Address by the Hon Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana at the NERPO gala dinner held at the St. George Hotel, Irene
Programme Director
Chairperson of National Emergent Red Meat Producers' Organisation (NERPO), Bishop Paradise Mahlangu
Senior Programme Officer, Livestock – SADC Secretariat, Dr. Beedeeanan Hulman
Chief Executive Office of NERPO, Dr. Langelihle Simela
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Thank you for the opportunity to address a gathering of one of the most important red meat producer groups in the country. The National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (NERPO) has made considerable progress over the years and my Ministry is proud to be associated with your organisation.
I am reliably informed that two weeks ago, we recognised the outstanding performers from the developing farmer sector in the National Beef Cattle Recording and Improvement Scheme and tonight affords me an opportunity to recognise and talk to a group of farmers that have moved into the commercial beef cattle production sector, contributing to the overall agricultural economy of the country in the process.
South Africa has a total surface area of 122.5 million hectares and approximately 84 percent or 103 million hectares of this is suitable for some form of agriculture. Almost 80% of this area is, however, semi arid – with an average rainfall that is neither sufficient nor reliable enough for the production of staple crops. To add to this, the interaction of climatic and ecological factors has created a number of biomes with natural veld types that can and should only support some form of animal agriculture.
Commercial farming systems in these biomes currently provide most of the weaners for the feedlot industry in South Africa. They also support a wide range of farming systems - from extensive cattle, sheep and goats to wildlife ranching and milk production off planted pastures.
In many ways, South Africa is unique as far as animal agriculture is concerned. The first domestic animals entered the country with their owners and keepers between 600 and 1000 AD after surviving some of the harshest conditions as far as livestock production is concerned. Traditional management practices helped ensure that these animals remained productive over many years and we are fortunate to have one of the best gene pools of indigenous livestock on the sub-continent. These breeds are becoming more and more important with climate smart animal agriculture in mind
Some of these breeds have already been used to develop hardy composites. These include the Bonsmara (Afrikaner – Shorthorn – Hereford) and Hugenoot (Afrikaner – Charolais) cattle breeds and the Dorper (Persian – Dorset Horn) sheep breed.
By combining indigenous peoples knowledge with modern animal husbandry, we have been able to establish a viable livestock farming sector in a country that is often seen as less suitable for such activities from the more conventional point of view and it is always encouraging to take note of progress with producer organisations that are committed to improving beef cattle production in the developing farmer sector.
NERPO is assisting by providing a service to established and prospective farmers in this sector – building capacity in better management practices and getting them more involved along the entire production value chain. Initiatives also ensure that valuable knowledge and experience is not lost in the process. In fact, shared traditional knowledge is often a valuable asset.
Livestock plays a significant role in the daily lives of many people in South Africa – both from a cultural and economic point of view. The economic importance of livestock in terms of agricultural value and the contribution to food security is highlighted by the fact that this sector contributed about 46,4 % of gross total value of agriculture during 2013.
Despite this, however, South Africa is still a net importer of red meat but this could be offset by increased production from the developing sector and the sector using communal rangeland resources in the same biomes where most of the red meat is currently produced.
It has been estimated that a 50% improvement in Veld and Herd Management in the communal sector could double the current production – hence our interest in and support for initiatives that contribute towards the economic upliftment of this sector.
Over the years, NERPO has established a reputation for quality congress programmes which include a range of guest speakers dealing with subjects relevant to the red meat sector as well as the developing farmer sector. This year is no exception. In addition to a commission on the effective utilisation of grazing on communal land, you have an opening speaker from Southern African Development Community (SADC) discussing support for the livestock sector in Southern Africa. Dr BD Hulmun is an old friend of the Department, having intensive engagements with the Directorate: Animal Production in my Department - and we were pleased to see that NERPO has taken the initiative to invite him to this event. South Africa is part of the SADC community and it is important that we are actively involved in the livestock sector in the region – both as a player and as a service provider.
In addition, you have included an outlook review for livestock and livestock products by Mr. Ernst Janovsky, a well known and respected agricultural economist – highlighting the importance of marketing and sound farm business management to the farmer.
While NERPO’s concern and commitment to the communal rangeland sector is commendable, it would be appreciated if the range and forage scientists across all the regulatory, research and academia were also involved in this initiative – particularly as we are finalising a National Range and Forage Policy which has been crafted to give more attention to livestock owners and keepers making use of communal rangeland.
Tomorrow’s programme will afford the opportunity to share information on a number of issues of critical importance to the red meat sector. This includes issues such as animal health, marketing, the red meat industry and International Livestock Research.
Not only will this be of value to all that attend but I sincerely trust that you will publish the proceedings as it could become a useful reference document.
I wish you well in your deliberations and look forward to continued collaboration between all role players, including my department and NERPO in the interests of a sustainable livestock sector in South Africa
I thank you.
