The festival will this year be celebrating its 18th year. According to the spokesperson, Isabeau Botha, the festival is a platform for visitors to taste, buy and enjoy cheese and complementary products from about 150 exhibitors across the country, She says they also would be testing entrepreneurs’ innovative creations from insect ice cream to abalone pie. Botha added that the festival offers an opportunity to a number of small cheese makers to introduce their unique handmade products as part of the #Support #SmallCheeseMakers project in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) and Absa. Also on the programme are SA's Top Ten Chenin Blanc wines, in collaboration with Standard Bank; and cheese-and-wine tastings by Fairview's chief winemaker, Anthony de Jager, and owner, Charles Back. Botha says the festival is mainly aimed at empowering emerging cheesemakers in the country. She says there will be a selection of niche and alternative products such as pomegranates, chilies, and periwinkle to choose from, plus bargains directly from entrepreneurs.
During the three-day event, chefs from The Private Hotel School will also demonstrate specially developed recipes, pairing cheese with bread and alternative products.

AND

Chinese authorities are yet to lift the ban on wool imports from South Africa after they temporarily suspended imports following the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak earlier in the year. China imports on average 71% of South Africa’s wool exports in value terms, making it the best wool importer in the world.  But with the suspension, it would be hard for any country including South Africa to thrive in the wool market without some level of reliance on China due to its dominance of the world market for woollen products. China accounted for an average of 62% of global wool imports by value over the past five years. However, Wandile Sihlobo, the Chief Economist at Agbiz, on his social media page says recent communication with their Chinese counterpart, suggests there could be further delays before the suspension is lifted. He says the main reason of the delay could be a result of the recent reshuffle of the Chinese Government Departments which includes agriculture and customs, and the continuous outbreak of African swine fever in some parts of China. According to reports, Wool is among the top 10 exportable agricultural commodities in SA. In 2018 wool accounted for 4% of SA’s agricultural exports.

OFM News/Michael Thlakudi