SIMONDIUM will be a bustling meeting place for the Western Cape's agricultural industry this weekend with the 61st Bien Donné Expo which will be held from today to Saturday.

More than 220 companies will exhibit their products and services, making the Bien Donné Expo one of the largest agricultural expo's in the Western Cape.

Visitors can expect to see the latest farming techniques, equipment, implements, related products and services.

A new addition to the Bien Donné Expo is the AgriCentre (staged in the main hall) hosting smaller exhibits.

The Expo attracted some 7780 visitors last year and on Saturday will feature the SA Barbeque Championships.

Klipdrift will sponsor live performances by Blackie Swart, Christo & Cobus, Alta Joubert and many other artists.

Visitors can browse through the arts and crafts marquee, see interesting exhibits and enjoy live entertainment, food and drinks.

Tickets are available from the gate at R20 (children R10). Doors are open daily from 09:00 to 16:30. For enquiries, phone 855-4750.

The Expo is organised by ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij.

VinPro, the South African wine producers' representative and service organisation, recently announced plans to facilitate and co-ordinate a land reform program aimed at the transformation of the primary production sector of the wine industry.

The announcement was fittingly made at the SA Wine Industry Trust's BEE Consultative Conference in Cape Town, to develop a BEE charter and to provide a platform to debate the successes and failures of black empowerment within the wine sector.

The Nedbank Foundation will be funding R1 million to cover the costs of the first phase of these plans, which involves the development of a blueprint encompassing all the necessary supporting initiatives to drive land reform at producer level within the wine industry.

The document will include research on financial models, support systems and structures currently in place to implement land reform on a sustainable, long-term basis.

Philip Wessels, divisional director of Nedbank Corporate, believes that it is important to give something back to an industry that has supported Nedbank over a period of time.

"This provides an opportunity to not only support the wine industry, but also black empowerment," says Wessels.

Johann Krige, Vice Chairman of VinPro and co-owner of Kanonkop Wine Estate says: "Thorough research and development is of vital importance for the success of such a program especially since South Africa has nine very different wine producing areas.

"Existing land reforms in the industry need to be evaluated, since some of these provide a rich source of "lessons" learnt through experience."

 A dedicated project team has been appointed and is tasked with drafting the blueprint which is scheduled for completion by March 2004.

The team includes Jos le Roux, Chief Executive of VinPro, Johann Krige, and Prof Nick Vink, Professor and Chairman of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University. Representatives from the South African Wine and Brandy Company as well as SAWIT also form a part of the team.  

This project will be pivotal to the successful implementation of pilot projects as well as the raising of necessary funds for these, both locally and abroad.

Upon completion of the blueprint, the team will further consult with specific stakeholders in the wine industry and industry-related environment before work on the second phase begins.

THE small scale farmers of South Africa have united in a national forum to fight for their rights.

They gathered from around the country recently and spent three days discussing solutions to the unique challenges faced by small scale farmers - those who are responsible for feeding the families and communities of South Africa.

The meeting culminated in the election of a Farmers Council comprised of leaders from each province to grow the South African Small Scale Farmers Forum from the bottom up.

Small scale farmers typically farm on acres rather than hectares of land, principally to put food on their families' tables.

The challenges identified at the meeting included assistance with faster access to land, water, markets and finances.

There was also a strong call for government to support organic and sustainable farming methods which are cheap, environmentally friendly and produce highly marketable products.

The newly elected SA Small Scale Farmers' Forum co-ordinating body will now return to their provinces where they will build from the ground up and bring other farmers on board to join the movement. For more information Haidee Swanby 447-5939, 083-520-1782.

ROLEPLAYERS in the tourism industry, such as guesthouse owners, tour operators and restaurateurs will soon be able to gain extensive marketing benefits from a sophisticated tourism information and booking system being implemented in Cape Town and the Western Cape - and all for free with membership of any tourism bureau.

"Potential and existing tourists will soon have a whole new way of discovering Cape Town and the Western Cape via the internet," said Minister Witbooi, Western Cape Tourism Minister.

"This tool will revolutionise the way the Cape is marketed, and will be an invaluable information resource for Tourism structures, visitors, stakeholders in the Cape tourism industry and travel journalists across the world," said Mike Fabricius, CEO of the WCTB. 

"It will support the joint marketing strategy and brand for Cape Town and the Western Cape and assist in the transformation of the tourism public sector organisations".

Visitors will be able to navigate the full spectrum of the Western Cape's attractions, destinations, products and events via a series of related internet websites.

Information will be displayed by province, region, town and also in various targeted market related themes.

Tourism bureaus and tourism promotion agencies for Major Events and Conferences across the City and Province will use the same information held in a single database to deliver efficient and effective service by phone, fax, email or in person.

This initiative is also strongly focused on assisting emerging entrepreneurs and smaller businesses to use the latest technology to gain access to the tourism market.

Visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape will be able to book accommodation online immediately, without waiting a day or two to be told whether there are vacancies at their chosen hotel or guesthouse.

The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Provincial Government have jointly committed funding for the first three years of this initiative with significant funds allocated to training and skills development.