Thursday: 10 July 2003

This site will be updated on: 17 July  2003 at 17:00

Business - Sakenuus

• Honour for women in agriculture
• Food price watchdog
• Get phone tips

FROM 4 to 8 August (Agri Femina Week) the Western Cape Department of Agriculture is honouring the role that women play in this previously male dominated sector through a diverse programme aimed at all women involved in agriculture at various levels.

For years agriculture has been viewed as the exclusive domain of men, while in fact, women have been responsible for food security for as long. 

One of the challenges that the Department of Agriculture faces is that this perception has discouraged women to consider agriculture as a possible career.

Thus, the week leading up to National Women's Day (4-8 August), will be dedicated to the empowerment and encouragement of all women in agriculture with half-day courses presented at Elsenburg College.

On Monday 4 August, the Elsenburg College of Agriculture will be presenting a programme to a group of resource poor female farmers who have entered the 2003 Female Farmer Competition in the category for household use production. 

Tuesday 5 August, caters for all women involved in commercial farming. The programme covers subjects such as market research by Markinor, a presentation on what the consumer wants by Woolworths, the Dummies Guide to Euregap: Tracking and Tracing, and the issue of costing models.

The Department, together with the Cape Women's Forum, will be presenting a programme to a group of female farm workers trained by the Forum as health workers on the various farms in the region. Thursday 7 August, is dedicated to all businesswomen in the agricultural sector as well as those involved specifically in exports. 

Contact Charlene Nieuwoudt at (021) 808-5008.

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 Fikile Mazibuko of the University of Zululand - to ensure transparency around retail prices and their relation to actual costs.

Other members include Josephine Hlope-Nhlapo (Cosatu), Lumkile Mondi (Transnet), Nonia Rampomane (National Consumer Forum) and Professors Johan Potgieter, Sbu Nkomo and Herman van Schalkwyk.

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," he said.

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, investigate monopolistic tendencies and recommending required productivity improvements.

THE "Customer Care and Telephone Techniques" training programme by Margie Baker will be presented in Paarl on Wednesday 23 July. The workshop takes place from 08:30 to 16:00 at Cassidra, Louw Street, Suider Paarl.

The objectives of the programme are to equip front line staff and personal assistants with the necessary energy, awareness and skills to support their managers and colleagues, to promote the organisation they are working for, and to create 'miracles' in their position, with particular emphasis on telephone techniques and customer care.

The target group is receptionists, secretaries, personal assistants and front-line staff.

The cost is R950 per delegate (excluding VAT, including training material, refreshments and lunch).

To book, phone Etiennette at Ute Gass Human Resources Consultants in Paarl on 872-8552 or et@utegasshr.co.za by 14 July.

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