Cape Town - More efforts are under way to help save 4 000 jobs in Ashton, as the Langeberg and Ashton Food canning plant remains under threat of closure.
Premier Alan Winde, Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer, Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger, along with various other stakeholders, including Wesgro, met with executives from Tiger Brands to receive an update on the future of the company’s Langeberg and Ashton Food fruit canning plant.
The facility – one of the largest of its kind in Africa – is facing possible closure.
“This was my second meeting with Tiger Brands, and Wesgro has been in constant contact with them, with the aim of finding a lasting solution," Winde said.
Tiger Brands is embarking on a process to sell the business so that its operations can continue.
Tiger Brands also made an appeal to other interested parties to come forward.
"While being informed the process to secure potential buyers for the plant is ongoing, the Premier and his Ministers were also told Tiger Brands wants potential buyers to demonstrate that they have sufficient working capital to keep the cannery operating as a going concern," it said.
Mary-Jane Morifi, Tiger Brands’ chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer said: “Tiger Brands continues to pro-actively engage with parties interested in acquiring the Langeberg and Ashton business. The efforts to facilitate the preservation of jobs include an offer by Tiger Brands to provide ‘level of vendor’ and a guaranteed off-take if the Growers Consortium was able to raise the necessary funding to continue to operate the business as a going concern. However, the Consortium has not been successful, so far, in raising this required funding”
Meyer said he has written to the Minister of Agriculture Rural Development and Land Reform, Thoko Didiza, requesting her support in line with the National Department of Agriculture’s Agro-Processing Master Plan.
“We will regularly communicate updates on the processes of seeking possible investors to save jobs in the Ashton area.”
Cape Times