MEDIA RELEASE
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DATE: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Rietspruit- Communal farmers in the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality will not have to travel long distances or rent livestock handling facilities from other farmers for the purpose of livestock handling. This comes after the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the North West Province handed over a total of eleven animal handling facilities to farming communities across the District.
These facilities are used during practices such as artificial insemination, castration, inoculation, dehorning, weighing amongst others. They are also necessary resources that assist farmers to circumvent many challenges farmers face and provide ease management of their animals.
There is one standard plan for all eleven (11) livestock handling facilities and they have been designed and constructed to include holding pens and a crush pen that is used for managing large and small stock during animal health demonstrations such as control of internal and external parasites or animal production demonstrations such as selecting breeding stock.
The spray-race facility will be used by farmers in these communities for control of external parasites in large and small stock. External parasites cause tick-borne diseases which result in cow and calf mortality; impact negatively on the growth and reproduction of beef cattle. A borehole will help these farmers to have access to water for the animals brought to the handling facility as well as to livestock in the broader community.
Speaking during the handing over of these facilities, MEC Desbo Mohono warned beneficiaries that the government will keep a close eye on making sure that this infrastructure is safe and not vandalised. “Gone are the times when the government used to give people things and not monitor them. Our people will be on the ground in making sure that the facilities we are handing over are kept in good conditions and most importantly are used correctly.
She emphasized there was still more that needed to be done to help farmers across the province. “There is still much that can be done to help our farmers particularly in the rural areas. Rural animal infrastructure is one of the key value interventions in the National Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan. Therefore, creating an enabling environment for farming will not only contribute to improved health of the animals but also to improved food security and creating more jobs. She went on and emphasized that animal healthcare is the backbone of livestock production, because failing to master it will not make anyone sustainable in the field.
“Now I am glad that today we are giving our people a mouthpiece and tool to use in being able to negotiate the prices when going for auctions. This gesture by the Department is to give dignity and return pride by using animals for our farmers to be able to put bread on their table,” MEC Mohono concluded.
One of the beneficiaries George Branden from Rietspruit welcomed the gesture by the department. “We are very happy to be amongst the first farmers to receive this most important infrastructure from the department. We want to thank the department for everything they have done for us today,” said Branden. Elizabeth Modise, a beneficiary from Moretele area also thanked the department. “We want to thank our government, particularly the department of agriculture and Rural Development in the Province for everything they have done for us. We are really grateful for the help,” Modise expressed.
All eleven handling facilities handed over today by MEC Desbo Mohono are equipped with holding pens, crush pens, spray race and boreholes to provide water. She said the initiative is not a once off thing but it will be rolled out to other districts.
Issued by
Communication Services Directorate
Enquiries: Ms Emelda Setlhako
Tel: 018 389 5684/ Cell: 060 745 4020
Email: ESetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Website:www.nwpg.gov.za/dard
Facebook:www.facebook.com/dard
Twitter: @nwpg _dard
Tel: +27 (18) 389 5719/5684
Fax: +27(18) 384 4571
E-mail:Esetlhako@nwpg.gov.za
Directorate:
Communication Services
AgriCentre Building
Cnr. Dr. James Moroka and
Stadium Rd
Private Bag X2039, Mmabatho 2735