Northern Cape for goat production business visit
28 January 2007
The Kingdom of Swaziland's Minister of Enterprise and Employment, Honourable
Lutfo Dlamini arrives today, 28 January 2007 in Kimberley for a four-day goat
production business visit. The Minister who will be received by MEC for
Agriculture and Land Reform Tina Joemat-Pettersson is to be accompanied by a
Member of Parliament, Senator and a Chief. Other members of the delegation
arriving this afternoon includes; nine entrepreneurs, representatives of the
Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA) and journalists.
The fact-finding four-day mission will be preceded by a welcoming dinner
this evening. Intense discussions and presentations based on the province's
commercialisation of goats programme will be the key aspect of tomorrow's
business interaction. The delegation will visit the Department's
Koopmansfontein research station to assess training aspects of programme and
the Kagisanong Women Dipudi Co-operative outside Kuruman for an understanding
of the establishment of the co-operatives. Their day will end with a dinner in
Kuruman to be hosted by the Kgalagadi District Council. The Northern Cape's
European Union endorsed abattoir in Globblershoop will be visited on Tuesday
for an assessment of exporting requirements.
The visit will end on Wednesday with a courtesy call to Premier Dipuo Peters
and final discussions on how best the Northern Cape can assist in the
establishment of a striving goat industry in Swaziland.
Brief Background on Commercialisation of Goats in Northern Cape
The Department of Agriculture and Land Reform in collaboration with
institutes such as Agricultural Research Council implemented, since 1995,
various research projects to investigate goat production practices and the
possibility of developing goat production on a commercial basis. Kgalagadi
Dipudi Enterprise project came about as a nodal project and subsequently, a
section 21 company, Kalahari Kid Co-operation (KCC) was established. Improving
livestock productivity that includes goat and goat products was recently
identified as one of the key areas of intervention in the medium-term priority
sector within the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa
(AsgiSA).
Major successes
* registration of 86 goat co-operatives
* establishment of a goat stud farm at Koopmansfontein Research Station with
279 goats on the farm
* commercialisation of goats: aims of programme
* graduating emerging farmers from subsistence farming with goats to a
commercial level, with specific interventions in animal production, accredited
learnership training (AgriSeta), marketing and export readiness
* to ensure that quality breeding stock is availed to farmers through the
Livestock Improvement Programme
* to ensure that the goat meat industry is established and commercialised.
Why Commercialisation of Goat Industry?
* many constraints were identified
* goat industry was unorganised with opportunities for growth and development
recognised
* address trade barriers restricting entry of emerging farmers into the global
market.
How it is being addressed
* through research and training
* development of organised farming groups (co-operatives registered)
* access to resource facilitated; access to land natural resources (LRAD �
grant to purchase land), access to finance (MAFISA � loan), access to training
(Agriseta), access to infrastructure (CASP & LandCare), access and support
with livestock inputs (animal production kits, seed stock), access to
extension.
Enquiries:
Thabo Mothibi
Cell: 083 255 8840
E-mail: tmothibi@agri.ncape.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Land Reform, Northern Cape
Provincial Government
28 January 2007
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.northern-cape.gov.za)
