Free trial period for eAccounts during lockdown Level 4

Dear valued client,

Free trial period for eAccounts during lockdown Level 4

A great opportunity exists for UNIGRO clients who are not yet using our eAccounts platform to sign up for free during May 2020.

Our eAccounts fees have been suspended, creating a unique opportunity to use this world-class platform for your financial transactions, including convenient access to funding. eAccounts provides real-time transactional capability and access to relevant account information.

For an easy tutorial on what eAccounts offers and how to use it, please take a look at the short video on our YouTube page, at https://youtu.be/Km1zn-RLb5s

Tried it and don’t like it? If eAccounts is not for you, then simply deregister before the end of May – there is no charge for signing up, usage or deregistering during this period.

Stay safe.

Kind regards

 

Ross Simmonds

MD, UNIGRO Financial Services

UNIGRO gaan voort om eAccounts fooie op te skort

Gegewe die inperkingsverlenging tot en met 30 April 2020, sowel as die bekendstelling van Vlak 4 inperking vanaf 1 Mei 2020, verstaan ons dat ons boere steeds vir die afsienbare toekoms ernstige uitdagings in die gesig staar.  Daarom is dit vir ons aangenaam om aan te kondig dat UNIGRO en GroCapital Financial Services sal voortgaan om eAccounts fooie op te skort met ingang Mei 2020 en waarskynlik selfs langer.

Ons wil u weereens bedank vir u voortgesette ondersteuning en die bydrae wat u lewer in die voorsiening van voedsel vir ons land se etenstafels.

Ons vertrou dat die fooiopskorting sal help om finansiële laste ligter te maak in hierdie tyd en u finansiële adminstasieproses vergemaklik.

Wees veilig.

Ross Simmonds

Besturende Direkteur, UNIGRO Financial Services

UNIGRO continues to suspend fees for eAccounts

Given the lockdown extension to 30 April 2020, and the introduction of Level 4 from 1 May 2020, we understand that our farmers will continue to face a number of serious challenges for the foreseeable future. We are therefore pleased to announce that UNIGRO and GroCapital Financial Services will continue our eAccounts fees suspension into May 2020 and possibly beyond this.

Once again, thank you for your ongoing support and for helping ensure that food reaches the table across the country. We hope that this fee suspension will help ease any financial burden and make your financial administration process more convenient.

Stay safe.

Ross Simmonds

MD, UNIGRO Financial Services

Minister Thoko Didiza announces interventions to assist agricultural sector during Coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown

The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza, MP is pleased to announce the department’s interventions to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19.

The department has ring-fenced R1.2 billion for assistance to mainly target financially distressed small-scale farmers. Of the R1.2 billion, R400 million has been allocated for farmers within the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) programme and the remainder will be channelled towards all other farmers that are mainly within the following commodity sectors:

  • Poultry: Day old chicks, Point of lay chickens, feed, medication and sawdust;
  • Other Livestock: Feed and medication.
  • Vegetables: Seedlings, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and soil correction.
  • Other commodity sectors will be evaluated on a case by case basis, as the Department continuously monitors the impact of COVID-19 on the sector at large.

Qualifying criteria for farmers

  • South African citizens who have been actively farming for a minimum of 12 months and currently in the production season or cycle.
  • Be registered on farmer register, commodity database or provincial database [Those who are not on the Farmer Register will be registered to benefit].
  • Communal farmers.
  • Smallholder farmers with annual turnover between R50 000 and R1 million.
  • The adjudication will prioritise women, youth and people with disabilities.

Exclusions

Mechanisation, infrastructure and overhead costs will NOT be supported. This is not comprehensive support but intervention package amid COVID-19.

Farmers who are preparing for the 2020 summer production season will not be supported. The aim is to provide immediate to near-term support to smallholder farmers currently affected by COVID-19.

Farmers who are currently receiving support through other programmes of government and its entities.

No payment for debts.

The applications for this funding will be open from 08 April 2020 and will close on 22 April 2020. No late entries will be accepted. Application forms will be available on 08 April 2020 on the departmental website – www.dalrrd.gov.za and through national, provincial, district and local offices of both the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and Provincial Departments of Agriculture. Applications will be lodged electronically at applications@dalrrd.gov.za or submitted to the offices as outlined.

The Minister wishes to also encourage all stakeholders within the sector to observe and implement regulations as published by Government Notice No. 318 of 18 March 2020, as amended by Government Notices Nos. R 398 of 25 March 2020 and R419 of 26 March 2020. The observation and implementation of these prescripts on health and occupational safety is also critical for the farmworkers, who are the backbone of the food supply system.

“I urge all employers within the sector to fully comply with all the applicable prescripts. Together, as stakeholders within the sector we have a mandate to ensure that there is access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for our country,” said Minister Didiza.

For media enquiries contact:
Media Liaison Officer
Reggie Ngcobo
Cell: 082 883 2458

More on:
Source: www.gov.za

UNIGRO and GroCapital suspend eAccounts fees during lockdown

Dear valued client,

31 March is UNIGRO and GroCapital Financial Services year-end and is usually the time of year when we communicate our fee increases to you. However, this year is anything but usual, and has called on us to make an unusual decision.

UNIGRO and GroCapital Financial Services is pleased to announce that it will suspend eAccounts fees for April 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown and delay its other fee increases until lockdown is over and things return to normality. We understand the severity of the lockdown and the task that lies ahead for farmers and food producers to continue to produce food for South Africa. We hope that this small gesture will alleviate some of your financial pressure. This zero eAccount fee could be extended should the lockdown endure for longer than 21 days, but you will be kept informed of developments.

For those customers not yet using the eAccounts system who would like to join, the same suspended fee structure applies.

We care about our customers and trust that you have all the necessary structures in place to look after yourself, your loved ones and those working in your business to ensure the critical functioning of food availability in South Africa.

Thank you for your support and for embracing food production in South Africa. We hope your free use of our eAccounts platform during this time will make your financial administration just a little bit easier.

 

Please be safe during this time

 

Kind regards

 

Ross Simmonds

MD, UNIGRO Financial Services

UNIGRO en GroCapital skrap eAccounts-fooie tydens afsonderingsperiode

Geagte kliënt,

 

UNIGRO en GroCapital Finansiële Dienste se boekjaar eindig 31 Maart en dit is normaalweg in hierdie tyd wat ons fooi-aanpassings aan u deurgee. Vanjaar is egter alles behalwe normaal en dit het ons genoop om ‘n buitengewone besluit te neem.

 

Dit is vir UNIGRO en GroCapital Finansiële Dienste aangenaam om te kan aankondig dat ons eAccounts-fooie vir April 2020 opgeskort het weens die afsonderingsperiode teen COVID-19. Die implementering van ander fooiverhogings word uitgestel totdat die afsonderingsperiode verby is en die situasie na normaal teruggekeer het. Ons het begrip vir die erns van die situasie en die taak wat vir boere en voedselverwerkers voorlê om voort te gaan met voedselproduksie vir Suid-Afrika. Ons hoop hierdie gebaar sal van jou finansiële druk verlig. Die afskaffing van eAccount-fooie kan verleng word, sou die afsonderingsperiode langer as 21 dae duur, maar sal u tydig daarvan in kennis gestel word.

 

Dieselfde fooistruktuur sal van krag wees aan ons kliënte wat nog nie die eAccounts-stelsel gebruik nie en graag wil aansluit.

 

Ons gee om vir ons kliënte en vertrou dat u die nodige strukture in plek het om na u geliefdes, werknemers en belange om te sien om volgehoue voedselsekerheid in Suid-Afrika te verseker.

 

Dankie vir u ondersteuning en u verbintenis tot voedselproduksie in Suid-Afrika. Ons hoop die gratis gebruik van ons eAccounts-platform gedurende hierdie tyd sal u finansiële bestuur ‘n bietjie makliker maak.

 

Wees asseblief veilig gedurende hierdie tyd

 

Beste wense

 

Ross Simmonds

Besturende Direkteur, UNIGRO Financial Services

Brief Aan Kliente

25 Maart 2020

 

Geagte kliënt,

 

 

Suid-Afrika gaan vanaf Vrydag 27 Maart 2020 (vanaf Donderdagaand om middernag) in algehele afsondering om die verspreiding van die nuwe koronavirus te probeer stuit. Die verpligte afsondering sal vir 21 dae van krag wees (“die afsonderingsperiode”).

 

 

Gedurende hierdie tyd moet alle besighede en dienste sluit, behalwe vir die beperkte lys ondernemings wat vrygestel is, omrede dit as noodsaaklik geag word vir die gesondheid en veiligheid van Suid-Afrikaners (“vrygestelde besighede en dienste”).

 

 

Die vrygestelde besighede en dienste sluit in:

 

  • Landbou- en voedselverwante bedrywighede, boerdery, veeartsenykundige dienste en fitosanitêre verskaffers, plaagbeheerdienste, chemiese – en kunsmisverskaffers.

 

  • Vervaardigers en prosesseringsfasiliteite van voedselprodukte, drinkbare vloeistof en noodsaaklike produkte.

 

  • Pakhuise, vervoer en logistiek van voedsel, noodsaaklike produkte en gesondheidsverwante goedere.

 

  • Hawens, sowel as pad- en spoornetwerke sal oop bly om die in- en uitvoer van noodsaaklike produkte te fasiliteer.

 

  • Afsetpunte van voedsel – klein- en groothandelaars, spaza-winkels en inkopiesentrums vir voedsel en noodsaaklike produkte.

 

  • Kritiese bank- en finansiële dienste.

 

 

Hoewel ons wag vir die gepubliseerde gedetailleerde regulasies in terme van die Wet op Rampbestuur, is dit duidelik dat die hele voedselwaardeketting as ‘n noodsaaklike bedryf beskou word, en deel is van die vrygestelde besighede en dienste.

 

 

Die AFGRI Groep, insluitend sy filiale, is deel van die groter voedselwaardeketting.

 

 

Daarvolgens sal die volgende besighede en dienste in die AFGRI Groep operasioneel bly tydens die afsonderingsperiode:

 

 

  1. Alle graansilo’s en -bunkers

 

  1. Alle AFGRI Meganisasietakke en dienste

 

  1. Alle UNIGRO finansiële dienste, insluitend e-Accounts

 

  1. Alle voedselverwerking en vervaardigingsfasiliteite, insluitend AFGRI Veevoere en AFGRI Meulens

 

  1. Hinterland (AFGRI Town and Country) handelstakke.

 

 

Ons werknemers sal toegelaat word om te reis en hierdie dienste aan u te voorsien.

 

 

Ons sal te alle tye verantwoordelik en volgens die regulasies van die Wet op Rampbestuur optreel en indien die situasie verander, sal ons u kontak. Werknemers wie se teenwoordigheid by hul normale werksplek nie as noodsaaklik beskou word nie, sal van die huis af werk. Hetsy hulle van die huis of kantoor af werk, sal hulle steeds bereikbaar wees en poog om dieselfde dienste en produkte te lewer as waaraan u gewoond is.

 

 

Ons kliënte en werknemers se gesondheid en veiligheid is van kardinale belang. Dit is egter ook belangrik om te beklemtoon dat die AFGRI Groep van maatskappye, ons werknemers en ons kliënte deel is van die groter voedselwaardeketting, wat met rede as noodsaaklik beskou word in die land se stryd teen die Covid-19-pandemie. Dit is ‘n voorreg, maar ook ‘n reuse verantwoordelikheid.

 

 

Laastens, wil ons u verseker dat die AFGRI Groep oor die bedryfsplanne en menslike hulpbronne beskik om die nodige ondersteuning aan u, ons gewaardeerde kliënt, te bied in hierdie onseker tye.

 

 

Ons sal voortgaan om met u te kommunikeer oor enige verwikkelinge, insluitend op ons sosiale media-kanale en ons webtuiste.

 

Tinus Prinsloo

 

WNDE UITVOERENDE HOOF: AFGRI GROEP

Grain Management Communication

Dear customer

AFGRI Grain Management’s grain services and grain trading will continue during the COVID-19 lockdown.

We are aligned with the statement of President Ramaphosa on March 23, 2020, and as part of the agro food value chain, will continue to operate as outlined under the “Essential Services” definition, specifically “Food & essential products – related manufacturing and processing, and distribution”.

Please remember that access to accounts, grain contracts and supplies is available through our e-Accounts platform.

Further, given these trying times, we must strive to minimise exposure between our employees and our customers, so where possible, please communicate your needs by phone, email, WhatsApp or SMS to your Silo Manager and/or Grain Marketer.

For any queries, please contact your Silo Manager or Grain Marketer.

Stay healthy!