BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

North West Nguni Cattle farmers have emerged best during the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) National Beef Performers Awards. The Awards were held as part of the ARC’s annual event at Pretoria on August 28 this year.

Medupe Agricultural projects are the National Emerging Beef Farmers of the year as well as the provincial winner of the same category.

The other winner, Barui Driehoek Agricultural Cooperative based at Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District came top as the winners of the National Best Elite Cow of the year.

The Medupe project owners, the elderly Medupe couple are ecstatic at the accolade and said they can’t stop looking at the great compliment presented to them. They said the win will put them on a map as best performing farmers. Since their first Nguni loan back in 2007, the Medupe’s have not looked back and did everything in their power to keep their project sustainable.

According to the department, the Medupe family repaid their loan back in 2011. They have 32 heifers and one bull as well as 28 calves. As part of their Award, the Medupe’s have won a week trip to visit the United States of America next year in June to attend the Beef Improvement conference and learn more on the Nguni farming. Speaking on their recognition, Medupe said they appreciated the credit and acknowledge that it will encourage other farmers.

“This motivates us to work even harder. We would like to develop farming to commercial level and I believe we can do it. We use our money to support our family and the journey has not been easy. However we managed to take our children thus far and helped them further their studies.

“We believe farming need to be treated like a business. I am very grateful because I saw so many young people taking part here. The youth stand a better chance of bringing transformation in the sector and the age allows them to move to even greater heights,” he said.

Barui Driehoek Agriculture Cooperation cooperative won the ARC emerging Beef Farmer award back in 2011, and previously won the Female Entrepreneur Awards, Top Commercial Markets in 2013. Matshidiso Mooketsi of Barui said the recognition they received is humbling. She said only passion has moved them from strides. She further said she believe that more is still to come and their project will reach even greater heights.

MEC Manketsi Tlhape congratulated both projects. She said she is quite confident of the efforts of the farmers in the province. Tlhape encouraged the winning projects to share good practices with others so that the province elevates its good performance.

The North West Nguni cattle development project started in 2006 as partnership between the Industrial Development Committee (IDC), Department of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development (READ) and the Northwest University (NWU) with the aim of re-introducing the Nguni cattle in the province by providing deserving beneficiaries with heifers and bulls on a grant-loan basis.

“The loan includes 23 heifers and one bull. After five year, the loan should be repaid with 12 Nguni cattle which should include 11 heifers and one bull. The intension of the project is to contribute towards alleviation of poverty and job creation,” Tlhape said.

The project has reached the 9th phase and 78 project sites had been awarded 23 heifers and one bull each, and it has 78 sites across the province.

-TDN

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