At the University of Venda (UNIVEN), the Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Agriculture (FSEA) is committed to fostering collaborations with local farmers to enhance their skills through the university’s experimental farm.
Over 200 monogastric livestock farmers from the Collins Chabane, Musina, Makhado, and Thulamela municipalities within the Vhembe District Municipality recently came together for a full-day workshop. This event, organised by Ms Thifheli Kutama, the Experimental Farm Manager, and her team under the leadership of Executive Dean Prof Natasha Potgieter, aimed to equip farmers with essential skills and knowledge.
The primary objective of this workshop was to provide farmers with practical expertise in the care, management, and production of monogastric animals, specifically pigs and poultry. It also focused on promoting sustainable agricultural practices and fostering strong relationships between farmers, academics, and experts in agriculture.
UNIVEN strives to collaborate with industry leaders and co-create solutions that support farmers and communities, ensuring they are equipped to compete globally.
Prof Natasha Potgieter Executive Dean FSEA
The workshop kicked off with an opening address by Prof Natasha Potgieter, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Agriculture. In her speech, Prof Potgieter expressed her commitment to advancing sustainable agricultural practices, emphasising the importance of tackling food insecurity. She referenced the Vhembe District Municipality’s Local Economic De-velopment Strategy (2020), highlighting the region’s vital role in national food security and eco-nomic growth. The Vhembe district contributes 4.4% of South Africa’s total agricultural output, 8.4% of the country’s subtropical fruits, and 6.3% of its citrus production. Prof Potgieter also ex-tended her gratitude to the guest speakers from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), DAN-BRED AFRICA, and SAPPO for their valuable contributions, which helped empower farmers with relevant knowledge and skills. She encouraged farmers to engage in insightful discussions, share ideas, and learn from each other to create a brighter future for the farming sector in Vhembe.
Ms Thifheli Kutama Experimental Farm Manager
Ms Thifheli Kutama, the Experimental Farm Manager and organiser of the work-shop, outlined the goals of the event and set the stage for the day’s activities. She explained that the workshop’s main objective was to equip farmers with in-depth knowledge and practical skills related to monogastric animal production.
In addition, it aimed to build strong relationships between farmers, academics, and ag-ricultural experts. She encouraged farmers to actively participate in all sessions and emphasised that the livestock management techniques shared during the work-shop would improve efficiency, productivity, animal welfare, and food security.
Dr Lutendo Mathomu, who is also a member of the organising team, adeptly directed the pro-gramme, ensuring a seamless flow of activities throughout the day.
Dr Lutendo Mathomu, who is also a member of the organising team, adept-ly directed the programme, ensuring a seamless flow of activities throughout the day. The workshop featured three distinguished guest speakers who shared valuable insites on various topics :
Mr Jan Swart from DANBRED AFRICA
Mr Jan Swart from DANBRED AFRICA presented the three-way breed-ing system, including Artificial Insemination, and later demonstrated its ap-plication at the piggery. He also highlighted the importance of vaccina-tions, proper administration, storage, and record-keeping. Other critical practices, such as tail docking and ear notching, were demonstrated during his session.
Mr Rolivhuwa Mavhetha from SAPPO
Mr Rolivhuwa Mavhetha from SAPPO shared essential information on the “golden rules” of pig production, covering aspects such as marketing, breeding, housing, feeding and nutrition, health, biosecurity, and record-keeping. His presentation provided farmers with a compre-hensive understanding of the key components to ensure successful pig farming operations.
Dr Letlhogonolo Selaledi from the Agricultural Research Council in Pretoria focused on the innovative use of insects as poultry feed. He explained the nutritional value of insects as a source of protein, fat, and minerals, and highlighted insects like yellow mealworms, black soldier fly larvae, termites, and mopane worms as valuable feed options. Dr Selale-di concluded by emphasising the direct impact of feed quality on the meat quality of chickens.
Dr Mpho Tshikororo, Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics
Dr Mpho Tshikororo, an agricultural economist from the Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Agriculture, reminded farmers that farming is ultimately a business. He stressed the impor-tance of bookkeeping, budgeting, record-keeping, and financial literacy, offering farmers prac-tical tools to make informed decisions and optimise their operations for greater profitability.
Mr Khangwelo Selapyane from Experimental Farm
A key highlight of the workshop was the hands-on demonstration at the UNI-VEN Experimental Farm’s piggery, led by Mr Selapyane and his team in col-laboration with Mr. Swart from DANBRED. This practical session provid-ed farmers with valuable insights into optimising productivity, ensuring animal welfare, and maintaining environmental sustainability in monogastric livestock operations.
As the workshop came to a close, Dr Justice Netshipale delivered the clos-ing remarks, expressing gratitude to all participants, including the farmers, stu-dents, staff members, and the organising team. He acknowledged the success of the event, which was the result of the collective efforts of everyone involved.
This workshop underscores UNIVEN’s dedication to supporting the de-velopment of local farmers, ensuring they have the tools and knowl-edge to succeed in an evolving agricultural landscape. By fostering collabo-ration between academia and industry, the university continues to make a significant contribution to the region’s agricultural sector and its long-term sustainability.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811
