THE Food Price Monitoring Committee has introduced a toll-free number in a bid to encourage consumers to report acts of predatory food pricing in the food production and supply sector.

The toll free number - 0800-203-216 - administered by the offices of the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), is operational between 08:00 and 16:00 during weekdays.

The Committee was established to investigate unjustified food price hikes and seeks to protect consumers from other irregular practices.

Government instituted the strong eight-member committee - headed by Prof Johan Kirsten from the University of Pretoria and its deputy chairperson is Fikile Mazibuko of the University of Zululand - to ensure transparency around retail prices and their relation to actual costs.

Prof Kirsten said consumers formed an integral part of their probe, hence it was important that they became actively involved.

"We want the public to be the eyes of the Food Price Monitoring Committee," said Prof Kirsten.

The Committee's terms of reference include monitoring the pricing of basic foodstuffs, investigating any sharp or unjustified price increases, determining the competitiveness of production operations, investigating price formation mechanisms within the value chain of basic foodstuffs and recommending required productivity improvements.

It is also expected to investigate collusive, discriminatory or any unfair business practice in the basic food value chain, investigate and make recommendations on market inefficiencies and distortions and investigate incidents of predatory pricing and monopolistic tendencies. -BuaNews

TOE ons grond besit het, het ons nooit werk gesoek nie. As ons in die oggend opgestaan het, het ons geweet daar is werk.

Só het Xolile Gala van Mbekweni en 'n bestuurslid van Nafcoc Wes-Kaap, Saterdag by die eerste provinsiale kongres van Nafu Wes-Kaap op Wellington gesê.

Nafu (National African Farmers' Union), is 'n onderafdeling van Nafcoc.

"Ons was nooit soekers van werk nie," het Gala gesê, "ons was skeppers van werk."

Hy het Nafu geprys en gesê hy het nou weer hoop vir sy kinders en kleinkinders.

Willy Williams, die pasverkose provinsiale president van Nafu, het sy stem hierby gevoeg: "Wat ons nou doen, is vir ons kinders en dié wat daar ver is.

Hy het gesê dit gaan oor ordelike, vreedsame en regverdige grondhervorming.

Hy sê daar is sowat R200 miljoen rand deur boere bewillig vir die opkoop van landbougrond in die Wes-Kaap. Daarby kom sowat 7 biljoen rand aan buitelandse skenkings.

"Ons mense is moedeloos, hulle is plat op die grond. Maar nou het ons 'n nuwe visie vir hulle."

Dr PC van Rooyen van die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Landbou sê grondhervorming kan nie binne 'n vakuum plaasvind nie.

Hy sê sy Departement wil 7000 begunstigdes binne die volgende vyf jaar op landbougrond vestig en hiervoor het hulle alle rolspelers se hulp nodig.

"Die Wes-Kaap het 9000 wit, kommersiële boere en ons wil ten minste dieselfde getal histories agtergeblewe mense in landbou vestig."

Hy het mense ook aangemoedig om breër as boerdery te kyk as hulle na moontlikhede in landbou soek.

Nafu Wes-Kaap het reeds 45 takke binne ses streke. Belangstellendes kan Williams skakel by 073-253-7167 of Augustinus Hendricks by 082-434-7705.

SOUTH AFRICAN wine merchant, Cybercellar, has just been awarded 90 points by the prestigious US wine magazine, Wine Spectator, for their Umkhulu Titan 2001, a red "Bordeaux style" blend that is made exclusively for them by the Bellevue Estate in Stellenbosch.

Cybercellar, who opened their virtual doors by retailing South African wines on the internet back in 1998, have diversified their business significantly over the past three years to include, among many other things, wholesale marketing for select South African wineries into the difficult and complicated US market.

Last year, in an agreement between Bellevue Estate in Stellenbosch and Cybercellar in Simondium, Cybercellar branched out into marketing its own wine brand, Umkhulu, which is currently marketed exclusively into the United States.

Commenting on the accolade from the prestigious US magazine, Fiona Phillips, CEO of Cybercellar, said: "It's absolutely fantastic!

"Bellevue and Cybercellar have worked together on this US project, with Cybercellar concentrating on marketing and sales, and Bellevue doing what they do best... making great wines!

"There is a definite progression towards great quality in South African wines these days, and South Africa deserves to be winning this sort of recognition from the international press."

Umkhulu Wines were listed for the first time in the John Platter Wine Guide in this year's 2003 edition, winning a four star rating for the 2001 Titan.

Other wines in the range currently include: Pinotage (4 stars), Malbec (3 stars), Atticus (Cab/Pinotage, 3 stars) and Sauvignon Blanc (3 stars).

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