One of the best ways to improve understanding of South Africa’s vast and complex agricultural sector is through great writing – and the Hollard-sponsored Young Agri Writers Competition stimulates exactly that.
The point of the competition is to encourage young writers to focus on the agricultural sector, one of the most important sectors in the South African economy. With few media outlets dedicated to agriculture, or many having no particular expertise on the sector, Andries Wiese, Hollard Insure’s national business development manager and head of Agri, says it is vital to stimulate media coverage and thought leadership.
The 2022 iteration of this competition for young South Africans (who must be 28 years old or younger) features two categories – technical and non-technical writing. The competition winners were announced in November 2022, with each receiving R5 000 in prize money. The runners-up and second runners-up in each category have won R3 000 and R2 000 respectively, with the other finalists each receiving R1 000.
And the winners are…
TECHNICAL CATEGORY
In the technical category, NWK’s soil scientist, Rachel du Preez, walked away with the first prize for her article about soil acidity and its remediation in crop production. In the second place was Grain SA’s junior economist, Heleen Viljoen, for her piece about the importance of maize exports for local commodity markets. The third place was shared by Heleen and another Grain SA junior economist, Christiaan Vercueil, for their article that questions whether producers are causing food prices to increase.
NON-TECHNICAL CATEGORY
In the non-technical category, the top honours go to Michelle Marais, who works in agribusiness with the RussellStone Group, for her article about the unique competitive advantage that the youth enjoys in agriculture. The runner-up is agriculturalist, Karen Truter, for her article about farming in the future, and the third place goes to agricultural economics student, Ruth Hadebe, who submitted articles about vegetables and agro-processing.
‘It’s remarkable how this year’s entrants all have strong connections with agriculture, and their passion for the sector is evident in their writing. The standard of their writing is excellent, and the sheer diversity of topics they covered this year has been breath-taking.
‘As an agri-focused insurer, Hollard is proud to play such an important role along with our partners in the competition, Farming Portal and Agricultural Writers SA. Greater knowledge and understanding of agriculture – which is a fascinating sector – is good for everyone in the agricultural value chain and helps to create a better future for every citizen,’ says Wiese.
