For Relobohile Selete, Voermol’s Korn Kandy is the perfect addition to sheep feed. Not only does she find it to be affordable, but it is also very effective.
As an agriculture student completing her in-service training, Selete is learning a number of tough lessons on animal nutrition that cannot be found in textbooks. This includes a lesson on “chocolate maize”, which she is sure to carry into the future.
Born and raised in Parys in the Free State, Selete is currently enrolled with Central University of Technology (CUT) in Bloemfontein. Her on-the-job training is done on a sheep farm owned by the university.
“[On the farm] we use our Voermol products,” she explains. “We actually use Korn Kandy and a mix as a cheaper way of feeding [the sheep]. We put it inside the maize with some lime and then we mix it up and dry it for a few days. Afterwards, we feed it to our animals. [Basically], we fatten our animals and then resell them, thus doing schoolwork and farming at the same time.”
The mixture Selete helps make on the farm is referred to as “chocolate maize”. It is one of the many different feeds given to the sheep every night. “We feed them different diets just to evaluate their growth, so chocolate maize is one of them.”
A life-long mission
Selete is deeply passionate about agriculture. Growing up, she developed an interest in agriculture by watching her mother farm part-time. “My mom taught me how to be a farmer. Unfortunately, she did not have the knowledge to execute it in such a way that it would be a successful thing. It was more like a side hustle, but she taught me many things.”
Selete’s passion for farming doesn’t end with herself. She wants more people to farm and believes aspiring farmers should not wait for land from government.
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“I don’t think people understand that farming can be introduced in such a way that you don’t even need land. You can start it in your backyard, or in your garage, and look into technology more than agriculture itself. That’s my passion. My passion is to really develop agriculture in South Africa.”
ALSO READ: Mbense brothers keep cattle in top shape with Voermol
The Voermol difference
In April 2018, CUT officially opened its farm and agricultural centre. Selete says the addition of farm animals in the last three years gave agricultural students the opportunity to get the practical training they needed to complete their qualifications.
“[To nourish the animals], they use only Voermol products. I only started my practical this year, but they have been using Voermol at least since last year.”
Korn Kandy is their most prized product, says Selete. When it is their time to be fed, the sheep become noticeably excited and rush inside. “It’s very palatable for the sheep. When it’s time to eat, they will jump around in the field.”
She says it is easy to see that the sheep are healthy. The Korn Kandy mixture fed to them, increases their energy and according to Selete, it drives higher rates of production on the farm.
Her focus is very much on poorer farmers, which is why she is such an avid supporter of the Voermol products.
“It’s very affordable, so a lot of people can [use] the products. Most importantly, I think someone should teach rural [farmers] how to use the Voermol Korn Kandy because [of how] palatable it is. And it gives the animals energy.”
“Personally, I feel like Korn Kandy is the best.”
ALSO READ: Mbense brothers keep cattle in top shape with Voermol
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