die Algemene Jaarvergadering van die Kaaplandse Varkvleisprodusente
Vereniging
16 Augustus 2006
Ek het so bietjie gaan rondsoek na 'n paar aanhalings oor varke en op 'n
hele paar gesegdes afgekom soos: "hy gooi sommer met die hele vark", of, "hy
skree soos maer vark", of, "hy het nie al sy varkies op hok nie", of, "where
the hogs are many, the wash is poor". Ek glo dat die interessantste een is 'n
aanhaling van Winston Churchill toe hy gesê het: "Ek hou van varke. Honde kyk
op na ons en katte kyk neer op ons, maar varke behandel ons soos gelykes". Wat
hy presies daarmee bedoel het, is ek nie so seker van nie. Wat ek wel weet is
dat hoewel die aanhalings hierbo nie die vleiendste stellings is nie, is daar
niks wat by varkvleis kom wanneer dit op jou bord is nie. Of jy nou 'n Duitser
of Chinees of Suid-Afrikaner is, daar is bitter min mense wat nie van varkvleis
in een of ander vorm hou nie. Varkvleis is wêreldwyd oral ewe gewild.
The truth lies in the words of Alexis Soyer, 19th century French chef, when
he said: "Pork - no animal is more used for nourishment and none more
indispensable in the kitchen; employed either fresh or salt, all is useful,
even to its bristles and its blood; it is the superfluous riches of the farmer,
and helps to pay the rent of the cottager."
U bedryf is 'n baie belangrike rolspeler in die landbousektor in die
Wes-Kaap. Landbou is die hoof steunpilaar in die provinsie se ekonomie, nie net
om kos op die tafel te sit nie, maar in die verskaffing van werk, binne die
bedryf en die gepaardgaande waardeketting.
Die Departement van Landbou in die Wes-Kaap en ekself plaas nie net 'n baie
hoë premie op 'n goeie verhouding met u bedryf nie, maar strewe daarna om sover
moontlik 'n groot ondersteunende rol te speel ten einde u produksie op te stoot
en ook om u te beskerm teen ongewenste siektes.
U is almal bewus van die krisisse wat ons die afgelope jaar beleef het,
beide wat varkboere en die volstruisbedryf aanbetref. Die wyse waarop ons
mekaar se hande kon vat, om uit een mond te praat om sodoende die regte besluit
te kon neem wat tot voordeel van die bedryf is, behoort te dien as voorbeeld
van wat vermag kan word as ons saamstaan om oplossings te vind vir die
uitdagings wat ons elke dag in die gesig staar.
In 'n poging om opkomende boere te vestig en die ongelykhede van die verlede
uit te wis, is die programme van die Departement grootliks op die transformasie
van die landbousektor as geheel gefokus en plaas ons baie sterk klem op die
behoorlike vestiging van nuwe boere.
Die rol van kommersiële boere mag egter nooit in die proses onderskat word
nie en daarom kan die belangrikheid van navorsing as ondersteuning vir
kommersiële boere nooit oorbeklemtoon word nie. Ek glo dat dit die plig van die
Regering is om te sorg dat ons deur navorsing aan die voorpunt bly as ons ons
markaandeel wil vergroot, ook binne u bepaalde bedryf. Navorsing en die
toepassing van resultate het nie net direkte invloed op die bedryf nie, maar
die ontwikkeling van die waardeketting help om ook meer werksgeleenthede te
skep.
Biotechnology-based scientific applications are regarded as the cutting edge
frontier in many scientific fields, including agricultural production. The
advancement of biotechnology in South Africa is also a national and provincial
priority.
The Western Cape is fortunate to be well endowed with knowledge-based
scientific institutions and is committed to enhance its status as an African
knowledge and science hub.
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has established a dedicated
sub-programme in the Directorate of Veterinary Services to attend to the safety
of food from animal origin. The need for such a dedicated unit was triggered by
increased national and international concerns on diseases of animals that could
threat human health such as the outbreaks and rapid spread of avian influenza
in poultry in Asia, and mad cow disease in the United Kingdom and the rest of
Europe. Outbreaks of animal diseases closer to home such as the recent
outbreaks of blue ear disease and salmonellosis in pigs, caused concern, but we
are dedicated to combat these diseases as we have done in the past, with your
co-operation.
Intensified international traffic, global competitiveness and the escalating
international trade in agricultural products inevitably creates a global
supermarket with easy access to food from all over the world. However, the
globalisation of trade in food from animal origin also increases the necessity
for governments to render guarantees on safety of food for human consumption.
Consumers regard government as the custodian on issues related to food safety
and it was therefore for this very reason that the Department of Agriculture in
the Western Cape created a sub-programme dealing specifically with food safety
issues.
Our main focus is on the safe production of red meat and poultry meat in the
province. The Meat Safety Act 2000 (Act 40 of 2000) serves as a basis for the
activities and initiatives and defines the legal mandate.
The production of safe meat is guided by certain critical generic principles
which are generally characteristic of meat safety control systems throughout
the developed world and which are also supported and applied by the
Department.
Chairperson, I am fully aware that pork producers in the Western Cape
represent 16 000 sows and that you act as a very important mouthpiece for pig
producers in the Western Cape.
As an association you are playing an important role in striving to promote,
serve and protect the interests of all pork producers in the area. Your efforts
to promote the orderly marketing of pigs in the province and your commitment to
promote mutual understanding between producers, consumers, processors and
marketers of pigs and pork products can only be to the benefit of the industry
and the producers.
I am thankful for the co-operation that exists between your association and
the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape and trusts that this
relationship will grow to the mutual benefit of everybody concerned.
Ten slotte wil ek u bedank vir die baie belangrike rol wat u speel om toe te
sien dat ons voldoen aan die internasionale standaarde deur middel van u
doelwitte wat u vir uself gestel het en die dienste wat u lewer ten opsigte van
opleiding, voedselsekuriteit, tegniese en aanverwante dienste. Die feit dat u
organisasie op soveel forums, beide nasionaal en internasionaal verteenwoordig
is, is aanduiding van die groot waarde wat u toevoeg tot die uitbou, nie net
van landbou nie, maar die ekonomie as geheel. Ek hoop dat hierdie
jaarvergadering ook vir u suksesvol sal afloop.
Navrae: Alie van Jaarsveld
Spokesperson
Ministry of Agriculture: Western Cape
Tel: 021 483 4930
Fax: 021 483 3890
E-mail: avjaarsv@pgwc.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial
Government
16 Augustus 2006
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
