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Mamase hands over shearing shed
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Agriculture

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SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE MEC FOR AGRICULTURE AND LAND AFFFAIRS MR MAX MAMASE AT THE HANDING OVER OF SHEARING SHEDS AT LIBODE ON THE 29TH 
SEPTEMBER 1998.



Chairperson,
Distinguished guests,
 Farmers,
 Community of this area,
 Ladies and gentlemen

Our province has the highest annual production capacity in the country and this makes us the third country that produces quality wool in 
the whole world. 75% of South Africas wool is exported through the Eastern Cape harbours. We provide 14,5 million kgs of raw wool to the 
value of R200 000 million per annum with more than 5 000 farmers making a living out of wool farming.

This means that approximately 50 000 people (farmers and farm workers) depend on this industry for their livelihood.

Chairperson, these are positive statistics that should make a great impact to the economic growth of this province.

What impact does this industry has in changing the lives of the previously disadvantaged farmers? This is the question that every farmer I 
think is asking.

Chairperson, farmers in the former Transkei and Ciskei have the highest number of small-stock (sheep and goats) but the irony is that the 
highest wool production occurs in the Karoo region. Something must be wrong.

The department must ensure that all farmers interested in wool production are given an opportunity to do so through the provision of 
infrastructure. The Presidential Project Team has done a lot of work in erecting a number of shearing sheds here in the former Transkei. We 
are going to continue doing that despite the budgetary constraints that the department is faced with.

Institutions like Mpofu Training Centre, Dohne and Grootfontein will assist in training you in order ensure that in the near future we 
broaden the scope of our wool producers in the province.

Chairperson let me agree that there are factors that continue to undermine our gallant efforts to broaden the scope of wool production. 
Stock theft and crime are our worst enemies and cannot be tolerated.

Lastly chairperson let me congratulate the farmers of this area who from today will have a suitable venue where they can do they shearing. 
I appeal to these farmers to ensure that they produce quality wool that can be in a position to enter the competitive domestic and 
international markets. We need foreign currency to strengthen

This is not an easy task but we can do it.

I Thank You!!!

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