By Matsobane Manaka
Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Mopani West) held an information day on poultry and livestock at Lenyenye Community Hall, Tzaneen.
Poultry and livestock farmers were exposed to a wide-range of information with regard to diseases and management.
In his presentaion, Malelo Fhatuwani from MSD animal health advised farmers that livestock farming requires the process of planning coupled by finance to increase production. He added that vaccination plays a role in stimulating immunity for specific diseases in livestock.
Fhatuwani said it all starts with the development of a general herd health programme that will serve as a tool to increased production of a cattle farming.
“Farmers need to develop a spreadsheet indicating the vaccine, dose, dip and feed, as well as the date given and the repeat in a calender month to calves, bulls, cows and heifers”, explained Fhatuwani.
Nontokozo Zwane (deputy director: Mopani West) gives purpose of the event
The spreadsheet will further indicate when and how to provide summer feeding, creep feeding, winter feeding comprises of protein and energy lick, vitamins and mineral injectables, summer feeding and phosphate licks in terms of price, dose, weight, p/ml, and p/cattle. This will also help as a budget tool.
Fhatuwani encouraged farmers to also develop a herd identification chart indicating the tag number, gender, date of birth and date sold or died. This will not only help the farmer to track down the growing stage of either the calf, bull or heifer but when sold in auction.
In poultry, Fhatuwani reiterated the budget as a starting point for management of successful poultry farming. Budgetary constraints involve erection of poultry house, transportation of produce, availability of clean water and drainage, fencing around the site, nutrition / feed, vaccination and biosecurity and hygiene. “Like livestock, the flock manager must have a vaccination program in place to avoid unnnecesary risks involved”, he said.
Maria Rafferty from Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SEDA) and Motlatso Hlokwe from Greater Tzaneen Econocmic Development Agency (GTEDA) urged farmers to use their services for support systems. Their entities serve similar purpose of helping with company registration, training as per identified needs, access to markets, access to funding opportunities, assist with compliance CIPC, SARS and CSD and provide mentorship and monitoring.
Land Bank and LIMA offer funding programmes according to their terms and conditions. Both have called farmers to access their services to find out if they meet their funding criteria.
