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Augustus/August 2018
NWKV Nuusbrief 64 / NWGA Newsletter 64
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Inform us about events in your area or if you want to receive the newsletter. Contact Fanie van Rooyen at
082 388 0626 or send an email to fanie@agriconnect.co.za or Bonita Francis nwga@nwga.co.za or
call 041 365 5030.
Remember to visit our Facebook page.
The link is https://www.facebook.com/pages/NWGA/679678912058277
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IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
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BE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT OUTBREAK OF RIFT VALLEY FEVER IN YOUR AREA
In May there was an outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in the Jacobsdal area of the Free State.
The July disease report as compiled by the Ruminant Veterinary Association of SA (RuVASA) focuses on zoonosis, of which Rift Valley fever is one zoonotic disease.
“The symptoms are suggestive of influenza, have a rapid onset and consist of rigors, fever, headache and pain in muscles, back and joints. Many people recover uneventfully but a variable percentage may develop more severe symptoms, the liver may be affected and the patient is inclined to haemorrhage. Several other symptoms may also follow infection, including involvement of the eyes.” (J H du Preez et al., 2017)
Farmers are advised to vaccinate their animals against Rift Valley fever. Live vaccines can only be used in non-pregnant animals as the live vaccine can cause abortions. Only dead inactivated vaccines must be used in pregnant animals.
Please take care when vaccines are administered after outbreaks have been detected. Use a sterile needle for each animal as the virus can be spread between animals if the animals are in the incubation period. Animals in the incubation period will have a virus infection but will not show symptoms of the disease yet.
Click here for the full report:
https://www.ruvasa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Monthly-disease-report-July-2018.pdf
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DIT BAAT OM BY ’N NWKV-STUDIEGROEP IN TE SKAKEL
Die Gariep-skaapstudiegroep wat in 2014 gestig is en aanvanklik slegs gekonsentreer het op die ekonomiese analise van lede se plaasondernemings, het verlede maand twee byeenkomste gehou.
Dr. Louis du Pisani het ’n veldbestuurskursus op die plaas van Francois en Sunet du Toit in die Burgersdorp-distrik aangebied. Die tien deelnemers het die kursus geweldig interessant gevind en sal voortaan goed kan voorsorg tref en voortydig kan reageer wanneer droogtes op die horison wink. ’n Ewe suksesvolle skaaphanteringskursus is ook deur die studiegroep aangebied.
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THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD WITH A GROWING DEMAND FOR MERINO
The world of fashion and interior wants wool, says Peter Ackroyd, President of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO). RSG Landbou recently interviewed Ackroyd during the Philipstown young ewe inter-show competition.
Listen to the full interview here: https://www.agriorbit.com/wol-en-die-modebedryf/
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SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO ADDRESS PLIGHT OF COMMUNAL WOOL FARMERS
Representatives of the South African Wool and Mohair Buyers’ Association (SAWAMBA), the Wool Trust, the NWGA, BKB and CMW/OVK attended communal road shows during June in the districts of Barkly East, Ntabankulu, Mthatha, Cala and Peddie.
It was the fourth year that delegates took a week away from their busy schedules to spend with communal communities, pressing out the issues and challenges of woolled sheep farming.
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SA WOOL DEPICTED IN GLOBAL FASHION CHAIN
The Japanese company, Adastria Co. Ltd., is a fashion chain with 17 brands and approximately 1 300 stores in Japan and around the world. They import greasy wool from South Africa through a Chinese agent.
Their marketing company spotted images on the NWGA website and approached the organisation to use them for advertisements and in-store promotion for their 2018/19 autumn/winter season, to be released in the middle of November. A new logo was created. The visuals will be uploaded to their webpage:
https://www.adastria.co.jp/brands/
Photo: Piet Lombard, WC Dept. Agriculture
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CHRIS HANI MUNICIPALITY PROMISES TO ASSIST WOOL SHEEP FARMERS
Wool growers in the Chris Hani Municipality met with the “Who can tell” growers’ association in Queenstown last week to celebrate sheep farming as a sustainable business and to address the challenges that hinder them from accessing commercial markets. More than 400 sheep farmers listened attentively to the chairman’s report of Kirmish Dyokolwana.
The Executive Mayor of Chris Hani congratulated the NWGA for supporting the communal sheep farmers of the Eastern Cape and promised to assist farmers with quality rams during 2019. She heard about the challenge that even though there are 654 wool-grower associations in Chris Hani, there are only 109 shearing sheds to service all the communities. The absence of dipping tanks and roads to shearing sheds, and poorly fenced or unfenced camps and stock dams are hindering the success of this market.
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NWGA INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN LAND SUMMIT
Landbouweekblad and Agri SA hosted a land summit in Bela Bela, Limpopo to address and seek solutions on the issues of land and to look at farmers’ perspective on reviving rural South Africa.
On the first day the programme was divided into six sessions, with NWGA acting manager: training and development, Zithulele Mbatsha, taking part in the session relating to regenerating communal areas.
On the second day the sessions focused on regenerating restitution farms, farming in partnership, black farmers’ experiences, and funding models. NWGA national vice chairman, Sipiwo Makinana, shared his own experience as a commercial small-scale farmer in the Ugie/Maclear districts in the Eastern Cape.
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THE WOOL CLASSER, THE SHEARERS AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Launched at the National English Literary Museum in July, this book by Errol Moorcroft is about the experiences of a young student at an agricultural college in the Karoo who accompanies a team of sheep shearers as part of his diploma in wool grading.
The stories are heart-warming, amusing, and sometimes tearful. He encounters farmers who are eccentric, weird, progressive and other-worldly. He bonds with his team, sharing the sometimes harsh working conditions.
He enhances his skills of wool grading under the most challenging circumstances and learns some valuable lessons that will shape his future life. There is something reminiscent of Herman Charles Bosman in this writing.
The price of the book is R240, which includes free delivery. Please email your order to
david@hiltonbarber.co.za, or phone 083 380 3262 or 028 316 2783 (landline).
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NOORDKAAP BELOON STREEKSBESTUURSLID
Tydens die Noordkaapse jaarvergadering is ’n meriete-sertifikaat aan Diederik Vermeulen oorhandig. Die Noordkaapse wolkwekers wil hul streekslede beloon vir hul bydrae tot die wolbedryf en hulle nie blindstaar teen slegs bywoning van vergaderings nie. Vermeulen, voorsitter van die Philipstown-streek en vyfde geslag op die plaas Vrede, was die eerste ontvanger van die toekenning.
Vanweë sy betrokkenheid by Philipstown (oudste klub in Suid-Afrika) en Modern Merino jongooiklubs (tweede jongste klub), het hy die behoefte by lede waargeneem om kennis onder mekaar te deel. Hy het ’n jongooi-interskou geïnisieer en dit het jaarliks gegroei na meer as 300 besoekers en deelnemers. Die Noordkaapse wolkwekers het aangebied om hom te help met die reëlings, en vanjaar se byeenkoms het het internasionale geur in die bywoning van IWTO voorsitter, Peter Ackroyd as gasspreker gehad.
Vermeulen het die vermoë om elke geleentheid positief te benader, en só omskep hy hierdie unieke produk waarmee ons boer, in iets wat benut, gemeet, uitgebrei en bevorder kan word.
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