Smiley de Beer

Ek moes onlangs 'n vraag beantwoord wat min of meer soos volg bewoord was: "Tot welke mate word die veselbedrywe deur aardverwarming en klimaats-verandering bevoordeel of benadeel?" My antwoord was dat klimaatsverandering 'n uitdaging is en dat produsente, as al die voorspellings reg is, die geleentheid het om nou reeds stelsel aanpassings vir verwagte droër of natter toestande te maak en dat navorsing ondersteun moet word om vir 'n nuwe reeks siektes, wat met aard-verwarming kan uitbreek, voor-siening te maak. Die vraag het meer om die lyf en in dié artikel probeer hy om daarop uit te brei. Daar is geweldig menings-verskille oor of die aarde werklik warmer word en net soveel teorië oor die effek daarvan terwyl daar redelike eenstemmigheid is dat die klimaat verander dit was immers nog altyd die geval, dit is miskien die tempo wat nou pla. As lesers toegang tot die internet het kan hulle gerus na "climate change facts" vir ander wetenskaplike sienings oor die onderwerp kyk. Die basis lyn is dat weersomstandighede en klimaat nie presies voorspelbaar is nie. Die beste wat ons as mense kan doen is om alles in ons vermoë te doen om nie die hulpbron agteruit te laat gaan nie.

[More]

Change of details: Current details: Hotgroup www.hotgroup.co.za 082 8875328 Please change to: Hotsure: www.hotsure.co.za 0861 HOTCALL (468 225) Pro-active risk management collars

Gert Meintjes HOTGROUP R&D +27 (82) 761 8364 South Africa Tel 1: 0861 HOTCALL (4682255) Tel 2: 0861 COLLAR (265527) Fax: 086 640 5744 RSA only URL: http://www.hotgroup.co.za Email: info@hotgroup.co.za FREE Fax-to-Email service: http://www.hotfreefax.co.za

As wool is composed of 50% carbon that has been captured and stored from the atmosphere, it is a natural carbon store. Each kilogram of greasy wool stores around 1.3 kgs of CO2. In addition to being a natural carbon store, wool is produced from a sustainable grassland system which itself has the capacity to store carbon. Combine this with woolgrowers' ability to increase soil carbon by improved farming practices, and you have one of the most natural carbon capture systems on the planet. The Wool Carbon Alliance (WCA) recently recommends a global marketing strategy aimed at recognising wool as the fibre of choice for those consumers who wish to make a personal decision in reducing global emissions. Underpinning this will be a research strategy that includes a complete wool life cycle analysis from the farm right through the wool pipeline to consumer. Further recommendations in-clude a database of scientific evidence to support the marketing of wool's environmental credentials. It's based on international research which says a household can significantly reduce its carbon emissions by living with wool: insulating with wool, wearing wool, walking, sleeping and sitting on wool. It is made of up to 50 per cent carbon, stored in a stable form. It is renewable, has the ability to biodegrade without harm to the environment and can be recycled. Furthermore, it takes significantly less energy to produce wool products than that required by man-made fibre products, and this ensures CO2 emissions are kept very low. Therefore, the increased usage of wool can positively reduce the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Reflection

At the end of 2009 we look back at the year and reflect on what happened, both positive and negative. We had a tremendous growth in the wool price, albeit from a very low base earlier this year.

The world recession took its grip on South Africa, but it has officially lifted and we have entered positive growth for the last quarter of the year. We struggled with drought in the biggest part of South Africa and it has not released its grip yet. The Eastern part of South Africa is wet and the western parts very dry. We had a below average minister of Agriculture who was replaced earlier this year by one who is a vast improvement. Fertilizer and fuel prices went up and down and so the list goes on. Up and down, the up gets offset by a down and what you lose on the swings you make up on the roundabouts. Just as you think things are on an even keel a problem arises, gets resolved and so life goes on. I am told that we are getting to grips with a free market in agriculture and we are trading in the global village. This is the way of the world; there is no other show in town.

As organisation we achieved some goals and we failed in others. For some we received credit and others took credit in other terrains. We came in for some stick in some areas by influencing situations we perceived to be in our interest. Some places we burned our fingers and in other places we did things right. We are getting to grips with the free market around us and defining our position in our industry. I would like to think we are coming of age, defining our parameters and the parameters of those around us. The vice-president jokingly refers to our situation by saying that the rest of the industry cannot pull the wool over our eyes anymore; we have become streetwise. We play the leading role in the South African wool industry, of that I am convinced. It's been a good year, we have made our influence felt and will continue to be the driver in 2010.

It's holiday season and let us slow down, reflect on the past year and plan for 2010. Its not going to be easy, its going to be the same rollercoaster ride we have become used to, up and down, boom or bust, but at the end of the day things always turn out for the best. Maybe a little richer, maybe a little poorer, we made it through 2009, 2010 will offer the same challenges.

Lastly and most important, in all that we achieve, in all that we don't achieve, in all things that give us joy and all things make us sad, for the times we need to be strong and the times we must be weak, the times we must be bold and the times we must not, all the glory and recognition to Almighty God, Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Die Nasionale Wolkwekers Vereniging se kommunale streekkongresse is goed bygewoon. Die boere in die vier streke wat die Amatola, Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani , Alfred Nzo en Ukwahlamba distrik munisipaliteite insluit, versoek die regering dringend om op veral veediefstal en probleemdierbeheer te konsentreer. Die munisipaliteite is ook versoek om wetgewing in te stel oor skadelike onkruid soos boetebos wat nou probleme in die gebiede veroorsaak.

VERKLARING MET BETREKKING TOT PRODUKSIEPRAKTYKE Nota: Teken die verklaring en stuur na u betrokke makelaar.

Ek, ................................................................................................, as bona fide wolboer, onderskryf die beginsels wat in die Bedryfskode vir Beste Praktyke vir Wolskaapboerdery vervat word, en onderneem om alle toepaslike prosesse te implementeer sodat die produk wat ek lewer aan alle nodige vereistes sal voldoen. Ek verbind myself tot eerlikheid en integriteit ten opsigte van alle aksies in hierdie verband.

Ten einde op 'n volhoubare basis wol van gehalte te produseer soos wat deur die mark vereis word, en om volhoubare natuurlike hulpbronbewaring, dierewelstand en sosiale verantwoordelikheid na te streef, onderskryf ek die volgende beginsels:

• Die seleksie en teling van diere wat goed aangepas is by die omgewing, en wat 'n sterk natuurlike weerstand het teen siektes en parasiete, en wat die vermoë het om te gedy onder gemiddelde toestande ten opsigte van voerhoeveelheid en -kwaliteit.

• Onder geen omstandighede die Mules-operasie te gebruik nie.

[More]

VENDOR DECLARATION OF PRODUCTION PRACTICES

Note: Sign this declaration and send it to your broker.

I, ................................................................................. as a bona fide woolgrower commit myself to the principles embodied in the Best Practice Reference Manual for Wool Sheep Farming in South Africa, and undertake to implement all procedures to ensure that the product I deliver meet the required standards. I commit myself to honesty and integrity in all actions related to this undertaking.

In order to consistently produce the quality of wool demanded by the market and to ensure sustainable resource use, animal welfare and social responsibility, I commit myself to the following:

• Selection and breeding of animals that are well adapted to the environment, displaying high resistance levels to disease and parasites and which have the ability to thrive under average conditions of feed availability and quality.

• Total non-use of the Mules operation.

[More]

U word vriendelik uitgenooi om vanaf 5 tot 6 September 2009 'n draai te kom maak by die Vaalpukkampus van die Noordwes-Universiteit,Vanderbijlpark.Vaal ou Wieleklub se jaarlikse Wheels at the Vaaluitstalling vind vir die vyfde keer op die kampus plaas.Vanjaar gaan dit die grootste lewende kultuuruitstalling in die land wees.

Plaaswerf:

Deel van die kultuuruitstalling is 'n plaaswerf op die kampus wat veral die stadsjapies se oë laat rek. Dit gaan vir hulle baie leersaam wees.(a) Ons gaan koeie melk,roomafskei,room karring en botter maak.(b)Koffiebone brand,bone maal en sakkie-/moerkoffie verkoop in ons plaasstal.(c) Uit ons byekorwe gaan ons heuning uitwaai en u kan met 'n bottel vars heuning huiswaarts keer.(d) Velle brei,rieme sny en swepe vleg (e) Kaiings uitbraai en saam met pap voorsit.(f) Donsvere pluk van die ganse en donskussings en –komberse verkoop. (g) Witblits stook en te koop aanbied vir die sterkes onder ons.(h) Brood,beskuit koekies en melktert bak in ons buite oond.(i) Skapeskeer,wolklas,spin en wolprodukte vervaardig.(j)Ystersmeewerk doen op die tradisionele manier,(k)Kersemaak,(l)vet kook en seepmaak. (m)leerskoene maak (n)maak van matte (o) ons gaan die heerlikste sagte koeksisters maak.Worcester Kleinplasies se museum en die Nasionale Wolkwekersvereniging se skaapskeerders kom weer kuier. Tharina Joubert van Reddersburg gaan demonstreer wat gebeur as die wol afgeskeer is tot die trui op die winkelrakke beland.

[More]

TO ALL PRODUCERS OF WOOL. As most producers are aware, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has made mulesing of sheep in Australia an international issue with top fashion brands such as Hugo Boss, Marks and Spencer, etc., declaring that they will only buy mules free wool. We, as the buyers of the South African clip, have been led to believe that less than 1% of ALL wool produced in South Africa comes from mulesed sheep. The brokers, NWGA and Cape Wools have advertised the fact that there will be declarations on each catalogue stating whether a declaration has been signed by the producer that the wool comes from mules free sheep. We, as the buyers and marketers of the South African wool clip, appeal to ALL the producers in South Africa to sign the declarations about mulesing.

[More]

(The Wellwood Spring Ram Sale will take place on September 10, 2009 in Grootfontein, Middelburg, Eastern Cape).