Cape Wools SA donates shearing shed equipment valued at R2 million

It was a special day for residents of the rural areas surrounding East London when Cape Wools SA presents 27 shearing houses with shearing shed equipment valued at close to R2 million on May 20, 2013 at a function held at Charnwood.

Representatives of the shearing sheds, which are situated in close proximity to Elliot and Lady Frere, received much-needed shearing shed equipment, including wool presses, bin sets, wool sorting tables and scales. This donation forms part of a wool industry initiative spearheaded by Cape Wools in Port Elizabeth.

Farmers of the Xalanga, Glen Grey, Engcobo and Cofimvaba areas, who primarily focus on wool, do not have the necessary shearing shed equipment to properly process their wool. This currently stunts their earning potential. Cape Wools SA in cooperation with the rest of the wool industry responded by donating the shearing shed equipment which totals R2 million.

Cape Wools General Manager, Louis de Beer says: ‘farmers will now be able to shear, sort, weigh, and pack wool on time so that they can get a good price for their product. This initiative also aims to encourage more people to enter the world of the wool grower’.

Olivia Sigidi, deputy chairlady of Sinethemba Mafama and trustee of the Wool Trust, supports Cape Wools SA’s sentiments, acknowledging the positive effect this donation will have on these villages.

The shearing shed equipment was handed over at a function held in Beacon Bay on Monday 20 May 2013 at 11h00 and was attended by several representatives of the wool industry.

A total of 19 wool presses, 22 sorting tables, 14 bin sets and 23 scales were handed over.

This handover is the first of three phases of the entire donation, with the second phase, to other recipients, to follow on 20 August 2013 and the final phase in January in 2014.

Shearing sheds that will receive equipment during the final two phases are from Idutywa, Nqamakwe, Gcuwa, Ngcobo, Mqanduli, eHewu, Ntabetemba, Seymour, Victoria East, Middledrift, Oeddie, Herschel, Mount Fletcher, Mount Ayliff, Qumbo, Tsolo, Umtata and Mpofu.

This will be the second time Cape Wools SA is donating shearing shed equipment.

Source: Cape Wools SA