Dear The House of Fibre Producer,

Once again, the Management of The House of Fibre wants to thank you for all your support, understanding and loyalty to The House of Fibre in the past few weeks. At least we have a little better news in our correspondence with you this time round.

The wool department successfully offered their first electronic wool sale, after negotiations with SAWAMBA, we can also anounce that the first mohair sale will kick off on the 19th of May 2020. We will offer the first half (even lot numbers) of catalogue B11/19. This catalogue was supposed to be sold on the 7th of April. The second half (uneven lots) will be offered two weeks later, on the 2nd of June. (The House of Fibre will account sale each half of the catalogue, a week after it is sold.) This specific catalogue is quite big and with a lot of high-quality clips on. With so much uncertainty in the market, the House of Fibre felt it will be irresponsible to dump such a large quantity of mohair in the market in one go, the reason for splitting the catalogue. This way of reasoning was approved by the other brokers and buyers as well.

There will be only another two sales offered this season after selling catalogue B11/19. One on the 15th of June (the 16th is a public holiday). The brokers committed to keep this sale open for receival from the 5th to the 8th of May. We do expect an influx of mohair in the first week of receival and want to avoid a too big sale. In agreement with the decision of the mohair industry the brokers will close receival for this sale when the 150 000kg level, in combination with all brokers is reached. The last summer season sale will close for receival on the 22nd of May, offering this mohair as the last sale of the summer season on the 30th of June. There will be virtuously no off season and mohair received after the 22nd of May will be prepared for the first sale of the winter season on the 18th of August 2020.

The accountant at The House of Fibre, Preston Petersen, handled successfully the influx of requests for prepayments on mohair and wool, we are thankful that we could also help the farmers in these trying times. The technical field officers are also available now to do technical work on the farms. Please remember to prepare for receiving any person from elsewhere properly. When somebody like your field officer is visiting, the use of masks and frequent washing of the hands are mandatory. The field officer will see to it that he does not carry any contaminated goods, for example kraal manure, from one farm to another.

Please be aware that the winter shearing program will be under a lot of pressure. It is 99% certain that the Lesotho shearers of the individual brokers/ private teams will be not allowed back in South Africa before September/October. That means not enough shearers and classers will be available. Please contact your field officer soon to start planning your strategy. Guidelines to follow is to shear your ewes first and try to postpone any other shearing, to help fellow farmers to shear before the kidding season is starting. The brokers will make up shearing teams of two shearers per team to help alleviate the problem. A classer cannot be guaranteed. The brokers will assist as far as possible. We are all in the same crisis, let us be patient and try to assist each other.

The wool prices maintained the Rand value/ kilogram price for all types of wool established before the lock down. We expect the same thing to happen with mohair. The biggest portion of the mohair clip is currently going to Europe, with Italy the main consumer. Although there was a minimum of canceling of contracts from Italy, the market is very unsure with most of the manufacturers also still in lock down. Hopefully we will have a more informed opinion closer to the first mohair sale.

The House of Fibre office and warehouse will re-open on the 5th of May. With a receptionist working from home, we request to contact the technical officers working in the warehouse directly on their cell phones as far as possible. (numbers on website)

Greetings and blessings from a still very quiet Port Elizabeth.

Pierre van der Vyver
General Manager: House of Fibre

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Beste The House of Fibre produsent,

Die bestuur by The House of Fibre sê vir u weereens baie dankie vir die verstaan en ondersteuning oor die afgelope paar weke. Gelukkig het ons met dié skrywe darem ‘n bietjie meer goeie nuus.

Die wolafdeling het verlede week sy eerste elektroniese veiling suksesvol aangebied en afgehandel. Na onderhandelings met SAWAMBA is daar ook besluit om die sybokhaarveilings te hervat op 19 Mei 2020. Slegs die eerste helfte (eweredige lotnommers) van katalogus B11/19 sal aangebied word. Katalogus B11/19 is die katalogus wat oorspronglik op 7 April aangebied sou word. Die tweede helfte van die katalogus (oneweredige lotte) sal dan 2 weke later op 2 Junie aangebied word. The House of Fibre sal na elke veiling (1 week later) die veiling afreken. Die besluit is geneem deur die bestuurspan van The House of Fibre omrede die veiling ‘n groot aanbieding met ‘n klomp hoë kwaliteit skeersels is. Ons glo dat dit onverantwoordelik sou wees om met so ‘n groot aanbieding af te skop in sulke onsekere tye. Die ander makelaars en kopers het met ons saamgestem.

Daar sal slegs 2 verdere veilings aangebied word na katalogus B11/19. Die een (B12/19) sal op 15 Junie (die 16de is ‘n publieke vakansiedag) aangebied word en die laaste veiling van die huidige somer verkoopsseisoen sal op 30 Junie (B13/19) aangebied word. B12/19 sal oop wees vir ontvangste vanaf 5 tot 8 Mei. (Ons verwag ‘n redelike invloei van bokhaar in die eerste week en wil nie dadelik weer met ‘n te groot katalogus opgeskeep sit nie.) Volgens ‘n bedryfsooreenkoms sal inname deur alle makelaars beperk word tot ‘n maksimum van 150 000kg en daarna sal veiling gesluit word. B13/19 sal dan oop bly vir ontvangste vanaf 11 Mei tot 22 Mei. Daar gaan dus bykans geen afseisoen wees nie. Sybokhaar wat na die 22 Mei arriveer sal voorberei word vir die eerste winter veiling wat sal afskop op 18 Augustus 2020.

Die rekenmeester van The House of Fibre, Preston Peters, het suksesvol die toeloop in aanvraag van voorskotte gehanteer in die tydperk. Ons is bly dat ons dmv die funksie ook ons medeboer kon help. Die tegniese veldbeamptes is ook weer tot u beskikking. Onthou asseblief om voorbereid te wees vir enige buite persoon wat u plaas besoek. Dit sluit in u tegniese beampte. Volgens die wet moet almal maskers dra en hulle hande gereeld was. Die veldbeampte sal toesien dat hyself geen besoedeling oordra van plaas na plaas byvoorbeeld mis aan sy skoene nie.

Wees asseblief bewus van die feit dat die voorsiening van skeerders en klassers vir die winter skeerseisoen ‘n krisis gaan wees. Die kans dat skeerspanne van makelaars/privaat spanne nie beskikbaar gaan wees nie voor September/Oktober (99%) is uiters goed. Dit omrede die sluit van landsgrense. Skakel asseblief betyds met u plaaslike veldbeampte om u skeerbehoefte te bevestig. Van die makelaars se kant gaan ons masjienspanne opbreek in 2 man spanne en voorkeur gee aan ooie wat geskeer moet word voor die lamseisoen aanbreek. Klassers word nie gewaarborg nie. Ons doen ‘n beroep op u om u mede boer behulpsaam te wees en die skeer van nie-ooie uit te stel totdat spanne weer beskikbaar sal wees. Ons is almal in die dieselfde krisis, kom ons help mekaar!

Die wolpryse die afgelope 2 veilings het basies die Randwaarde van die veilings voor die inperking gehandhaaf. Dieselfde neiging kan verwag word by sybokhaar. Die grootste deel van die bokhaar gaan anders as wol, na Europa met Italië as die grootste verbruiker. Alhoewel daar nog geen kontrakte vanaf Europa gekanseller is nie, is die markneigings nog onbekend omrede al die lande nog steeds ingeperk is. Hopenlik sal ons voor die eerste veiling meer akkurate inligting hê. The House of Fibre pakhuis maak oop vir ontvangste op 5 Mei. Indien produsente wil inskakel na pakhuis, verkies ons dat u direk die pakhuis beampte op sy selfoon sal skakel, omrede ontvangs vanaf die huis werksaam sal wees. (Nommers op webwerf)

Groete en seënwense uit ‘n nog steeds baie stil Port Elizabeth.

Pierre van der Vyver
Algemene Bestuurder: The House of Fibre

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