Southern farmers’ uphill battle for survival
FARMERS in the //Kharas region are now facing new challenges to recover from the effects of the heavy rains, as well as the devastating drought that had plagued the area before the rain.
Karasberge Farmers Association chairperson, Hansie Esthuyse said despite the good rains received by farmers in the Kharas region, it will take the farmers some time to fully recover financially.
“Farmers do have good grazing now after the good rains – but with depleted livestock, it will be difficult to see any financial gains in the near future,” he then explained.
Esthuyse said due to the prolonged effects of the drought, farmers were forced to sell most of their livestock whilst some animals also died due to a lack of grazing and water.
“What is more worrisome is the highly expensive prices now charged to buy livestock again if a farmer wants to expand his/her livestock herds in the future,” the chairperson said.
When mentioning challenges experienced, apart from the drought and coronavirus, he singled out stock theft as the biggest one.
“Poor people are desperate for being unemployed and impoverished in towns, forcing them to divert to stock theft as a means of living,” he said.
Esthuyse expressed disappointment that these animals are then sold at prices far below their market value, having a tremendous effect on the already struggling farmers.
Aroab Smallscale Farmers Cooperative chairperson Andrew de Jay echoed Esthuyse’s sentiment that it will take farmers a minimum of two years to stand firm on their feet again.
“We, as members of the cooperative, used to operate as communal farmers on townlands, where we suffered big livestock losses due to stock theft,” he said.
De Jay noted it has become costly to supplement their livestock herds. Farmers also have the problem of jackals depleting their already-small animal herds when catching the lambs.
“We are, however, thankful for the government that gave us land through their resettling programme and must now put in maximum efforts to become productive farmers,” said De Jay.
He said a farmer can, however, when applying proper techniques and planning, start marketing and selling livestock within the next three years.
Julian Bloodstaan, another communal farmer in the region, regarded a lack of financial resources as their biggest challenge to supplement their nearly depleted small livestock herds.
“We lost most of our animals due to the past drought and being unemployed is now pinning all our hopes on the government to assist us in this regard,” he said.
Devon, sometimes called North Devon, to distinguish it from the South Devon breed, is one of the oldest beef breeds in existence today. In fact some authorities consider Devon’s origin to be prehistoric, the assumption being that the breed descended directly from Bos longifrons, the smaller type of aboriginal cattle in Britain.
ccording to an offical reference material compiled by the Devon Cattle Breeders Society, Somerset, England; Devon Cattle - The Red Rubies, it appears that the Red Cattle of North Devon may have contributed to the Hereford and other British breeds.
The Devon was previously classified as a dual-purpose breed. Over the past half century, however, the breed has, through selection, evolved as a beef-type breed which is registered and promoted by the Devon Cattle Association, Inc. A Milking Devon strain (unique to America) has been maintained and is represented by the American Milking Devon Cattle Association.
The native home of Devon is in southwestern England, primarily in the counties of Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, and Dorset. For centuries, herds of red cattle grazed the grass covered hills of this cool, moist region. History records that the Romans took notice of the red cattle when they occupied this area in 55 B.C.
There is some evidence that the seagoing Phoenicians may have brought some ancestral red stock from northern Africa or the Middle East to Southwestern England during their visitations for tin.
Some animal breeders speculate that this might account for Devon’s remarkable adaptation to hot climates in spite of its centuries of exposure to the damp, chilly hills of England’s Atlantic coast.
The early improvers of the Devon breed were Francis Quartly and his brothers William and Henry, and John Tanner Davy and his brother William. It is generally agreed that Francis Quartly accomplished for Devon what the Collings did for the Shorthorn.
Only 131 years after Columbus discovered North America, the first Devon cattle reached what is now the United States. The year was 1623.
The ship Charity brought a consignment of red cattle (one bull and three heifers) from Devonshire to Edward Winslow, the agent for Plymouth Colony. These red cattle of Devonshire, brought in by the Pilgrims, were probably the first purebred cattle to reach North America.
From the earlier dual-purpose type, beef conformation has been enhanced while retaining adequate milk production. Rate of maturity has been accelerated. The more common criticisms of light hindquarters and sickle hocks have been reduced to minimum. And, in keeping with newer concepts in America of “ideal” beef form, Devons have been made longer, taller, and trimmer but, fortunately, not to extremes as is true for some “exotic” breeds.
Although the Devon was originally a horned breed, American stockmen developed a polled strain of purebred Devons. It traces back to the bull Missouri 9097, a hornless “sport” or mutation that was born in 1915 in the purebred Devon herd owned by Case and Elling in Concordia, Missouri.
Characteristics
Devon cattle are red in colour, varying in shade from a rich deep red to a light red or chestnut colour. A bright ruby red colour is preferred and accounts for their nickname, the “Red Rubies.” The hair is of medium thickness and is often long and curly during the winter; however, coats are short and sleek in summer.
The Devon was originally horned, but polling has been introduced over the years, and now 50% of registrations are of polled Devons. They are generally a well muscled breed, but do not possess the extreme muscling of some of the exotics.
The breed has long been noted for its fertility, calving ease, docility, hardiness and ability to adapt to temperature extremes. The well-developed heatregulating mechanism of the scrotum of Devon bulls give them an unusual ability to remain fertile despite extremely high environmental temperatures.
Devon has the thickest hides of any cattle in the world. That means that Devon cattle have better resistance to external parasites.
They produce high quality meat in a wide range of production systems, from intensive feedlot or grass finishing to the extensive pastoral run.
LIVESTOCK production here is practised under tough, semi-arid to arid conditions. The rainfall is low and highly variable, from 75mm in the south-west to an average of about 550mm in the northeast. Livestock is the mainstay of agriculture in the country.
Commercial crops are grown in a small area – on about 2 000ha at the Hardap irrigation scheme close to Mariental in the maize triangle of Otavi, Tsumeb and Grootfontein.
Livestock stud breeding isn’t a hobby in Namibia. To stud farmers, it’s their bread and butter, and an integral part of their livestock production. Their commercial herds are linked to their studs and it’s all managed as an integrated system.
Nowhere in Namibia is the livestock stud a secondary industry that’s run as a sideline to crops or any other form of agricultural production.
More than 95% of stud breeders are bona fide farmers. But it’s true that due to the existing climatic and economic conditions, stud breeders and commercial producers are forced to diversify.
How many stud breeders, animals and species are represented by the Namibian Stud Breeders’ Association?
Even before independence, stud breeders expressed the wish to be in control of their own affairs. At that stage, all livestock registration and performance recording were still done through SA Stud Book.
A group of stud breeders met on 25 February 1986, drafted proposals and started organising themselves. In 2002, an investigation was carried out to find an alternative registration and performance-recording system.
Since its inception, the NSBA has grown from 202 breeders from 11 breeders’ societies owning 25 016 animals to where it currently serves as the registration authority for 35 societies – 23 cattle, two goats, four sheep and six-horse breeds.
That’s a total of 700 breeders who own more than 79 000 head of registered livestock. The Namibian Brahman Breeders’ Society was the first to sign up as a member.
What is the biggest breed society and why are specific breeds so popular in Namibia?
The Brahman breed society has the most members, with a membership of about 140 breeders owning 21 000 head of registered cattle. Thirty-five of these breeders are emerging commercial or communal farmers.
The Brahman has the largest influence within the commercial beef sector. It’s estimated that about 70% of the commercial cattle herd are Brahman crosses or infused with Brahman.
The Brahman is popular, especially as a crossbreed, because of the excellent mothering ability of the crossbred dam, while bulls are in demand because of the adaptability of the breed and its good growth characteristics.
Brahman crossbred progeny are favoured in feedlots. The Bonsmara is also popular within the commercial sector, both as purebred animals and breeding bulls.
Their medium-frame size makes them useful for production in semi-arid environments. The Dorper is still the most popular sheep breed.
As purebred animals and crossbreeds, they contribute about 80% to the sheep population. The registration of animals is done in South Africa.
The Boer goat is the largest goat breed, with more than 140 registered breeders and close to 20 000 registered animals.
The Afrikaner cattle stud and Boer goat stud at the Omatjenne Research Station are probably amongst the oldest herds in the country, dating back to the late 1940s. The newest breeds are the Veldmaster sheep and the Droughtmaster beef cattle breed.
What is the best-case scenario for Namibia’s studbreeding industry in 10 years? This would be if Namibia, South Africa, Botswana Zimbabwe and Zambia – the main livestockproducing countries – could have FMD-free status.
It would simplify the flow of genetic material within the
SADC region. There is a market for genetics from Southern Africa, particularly in South American countries, but the prevalence of FMD acts as a barrier to exports.
Hopefully, 10 years from now Namibiawillalsohaveindependent artificial insemination and embryo transfer industry.
What is the worst-case scenario? Namibia losing its FMD status. The country is a net exporter of beef, mutton and goat. Should the availability of brucellosis vaccine continue or worsen, Namibia’s export market for beef will be jeopardised.
If the prevalence of brucellosis, trichomoniasis and vibriosis increases, herd fertility and productivity will be negatively affected.