Thursday 15 January 2004

This site will be updated on 22 January  2004 at 17:00

Business - Sakenuus

• Boere glimlag nog
• Three farms on auction

brandskade in wingerde veroorsaak.

Nog hoë temperature word vir die volgende week verwag, met die kwik wat in die middel dertigs sal hang.

"Alhoewel die reën baie welkom was, kort die wingerdboere nog sowat 25 tot 30mm en matige droë weer sonder uitspattige hitte," meen Viljoen.

Carl Opperman, hoof van Agri Wes-Kaap, sê die meeste probleme wat die oes kan beïnvloed is op dié stadium "buite die plaashekke".

"Die weer is reg en daar is nie 'n hoë siektedruk in die wingerde nie, maar omstandighede kan verander", sê hy.

Druiweprodusente in Suid-Afrika sowel as Suid-Amerika het hul stem behoorlik dik gemaak en dit bring gesonde kompetisie mee, sê hy.

'n Goeie oesjaar word verwag wat gehalte en omvang betref, maar die uitvoer kan deur die sterker Rand en die wisselkoers benadeel word.

Billy Bourbon-Leftley, Paarlse vrugteboer, sê die pruimbedryf het 'n biejie swaar geleef weens die reën oor Kersfees en verlede week.

Hy sê die koeler weer het die pruime ligter en kleiner gemaak. Die verwagte oes sal kleiner as gewoonlik wees.

Tafeldruiwe is ook deur die reën benadeel, sê hy. Van die druiwe het gebars, maar dit sal nie die oes ernstig beïnvloed nie.

* Summer rains have been welcomed by local fruit farmers who are looking forward to a bumper crop

THREE prominent Paarl farms will go under the auctioneer's hammer on Wednesday 21 January.

The farms Estherdal, Irene and St John north of Paarl were in the de Villiers family for eight generations. Owner Henry de Villiers died tragically in a car crash on the N1 nearly two years ago.

The farms were part of the 13 original freeholds granted by the very first Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, Simon van der Stel, in 1692.

The farms, which measure 236 hectares, encompass a broad range of farming operations including winemaking and grape production.

In 1997 the farms' unique Bordeaux Blend won one of the most prestigious Gold Veritas awards. 

The sale of the farms will be conducted by national group Auction Alliance who recently sold the neighbouring 70ha Malanot wine farm for R10,85 million.

According to Auction Alliance Boland director, Willie van Rensburg, these farms have had local and international buyers sniffing around them for many years as they are uniquely positioned and offer unlimited potential.

Scope

"There is nothing quite like them in the country," says van Rensburg "given the size, location, real estate value and desirability of the farms, the scope for development is unlimited".

The farms could be developed into a fully fledged world class wine estate, an integrated agricultural and livestock concern, an upmarket residential housing estate or any combination of these. 

The commercial facet of the farm includes chicken farming operations, producing 95 000 eggs a day, export fruit operations, including plums, pears and lemons, and a large cattle grazing component.

Estherdal also has a bonded cold store and warehouse division where the packing, cooling, storing and containerisation of produce is facilitated for clients around the world. 

The internationally recognised farms, which border three main roads, have been well developed with the addition of a multitude of buildings and infrastructure, including the renovation of an original 17th century Cape Dutch house and converted to a four bedroomed Georgian style home in the 1840's.

There is also a massive double storey French Provencal style home developed in 1998.