Mum, I want to study oenology
According to recent reports in the media, dozens of wine farms are for
sale, particularly in the Stellenbosch region, and “the massive surplus
of wine worldwide has resulted in a nightmare and an economic disaster
for South Africa’s wine farmers". Does this mean that parents should no
longer send their children to Stellenbosch to study Viticulture and
Oenology? Karin Theron went to investigate.
According to informed sources with whom Matieland spoke, this
negativity is entirely exaggerated and not based on informed facts. In
addition, experts believe that the two issues are not related.
Media reports, among others in Rapport, ascribe the so-called disaster
to a number of factors, including poor wine prices, higher input costs,
South Africans being poor wine drinkers, strong labour legislation as
well as poor marketing of the wine industry among tourists.
According to some reports, at least 50 farms around Stellenbosch are in
the market and, according to a well-known communication consultant in
the industry, some suppliers of winemaking equipment have not seen such
a disaster in 30 years.
Ernst le Roux, Group Manager: Grape and Wine Provision of Distell, the
largest wine company in South Africa, says it is short-sighted to
allege that the entire South African wine industry is in trouble simply
because 50 wine farms in the Stellenbosch area are in the market.
“Stellenbosch produces approximately 10% of the total volume of wine in
South Africa, therefore you cannot measure the entire industry
according to this one region."
“The Stellenbosch area primarily produces for a niche market and
producers who are not competitive in that niche market will fold. But
there are many producers in the area with whom things are going very
well, therefore it is possible for a wine farmer to be successful in
the Stellenbosch area. My counter question is rather: How many farms
have in fact been sold recently? I know of only two. Is it not rather
the case that the guys are taking chances with ridiculous prices?"
Some analysts believe that lenient credit extension to wine farms also
plays a role in the fact that some cellar doors now have to close.
Le Roux emphasises that the wine industry is a cyclic industry. “In
1995 we imported red wine, in 2002 prices fell, and I predict that they
will again be high by 2010/2012. Grapevines are a long-term crop, but a
big problem is that wine farmers do not always treat them as such. We
tend to be very price-driven. If a certain variety sells at a very good
price, everyone plants it, and if the price drops it is taken out. If
one bears in mind that a grapevine takes four years to come into full
production and grows for up to 25 years, it is not very wise to act so
hastily."
According to SAWIS, the official information company for the South
African wine industry, South Africa’s per capita wine consumption, at
8,6 litre, has always been much lower than that of countries such as
France (47,6 litre), therefore one can hardly ascribe the current
‘crisis’ to the ‘poor’ drinking habits of South Africans.
Le Roux rather ascribes the current problem to the transformation that
the wine industry has undergone since 1994. “The wine industry was
previously highly regulated and protected by mechanisms such as minimum
prices. Now the wine industry operates in the free economy and this
hard reality hits those farmers who have not yet learned to work more
intelligently."
According to Prof Melané Vivier, chairperson of the Department of
Viticulture and Oenology, the wine industry in fact needs well-trained
people.
“The industry should not only take seriously the base-level training of
vineyard and cellar workers, but also strive for an innovative
workforce that is increasingly better qualified in the discipline, both
at the technical and managerial level. Currently everything in the
industry stands or falls on practical training. This is important, but
professional depth, analytical thinking and problem-solving skills are
what will make the industry competitive over time."
“It is also true that the department trains more than only
viticulturists or oenologists. People with specialised knowledge across
the value chain of vineyard and wine production and marketing are
required, and SU is the only university in South Africa that can
produce graduates at this level. The students are therefore trained to
have the potential to be the next generation of academics and
researchers for the industry."
According to Jan Booysen, Executive Manager of Winetech, which is the
coordinating body for research in the wine industry, cutting-edge
technology is extremely important to be able to compete with
highly-competitive international markets, as is the case in any
industry in the agricultural environment.
“The long-term competitiveness of the South African wine industry is
dependent on its ability to learn quickly and to be more innovative
than its competitors," he believes.
“However, it is equally necessary that this cutting-edge technology
that is created by scientists is transferred to and applied in the
industry. Here the graduates of the University play an important role,"
explains Prof Leopoldt van Huyssteen, dean of the Faculty of
AgriSciences.
The great challenge now facing the department is to train students who
have both the applied and the analytical skills to take the industry
forward, and this is closely linked to new strategies to combine
practical vineyard and cellar training with scientific theoretical
principles.
Prof Van Huyssteen’s advice to parents is therefore: “Feel free to send
your children to Stellenbosch to study Viticulture and Oenology. The
wine industry is a long-term industry that in fact needs top experts."
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