Caption: ACASA members happy to enhance the standard of farming in the province
By Lwazi Raul-Shongwe and Kopano Dibakwane
A hybrid livestock workshop aimed at enhancing the capacity of smallholder farmers across the Mpumalanga Province, was held at Badplaas Forever Resort in Manzana under the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality on Monday. The workshop was hosted by the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs(DARDLEA) in conjunction with Africa-China Smallholder Agriculture (ACASA).
According to the department (DARDLEA), the initiative follows a Memorandum of Understanding on industrialisation, agriculture, and training, that was signed by South African President-Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President-XI Jinping and other African leaders during the 2023 BRICS summit.
The landmark event is said to focus on livestock agri-business, particularly poultry, cattle and pig farming.
“ The workshop featured training on several key topics such as healthy breeding technology for laying hens, comprehensive prevention and control of avian influenza in poultry, major cattle diseases and their management, and large-scale cattle farm breeding management,” said DARDLEA.
Other subjects on the agenda included biotechnology, vaccines, management strategies, entrepreneurship, and marketing, as well as available opportunities in the Chinese market.
