Partnership grows livestock farmers

Goat and sheep farmers are benefiting from a training programme that helps them sell their products to international markets. 

Goat and sheep farmers in the Northern Cape are now able to export their products, thanks to a successful partnership that ensures goat and sheep products are of the highest quality.

The Kalahari Kid Cor- poration (KKC) is a joint initiative between commercial promotors, the Northern Cape Provincial Government and emerging farmers in the province.

KKC’s mission is to promote increased production and provide expertise for improved livelihoods, a sustainable rural economy and food security for all.

Overseen by the province’s Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, the KKC assists farmers to commercialise the goat industry by marketing goats and goat products, says the KKC’s Chief Executive Officer, Dan Kekana.

It also helps farmers to establish cooperatives.

“We provide training to the cooperatives and lend good rams to farmers to improve the genetic material of their herds,” he adds.

To date, the KKC has helped establish 95 goat cooperatives and trained over 1 000 farmers on how to farm goats that meet export requirements.

Once the goats are grown and meet the necessary standards, the farmers sell them to the KKC, which slaughters them and sells the carcass and meat cuts to various markets.

“The KKC’s objective is to market goat and sheep meat, offal, leather, milk and fibre,” says Kekana.

He adds that the KKC brand has been developed to compete for shelf space nationally and internationally.

“The meat sold by the KKC is among the best in the world© We also have excellent in-house marketing knowledge and expertise in both markets,” says Kekana.

According to research done by the Agricultural Research Council, the KKC brand name is crucial to successfully marketing goat meat in the international arena. It also provides quality control and traceability for buyers, says Kekana.

Famers who work with the KKC can therefore access and supply international markets with a consistently superior product.

For more information about the KKC programme, visit www.kalaharikid.co.za.