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17 September 2008

The MEC for Agriculture Gugile Nkwinti and King Maxhoba Sandile will on Thursday (18 August) slaughter bulls in preparations of accepting cattle and goats from the National Emergent Red Meat Producers' Organisation (NERPO).

The slaughter of the bulls will pave the way for the launch of Presidential Bull and Heifer Project at King Sandile Great Place, eMngqesha, King William's Town, on Friday, 19 September 2008.

On Friday, the MEC and the King will receive 25 pregnant stud Nguni heifers and two stud Nguni bulls as well as 50 stud Savannah goats. King Sandile holds the animals in trust on behalf of all 40 tribal authorities under the Rharhabe Kingdom.

The Presidential Bull and Heifer Project was initiated by NERPO six years ago in appreciation of the work done by President Thabo Mbeki and the then Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Ms Thoko Didiza.

The project is aimed at improving the quality of livestock within the emerging sector and this is in line with the department's gaols of improving the livestock, where it also gives cattle, sheep and goats to the emerging farmers, especially in the communal areas.

The MEC appreciates the injection made by NERPO to communal areas because in the past five years the project has served emerging farmers on private land, who have sole control of their farms and hence could effectively manage the stud bulls that they received.

However, as a new approach NERPO has decided to work with traditional leaders, starting with King Sandile, to improve livestock in communal production systems.

The idea is to build stud herds and flocks that are located in all the traditional kingdoms of South Africa, under the management of the kings. The offspring of these herds and flocks will be made available to members of the community on communal land, via their chiefs for breeding purposes.

NERPO believes that this approach will help the government in improving the quality and quantity of the communal herd and can go a long way in bridging the gap between the second and first economies in the livestock sector. It is hoped that this approach will empower traditional leaders to improve the livestock farming conditions including the grazing resources of communal farmers in their jurisdictions.

Amongst the speakers in this historic occasion will be the MEC Nkwinti, President of the Nguni Cattle Breeders' Society Mr Deon Richter, Superintendent-General of Eastern Cape Local Government Mr Sindisile Maclean, and Chairperson of Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima.

Details of the event:

* Slaughtering will start at about 15h00 on Thursday at Mgqesha Great Place
* The launch will be held at Mngqesha at 09h00

Members of the media are invited in both the slaughtering and the launch occasions.

For more information on NEPRO programmes contact:
Dr Langelihle Simela (Programme Manager: Farmer Support and Youth Development) at NERPO
Tel: 012 361 9127
Cell: 083 677 8631

Mr Aggrey Mahanjana (CEO: NERPO)
Cell: 082 556 7297

For enquiries contact:
Thozi Manyisana
Senior Communications Officer
Cell: 073 263 3754/082 494 3600

Fikile Black
Manager: Communications
Cell: 082 578 1437

Issued by: Department of Agriculture in co-operation with NERPO, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
17 September 2008