DAFFOfficial newsletter of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

February 2016

From left, Kgoshi Maleboho from Ga-Maleboho, General Bheki Cele, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development in Limpopo, Ms Joy Matshoge donating food parcels during the drought relief programme in Eldorado Village, Limpopo Province.

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Editor Piwe Mbiko (012) 319 6936 piwem@daff.gov.zaSubeditor Lerato Mofokeng (012) 319 7927 leratomof@daff.gov.zaReporters Thuli Lehong (012) 319 7929 nokuthulale@daff.gov.za Samuel Kgatla (012) 319 7181 samuelk@daff.gov.za Musa Khumalo (012) 319 6695 musak@daff.gov.za Innocent Mhlanga (012) 319 7827 innocentm@daff.gov.za Rony Moremi (012) 319 6622 rincertm@daff.gov.za Jamela Nkanyane (012) 319 6903 jamelan@daff.gov.za Mercia Smith (012) 319 6666 mercias@daff.gov.zaPhotographer Jarius Mmutle (012) 319 7366 jarusm@daff.gov.zaInterns Zama Buthelezi (012) 319 6958 ZamaB@daff.gov.za Dimakatso Modise (012) 319 7819 DimakatsoMo@daff.gov.zaDistribution Salome Bodibe (012) 319 7085 salomeb@daff.gov.za Sheila Flockton (012) 319 7141 sheilaf@daff.gov.za Website: www.daff.gov.za

DAFFnews is the newsletter of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry

and Fisheries. Private Bag X250, PRETORIA 0001.

It is published by the Directorate Communication Services, Private Bag

X144, PRETORIA 0001.

Opinions expressed in DAFFnews are not necessarily those of the

editorial team. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying,

recording or any information storage or retrieval system without prior

permission from the editor.

General Cele on drought

General Bheki Cele, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries chatting to Mr Enos Kwata, Assistant Director for Extension and Advisory Support in Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Animal feeds ready to be given to livestock farmers in Blouberg Local Municipality.

Lorraine Mpya from Eldorado Village holding food parcels given to her by DAFF.

Ms Ramatsimele Maisela, Head of Department for Agriculture and Rural Development in Limpopo Province interpreting Deputy Minister for DAFF, General Bheki Cele’s keynote address during the drought relief programme at Eldorado Village, Blouberg Local Municipality.

Kgoshi Maleboho from Ga-Maleboho and MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development in Limpopo, Ms Joy Matshoge showing food parcels to be given to the deserving household beneficiaries of Eldorado Village.

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Farmers, especially of livestock are now hopeful that some of their chal-lenges are going to be taken into consideration. This follows a public discussion by General Bheki Cele with all the farmers in Eldorado Village of Blouberg Local Municipality in Lim-popo Province on 19 February 2016.

The General, who was accompanied by the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Devel-opment in the province, Ms Joy Matshoge, visited the areas affected by drought as part of the draught relief roadshow and the public discussions aimed at unearth-ing challenges faced by the farmers in the area.

Challenges or problems faced by farmers include cattle dying because of drought, withdrawal of government from crucial projects, shoddy fencing, inadequate boreholes, lack of support for farmers, shortage of veterinarians, high electricity costs, insufficient water supply i.e. dry dams, land for pasture, deforesta-tion and incompetent extension officers.

Farmers pleaded with the department to provide them with fodder. However, other members of the public also mentioned that there are some extension officers that do come to dip their cows and also check for diseases.

In response to the public’s needs, MEC Matshoge cited that those with malfunc-tioning boreholes should communicate with the department for assistance and she promised to look at the issue of high elec-tricity costs with the relevant minister.

“Land is available, but people keep saying it belongs to them every time we want to give it. As for grazing camps, we will talk to the municipality and come up with something. The issue of deforesta-tion is not good at all especially now as we are facing drought. We will talk to our agriculturalists to see how they can assist with the dry dams. I encourage you to plant vegetables at home. I plead with you to save water by using it sparingly,” she said.

General Cele started by saying it was not true that government did not assists people, however, they had a right to ask government for assistance. “My advice to you is that you should go to chiefs when-ever you want ministers of other depart-ments to address your problems. Chiefs are the link between you, the ministers and the President. I heard people talking about problems but I never heard anyone of you with solutions. Community mem-bers can also come up with solutions. As for livestock, I think selling your cows will only decrease your profits because the inside of the cow sells a lot. Drought is not going to end soon, but we must learn things from it. We must talk to government and ask for more money to deal with it. We are increasing the number of vets from 27 to 34 in Limpopo. We have enough problems and challenges, however now we need answers and solutions,” con-cluded the General.

General Cele on droughtBy Samuel Kgatla

Communities from Blouberg Local Municipality listening to General Bheki Cele during the drought relief roadshows at the Eldorado Village Stadium.

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Drought conditions currently disrupt-ing the agricultural sector in South Africa have made it imperative for the industry to review its farming practices and overall approach to risk and management. Dawie Maree, Head of Information and Marketing at FNB Business Agriculture, says in the past few years the farming industry has certainly dealt with a multitude of challenges, ranging from land re-form, currency fluctuations, changing legislation, labour and wage issues, as well as livestock and fruit diseases, amongst others. However, the current drought, being escalated by a strong El Nino and global warming, has had the biggest impact on the income and survival of farmers since 1992.

Moreover, it has had far reaching con-sequences for the greater South African economy as it impacts on food prices, inflation and even employment.

Maree says the drought has left farmers and stakeholders with invaluable lessons that will impact on the future and sustain-ability of the industry. It has now become imperative for the industry as a whole to adopt modern farming techniques and strategies in order to grow revenue. For small-holder and subsistence farmers, it is now survival of the fittest.

“Regardless of the losses incurred, farmers need to be resilient and focus on the future by implementing survival strategies to deal with disasters, such as the drought,” advises Maree.

Drought management strategy Every farm, big or small should put in

place a detailed disaster management strategy that should be updated regularly as circumstances change. For example, a livestock farmer can use this to keep track of herd numbers, knowing exactly when culling should be done.

Cash flow managementLosses and damages incurred as a result

of a disaster can severely affect the farm’s

Essential tips to overcome the impact of drought

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cash flow. Regardless of the situation, farmers are advised not to abandon their cash flow principles, but continue to man-age and keep track of finances adequately. “Should problems be foreseen, it is impor-tant to involve your financial institution or bank as soon as possible – prevention is better than cure,” advises Maree.

Irrigation strategiesIf you are not keeping up with industry

standards, now is the time to update your irrigation system. It is imperative that we use available water optimally in a water-scarce country such as South Africa.

DiversificationDiversification of crops and livestock

becomes extremely important during drought conditions. Remember, farming is a business. If you miss planting season, you should identify other means of gen-erating income.

Seed and fertiliser strategiesPlanting fields that have been affected

by the drought may require a much dif-ferent application of fertiliser. It may also be worth considering using seeds that are more resistant to the drought and provide better yield.

Risk management strategyThe overall farm risk management

strategy should factor in elements such as hail and crop insurance, with accurate details of how to process claims resulting from a disaster.

Information gatheringUp-to-date information is essential to

make informed business decisions during periods of disasters. There are a number of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to keep farmers updated on the latest developments in their regions.

Soil preparationSoil testing is highly recommended as

it changes following a drought. This is necessary to ensure that you get the most out of your crop.

Managing farm costsCarefully managing farm expenses is

critical during times of uncertainly. Even the last rand can go a long way.

Farm feed storageOne of the lessons learnt from the cur-

rent drought is that the amount of feed that livestock farmers kept was not enough. Because of uncertain weather conditions, storage capacity will have to be reviewed and a detailed fodder flow plan needs to be kept at all times.

“Although these strategies are by no means conclusive, they will go a long way in helping farmers to deal with the impact of disasters, like the current drought, when incorporated into a well managed farm system. The farming industry in South Africa has been through several hurdles and survived, there is no doubt that it will continue to thrive, even beyond the current drought,” concludes Maree.

The current drought, being escalated by a strong El Nino and global warming, has had the biggest impact on the income and survival of farmers since 1992.

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Eggs remain an economical source of animal protein in South Africa, with the mark-up on eggs increasing steadily during the past years. Eggs remain the fourth largest animal product with an increasing gross turn over in the South African agricultural sector, after poultry meat, beef and milk.

Besides being the cheaper source of protein, the demand for eggs in South Africa is influenced by many reasons such as improved standards of living among the consumers, increased marketing by egg producers, price competitiveness relative to other proteins on the markets, and a still-low per capita consumption of eggs compared with other economies in the world.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is making a clarion call to all eggs producers, packers and importers in South Africa to comply with the regula-tions relating to the grading, packing and marking of eggs intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa. The sale of eggs in South Africa is regulated in terms of the Agricultural Product Standards. Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990), Regulation No. R. 725 of 16 September 2011, which prescribes that, eggs shall comply with the key elements including, among others, grading, packing and marking require-ments. Other applicable food safety and related requirements that producers, pack-ers and/or importers must comply with are enshrined in the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectant Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972) of the Department of Health and the Legal Metrology Act, 2014 (Act No. 09 of 2014) respectively.

Compliance with the requirements of the stipulated legislations is quite instru-mental to the participation of smallholder egg producers and packers in the formal market of which the majority are still strug-gling to act in accordance with the relevant

Guidelines for selling eggs in South Africa

regulations, and that has led to the skewed participation in the formal market. The ability to comply is instrumental in the at-tainment of, among others, the objectives of the National Development Plan and the Agricultural Policy Action Plan relative to fighting unemployment, alleviating poverty and ensuring economic growth.

Your success in building a successful

agricultural business enterprise is our success!

For further information on other regula-tions for local produce such as agronomy, deciduous fruit, animal products, proc-essed products, local vegetables and local citrus and subtropical fruit, please contact the Directorate: Food Import and Export Standards on 012 319 6118.

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South Africa has self-sufficient capacity to produce potatoes for local consump-tion as well as cater for export markets. Potatoes play a significant role in the food basket for most South Africans. They serve as one of the staple vegeta-ble for the country’s food Security. In most of the national markets potatoes remain in the top 5 produce in terms of sales and volumes and is currently one of the highly demanded produce in the markets.

In terms of Section 3 of Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990), no person shall sell regulated products unless the product complies with: class or grade, prescribed standards regarding quality, management control systems, packing, marking/labelling, or product does not contain a prescribed prohibited substance or does not con-tain a prescribed substance. Potatoes intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa are regulated in terms of grading, packing and marking requirements as prescribed under Regulations No. R1031 of 12 November 2010. The regulation is intended to ensure, among others, safe and fair trade in the local markets, trans-parency, traceability, good quality as well as increasing consumer confidence on the local produce.

It is important for the potato producers, packers and importers to note that pota-toes will be subjected to inspection in the local markets to determine compliance with the prescribed regulations applied in the national markets. Product Control for Agriculture (Prokon) is an assignee of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) appointed to conduct inspections of the potatoes in the local markets. Prokon is a non-profit company in terms of the Companies Act 2006 that renders a comprehensive quality assur-ance, product management and grading service to the South African fresh produce industry.

The ability to comply with the said regu-lation and related food safety and quality

Guidelines for selling potatoes in South Africa

measures is quite instrumental to the at-tainment of, among others, the objectives of the National Development Plan and the Agricultural Policy Action Plan rela-tive to fighting unemployment, alleviating poverty and market access. The success of our potato producers/suppliers and potato industry in contributing to economic growth and positioning South Africa in the world is dependent on , among others, marketing and supplying our nation and the world with potatoes that meet market requirements, i.e. marked and packaged properly, good quality, healthy and safe for human consumption. On a general note, potato producers, packers and importers are advised to comply with the market requirements enshrined in the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990) and its regulations and in par-

ticular, apply Good Agricultural Practices in order to produce quality, healthy and safe produce that can compete in the market.

It is important to remember that food safety and quality compliance begins in the farm and not at the point of sale. Your success as a producer/supplier is our suc-cess; we are therefore determined to assist your agricultural business enterprise with market access information to enable your entrance in both national and international markets.

For further information on other regu-lations for regulating local produce such as agronomy, deciduous fruit, animal products, processed products, local veg-etables and local citrus and subtropical fruit, please contact the Directorate: Food Import and Export Standards at 012 319 6118.

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The Department of Agriculture, For-estry and Fisheries is making a clari-on call to all fresh vegetable produc-ers, packers and importers in South Africa to comply with the regulations relating to the grading, packing and marking of fresh vegetables intended for sale in South Africa. Compliance with the requirements of the defined regulations is quite instrumental to the participation of smallholder farm-ers in the formal market of which the majority are still struggling to act in accordance with relevant regulations, and that has led to their skewed par-ticipation in the formal market.

The sale of fresh vegetables in South Africa is regulated in terms of the Agri-cultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990), Regulation No. R.364 of 24 May 2013 which prescribes vegeta-bles shall comply with the key elements which include, among others, grading, packing and marking requirements. This regulation provides market requirements for: beetroot, cabbages, carrots, spinach, artichokes, courgettes/baby marrows and parsley; asparagus, cucumber, parsnips, aubergines/eggplant, endives, pump-kins and fennel; broccoli, radish, gem squash, rhubarb, Brussel sprouts, ginger and scorzonera; butternut, green beans, green onions, sweet corn and capsicums/peppers; sweet potatoes, green peas, okra, horse-radish, turnips, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage; leeks, witloof chicory, celery, lettuce, mushrooms and chillies and unspecified vegetables.

The regulation provides detailed re-quirements on classes of vegetables, quality standards for different classes, container requirements, packing re-quirements, and packing material, marking requirements, restrictions and noncompliance. Failure to adhere to the aforementioned elements may lead to the product being downgraded, losing value and failing to attract buyers and/or being rejected in the market.

On a general note, fresh vegetable

Guidelines for selling fresh vegetables in South Africa

farmers, packers and/or importers are advised to comply with the market re-quirements enshrined in the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990) and its regulations and in particular apply Good Agricultural Prac-tices in order to produce quality, healthy and safe produce that can compete in the market. Farmers, packers and im-porters are also advised to abide by the food safety measures as per the require-ments generated by the Department of Health in South Africa.

Your success as a vegetable producer, packer or importer is dependent on good compliance with relevant food safety and quality assurance measures. Remember, compliance begins in the farm: produce to sell instead of producing and then

selling. In particular, the ability to com-ply is quite instrumental in attaining the objectives of the National Development Plan in terms of fighting unemployment, ensuring economic growth and position-ing South Africa in the world through marketing and supplying the world with produce that meets market requirements, i.e. marked and packaged properly, good quality and healthy and safe to consume.

For further information on other regu-lations for regulating local produce such as agronomy, deciduous fruit, animal products, processed products, local vegetables and local citrus and subtropi-cal fruit, please contact the Directorate: Food Import and Export Standards at 012 319 6118.

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The City of Joburg (CoJ) has launched an exciting and far-reaching strategy to establish itself as a food manu-facturing and agro-processing hub. The City Authority will integrate its processing operations with the proven intra-Africa networking capabilities of two hugely successful Johannesburg-based exhibitions; Africa’s Big Seven (AB7) and the Southern African Inter-national Trade Exhibition (SAITEX). AB7 and SAITEX take place from 19 to 21 June at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand.

“Africa’s Big Seven has a stellar 14-year track record as the continent’s biggest and most influential annual food and beverage exhibition,” says show organiser Christine Davidson, Vice President of EMS Africa. “SAITEX has an even longer history as a mixed retail products expo for 22 years. SAITEX has become known as the biggest business opportunities event in Africa. Last year the two shows attracted over 860 exhibitors and almost 14 000 visitors from more than 70 countries.”Supporting Development Initia-tives

The two co-located expos are a key driver for the City of Joburg’s food and agro-processing strategy, which is a component of its Joburg 2040 Integrated Development Plan, says Reginald Pholo, Director of Trade and Investment Promo-tion for the City of Joburg.

“There is a huge need for capacity to transform food into manufactured food,” explains Pholo. “In order to facilitate ac-cess to markets, the City is focusing on infrastructure development that includes storage facilities, processing, cold stor-age and transport. So it’s important to inculcate a culture of food processing, household and national food security and surplus sales to export markets, and AB7 / SAITEX are the perfect platforms for this”.

According to Pholo, emerging agricul-tural and agro-processing businesses are enjoying significant commercial success

from various projects and strategies driven by the City of Joburg – one of these is CoJ’s ongoing participation in the AB7 and SAITEX shows.

“CoJ uses these annual shows as part of its Exporter Awareness Programme, which showcases the many business op-portunities for entrepreneurs,” adds Pholo. “This also helps broaden South Africa’s exporter base in the agricultural and agro-processing sectors by developing new and existing exporters.”Success at SAITEX and AB7

One resulting success story is David Osaro, Managing Director of Edo Fresh and the Nelson Mandela People’s Market, who migrated to South Africa 24 years ago with virtually no capital, but a sheer deter-mination to succeed. Osaro attributes the key reason for his success to SAITEX.

“Networking opportunities and interac-tions provided by CoJ are invaluable and have really changed my business,” says Osaro. “My export produce now travels as far as Zambia, Nigeria, Thailand, Qa-tar and Japan; and the Nelson Mandela

People’s Market has grown from a team of just four people to now empowering almost 500.”

Osaro also owns the logistics company Edofreight, which also carries multi-mil-lion-rand export orders secured at AB7 and SAITEX through the assistance of City of Joburg and the Joburg Market. “SAITEX is a phenomenal platform that should not be missed,” concludes Pholo.

For the 2016 shows, the City of Joburg plans to host a series of export seminars as well as business-to-business matchmak-ing sessions in the International business lounge at Gallagher Convention Centre.

“With demand for quality packaged and prepared foods and beverages soaring throughout Africa’s rising middle class markets, now is a good time to get a foot in the gateway to business in Africa, and that’s AB7 and SAITEX,” concludes Davidson.

AB7 enquiries: contact Lineke van der Brugghen, Exhibition Management Serv-ices. Tel: +27 11 783 7250. Fax: +27 11 783 7269. lineke@exhibitionsafrica.com

Joburg to Become Food Processing Export Hub

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In support of the struggling farmers, Santam yesterday made a donation of R2 million to the National Drought Disaster Relief Fund, managed by Agri SA. Both established and emerging farmers will benefit from this donation and they hope to make a real difference in lives of those facing devastation.

South Africans from all walks of life have stepped forward in recent months to assist farmers impacted by the pro-longed drought affecting large parts of our country, with initiatives ranging from water collection to the supply of feed to hard-hit areas. In a bid to boost the embattled agricultural sector, leading short-term insurer Santam has donated R2 million to help alleviate the financial hardship faced by both com-mercial and emerging farmers.

In an announcement at Agri South Afri-ca’s 2016 Commodities Congress, Santam Head of Agriculture, Gerhard Diedericks said the donation would be made to the National Drought Disaster Relief Fund managed by Agri SA. The contribution will benefit not only members of South Africa’s four Agri industry bodies, but will include emerging farmers not belonging to any organisation. Those that are most in need of assistance will be prioritised.

“The persistent drought continues to have a knock-on effect on the local economy and threatens the long-term food security of our country. Farmers and communities dependent on the agricultural sector for their livelihoods are bearing the brunt of this crisis. For Santam, lending support to both individual farmers and farming groups is simply the right thing to do,” Diedericks said.

He added Santam would continue to

assist the farming community in manag-ing the risks endangering the sustainability of agricultural resources. “As the oldest insurer in the sector, with over 85 years of extensive experience in dealing with the highs and lows of agriculture, we under-stand the role farmers play in ensuring the stability of food security.

R2 million donation to drought stricken farmers

“Santam will continue to work with in-dustry partners, brokers and organisations within the agricultural sector to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Collectively we need to do much more to assist our strug-gling farming communities, and we urge our counterparts to show their support and contribute to this critical cause,” Diedericks concluded.

South Africa is currently experiencing one of the severest droughts of the past century and agricultural production in the summer rainfall regions is expected to be markedly lower than what could have been expected in a normal rainfall year.Although the relative percentage contribution of the agricultural sector to the gross domestic product has declined sharply since the 1960s, agriculture still plays a prominent role in the South African economy. The drought not only influences the economy via its direct effect on the agricultural sector, but also through the linkages of agriculture with other sectors of the economy.

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A challenging pome fruit season is an-ticipated on the back of extreme heat wave conditions and drought affect-ing certain production areas such as Ceres, Berg River, Northern Province and Free State. Also in areas with ad-equate water the heat wave conditions experienced since early December have impacted on fruit growth and hence fruit size on the early varieties is expected to be smaller.

If current conditions continue the same may likely apply to the later season va-rieties. The industry is however hopeful that the situation will improve. In drought affected areas and areas experiencing water shortages a drought management programme has been implemented re-garding irrigation practices to mitigate

South African Apple and Pear Export estimate

risks and ensure optimal quality as far as possible.

Despite this, the overall expectations for the export crop remain good with ap-ple volumes expected to increase by 3%. The increase is mainly driven by young orchards coming into production. Pear exports on the other hand are expected to

decrease slightly (-2%) due to fruit size on mainly Williams Bon Chretien pears and limited marketing options for smaller sum-mer pears. The later varieties are expected to be in line with recent years.

Although initially fruit size in general is slightly smaller, overall fruit quality (includ-ing eating quality) is good.

As part of Denmark’s continued and strengthening partnership with South Africa, a Danish royal visit to South Africa coincided with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the country and South Africa’s Ministry of Water and Sanitation. The memorandum which outlines a long-term partnership on policy and tech-nology development and knowledge exchange.

The MoU will be formalised around major current and future challenges in South Af-rica’s water supply and the subsequent areas where Denmark can provide strong partner-ship particularly around policy incentives for water conservation, management practises and water efficient solutions.

The MoU between Denmark and South Africa will include:

Integrated water resources manage-•ment;Water treatment technologies and •

Denmark to assist SA with watermanagement;Water and resource efficiency;•Groundwater protection and manage-•ment;Water governance and science;•

Capacity Building and institutional •strengthening.

This will serve as a platform for long term cooperative relationship on the basis of equity and mutual benefit.

February 2016 DAFFnews No. 2 12

Sector

The marked growth in South Africa’s human and animal populations within an environment characterised by cli-mate change, emerging pathogens and toxic releases has resulted in in-creased health risks for humans and animals alike. To address this, the perspective on public health should be expanded beyond a single species to detect and manage emerging public health threats.

The link between animal and human health, combined with the need for skills development and transformation within the animal health sector, has resulted in the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) placing focus on programmes to meet these criti-cal needs.

“The HWSETA has made extensive in-roads into partnerships with institutions of higher learning to meet its mandate within the animal health sector and the R15 mil-lion committed to a number of key projects with the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science is set to establish this as a flagship project,” comments Yvonne Mbane, CEO of the HWSETA.

The funding made available by the HWSETA to the University of Pretoria will cover eight key projects, including: 20 undergraduate student bursaries for first year students; work integrated learning for final year students; undergraduate re-search bursaries; 42 postgraduate student bursaries; skills laboratory teaching aids; training of 20 learners for manufacturing of teaching aids ; ‘Adopt a School’ pilot project; and articulation with agricultural colleges

The Faculty of Veterinary Science has wasted no time in setting up partnerships with agricultural colleges and by the end of 2015, discussions between management at the Faculty of Veterinary Science and Tsolo Agricultural and Rural Development Institute (TARDI) in the Eastern Cape were well underway. The support for TARDI by the Faculty of Veterinary Science has been

HWSETA Joins Forces with UP Faculty of Veterinary Science in Skills Development Initiatives

made possible through HWSETA fund-ing and will further supplement HWSETA funding of 50 full bursaries for learners at TARDI to become animal health tech-nicians.

“The HWSETA funding will make a significant contribution to our training and research programmes and we are very grateful for the HWSETA support,” comments Darrell Abernethy, Dean at the Faculty of Veterinary Science. “And, it will also assist us in networking with institu-tions that train veterinary technicians and agricultural students.”

“As the only veterinary faculty in South Africa we have a unique responsibility to train all veterinarians and veterinary nurses in the country,” continues Abernethy.

“We also conduct cutting-edge research on a wide range of animal-related dis-eases and issues that affect people. This is because of the close relationship between people, animals and the environment and the crucial role that veterinarians play in

From left to right at the launch of this project are Mr Mabuza Ngubane (DHET: Director National Skills Fund), Prof Darrell Abernethy (Dean: Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria), Ms Yvonne Mbane (CEO HWSeta), Dr Confidence Moloko (Chairman of the HWSeta board) and front middle Ms Ayanda Manqele.

reducing the risk of diseases passing from animals to people, ensuring food safety and promoting food security.”

A progressive increase in student num-bers, the availability of teaching animals, as well as animal welfare issues, have resulted in a massive shift internationally in veterinary clinical teaching methods through the introduction of veterinary simulators and models. Having recognised the value that a skills laboratory could add to its teaching and learning processes prompted the UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science to invest heavily in a world class skills facility. Two of the projects funded by the HWSETA support the skills facility that directly impacts every student within the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

“The partnerships with TARDI and UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science are just a beginning, yet we consider them important steps in addressing the country’s need animal health and transformation in the veterinary sector,” concludes Ms Mbane.