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Danes eye EC’s flax project
Posted on: Friday, 01 April 2005. Article source: Eastern Cape Business News
Danish tool manufacturer Mansfield plans to invest R5 million in the Eastern Cape Development Corporation’s latest project, flax, the plant used as far back as 8 000 BC in the production of textiles.
It is to be Mansfield’s first deal in South Africa and follows on the back of a six-month trial at six sites in the province which shows the quality of the flax straw and average fibre yields are comparable with international norms. The most successful sites are Tarkastad, Hofmeyr, Tyhefu, Ugie, Vensterstad and Lower Seplan.
Mansfield CEO Stig Gamborg says that the deal is dependent on finding a local partner who would invest a further R20 million and include a sizeable black economic empowerment component. The Danish Embassy aims to assist the black economic empowerment element by offering to fund part of the technology and skills set-up.
“The Mansfield investment would also include supplying technology and knowledge of international markets. It is also to apply for certification of the products with the European Union in order to access that market.
“The local investment would include supplying the infrastructure for the factory, storage facilities, land, irrigation infrastructure, undertaking research and product development, seed incubator. production farming business management skills,” says ECDC project development specialist manager Tokozile Boboyi.
Gamborg says that the immediate need of the project is to develop the business plan. We want to run the factory seven hours, 200 days a year. Should the plan confirm our initial projections, “then the project could be in operation as early as April 2006.”
He expects that in the first year up to 1500 hectares will be harvested with this doubling to 3 000 hectares in the second year.
Gamborg’s trip included a trip to the successful sites where the project was discussed with interested farmers who wish to substitute maize with flax as their winter crop. Ideal conditions include sufficient rainfall, good average temperatures and a minimum of five days of rain in a four-month period.
Danish interest in the project follows eight years of flax research in that country in which it fine-tuned the production of flax as an environmentally-friendly medium in the production of insulation, absorption and geo-textiles. Future products include feminine hygiene and natural diapers, amongst others. Local uses include products such as textiles and horse bedding. It is also used in growing mushrooms.
Improved production are further buoyed by the automotive industry projected increased consumption of the plant. Global automotive manufacture is expected to increase to 885 million units in 2008, an increase of 27 per cent on 2001’s consumption.
In 2003, local importers spent over R64 million in 2003 on flax imports.
The Eastern Cape is not the first province to grow the plant locally. It was first grown in Free State and the North West Province. However, planting in other provinces has ceased.
“Flax growing is in its infancy stage and there is a lot of improvement which can we can still make,” adds Boboyi who points to lower-than-expected results in the retting process. This is the process by which the fibres are extracted by leaving the plant in the fields and letting the dew, rain, sun and soil-borne bacteria, loosen and dissolve the outer bark of the flax.
“Provincial stakeholders have had to foresight to establish the Eastern Cape Flax Initiative Task Team which will be looking to cooperate with countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, France and Egypt on issues such as seed buying, skills enhancement, international market access and development of local research expertise.
Other project partners include the Department of Agriculture, CSIR and the Chris Hani District Municipality. Flax trials project manager is Adam van der Westhuizen.
Caption: With the processed flax fibre from the Tyefu Irrigation Scheme and the Hofmeyer area are: (back row) Mansfield’s Jens Rasmussen, Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism Zongie Mbekeni, Mansfield’s Stig Gamborg, CSIR’s Abisha Tembo, Dandida’s Neils Evendt, CSIR’s Sunshine Blouw with
(front row) Mansfield’s Anne Gamborg, ECMAC’s Wayne Oosthuizen and ECDC’s Tokozile Boboyi.
It is to be Mansfield’s first deal in South Africa and follows on the back of a six-month trial at six sites in the province which shows the quality of the flax straw and average fibre yields are comparable with international norms. The most successful sites are Tarkastad, Hofmeyr, Tyhefu, Ugie, Vensterstad and Lower Seplan.
Mansfield CEO Stig Gamborg says that the deal is dependent on finding a local partner who would invest a further R20 million and include a sizeable black economic empowerment component. The Danish Embassy aims to assist the black economic empowerment element by offering to fund part of the technology and skills set-up.
“The Mansfield investment would also include supplying technology and knowledge of international markets. It is also to apply for certification of the products with the European Union in order to access that market.
“The local investment would include supplying the infrastructure for the factory, storage facilities, land, irrigation infrastructure, undertaking research and product development, seed incubator. production farming business management skills,” says ECDC project development specialist manager Tokozile Boboyi.
Gamborg says that the immediate need of the project is to develop the business plan. We want to run the factory seven hours, 200 days a year. Should the plan confirm our initial projections, “then the project could be in operation as early as April 2006.”
He expects that in the first year up to 1500 hectares will be harvested with this doubling to 3 000 hectares in the second year.
Gamborg’s trip included a trip to the successful sites where the project was discussed with interested farmers who wish to substitute maize with flax as their winter crop. Ideal conditions include sufficient rainfall, good average temperatures and a minimum of five days of rain in a four-month period.
Danish interest in the project follows eight years of flax research in that country in which it fine-tuned the production of flax as an environmentally-friendly medium in the production of insulation, absorption and geo-textiles. Future products include feminine hygiene and natural diapers, amongst others. Local uses include products such as textiles and horse bedding. It is also used in growing mushrooms.
Improved production are further buoyed by the automotive industry projected increased consumption of the plant. Global automotive manufacture is expected to increase to 885 million units in 2008, an increase of 27 per cent on 2001’s consumption.
In 2003, local importers spent over R64 million in 2003 on flax imports.
The Eastern Cape is not the first province to grow the plant locally. It was first grown in Free State and the North West Province. However, planting in other provinces has ceased.
“Flax growing is in its infancy stage and there is a lot of improvement which can we can still make,” adds Boboyi who points to lower-than-expected results in the retting process. This is the process by which the fibres are extracted by leaving the plant in the fields and letting the dew, rain, sun and soil-borne bacteria, loosen and dissolve the outer bark of the flax.
“Provincial stakeholders have had to foresight to establish the Eastern Cape Flax Initiative Task Team which will be looking to cooperate with countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, France and Egypt on issues such as seed buying, skills enhancement, international market access and development of local research expertise.
Other project partners include the Department of Agriculture, CSIR and the Chris Hani District Municipality. Flax trials project manager is Adam van der Westhuizen.
Caption: With the processed flax fibre from the Tyefu Irrigation Scheme and the Hofmeyer area are: (back row) Mansfield’s Jens Rasmussen, Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism Zongie Mbekeni, Mansfield’s Stig Gamborg, CSIR’s Abisha Tembo, Dandida’s Neils Evendt, CSIR’s Sunshine Blouw with
(front row) Mansfield’s Anne Gamborg, ECMAC’s Wayne Oosthuizen and ECDC’s Tokozile Boboyi.
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