Walter Sisulu custom feedlot
The Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform’s (DRDAR) R1.2-million investment in the Walter Sisulu custom feedlot has been a shot in the arm for the business, enabling it to earn R2.5-million from the recent sale of 300 cattle and benefiting its 86 farmers.
The investment in machinery and feed has brought the feedlot back to life after almost closing as a result of a shortage of cattle feed. According to the chairperson of the feedlot, Nopiece Sefatsa, the DRDAR further boosted the feedlot by providing a tractor, fine seed planter and other production equipment.
“Other recent investments made by the DRDAR at the feedlot include the sinking of a borehole worth about R250, 000 and a multi-purpose structure valued at R970, 000.
“The DRDAR has supported the feedlot with 2,300 40kg bags of feed, amounting to R575, 000, so it could keep its doors open for the benefit of livestock owners and farmers. The shortage of feed came after the feedlot lost one of its sponsors, resulting in a 14-month struggle for the farmers of the Joe Gqabi District,” Sefatsa said.
He said farmers who prepared their cattle for market were forced to take their livestock elsewhere due to the feedlot’s dire situation; that is, until the department stepped in. Through the livestock development programme, a total of 15 custom feeding centres are supported by the DRDAR across the province, the Walter Sisulu custom feedlot being one of them.
The feedlot has the capacity to house 300 cattle which are fed and looked after for a period of 120 days before they are ready for market. Sefatsa said the feedlot was playing a significant role in assisting small-scale farmers and helping them understand the value of their livestock.
“The closure of the feedlot would have been catastrophic for many of the local farmers. It has professionalised many livestock farmers from the district. It has brought us together. Now everybody wins because we have secured an offtake agreement for the feedlot, not just for individuals. This helps even those who can’t clinch deals on their own,” Sefatsa said.
Farmers currently each contribute R1, 000 for each sale and the money goes towards the operations of the feedlot, an amount, which Sefatsa said, was not enough to run operations. “We have 15ha of land that DRDAR has fenced for us already and we will use it to grow our own feed so we can cut the dependence on government.
“The borehole will save the farmers from paying huge amounts of money for water to the municipality as we will be drawing our own water.
“We already have water rights thanks to the assistance of the DRDAR while the multi-purpose structure is serving as safe storage for the feed and tools.”
The DRDAR is already rolling out a livestock improvement scheme that provides farmers with livestock of superior genes. Sefatsa said their primary goal was to turn the feedlot into a professional commercial business and the livestock improvement scheme would help them realise this dream. They will sell purebred cattle that quickly respond to feed and even sell faster on the market.