MSA visits Texas

摘要

During late July 2006 a Mohair South Africa delegation consisting of Frans Loots, Clive van Hasselt and myself visited Texas with the purpose of improving communication and co-operation between the USA and South Africa. Our objectives were to assess their production and gain a better understanding of the marketing of their clip while also identifying opportunities for cooperation amongst growers, breeders, researchers, brokers and processors. Af ter a long and tiring flight via London, Chicago and Dallas, we arrived in San Antonio and were pleased to be greeted by the friendly David Lawford. From there we spent the next week moving westwards and ended up in San Angelo where the Mohair Council of America's offices are situated. During most of the trip we were fortunate to be accompanied by Zane Willard, executive director, and Justin Stieler, secretary of the MCA, who were very hospitable towards us and with whom we built a very relaxed and open relationship, once they realised that we weren't thereto tell them what to do. We were certainly most grateful for the time and effort they put in to ensure the success of our trip and we hope that it will lead to sustainable long-term co-operation between our countries for the good of mohair.