DRDAR LIVESTOCK IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME HELPS NGQUSHWA FARMER

Afarm owner, a leader and a traditional leader with 132 cattle Prince Msindisi Siwani is very confident that with the support from government, he can be able to develop his family farm to be amongst one of the best in the country. Siwani owns a 466 hectare far in Ngqushwa which in November was visted by the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) MEC Xolile Nqatha and a group of politicians and officials from Namibia’s Kavango East Region. The team led by Kavango East Governor Dr Samuel Mbambo was in the country on a study trip to learn more about agricultural activities practised by South Africans. The Department had contributed nine pregnant heifers and two bulls to Siwani’s farm to help improve the quality of his livestock. This is part of the Department’s livestock improvement programme which seeks to assist farmers to improve the quality of beef production in the province. Siwani, who have benefited from this programmes in 2016, expressed joy that the MEC had decided to bring the Namibian delegation to his farm, which he “manages as a business” with the help of his family. He said although the farm currently focused on beef production, they hoped to bring in goats as the “land is fertile” with vegetation that is suitable for the goat farming. “I am very grateful to the department with the support that they have given to me. The two bulls helped me, now the quality of cattle is improving. The heifers also delivered healthy calves,” said Siwani. Notwithstanding the challenges he encounters that include feed, capital, fencing and others; Siwani says the support from the government will “surely” make the farm successful. Siwani said that he sells his livestock to the Amathole Abattoir in East London and to Peddie residents. Prior to visiting Siwani’s farm, the Namibian delegation also visited Bingqala Pineapple Farm where DRDAR is supporting communal farmers to produce pineapples that are sold to the East London-based processing company, Summerpride. The delegation also visited the Summerpride factory, where they were shown different phases of processing pineapples from weighing them when they arrive to cleaning, processing and canning of them in big containers before they are shipped overseas to make pineapple juice.