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MEMBERS of Exporters Eastern Cape were treated to a rare glimpse into the mechanics of global wool trade when they attended an Exporters EC Site Tour of BKB\u2019s head office in North End, Port Elizabeth, on Thursday, 25 October.<\/p>\n
BKB, a proud member of Exporters EC, is regarded as a leading player in the South African agricultural sector, with a focus on Wool and Mohair Brokerage Services as well as Livestock, Auctioneering and Sales.<\/p>\n
While it takes a full year to grow enough wool on 40 sheep to make up just one bale, the BKB head office in North End is far removed from the slow-pace of a sheep\u2019s country life; as the multi-story warehouse is a hive of activity on all levels.<\/p>\n
Hosting the Exporters EC members during a site tour of the massive BKB warehouse was BKB Logistics Manager Rabe Nortje.\u00a0 With 34 auctions held per year by BKB and ramping up towards the busiest time of the year in December, the wool industry was currently doing well, according to Nortje.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a good balance of supply and demand, with no stockpiles worldwide. Wool and mohair are currently trading at good levels. A major market for our wool is China,\u201d said Nortje.<\/p>\n
BKB handles a big portion of the wool clip in South Africa: this averages 30\u00a0000 000 kg\u2019s of wool per season, amounting to 200\u00a0000 bales, which are sold and shipped to markets across the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 1 700 containers leave our premises per year. 90 bales of wool fit into a 20-foot container, while 180 bales of wool fit into a 40-foot container. The wool is first compressed by our high-density presses to fit into the containers,\u201d said Nortje.<\/p>\n
The Site Tour included BKB\u2019s quality testing facility, of which work is outsourced to the Wool Testing Bureau (SA). Exporters EC members also viewed the sorting facilities of BKB, offered as an additional service to producers.<\/p>\n
Motor Industry Customs Brokers (MICB)\u2019s Allan Corbett said the tour made him realize that BKB\u2019s head office was much bigger than what he originally thought. \u201cSeeing the process from receipt to the wool being dispatched for shipping was very interesting,\u201d said Corbett.<\/p>\n
A typical week at BKB involves auctions on Wednesdays, where-after shipping instructions are received from the buyers.<\/p>\n
World Net Logistics\u2019 Teresa van Vuuren, who also attended the tour, said it was fascinating to see how the different departments processed the wool before shipping takes place.<\/p>\n
Exporters EC Committee Member Jane Stevenson thanked BKB for opening their warehouse doors to the members and encouraged members to attend the final two events of the year.<\/p>\n
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