\u2019n Reusagtige ekonomiese en sosiale krisis staar duisende inwoners van Ashton in die gesig nadat die maatskappy Tiger Brands aangekondig het hy is besig met \u2019n proses om sy vrugte-inmaakfabriek in Ashton oor twee maande te sluit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benewens die 250 direkte poste by die Langeberg & Ashton Foods-fabriek en die sowat 300 boere wat aan die fabriek lewer, gaan duisende ander mense ook deur die sluiting geraak word. Dit sluit kontrakteurs aan die fabriek (onder meer vervoer- en hersteldienste), permanente plaaswerkers en meer as 4 000 seisoenale werkers in. Seisoenale werkers is sowat ses maande van die jaar afhanklik van werk op plase wat vrugte aan die fabriek lewer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Volgens Jacques Jordaan, uitvoerende hoof van die produsentevereniging vir inmaakvrugte, verteenwoordig Ashton sowat 60% van inmaakvrugte wat verbou word. Die enigste ander inmaakfabriek is in Tulbagh en behoort aan die Rhodes Food-groep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Honderde boere sit nou met perske- en appelkoosoeste wat hulle n\u00earens het om te lewer nie. Dit sluit onder meer boere uit die streke Klein Karoo, Ashton, Robertson, Bonnievale, Ceres en Bre\u00ebrivier in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaar is sowat 2250 ha vrugteboorde wat nie gelewer kan word nie. Hierdie boere het geen ander alternatief nie. Hulle kan nie uitvoer nie en die ander inmaakfabriek is reeds op kapasiteit. Boere het ophou snoei, omdat hulle nie weet wat om met die vrugte te doen nie. Mense besef nie die omvang van die ramp wat voorl\u00ea indien die fabriek sluit nie,\u201d s\u00ea Jordaan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andries Mhobo, een van di\u00e9 kontrakteurs wat arbeid aan \u2019n boerdery voorsien, s\u00ea hulle is baie bekommerd oor die aankondiging dat die fabriek in die proses is om te sluit. Hy bemiddel sowat 100 snoei- en oeswerkers aan \u2019n spesifieke boerdery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOns voorsien dat pryse gaan daal en die oeswerk aan perskes in Desember en Januarie gaan opdroog. Die boere kan dalk die perskes vir sap lewer, maar dit bring maar ongeveer die helfte van die inkomste in. Ek weet nie wat ons gaan maak nie,\u201d s\u00ea hy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mhobo s\u00ea sy span moes verlede week reeds sowat 10 ha boorde uithaal by \u2019n boer, omdat daar waarskynlik nie afsetplek vir die oes daaruit gaan wees nie en die boer voorkomend wil optree. \u201cOns praat van groot geld. Die plukkers is baie treurig hieroor. Hier is reeds nie werksgeleenthede vir mense nie, en nou di\u00e9. Mense moet kos op die tafel sit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die inmaakfabriek was eers in private besit voordat dit deur Tiger gekoop is. Die meeste van die fabriek se produkte word na onder meer China, Europa, Japan en Australi\u00eb uitgevoer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dit voorsien reeds dekades lank werk aan mense in die Langeberg, en daar is families waarvan geslagte by die fabriek werk. Die oorspronklike fabrieke was die Ashton Canning-fabriek en die Langeberg-fabriek. Tiger Brands het beide hierdie fabrieke uitgekoop \u2013 een as \u2019n ko\u00f6perasie wat in produsente se besit was en die ander van Koos Barnard, wat die onderneming oor dekades opgebou het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Volgens Tiger het die wisselvalligheid van die wisselkoers en internasionale oesopbrengste \u2019n impak op die fabriek, en daarbenewens neem die Suid-Afrikaanse aanplanting van sagtevrugte, soos appelkose, pere en perskes, wesenlik af namate bome\u00ad se opbrengste met ouderdom verminder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Volgens \u2019n woordvoerder van die maatskappy het Tiger Brands wel probeer om aanplantings aan te moedig en verouderende boorde te vervang deur subsidies beskikbaar te stel, maar dit het nie die gewenste uitwerking op opbrengste gehad nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2019n Groep van ongeveer 160 boere het die afgelope twee jaar hard gewerk om te probeer om die fabriek te red deur dit by Tiger te koop, maar dit was tot dusver onsuksesvol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hulle kon nie genoeg geld bymekaarmaak om \u2019n transaksie te bewerkstellig nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tiger was ook bereid om \u2019n som geld te bewillig om \u2019n oorname te laat gebeur, maar nog \u2019n groot belegger kort om die uitstaande R200 tot R300 miljoen, wat nodig is om die transaksie te finaliseer, te dek. Indien \u2019n belegger nie binne die volgende 60 dae gevind word nie, sal dit neusie verby wees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOns het dringende ingryping nodig, veral ook van die regering se kant af,\u201d s\u00ea Jordaan. Benewens die verlies aan buitelandse valuta wat deur uitvoer van die fabriek gegenereer word, gaan die sosio-ekonomiese impak reusagtig wees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndien toegelaat word dat hierdie fabriek sluit, sal dit nooit weer moontlik wees om die skade wat daardeur aangerig is, te herstel nie,\u201d s\u00ea Jordaan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaar gaan geen ekonomiese groei meer in die dorp wees nie. Wanneer dit gebeur, gaan daar inderwaarheid net ekonomiese agteruitgang wees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaar soos boere is, wil hulle nie gaan l\u00ea nie. Hulle sal hierdie stryd tot aan die einde voer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2019n Reusagtige ekonomiese en sosiale krisis staar duisende inwoners van Ashton in die gesig nadat die maatskappy Tiger Brands aangekondig het hy is besig met \u2019n proses om sy vrugte-inmaakfabriek in Ashton oor twee maande te 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