9 December 2020
As the year draws to an end, we look back at the challenges and the triumphs of 2020. Throughout this year, we were continuously committed to innovating technologies and solutions to better your farming experience and to explore new ways of communicating with our producers. Let us take a look at some of the highlights on the Bayer 2020 calendar!
This year has in many ways urged us to rethink the way in which we receive and process agricultural information and explore how technology can be utilised to optimise our farming operations. One of the greatest digital shifts of 2020, was the hosting of the Virtual Nampo Exhibition. For the first time in the history of the Nampo Harvest Day, this event was transported to a virtual platform which allowed producers across South Africa and the world to join from the comfort of their own homes. This virtual event took place from 9 – 12 September 2020 and welcomed 36 872 visitors and 93 stands of which Bayer Crop Science was one.
Throughout the course of the three days, Bayer invited a few agricultural experts to discuss the challenges that farmers and the agricultural industry face today. On the first day of the virtual exhibition, John Purchase, CEO of the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) of South Africa, lead a discussion on profitability in farming and Brett Begemann, Chief Operating Officer for Crop Science at Bayer, joined on the second day to talk about the future of farming. The last day was concluded with a discussion about Bayer's new and pipeline products, focusing on how farmers will have to produce in the future keeping the sustainability and profitability of their farms and operations in mind.
Nampo also provided a wonderful platform for the launch of two new Bayer crop protection products: Velum® GR and Create®. Velum GR is a granular nematicide registered on maize and soybeans for the control of nematodes such as root-knot, lesion and spiral nematodes while Create® is a flowable concentrate systemic seed dressing for the control of seed decay and damping-off as well as the suppression of cob and tassel smut caused by Sphacelotheca reiliana in maize.
Our Digital Farmer’s days were also a major success! Bayer paid a visit to four major regions including Vredefort/Parys, Lichtenburg, Chrissiesmeer and Underberg to learn more about the latest DEKALB® hybrids that must form part of your hybrid package this coming season. We also shared information on the Climate FieldView™ platform, spoke about precision farming and looked at Bayer’s crop protection products.
2020 was, however, not only a year in which we shared our innovation with our farmers, but also a year in which we gave back to the communities we serve. Bayer was part of the AVC Food Umbrella project for which Senwes and OVK called on farmers to donate maize. For every 15 ton of donations, Bayer has also decided to give back by rewarding farmers with DEKALB seed.
As we near the end of the year and look back at some of the biggest highlights in the Bayer calendar, we would like to thank you for your continuous support throughout the year and for contributing towards shaping the agricultural landscape in South Africa. Bayer wishes you a wonderful and blessed festive season with your family and friends this holiday. We look forward to backing you and your farming business in 2021!