Ooskaap NWKV voorsitter, HB van der Walt het tydens hul jaarvergadering laasweek verslag gedoen oor aktiwiteite die afgelope jaar.
Produksie omstandighede is gekenmerk deur strawwe droogte en word daar spesifiek gedink aan daardie boere in die westelike en suidelike dele waar daar glad nie of baie min reen geval het. Van der Walt het juis laasjaar melding gemaak oor die effek van die droogte toe hy rapporteer het dat produksie in die Ooskaap in die 2016/17 seisoen gestyg het tot 18.15 miljoen kg. en was sy voorspelling heel akkuraat toe produksie syfers vir 2017/18 bekend gemaak word en die Ooskaap syfers wys dat wolproduksie gedaal het tot 12.97 miljoen kilogram. Die huidige droogte gaan verseker 'n verdere negatiewe effek in die 2018/19 seisoen hê, sê van der Walt.
Aangesien die aanvraag vir kwaliteit wol steeds hoog is, is dit belangrik dat boere tydens skeertyd, in die skeerhok is om klasstandaarde te handhaaf of te verbeter. Met die verbod van woluitvoere na China en die gepaardgaande belangrikheid van naspeurbaarheid, gaan hierdie kritiese bestuurspraktyk enook die algehele handhawing van die Kode van Beste Praktyke al hoe belangriker word.
Op die kommersiele front, is daar groot waardering vir produksie adviseurs Juan Venter en Kobus Grobler om uitvoering te gee aan produksie adviesdienste en is bestuurslede aangemoedig om van hulle gebruik te maak. Daar is met groot opgewondenheid rapporteer oor meer as 250 boere wie die reproduksiekursus bygewoon het, met positiewe terugvoering oor die inhoud van die kursus.
Within the communal sphere, van der Walt reported that there were 1 195 active shearing sheds who delivered wool during the 2017/18 season, of which 943 falls in the communal farming areas in the Eastern Cape, with an estimated 40 000 individual small scale producers.
Although there are currently 10 production advisors operating in the 5 regions, concern was expressed over their ability to reach a large number of shearing sheds who require their services to enhance the success of those sheds.
Lawrence Maduna, vice chairman for the EC is one of 2 emerging farmers who qualified to join the ranks of the commercial breeders who breed genetic material for the ram project. Through the Genetic Improvement Programme, 3 000 quality bred rams are annually introduced to improve the genetic potential of communal flocks. As a result of this programme, wool statistics show remarkable progress in that 5.4 million kg. with a value of R3.8 million was channeled through the formal market.
NO CHANGE IN EAST CAPE LEADERSHIP
A vote of confidence was evident in the election of NWGA leadership last week at Aloe Grove in Queenstown, where both the chairman and his 2 vice chairmen were unanimously re-elected.
During the Annual General Meeting of the East Cape NWGA and RPO, HB van der Walt was re-elected and entered his 3rd year as chairman, whilst Niel du Preez and Lawrence Maduna are assisting in their capacity as vice chairmen, representing the commercial and communal farmers respectively. Maduna was further elected to vice chairmanship within the RPO, taking over from Kirmish Dyokolwana.
Just on 50 delegates attended the AGM where both NWGA and RPO delivered respective chairmen, financial and communal reports.
Bonita Francis
Public Relations Officer / Company Secretary
National Woolgrowers' Association of SA (NWGA)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.<mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> / Website: www.nwga.co.za<http://www.nwga.co.za/>
Tel no (041) 3655030 / 082 413 6416 ; Fax no (041) 3655035
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