PRODUSENTE EN DIE BEDRYF IS AFHANKLIK VAN MEKAAR

Produsente is van die bedryf afhanklik en die bedryf is afhanklik van produsente, was die boodskap wat na vore getree het tydens die bespreking van die waardeketting wat die RPO Noord-Kaap op 30 September 2024 in Upington aangebied het.

PRODUCERS AND INDUSTRY ARE DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER

Producers depend on the industry and the industry depends on producers, was the message that emerged during the discussion of the value chain that the RPO Northern Cape presented on 30 September 2024 in Upington.

 

Spesifieke probleme wat in die Noord-Kaap ervaar word is dat slagpale sukkel en abattoirs verplig is om Namibiese lammers in te neem aangesien daar te min lammers in die provinsie geproduseer word vir abattoirs om winsgewend te wees. Dit is onduidelik wat die ware impak van die Namibiese lammers op die plaaslike mark het.

 

Charl Saunderson het ‘n Agbiz-verslag toegelig, wat toon dat die plaaslike verbruik van skaapvleis oor die afgelope jare afgeneem het. Indien die Namibiese grens toegemaak word en die Suid-Afrikaanse produsent om welke rede ookal nie daartoe in staat is om genoeg vleis te produseer nie, is daar ‘n groot moontlikheid dat die regering die 40% ad valorem-heffing op vleisinvoere sal ophef, wat beteken dat skaapvleis die land sal kan binnekom teen ‘n bedrag van tussen R40 en R50/kg. Geen boer kan teen daardie pryse ‘n bestaan maak nie, en dit sal die einde van die skaapboer wees.

 

Volgens RMIS se syfers slag Suid-Afrika tans ongeveer 4.5 miljoen lammers per jaar, waarvan Namibiese lammers min of meer 8.8% uitmaak. Namibiese boere ontvang gemiddeld R4/kg minder as plaaslike produsente vir hul produk.

 

Roelie van Rensburg het met behulp van statistiek getoon dat die plaaslike lamsprys nie deur Namibiese invoere beïnvloed word nie. Die groter probleem waarmee die skaapvleisbedryf sit, is die feit dat 85 slagpales tussen 2016 en 2024 toegemaak het. Dieselfde hoeveelheid vleis word oor die afgelope tien jaar geproduseer en slagpersentasies het ook onveranderd gebly, maar die skaapvleismark het gekrimp.

 

Charl du Plessis van KLK meen skaapvleis het so duur geword dat dit nou ‘n nisproduk is en die vraag is of die produk reg geposisioneer word. Dit is die boer se verantwoordelikheid om verbruikers te oorreed dat sy produk ‘n hoë premie werd is.

 

Kobus van den Berg het die kwessie oor die verskil tussen slagstatistiek en uitvoerstatistiek van velle geopper. Dit is onduidelik waarom die pryse van velle sedert 2012 so drasties gedaal het en die meeste velle na China en die Midde-Ooste uitgevoer is.

 

Charl du Plessis het daarop gewys dat die wêreld kleiner geword het. Die leerlooiery in Italië het al die velle ingekoop en nagenoeg 30% is weer uitgevoer na modehuise en die res na Pakistan. Laasgenoemde het egter direk van Suid-Afrika begin aankoop. Wat dorper-velle betref, het die mark oor die afgelope twee jaar so verswak dat dit net voorsiening maak vir velle van die hoogste kwaliteit. Dit is ‘n sikliese proses en die mark sal hopelik eendag weer ‘n oplewing toon.

 

Wolfe Braude van Agbiz het meer inligting gegee rondom die handelsooreenkomste met buurlande en ander lande. Agbiz het aan die Departement van Landbou voorgestel dat ‘n ooreenkoms met ander lande aangegaan word wat spesifiek op landbou gemik is en die hele waardeketting insluit. Die departement het egter versoek dat daar eers navorsing gedoen word, en Agbiz het onderneem om die resultate van so ‘n studie binne twee jaar bekend te maak.

 

Dr Frikkie Maré van die nasionale RPO het gerapporteer dat ‘n komitee gevorm is om genetiese uitvoere te hanteer met dr Pierre van Rooyen as voorsitter.

 

Verder is die RPO besig met ‘n ISO-9000 registrasie vir die sertifisering van Suid-Afrikaanse  rooivleis, wat ook tot voordeel van die velle-komponent behoort te wees. Die protokolle is ver gevorder en die RPO sal binnekort met ‘n loodsprojek begin om plase te oudit. Sertifisering raak toenemend belangrik in uitvoermarkte en kan baie markte vir Suid-Afrika ontsluit.

Specific problems experienced in the Northern Cape are that slaughterhouses struggle and abattoirs are obliged to take in Namibian lambs because too few lambs are produced in the province for abattoirs to be profitable. It is unclear what the true impact of the Namibian lambs is on the local market.

 

Charl Saunderson outlined an Agbiz report, which shows that local consumption of mutton has decreased over recent years. If the Namibian border is closed and the South African producer is unable to produce enough meat for whatever reason, there is a high possibility that the government will lift the 40% ad valorem levy on meat imports, which means that mutton will be able to enter the country at an amount of between R40 and R50/kg. No farmer can make a living at those prices, and that will be the end of the sheep farmer.

 

According to RMIS figures, South Africa currently slaughters around 4.5 million lambs per year, of which Namibian lambs make up more or less 8.8%. Namibian farmers receive on average R4/kg less than local producers for their product.

 

Roelie van Rensburg showed with the help of statistics that the local lamb price is not influenced by Namibian imports. The bigger problem facing the sheep meat industry is the fact that 85 slaughterhouses closed between 2016 and 2024. The same amount of meat has been produced over the past ten years and slaughter percentages have also remained unchanged, but the sheep meat market has shrunk.

 

Charl du Plessis from KLK believes that lamb has become so expensive that it is now a niche product and the question is whether the product is positioned correctly. It is the farmer’s responsibility to persuade consumers that his product is worth a high premium.

 

Kobus van den Berg raised the issue of the difference between slaughter statistics and skin export statistics. It is unclear why the prices of skins have fallen so drastically since 2012 and most skins have been exported to China and the Middle East.

 

Charl du Plessis pointed out that the world has become smaller. The tannery in Italy used to bought all the skins and almost 30% was re-exported to fashion houses and the rest to Pakistan. However, the latter started purchasing directly from South Africa. As for dorper skins, the market has weakened so much over the past two years that it only caters for skins of the highest quality. It is a cyclical process and the market will hopefully one day show an upswing again.

 

Wolfe Braude from Agbiz gave more information about trade agreements with neighbouring countries and other countries. Agbiz proposed to the Department of Agriculture that a trade agreement be concluded with other countries that is specifically aimed at agriculture and includes the entire value chain. However, the department requested that research into the matter be carried out first, and Agbiz undertook to publish the results of such a study within two years’ time.

 

Dr Frikkie Maré from the national RPO reported that a committee had been formed to deal with genetic exports with Dr Pierre van Rooyen as chairman.

 

Furthermore, the RPO is working on an ISO-9000 process for the certification of South African red meat, which should also be of benefit to the skin’s component. The protocols are well advanced and the RPO will soon start a pilot project to audit farms. Certification is becoming increasingly important in export markets and can unlock many markets for South Africa.

Dankie / Thank You

Die nasionale RPO wil graag die volgende borge hartlik bedank vir hul betrokkenheid wat bygedra het tot die sukses van die geleentheid. /

The national RPO would like to sincerely thank the following sponsors for their involvement which contributed to the success of the event.