May 2012
EDITORIAL
Keeping wine R&D at the forefront
At a time when the financial pinch is still being felt on all fronts in the South African wine industry and local agriculture at large, it’s good to see that research and development is well on track and being viewed with the due sincerity and commitment.
We saw in the previous edition that plans to establish a new institute for wine-related research at the University of Stellenbosch are being finalised – in order to further streamline the multitude of projects in process and align them with the practical needs of the industry.
Meanwhile, in this edition, we focus on the new Winetech management and board and their challenge of sustained feasible research and technology transfer.
Winetech had invested R282 million in focused wine research during its first 10 years up to 2009, but says the required budget for technology has tripled, while funding from state levies has decreased and the organisation has in recent years been forced to fund its deficits from donations from government quarters, industry organisations and private enterprise.
The current climate increasingly requires finding alternative sources of income, obviously with the private sector having to step in with an open hand.
Of course, WineLand’s collaboration with Winetech is what enables us to publish the substantial Wynboer section where researchers share their findings with the industry and at the same time get the opportunity to meet their academic obligations of publishing research findings. Communication and demystifying research is certainly an increasing challenge to allay fears by ‘outside’ parties like the authorities and consumers – sensitive GMO research being a case in point here. See page18.
Meanwhile, it’s heartening to see in the Western Cape Provincial budget announced by minister Gerrit van Rensburg that R88.5 million of a total
R560 million budget has been allocated to research and technology development. This while R8.5 million is available for the funding of black wine grape farmers in collaboration with VinPro. The local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is striving to reach a 60% land reform success rate within five years. See page 4.
Although perhaps a bit disappointing in the bigger picture, the R8.5 million of both last year and this year is substantially higher than the first allocation of R3.5 million three years ago.
Mr Van Rensburg, a farmer himself, has through many actions during his term of office shown a level of interest in and understanding of the wine industry unlike his counterparts in national government .
Om wynnavorsing aan die voorpunt te hou
Winetech se nuwe bestuur en raad sal met krimpende staatsfinansiering en ’n verdriedubbelde begroting vir navorsing en ontwikkeling, vorentoe ál meer moet kyk na alternatiewe bronne van inkomste – om die huidige momentum van voorpunt navorsing en tegnologie-oordrag te behou. Intussen het die plaaslike Departement van Landbou R560 miljoen vir die landbousektor begroot, waarvan R88.5 miljoen vir navorsing en tegnologie-onwikkeling. Mnr Van Rensburg, wat aansienlik meer belangstelling in en begrip vir die wynbedryf toon as die nasionale Landboudepartement, het ook R8.5 miljoen vir bemagtiging in die wynbedryf beskikbaar gemaak.
Cassie
