Nguni cattle farming the way to go
The success of the project is becoming increasingly evident as all the farmers who have benefited from the project by having had cattle loaned to them.
During the 2016 drought, non-Nguni cattle farmers suffered heavy cattle losses.
A female Nguni cattle farmer in Tarlton, confirmed that none of her cattle had died during last year’s severe drought while, according to press reports, non-Nguni cattle farmers complained about a high cattle mortality due to the lack of water and grazing during the same drought period. This suggests that Nguni cattle are the way to go, especially in Gauteng which is a naturally dry region.
Two years ago the Gauteng Nguni Development Cattle Project was introduced by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the University of Pretoria. It aims to help local farmers to breed Nguni cattle that are drought resistant and cheaper to manage, compared to other cattle breeds.
The Gauteng Nguni Development Cattle Project success signs are becoming increasingly evident with beneficiary farmers having increased cattle that were loaned to them by 100 percent and they are now ready to pay back their loans.
The Tarlton farmer said she would like to encourage other women to start Nguni cattle farming. All they need to start is a minimum land size of 500 hectares in order to get support from GDARD and IDC to start breeding Nguni cattle.
Some local furniture manufacturers have started using Nguni cattle hide, which is valued for its softness and not losing its fur, for their leather sofas.
* About the writer: Emmanuel Koro is a Johannesburg-based environment and development journalist.
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