinarily you would need to go to their respective premises to have demonstrations done for you."

Realizing the potential benefit and great opportunity offered by SATH, regional participants paid their own way to the show. SATH support consisted of pre- and post-show training and support through local service providers within the focus countries, accommodation in South Africa and transport from Johannesburg to Bothaville. SATH's support was primarily to increase the uptake and usage of modern agricultural equipment and technology in the southern African region.

At the show, participants benefited from continued guidance from the local service providers, SATH and US Commercial Service staff. They enjoyed free access to the US Pavilion where several participants also held fruitful discussions with US companies and subsidiaries forming part of the US Pavilion.

"I went to the NAMPO show to see possibilities of expanding my irrigation system. One of the exhibitors there, an American company called Reinke from where I acquired my [equipment] 3 years ago. I'm hoping to acquire more from them through Atrafin Finance's assistance. We had good discussions and I am going to put together a proposal when we get back," says Robert Mutale, of Samba Lubemba Farms Ltd in Northern Zambia.

Photographs and short video clips of participants relating their experience are available on YouTube Channel - with higher resolution versions available to the media upon request.