Growing up, Karabo Montjane was exposed to subsistence farming from an early age. He says, “I grew up in the rural areas of Limpopo where most people farm with animals for household consumption.”
This inspired him to obtain a degree in agriculture from the University of Venda and then went off to start Montjane Farming Projects in 2008. Today, he is a mixed farmer, growing vegetables like tomato, spinach, green pepper and cabbage. He also farms with cattle, sheep and goats.
Montjane says that people regularly compliment the quality of his animals. “Whenever [people] see my animals are healthy and shiny, it motivates me to keep going, to work hard in order to provide people with food security.”
He uses Voermol products to maintain the condition of his animals, particularly that of his sheep. “I use Voermol Maxi Blocks because they are a good source of protein. The other thing about Maxi Blocks is that it is easy to handle and ready to feed.”
Maxi Blocks are a lick block with a high bypass protein, energy and mineral content that comes especially handy in dry pastures.
It has a long list of benefits for livestock farmers, including improved production and reproduction, limiting the effects of parasite infections on animal production, speeding up the growing out of young replacement ewes, and bolstering the nutrition of dry ewes on low quality dry pasture.
Montjane has experienced many of these benefits and uses the product all year long to maintain the state of his animals.
“[Maxi Blocks] keeps my animals in good shape throughout the year and it helps for foetus development in pregnant ewes,” he tells Food For Mzansi. “With lactating ewes, it helps with milk production and keeps the animals strong. It also helps prepare ewes doe breeding and gives me healthy lambs.”
Having healthy lambs is of particular importance to Montjane. “Since I started using Voermol products, [I get] healthy lambs with a low mortality rate but a high growth rate, which means a higher profit for me. I advise my fellow farmers to use the product to maintain a good body score and meaty carcass for slaughter animals.”
