Organised agriculture in the Eastern Cape has entered into a strategic collaboration to improve animal disease management and drive forward red meat production in the province.
The Eastern Cape Red Meat Producers Organisation (EC RPO) and Agri Eastern Cape (Agri EC) have partnered to unlock the red meat industry’s full potential within the province, and at the helm is 30-year-old Dehan Kukkuk.
During a recent EC RPO meeting, representatives formally adopted a proposal to place the EC RPO within the structures of Agri EC.
The current Red Meat Desk within Agri EC will now fall away. Kukkuk, who currently manages this desk, will become the new manager for the EC RPO, based in Gqeberha.
A winning formula
This new structure is set to focus on the management of animal disease threats in conjunction with the Animal Health Forum, production best practices, market development, producer development, and both critical governmental and non-governmental stakeholder engagement.
“The Eastern Cape is known for the most livestock numbers in South Africa. You can imagine the challenges farmers have on a day-to-day basis,” Kukkuk said.
This is why the new structure will help address problems farmers do not always have time for, he explained.
On the back of rising concerns over animal vaccine availability in South Africa, Kukkuk said the new structure would help with issues around access to vaccines or information.
Structure built on good relationships
“This [structure] is here for farmers, I am here for them… We at Agri EC have great connections with the National Animal Health Forum as well as other forums in the [province] including the safari industry,” explained Kukkuk.
Kukkuk is also banking on both of the organisations’ good standing relationships with the government and other organisations.
“The advantage is [that] we get to sort out a problem fast because of the good standing relationships that we have with other organisations,” he said.
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Age is nothing but a number
The Eastern Cape is an important player in South Africa’s livestock industry. However, farmers are still rebuilding their herds following devastating foot-and-mouth disease, African Swine Fever outbreaks, and droughts.
The province also has the largest number of livestock in the country within both the commercial and communal sectors. And although Kukkuk is still young, both organisations have welcomed the 30-year-old to the Eastern Cape and his new position. They believe Kukkuk can lead the red meat industry forward.
Kukkuk completed a BSc Agriculture in animal science from the University of Pretoria and has, until taking up this appointment, been employed in the pork industry as a farrowing house manager on a Topigs Norsvin nucleus farm.
With the formal pork industry leading the way with regard to bio-security, members of the organisations believe Kukkuk will prove to be an asset for the Eastern Cape red meat sector.
“One of the first challenges I experienced is working with farmers. Farmers are difficult people to work with and you have to get the best for all of them. Especially for myself being so young, it is difficult to advise an older person who obviously knows much more than you do,” he said.
Going forward…
Kukkuk will be supported by the current Agri EC administrative staff and a full-time manager. EC RPO members should shortly see the benefits of this new structure.
An interim committee, headed up by Charles van der Spuy and Ezra Schoonbee, the elected chairman and vice chairman of the EC RPO respectively, together with EC RPO regional representatives and representatives from Agri EC, has been established.
This committee will determine the processes, way forward, membership structure, and a new funding model. It leads up to the Agri EC Congress in August where the formal adoption of the new committee will take place.
This new committee will retain the name, functions, and purpose of the current EC RPO and all existing relationships with the Eastern Cape National Wool Growers Association (EC NWGA), the national RPO and other bodies such as the National Animal Health Forum will be retained and strengthened.
In addition, Agri EC will now form part of the EC RPO and EC NWGA planned roadshows for 2023, where further detail will be shared.
Both organisations, said they are committed to ensuring that the Eastern Cape is adequately represented at all levels and within all relevant structures within the red meat sector.
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