September 30, 2024
Wood-Mizer tapped into Cape Nampo's 2024 theme, "Agriculture: The Backbone of Economic Growth," to show how sawmilling is broadening agri-businesses’ income streams and driving growth in Africa.
The company sees the intersection between agriculture and sawmilling as a key opportunity to bolster its own and the sector’s growth with successes from this partnership reconfirming the potential it holds.
A grape farmer turned sawmiller in South Africa's Northern Cape Province that diversified into sawmilling to generate alternative income streams to support the fiscus of the farm illustrates this.
The sawmilling silo of the farm now equals and even rivals the income from viticulture with pallets, crates and dried fruit drying racks going to farms in the Orange River Valley and beyond.
The four-day event saw a record-breaking 45,894 visitors pass through the gates to view the technology on display, discuss challenges, and seek opportunities to weatherproof the future of agriculture.
The organizers added 38 additional stands to meet the demand for more exhibition space with Wood-Mizer joining the 600 exhibits and the new 542 exhibitor record to showcase its wares to visitors.
Brisk sales for Wood-Mizer during to the show added to new records set with the bulk of the exhibit sold and enquiries during and after the show, underscoring Wood-Mizer's relevance in the agri space.
"The level of interest in our range, feet past the stand, and enquiries about the potential for sawmilling on farms were significant," Wood-Mizer's General Manager, Malcolm Corns, said.
"We're delighted in the turnout, with sales from the show and that the weather held this year adding to the success," he continued.
During a visit by the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Friday, September 13, he reiterated the role of precision farming in the future success of agriculture in South Africa and Africa.
Sawmilling is an important example of how precision can improve the bottom line of sawmilling businesses and agri-based enterprises.
Wood-Mizer's use of thin-kerf narrow bandsaw blades, in tandem with the sizing and cutting exactness of the range, allow sawmillers to waste less and produce precisely sized boards.
With more timber to sell from less waste and exact cut quality that sells at a premium, sawmillers have the tools to produce sawn timber with ready offtake and more significant profits.
Further examples of farmers using Wood-Mizer's range have proven that this combination works.
They now use timber assets on the farm, both planted and invasive species that choke waterways to produce timber products to bolster farm incomes, create employment and improve sustainability.
NAMPO Cape's dates for next year are 10 - 13 September 2025 at Bredasdorp Park. Also, join Wood-Mizer at Nampo Park Bothaville between 13-16 May 2025.
Partner with Wood-Mizer – En boer vooruit!
