The National Grain Research Platform (NGRP), coordinated predominantly by Grain SA, recently held its Annual Meeting at the Future Africa campus of University of Pretoria from 1 to 3 March. The programme brought together a wide network of stakeholders including government departments, universities, research councils, agribusinesses and producers highlighting the NGRP’s core function as a national forum for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategic alignment. Opening discussions stressed that producer priorities must shape research agendas, reinforcing Grain SA’s mandate to ensure research investments deliver tangible on-farm impact. 

The meeting emphasised the theme “Integrate: Industry • Research • Policy,” highlighting the need to align scientific innovation with real-world agricultural challenges. Key focus areas included genomics, climate resilience, crop protection, precision agriculture, and emerging technologies, alongside discussions on policy reform and regulatory frameworks. Emphasis was placed on improving plant health, strengthening surveillance of emerging threats, and ensuring that research investments deliver tangible impact at farm level. The importance of stronger coordination and collaboration was highlighted by numerous presenters while the event provided an opportunity to see how research priorities align with commercial realities and can translate to practical outcomes for farmers. 

A delegation of researchers and students from the faculty (a member of the NGRP), representing Genetics (Prof Anna-Maria Oberholser and Dr Francois Burger), Plant Breeding (Lezaan Hess and Cecile Bester), Plant Pathology (Dr Lindy Rose, PhD candidates Mandisa Shabalala and Mariana van Deventer), Agronomy (Dr Flackson Tshuma, Dr Stephano Haarhoff and Karen Truter) and the Plant Disease Clinic of SU (Prof Adele Mcleod) participated in the meeting by delivering presentations. PhD candidate Mariana van Deventer won the best PhD presentation delivered at the NGRP annual meeting. 

The highly collaborative, action-oriented meeting facilitated interactions between researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and showcased participation from over 60 institutions, reinforcing its role as a national platform to align funding, expertise, and innovation efforts in grain research. Reflections of the annual meeting sees the NGRP as a maturing, strategic platform driving integration, innovation, and measurable impact toward a more resilient and competitive grain industry.

Photo caption (SU Group): Front row (L-R): Dr Burger, Prof Oberholser, Cecile Bester, Mandisa Shabalala, Lezaan Hess, Mariana van Deventer and Dr Rose. 
Back Row (L-R): Karen Truter, Dr Haarhoff and Dr Thsuma

Photo caption: Prof Mcleod representing the Plant Disease Clinic of SU presenting at the NGRP 2026.