A public-private partnership is being launched to train people in the much-needed skills of sheering sheep and classifying wool.
A public-private partnership is being launched to train people in the much-needed skills of sheering sheep and classifying wool.
The long-term project, which will inject R11 million into South Africa's Mohair & Wool Industry, aims to reduce poverty, create jobs and grow the economy.
The Port Elizabeth-based BKB Group and Coega Development Corporation (CDC) this week jointly announced their plans to recruit 338 people from rural communities in the Eastern Cape for a one-year, technical shearing and wool classing training programme.
“The shearing training and skills development programme has been strategically designed to address unemployment, critical skills shortages in agriculture, and support the transformation of emerging farmers into commercial producers,” Isak Staats, BKB wool and mohair manager, was quoted as saying in a media release.
Staats said incorrect shearing and wool classing practices adversely affects the marketability of South African wool and mohair, limiting the economic potential of the industry.
“On the other hand, the shortages of skilled shearers is compelling established South African commercial wool and mohair farmers to use around 1 700 foreign national shearers from neighbouring African countries every year,” he added.
Staats said the programme could enable farmers to increase the annual market of R2,7 billion over the next five years. He said emerging farmers could increase South Africa’s market share of global wool and mohair exports from the current 5% to 8 – 10%.
Jacobus Le Roux, BKB’s marketing and corporate relations manager, said BKB is committed to developing, empowering and supporting emerging wool and mohair producers.
Training will take place at CDC’s Human Capital Solutions in Nelson Mandela Bay, and also at BKB’s shearing college in Kroonstad.
