In a bid to enhance livestock production and empower small-scale farmers in the Eastern Cape, the government has embarked on a comprehensive initiative led by premier Oscar Mabuyane and rural development and agrarian reform MEC Nonkqubela Pieters.
According to the government, the cornerstone of this initiative is the livestock production improvement scheme (LPIS), which aims to bolster the genetic makeup of livestock owned by communal and small-scale farmers.
Investing in quality livestock
Mabuyane said by providing cattle and goats with superior genetics, the scheme seeks to enable farmers to participate more effectively in formal markets, thus improving their livelihoods and contributing to the economic growth of the province.
“Let us maximise what agriculture can do in our province to change lives. We want to strengthen that by ensuring that it is not only those who are in the commercial space that access markets, but we should have farmers in rural communities accessing markets.
“That is why we are creating that as government, hence the livestock improvement programme,” said Mabuyane during a handover event at the Dohne Agricultural Development Institute in Stutterheim.
Since its inception in 2017, the LPIS has received significant financial investment, with the department injecting a total of R137 million into livestock production improvement schemes.
The department said the commitment to supporting small-scale farmers was further underscored in the 2023/24 financial year with an additional investment of R12.8 million to provide cattle, sheep, and goats to more farmers across the province.
Pieters also announced plans to launch a livestock traceability programme, aimed at assisting farmers in tracking their animals and combating theft.
“The province will soon launch a livestock traceability programme that will assist farmers in livestock theft and tracing where the livestock they acquire comes from,” she said.
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Access to better markets
Mabuyane said farmers protecting their livestock and ensuring value for the government’s investment is important.
“The more you improve the livestock, the more the market opens up, but you will not access the market with less quality. There must be value for money for the government’s investment in their enterprises by jealously guarding the enablers they are provided with,” he said.
Mongezi Sihlahla, a military veteran and recipient of government assist said the intervention would assist him a lot to change the quality of his livestock.
“We will now have a higher grade livestock compared to what I now have. I feel very happy and we must be grateful about being assisted by your own government so that we can grow towards commercial farming,” Sihlahla said.
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A young farmer, Dintle Maphala, who received financial support and resources, shared her enthusiasm for the opportunities provided by government investment, particularly in a male-dominated industry.
“Sometimes you want to work but you don’t have the financial muscle to do that. I was assisted by the department and the office of the premier. So now I can see the future is bright in the farming business,” she said.
The Eastern Cape government’s commitment to promoting sustainable livestock production and empowering small-scale farmers reflects its dedication to fostering inclusive economic growth and building a brighter future for all residents of the province.
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