VANJAAR se Suid-Afrikaanse Suiwelkampioenskap het 'n rekordgetal inskrywings van plaaskaasmakers tot nasionale suiwelvervaardigers landswyd gelok. Die kampioene onder die 374 inskrywings word Woensdagaand by die toekenningsdinee op Stellenbosch aangekondig en kan by die SA Kaasfees van 26 tot 28 April by Bien Donné geproe word.

Die ingeskrewe suiwelprodukte ding in ses kategorieë - botter, kaas, maaskaas, aangesuurde en gegeurde melk, roomys en joghurt - en 50 klasse mee om titels, trofeë en toekennings. Bok- of skaapmelkkaas is 'n klas wat vanjaar aansienlik gegroei het.

Dié suiwelprodukte wat 'n punt van 17,5 of meer behaal, sal boonop met 'n Qualité Toekenning vereer word.

Dit verteenwoordig die land se hoogste eer vir voortreflikheid in die vervaardiging van suiwelprodukte en dien terselfdertyd as gehaltegids vir die verbruiker.

Kontak Memory Kalis by Agri-Expo, tel 975-4440/1/2/3 of e-pos cheese@agriexpo.co.za vir nadere besonderhede.

ON 31 March Paarl Post merged with a number of other Boland newspapers owned by Media24, to form the company Boland Newspapers.

This is part of the consolidation of the shared printing and publishing interests of the Retief Family Trusts (RFT) and Media24.

RFT will hold 25% of the new company, and will retain management control of Paarl Post.

Media24 will retain management control of the other newspapers involved in the Boland merger.

The other newspapers are District Mail (a Helderberg newspaper in which RFT had already held a 50% share), Eikestadnuus, Stellenbosch Gazette, Times of Hermanus, Overberg Venster, Worcester Standard, Swartland Monitor, Swartland Tempo, Brederivier Gazette, Weslander and Weskusnuus.

The new company will further clarify the rationalisation of printing and publishing interests between Media24 and RFT, said Paarl Post chairman Lambert Retief this week.

In a new press investment Paarl Post has purchased a new MAN Roland Cromoman web printing press to the tune of R20 million, which will be installed later this year.

Investment

The machine will replace the Harris V15D web press which has served the company for the past twenty years. The other newspapers in Boland Koerante will all be printed by Paarl Post.

Work has commenced on the new foundations required to support the high technology new installation.

VERGADERINGS om die konsep Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsplan (GOP) vir die Drakenstein munisipale gebied te bespreek, word volgende week gehou (sien datums bl 11).

Die plan is verlede week tydens 'n spesiale raadsitting in beginsel goedgekeur as riglyn vir die volgende begroting. Dit is ter insae vir kommentaar tot 8 Mei.

Die plan toon dat Drakenstein Munisipaliteit sy hooffokus sien as die uitwissing van armoede deur volhoubare ontwikkeling.

Volgens Drakenstein GOP-bestuurder, Stiaan Carstens, moet die Munisipaliteit nie slegs dienste lewer nie, maar toenemend 'n ontwikkelingsrol speel.

"Ons het sterk en positiewe leierskap nodig vir deelnemende bestuur.

"Dan moet mense ook hul houdings verander en besef dit gaan nie net oor dienslewering nie, maar dat die Munisipaliteit veral ook 'n ontwikkelingsrol het om te speel in die opheffing van ons gemeenskappe."

"GOP gaan oor deelnemende bestuur. Eers moet ons die strukture in plek kry en die regte mense betrokke kry."

Hy beskryf die konsepbeleid, wat pas deur die munisipale raad aanvaar is, as 'n bemarkingsdokument en sê die hele gemeenskap behoort dit as hul eie te aanvaar.

Volgens die verslag is daar 'n behoefte aan basiese sosiale dienste en infrastruktuur, mensontwikkeling en bemagtiging, asook fasilitering van ekonomiese groei om werkgeleenthede te skep.

Daarom moet klein- en medium ondernemings asook sake- en nywerheidsontwikkeling bevorder word.

Sosiale opheffing moet aangemoedig word deur verbeterde behuising, opvoeding, gesondheid asook sport en ontspanning.

Gesonde institusionele bestuur van die Munisipaliteit, waaronder finansiële dienste, menslike hulpbronne en inligtingstegnologie, moet ook verseker word.

Carstens meen "ons kan nie binne 'n jaar verander wat in etlike jare afgebreek is nie, maar die GOP benadering is 'n stap in die regte rigting.

"Die GOP is 'n voortdurende proses wat aangepas en ontwikkel moet word soos vereis deur veranderende omstandighede. Hierdie eerste konsep sal dus as die basis dien om die proses tot volwassenheid te laat ontwikkel."

Behalwe entoesiasme vir die groot taak wat op sy skouers rus, is Carstens ook 'n opgeleide stadsbeplanner en het jare lank by die Provinsiale Administrasie en Kaapstad munisipaliteit gewerk.

* The draft IDP for Drakenstein is available for comment until 8 May.

FOR the first time in the history of the South African wine and brandy industry, all major role players have joined forces to establish a formal representative structure aimed at propelling the local industry onto the forefront of global markets.

Provisionally known as the South African Wine and Brandy Company (SAWBC), the proposed Section 21 body will represent all direct stakeholders such as Labour, Grape Growers/Wineries and Wholesale Merchants. Interested parties have until the end of April to register.

"This groundbreaking step is a direct result of the Vision 2020 initiative launched in 1998 to develop a long term growth strategy for the R10,8 billion South African wine and brandy industry," says Jan Scannell, MD of Distell and chairperson of the pilot committee.

"This is probably the most important step in its history since the formation of the KWV in 1918. For the first time, we will have a widely representative, unified force which will integrate resources and act effectively on behalf of the entire grape-based liquor industry," says Scannell.

The move enjoys the support of Government and the full backing of industry workers who were properly consulted and represented throughout the whole process.

All direct stakeholders in the wine industry, including the brandy and grape juice concentrate sectors, are invited to join any one of the stakeholder groupings which best represents its core business.

Enquiries about the participation of labour may be directed to Nosey Pieterse at 807-3720. Grapegrowers and wineries can contact Theo Pegel at 807-3247 and wholesale merchants can liaise with Riaan Kruger at 887-0117.

Each of the stakeholder groupings will meet before the end of May to appoint its own members of the new board. The board will in turn form an executive committee and appoint a chief executive officer by August this year. This post is currently being advertised.

The company will draw together the functions of existing organisations such as Wines of South Africa, the SA Brandy Foundation, Winetech and SAWIS.

Funding of the Board and its CEO with a small office will be shared equally by all groups. For the first ten years labour will be exempted from making a contribution.

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