Eastern Cape tannery to re-open
18/05/2012
Butterworth Tannery produced wet blue in the town until it closed at the end of 2003, with its owners saying problems with security and with energy and water supply had made the operation untenable.
But now the government in Pretoria has committed to providing a nationwide land reform programme with more than $320 million in funding for the current financial year, which began on April 1, the tannery’s fortunes have changed.
In announcing the package, Gugile Nkwinti, the minister responsible for rural development and land reform, explained that the government’s plan was to improve output in the agricultural sector, mostly through establishing irrigation schemes and turning an estimated 320,000 hectares in different parts of the country into good agricultural land. The programme will also provide direct financial support to 1,000 emerging farmers.
“We will, also, this financial year, revive the Butterworth abattoir and tannery,” the minister said at the time of the announcement. “This will propel the local communal livestock farmers into the red meat value chain.”
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