This year’s Nampo Harvest Day has been cancelled, along with the Nampo Cape Show, which was to be held at Bredasdorp in early September, and the Nampo Alfa show at Bothaville in late September, organisers Grain SA have announced.
The organisation cited the ongoing Covid pandemic, the looming so-called “third wave” of infections and the current government lockdown regulations as factors in the decision to cancel the events.
Following the replacement of last year’s physical Nampo Harvest Day show with a scaled down virtual show as a result of Covid, Grain SA planned on reviving the physical show in its usual slot in May this year. However, it soon became clear that South Africa would not have been out of the woods Covid-wise in May, so Grain SA pushed the show dates back to August.
Now, however, with South Africa still very much in the grip of the pandemic, Grain SA had to take a decision as to whether the shows could go ahead at all.
Grain SA pointed out that organising such a mammoth event as Nampo ~ the last physical event drew together some 750 exhibitor companies and thousands of visitors from all over the continent ~ takes both time and considerable resources, and the organisation deemed it prudent to pull the plug at this stage as many stakeholders in the show are still prohibiting participation in, and attendance at, events.
Ever-hopeful, however, Grain SA has pencilled in 17 to 22 May next year as the dates for Nampo 2022 at Bothaville.