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Theo de Jager, Deputy President of Agri-SA was elected Chairman/President of the Board of the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 15 May 2013.
 
Mr. Salum Shamte, Chairman of the Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT), was elected as the Vice President, while Ms Jane Ngulube from National Smallholder Farmers’ Union of Malawi (NASFAM), was elected as a Board Member. The other Board Members are Mr. Haja Rakotomandimby from Coalition Paysanne de Madagascar (CPM) and Mr. Ishmael Sunga who is an Executive Director and the CEO of SACAU. The new SACAU Board has representation from both small and large-scale farming sectors, as well as male and female.
 
The African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA) was admitted as the newest member of SACAU.
 
The AGM was preceded by the Annual Conference with the theme: “Financing Agricultural Transformation beyond Food Security.” The conference was attended by all SACAU members and stakeholders from the region and internationally.
 
Speakers included His Excellency Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Honourable MP, Mr. Christopher Chiza (Eng.), Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of the United Republic of Tanzania.
 
In-depth attention was paid to the following sub-themes:
- Re-visioning agricultural development in Africa
- Reconfiguring agricultural financing: Towards a growth and business development centered/ oriented agricultural development approach
- An outlook of key agricultural commodities and opportunities for farmers
- An update of selected key agricultural-related development which included Grow Africa, SADC/Comesa/EAC tripartite free-trade agreement and Climate Change Negotiations
 
Editors’ note
SACAU was originally established in 1992, and its Secretariat is based in Centurion, South Africa. Its membership is open to national farmers’ unions and regional commodity associations in Southern Africa.
 
SACAU is involved in agricultural development in the region through strengthening the capacities of farmers’ organisations, by providing a collective voice for farmers on regional and international matters, and by providing agricultural related information to its members and other stakeholders.
 
Membership
SACAU now has 17 members in 12 countries in southern Africa:
Botswana Botswana Agricultural Union (BAU)
Lesotho Lesotho National Farmers Union (LENAFU)
Madagascar Coalition Paysanne de Madagascar (CPM)
Confédération des Agriculteurs Malagasy (FEKRITAMA)
Malawi Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM)
National Smallholders Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM)
Mozambique MozambiqueUniao Nacional de Camponeses (UNAC)
Namibia Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU)
Namibia National Farmers’ Union (NNFU)
Seychelles Seychelles Farmers Association (SEYFA)
South Africa Agri South Africa (AgriSA)
African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA)
Swaziland Swaziland National Agricultural Union (SNAU)
Tanzania Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT)
Zambia Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU)
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union of Zimbabwe (CFU)
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU)
SACAU also has also started working with farmers’ representatives in Mauritius.