Supporting Ugandan women to keep goats healthy through COVID-19 pandemic

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people living in rural pastoral and agro pastoral areas across sub-Saharan Africa are struggling to care for the animals on which their livelihoods depend.

Curfews and restrictions on movement and gatherings have cut communities off from markets, hampering their ability to buy vital animal health products and services, and decimating their incomes as they are unable to engage in petty trade.

With funding from Irish Aid, Farm Africa is working to ensure that more than 100 groups of pastoralist women in Karamoja in north-eastern Uganda, are able to keep their goats healthy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The women are all members of Women’s Livestock Groups, who are taking part in Farm Africa’s Livestock for Livelihoods project, funded by UK aid from the UK government and Jersey Overseas Aid.

Each woman taking part in the Livestock for Livelihoods project has received or will receive two female goats, which will enable them to earn money from goat-rearing businesses and improve their families’ nutrition through access to goats’ milk and meat and the ability to buy a wider range of foods. 

Around a third of the women received their goats direct from Farm Africa, under the condition they would pass on two goat kids to another woman in their group once they had reproduced.

The local female goats (does) are being cross-bred with Toggenburg bucks, a breed of goat known for its high milk and meat production.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Women’s Livestock Groups, each made up of 25 to 30 women, met weekly. At the meetings they each made small contributions to a central fund, which was used to pay Community Animal Health Workers to deliver vital animal health services such as vaccinations and spraying goats to reduce the incidence of ticks.

The pandemic has put an end to the weekly savings meetings, as well as the ability of many of the women to earn money and be able to afford the contributions.

The groups’ inability to pay for animal health services jeopardised the health of the new goats, and their ability to produce milk and reproduce. In turn, this risked the health and incomes of the families depending on the goats.

The Irish Aid funding has enabled Farm Africa to step in and cover Community Animal Health Workers’ fees to spray, deworm, treat and vaccinate the goats to safeguard their health and productivity during this unprecedented period of disruption.

The funding has made it possible for Farm Africa to source vital supplies for the Community Animal Health Workers, such as deworming medicines, tick prevention sprays, and treatments for common ailments, as well as equip them with PPE so they can safely interact with the goats’ owners.

By safeguarding the health of goats, the support from Irish Aid is safeguarding Karamojong women’s ability to have milk for their children, manure for their kitchen gardens and an opportunity to build their herd, as well as engage in value addition, and generate much-needed income.

For the Community Animal Health Workers, it means sustained employment when their livelihoods were at risk. And for local businesses, including agro-input dealers and other stockists, it means much needed trade that will help keep their businesses afloat during this difficult time.

Completion of the vaccination campaign will hasten the lifting of the livestock movement ban in Nakapiripirit, Napak and Kotido districts under which Farm Africa is unable to distribute the initial stock of local does and breeding stock to a further 99 groups of women.

Urgent Support Needed for Pastoralist and Agro-Pastoralist Households Impacted by the Desert Locust Crisis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A statement from the Regional Desert Locust Alliance

The emergence of further generations of desert locusts comes with significant risks and impacts to rangelands which will converge with the current economic impact of COVID-19 to further threaten food security and the livelihoods of vulnerable pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities throughout the greater Horn of Africa.

These already vulnerable households are now hit with a triple shock in COVID-19, desert locusts and the risk of a Rift Valley Fever (RVF) outbreak. Climatic and ecological conditions have made a favorable environment for swarms to grow and consume pasture and crops.

In response, pastoralists have begun to move to non-traditional grazing lands to find pasture and browse for their livestock. The loss of browse and pasture as well as irregular movement can lead to resource-based conflict or pastoralists may not be able to access the pasture their herds need. IGAD and FAO have also warned of a potential RVF outbreak – a disease which impacts both livestock and humans.

In addition, COVID-19 has had a negative impact on pastoral and agro-pastoral populations due to movement restrictions and curfews which have limited access to pasture. The confluence of these triple shocks poses a high risk to food security and livelihoods and particularly for the wellbeing of women and girls. Lower meat and milk production leads to poor dietary options, limited food available to herders and their families, and lower income from sales which is less resources for necessary household goods and services.

The compounded crises are also putting unprecedented pressure on women, including on their rights and their food security - as men move in search of pastureland, women are left behind with the sole responsibility of child care and providing food for the family. Moreover, expected market disruptions, food shocks, pressure on land and water resources, and increases in malnutrition will be particularly difficult for women, who often eat last and least.

Urgent support is necessary to complement the already ongoing efforts by NGOs, governments and UN agencies, otherwise the desert locust crisis will lead to increased vulnerability of pastoralist and agro-pastoralists communities throughout the greater Horn of Africa.

"The worst outbreak of desert locusts in 70 years threatens to decimate rangeland and crops in the Horn of Africa and potentially the Sahel. There is risk of a Rift Valley Fever outbreak that further threatens livestock and human health. COVID-19 is already disrupting markets, driving up food prices, squeezing small businesses and limiting livestock trade in addition to the direct health impacts. Ongoing conflict further limits trade and humanitarian access in some areas, particularly in southern Somalia. Humanitarian response is currently inadequate. Acting now would save lives and be less costly than responding to what could become a famine." – Allison Huggins, Mercy Corps Deputy Regional Director – Africa

The RDLA recommends tailored and market-sensitive responses to meet the diverse needs of affected pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities. Responses should be designed based upon assessments which not only account for the needs of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities, including the identification of how men and women have been differently affected, but also market assessments to ensure that actions do not adversely impact existing fragile markets. The RDLA advocates for support to pastoralist communities by:

• protecting production through distribution of supplementary feeds as well as livestock health responses in line with the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS)
• bolstering markets through support to traders and scaled up cash transfers to households to strengthen purchasing power
• ensuring access to nutritious foods for the most vulnerable pastoralists and agro-pastoralists
• increasing preparedness capacity to prevent frictions between groups over limited resources.

Actors should work in close partnership with local governments in their response and engage with country-level Food Security and Livelihoods clusters and/or Agriculture / Livestock sectors to build back better and more inclusive food system. Ultimately, ensuring responses are needs-driven, gender-responsive, evidence-based, results-oriented and market-sensitive is critical to mitigating the impact of the crisis for pastoralist and agro-pastoralist households and the wider systems in which they operate.

The time to support pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in locust affected areas is now, potentially until the next rains which are due in October/November. Livestock body condition needs to be sustained so that milk will be produced for the households, protecting them - especially children - against malnutrition during the upcoming dry season.

Losing economic gains may also risk the empowerment and decision-making roles that women have been able to claim for themselves to date. Support is needed in the form of direct assistance to affected households, but also to wider systemic issues such as enabling livestock trade, local government policy, fodder production, distribution and storage systems; expanding quality, affordable and reliable veterinary products and services to remote areas; maintaining and expanding locust (and other hazards) early warning systems; enabling pastoralists and agro-pastoralists to communicate and stay up to date with context changes, weather forecasts, COVID-19 mitigation measures and so on.

This work will take time and necessarily involve both public and private sectors as well as the humanitarian and development communities.

Boosting sustainability in SA’s agricultural sector

Johannesburg, South Africa – 4 August 2020: Microsoft South Africa has announced an investment of up to R40 million in South Africa’s agriculture sector, which is one of the country’s critical industries driving growth and job creation.

The investment is aimed at driving sustainability in the sector for smallholder farmers, who form an important part of the agricultural workforce in the country. Over two million of these farmers help reduce poverty for local communities and establish food systems for South Africa and the wider southern African region. However, they face challenges that prevent them from becoming commercially viable, efficient and sustainable.

“There is no doubt that South Africa’s smallholder farmers have significant potential to drive growth and employment opportunities, as well as enable other sectors within the country to ultimately drive food security. This makes it critical to invest in the sector to address the challenges they face. Key challenges are a lack of infrastructure, access to competitive formal markets, production and business skills, funding and financial support to re-invest in their farming activities, and compliance with food safety regulations and legislation,” says Lillian Barnard, Managing Director at Microsoft South Africa.

The investment is geared towards using technology as an enabler to address these challenges. Broadly, this means harnessing the power of technology to help improve the economic participation and contribution, efficiencies, viability and sustainability of South Africa’s smallholder farmers. It also aims to help meet broader South African National Development Plan goals. This includes creating job opportunities and facilitating skills development to attract more people into key sectors such as agriculture – particularly youth and women.

A report by Research ICT Africa on ‘Paving the way towards digitalising agriculture in South Africa’ shows advanced technologies like the Internet of Things, remote sensing technologies, and unmanned aerial vehicles can transform the agricultural sector and help to address South Africa’s food security challenges, create jobs, and address historical inequalities by reducing costs, conserving resources, optimising inputs and maximising outputs.

Microsoft’s investment will be aimed at identifying and appointing established tech companies in South Africa, and working with these companies to conceptualise, develop and roll-out various high-impact solutions in the agriculture sector. These solutions will address the challenges that the country’s smallholder farmers face, and make a meaningful economic impact.

“Our investment is aimed at making a real difference in one of South Africa’s most vital sectors by harnessing the power of technology. High-impact technological solutions will improve efficiencies in smallholder farming, lower the cost of production, improve access to local and international markets, improve compliance with legislation, and drive access to information, among others. By investing in the agriculture sector and unlocking the potential of technology to act as an enabler for growth and skills development, we are showing our commitment to driving sustainability and creating opportunities in one of South Africa’s most critical, job-creating industries,” concludes Barnard.

Heat stress to become greater threat to agricultural workers

By Siyanda Sishuba

Farm workers across Africa will be increasingly adversely affected by rising temperatures due to climate change.
Photo: Adobe Stock

The agriculture sector in Africa could lose up to 14 million jobs by 2030 due to heat stress. This was according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation titled, ‘Working on a warmer planet: The impact of heat stress on labour productivity and decent work’.
While it was expected that the general labour force in Africa would increase by 2030, some jobs could be threatened as working hours were reduced due to heat stress. The agriculture sector was expected to be one of the sectors that would be greatly affected by this.
According to the report, more than 129 million workers on the continent were employed in agriculture in 1995, accounting for more than 55% of the total workforce of around 230 million workers.
“Although these [figures] are projected to decrease in all the sub-regions by 2030, the overall figure is expected to remain relatively high, with more than 290 million workers working in agriculture by 2030, or 48% of the total workforce, which is projected to be more than 610 million workers,” the report said.
It noted, however, that given the physical nature of labour in agriculture, which was mostly undertaken outdoors and entailed direct exposure to heat, workers would be particularly affected by higher temperatures that were a result of climate change.
It was estimated that global temperatures would increase approximately 1,5°C by 2025.
These high temperatures would make some farming regions unproductive, leading to the displacement of large number of workers, as they are forced to leave rural areas in search of better prospects in cities or abroad.
The study also said that about 1,3% of the total number of working hours in Africa were lost due to heat stress in 1995, a productivity loss equivalent to more than three million full-time jobs.
As heat stress intensified, up to 2,3% of total working hours would be lost by 2030, which was the equivalent of about 14 million full‑time jobs.
The impact of such productivity losses would impact food production and result in greater poverty and food insecurity.
The report suggested that the long-term options for reducing the impact of heat stress on agriculture included promoting mechanisation and skills development policies aimed at increasing the efficiency and sustainability of food production under new climatic conditions, complemented by monitoring and awareness campaigns.

Coffee crisis brings coffee makers together

Coffee prices on the ICE commodities exchange in New York reached a 12-year low in May this year at US86c/lb (about R26/1kg).
Photo: Adobe Stock

To allay the fears of coffee farmers in South America, the focus of the second conference of the Coffee Producers’ Forum would be on the current low prices of the commodity.
The conference was due to be held on 10 and 11 July in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
According to Vansula Nogueira, one of the organisers of the forum, the main objective of the conference was to explore ways to improve the economic sustainability of coffee producers in the main production areas across the region.
Since the previous conference in 2017, prices of coffee had fallen substantially.
“We need to discuss alternatives to improve income for farmers,” she said.
Coffee prices on the ICE commodities exchange in New York reached a 12-year low in May this year at US86c/lb (about R26/1kg).
A statement by the forum outlined the major challenges faced by growers, such as economic sustainability, farming levels, price volatility on international markets, the increasing demand for more than 50 million bags over the next 10 to 15 years, and climate adversity.
At the 2019 conference, coffee-growing nations in the region will discuss common interest in this regard, such as the revenue generated by coffee growers, environmental issues, as well as ensuring the sustainability of the industry.
“All this so that more than 25 million families who grow beans and create the drink that satisfies the most diverse tastes around the world can keep growth and quality scaling [on track],” the statement said.
While prices had risen slightly over the past month, farmers were still concerned that this increase would be unsustainable.
Jose Marcos Magalhaes, head of the Minasul co-operative in Brazil and the country’s national coffee council, said one of the issues that needed to be addressed was the way in which crops were sold by farmers.
Magalhaes emphasised that the use of technology to “facilitate and speed up sales” needed to be discussed.
Coffee producers in some countries had also said that finding ways to control the flow of coffee from producing countries to the main consuming centres needed to be examined. However, consensus regarding this issue could not be reached as Brazil opposed the move.

Cattle production: Your calves and parasites

Two Nguni cows and a calf. Photo: Chris Jooste

Question: The rainfall was exceptionally high in my area during late summer and autumn. The grazing looks good, and the cows are in a good condition, but my calves are not growing too well. What could the problem be?
Most parasites flourish under wet and warm conditions. Roundworms and tapeworms, for instance – produce a large number of eggs. These are excreted in the dung of animals and then need to hatch and develop on the grazing before they can infect cattle again. Wet, warm conditions are ideal for the survival and development of young worms on grazing.
During a wet year, the number of parasites on the grazing is much higher than usual and young animals, such as calves, are especially affected because they don’t have any resistance to round and tape worms. This means that most of the young worms ingested when the calves start to graze will attach and grow to adult worms in their intestines. And this will affect the growth of young calves severely.
In a wet year, young calves have to be dewormed at 3 and 5 months of age, because they don’t have any resistance to roundworms and tapeworms at this age. Over time, cattle build up a resistance to these specific parasites and that’s why the adult cows are still in a good condition.
Ask a veterinarian for a broad-spectrum livestock remedy that works against all the kinds of round worms as well as tape worm. Dose the calves and you’ll see better growth and improvement in condition within two weeks. If there’s no improvement, the problem needs to be discussed further with the veterinarian from which you bought the remedy.

Cattle production: Prevent injuries with good planning

By Digital team

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One of the greatest constraints veterinarians find when trying to treat cattle is the lack or inadequacy of handling facilities. If it is too difficult to constrain cattle, the owner won’t be able to examine or treat sick animals in time.
The handling facilities on a cattle farm are a direct reflection of the level of management on that farm. Good handling facilities are a prerequisite for efficient and safe cattle management.
Easy handling will prevent people from shouting at and hitting cattle out of sheer frustration, which could have a severe impact on animal welfare and also result in bruising. If basic good handling facilities are in place, it would never be necessary to hit animals with sticks or whips.

CRUSH PENS

The minimum requirement, even if you only own a few head of cattle, is to have a crush pen. You must be able to handle a cow or bull without injuring the animal or yourself. If you can’t do that, it would be better not to own cattle.
The type of crush needed is determined by the type of cattle and the number of animals to be handled. The height is determined by the type of cattle.
The average height is 140 cm, but an extra horizontal pole can be added to the top of the crush to increase the height to 180 cm when working with very wild cattle.
The average inside diameter of a crush pen is normally 70 cm, but it can be larger or smaller, depending on the size of the average cow in the herd, whose weight could vary between 350 kg and 550 kg.
There’s a big difference between the basic handling facilities needed for 10 head of cattle and those needed for a group of 100 or more.
With such a basic facility you can:

• Effectively treat a sick animal.
• Do ongoing treatments for parasites.
• Vaccinate animals regularly.
• Provide supplementary licks only to those animals that need it.

All small-scale cattle owners need such a basic facility, but it’s also suitable for commercial cattle farmers at their watering points. It’s very helpful for giving emergency treatment – such as assistance with calving or treatment of a tick-borne disease such as redwater – when cattle can’t be moved over long distances to the main handling facilities.
Also read:
Every cattleman needs a crush pen (10 animals or less)
Crush pen and basic handling for more than 10 head of cattle

FUNCTIONALITY

A few basic rules for effective facilities:

• There must be holding kraals before and after the crush pen and they must be connected. Some cattle will always escape from a crush pen and you must be able to get them back if something like vaccinations is being done.
• The entrance to the crush pen must have one straight side, otherwise it will always be difficult to get cattle to enter.
• Gates connecting kraals must always be at the side, otherwise it will be difficult for a single person to herd cattle from one camp to the next.

These may seem like basic rules, but on more than 50% of farms I visit one or more of these rules are not followed, leading to severe difficulty in handling animals, frustration and injury to animals and people.
Easy handling will prevent people from shouting at and hitting cattle out of sheer frustration, which could have a severe impact on animal welfare and also result in bruising. If basic good handling facilities are in place, it would never be necessary to hit animals with sticks or whips.
Also read: A well-designed cattle handling facility

• This article is a short extract from the Afrivet training course presented to small-scale farmers and livestock workers on commercial farms, and first appeared in Farming SA.

Better results with a single-breed herd on the Highveld

By Siyanda Sishuba

After suffering the effects of a trichomoniasis outbreak in 2010, Afrikan Farms, winner of the ARC’s National Commercial Beef Producer of the Year award for 2018, decided to switch from running a mixed-breed cattle herd to a Beefmaster herd. Siyanda Sishuba reports

Afrikan Farms’ Beefmaster herd is almost 2 200 head strong
Photo: Supplied

Based near Amersfoort, Mpumalanga, Afrikan Farms is a diversified commercial enterprise, with cattle farming as its core business. In 2000, through the Vusi Khanyile Family Trust, the Khanyile family bought farming land on auction and immediately started their operation.
About two years later, the business corporatised with the establishment of Afrikan Farms (Pty) Ltd.
The business comprises four farms, all sharing boundaries, spread over 4 709ha. They are Zwelihle (the centre of the family’s cattle farming operations), Vaalpoort, Zoetfontein and Broederstroom. The last three are used for sheep farming and as grazing land.
The management team comprises predominantly people in their 30s.
“Having diverse skills has helped us to manage the farm better,” says general manager Phakade Khanyile, the son of Vusi.
He runs the farm with cattle manager Nsika Shabalala, feedlot manager Sibongeleni Mthenjwa, COO Siphiwe Kumalo, and technical manager Thinus de Jager. The directors of the company are Vusi, Ndoni Khanyile and Mthenjwa.
Not just cattle
Afrikan Farms’ activities comprise animal husbandry, crop farming and apple production. This includes managing a commercial herd of breeding cattle, sheep farming and an experimental piggery. A cattle feedlot is a recent addition.
Eragrostis grass is grown for baling, and Kikuyu, clover and ryegrass are planted for grazing. The farms’ carrying capacity is approximately 1 MLU/2,5ha.
The enterprise has entered into a partnership with a neighbouring farm, BB Boerdery Agri Trust, to form a subsidiary company called WeGrow Farming Enterprise, mainly for community development.
This plants 1 600ha to maize (70%) and soya bean (30%), which are also used for feed production. Planting equipment is shared by both parties.
The area receives about 600mm of rainfall a year, and rainwater is harvested. Boreholes and dams are used to augment the water supply.
In 2016, Afrikan Farms introduced a feedlot and finishing system to supply abattoirs directly and thus enhance profitability. The on-farm feedlot can carry about 400 cattle at a time, and supplies mainly the Volksrust Meatco Abattoir.
According to feedlot manager Mthenjwa, the enterprise is doing well but there is room for improvement. The feeding period is 150 days, and the gain per animal is 1,8kg/day on average.
Breed type and production system
Cattle manager Shabalala explains that when the family established its commercial herd in 2003, there was a mixture of different breeds on the farm. About 70% were Red Angus type, and the herd comprised approximately 400 cows and 20 bulls.
“We started breeding with Beefmaster genetics in 2010 after the area suffered an outbreak of trichiamoniasis,” he recalls. “We had to source bulls from other farmers during that time, and decided to focus on a single breed for our herd. Cattle consultant Barry Symons advised us that Beefmasters are more suitable for the Highveld region.
The breed was chosen for its adaptability to the tough conditions, affordability of the breeding bulls, docile calves and a desired weaning weight.Farming with a uniform breed makes it easier to service the abattoirs we supply.”
Shabalala says they started replacing about 10% of the bull herd with Beefmaster bulls annually. Breeding bulls are now kept for five years to improve genetics in the herd and to minimise transmission of diseases generally, as well as the devastating effects of venereal diseases such as trichomoniasis on herd profitability.
Older bulls are sold at auctions.
“Previously, only natural mating was used, but we started implementing artificial insemination [AI] in the spring of 2014 because we wanted to push the majority of the cows to calve early. We inseminate half the herd via AI annually,” he says.
The heifer:bull ratio is 1:30. Immediately after AI is performed, the bulls are introduced into the herd to give heifers and cows that failed to conceive another chance, and to service cows and heifers that did not undergo AI.
A single breeding season
‘’Before 2014, an average of about 460 calves were born each year, and that number has doubled,’’ Shabalala says.
The cow herd is currently 1 054 head strong, and there are 60 bulls, 380 heifers and 683 calves.
The herd has a conception rate of about 85%, a calving rate of 80% and a weaning rate of 70%.“A single breeding season is best for our environment. The breeding season runs from October to December and calving occurs between July and September.
Calves are weaned around March. This programme ensures that during the calving period we have maize available, and it’s close to spring when the grass turns rich and green.
“The average intercalving period is under 400 days. In the past, the calving percentage was very low as we didn’t have enough experience of managing beef cattle. No clear records were kept,” he says.
About 80% of heifers are selected to join the main breeding herd. After being weaned and backgrounded on the veld for one month, the male calves are sent to the feedlot for four months until they are sold to an abattoir or slaughtered.
The weaning weight for calves going to feedlot is between 210kg and 220kg. The target weight when they leave the feedlot is 420kg to 450kg. The weaning weight for the young heifers is 200kg to 220kg, and they are kept on the veld for a year and mated in autumn.
Heifers need to weigh above 300kg by the time they are mated. The heifers that are not due to be part of the herd are sold to the Highveld Breeders’ Group. Afrikan Farms became a member of the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC’s) National Beef Cattle Improvement Scheme in 2016.
Following this, it implemented performance testing and recording. Within three days of birth, calves are given identity numbers via tags and brand marks. Two of the farm’s personnel were also sent to the ARC to attend a course that focused on the use and implementation of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) breeding value technology for commercial farmers.
Through the course, they also acquired skills that enabled them to interpret an auction catalogue when buying stud bulls.
Winning top awards
In 2018, Afrikan Farms won the ARC National Commercial Beef Producer of the Year award. Every year, the ARC aims to recognise a commercial beef producer who participates in performance testing and has made great progress in his or her enterprise through applying performance- recording technology.
Plans for the future
Afrikan Farms sees itself as a developing commercial farming business that uses sustainable agricultural methods, such as appropriate grazing practices that promote a healthy ecology, coupled with sound business practices.
To be sustainable, it recognises that it has to continue employing these practices over the next three to five years to meet the required threshold return on the capital invested.
Afrikan Farms has also adopted a number of ecologically sensitive practices to reduce its dependence on fertilised pastures.
For example, it invests adequately in dam infrastructure to ensure water availability and supply to support the herd and supplement the limited rain in early spring and late summer.
It is also building relationships with stakeholders in the sector to help ensure its success, and is seeking to increase its transformation initiatives involving its employees and development initiatives for the local community.
It is currently expanding its cattle, sheep and high-value export crops, and is establishing a 4ha apple orchard on Zwelihle farm. Through WeGrow Farming Enterprise, the business is in the planning stages of establishing a piggery unit with 1 200 sows. The long-term plan is to farm 9 600 sows

Pig farmers seek to streamline GMO pork

By Mike Dorning, Bloomberg News

Pork producers are stepping up their campaign to ease regulation of genetically engineered livestock following an executive order President Donald Trump issued earlier this month instructing federal agencies to speed up approval of new agricultural biotechnology.
The National Pork Producers Council is seeking White House intervention to reverse a Food and Drug Administration stance that genetically edited animals should be regulated like drugs and barred from entering the food chain until the modifications are shown to be safe.
The trade group wants the Department of Agriculture to be the lead oversight agency, maintaining that regulatory hurdles risk giving a competitive edge to more permissive countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Canada and China.
“We are looking for leadership from the White House to reconvene talks,” Dan Kovich, the group’s director of science and technology, told reporters June 25 on a conference call. “There are other legitimate, viable regulatory pathways.”

U.S. regulatory concerns could slow introduction of an experimental gene-editing technique to make hogs resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, Kovich said.
Trump’s June 11 executive order instructs the USDA, the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency — all of which have jurisdiction over genetically engineered agricultural products — to review their biotechnology regulations to streamline the approval process.
Alison Van Eenennaam, an agricultural Extension specialist in animal biotechnology and genomics at the University of California, Davis, who participated in the call, said new gene-editing techniques don’t introduce genetic material from other organisms and produce similar risks to conventional breeding techniques, which aren’t regulated.
The Agriculture Department earlier this month proposed a broad overhaul of biotech rules that would exempt from regulation genetically edited farm products with traits “similar in kind” to modifications that could be produced through traditional breeding techniques.

Pork producers are stepping up their campaign to ease regulation of genetically engineered livestock following an executive order President Donald Trump issued earlier this month instructing federal agencies to speed up approval of new agricultural biotechnology.
The National Pork Producers Council is seeking White House intervention to reverse a Food and Drug Administration stance that genetically edited animals should be regulated like drugs and barred from entering the food chain until the modifications are shown to be safe.
The trade group wants the Department of Agriculture to be the lead oversight agency, maintaining that regulatory hurdles risk giving a competitive edge to more permissive countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Canada and China.
“We are looking for leadership from the White House to reconvene talks,” Dan Kovich, the group’s director of science and technology, told reporters June 25 on a conference call. “There are other legitimate, viable regulatory pathways.”

U.S. regulatory concerns could slow introduction of an experimental gene-editing technique to make hogs resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, Kovich said.
Trump’s June 11 executive order instructs the USDA, the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency — all of which have jurisdiction over genetically engineered agricultural products — to review their biotechnology regulations to streamline the approval process.
Alison Van Eenennaam, an agricultural Extension specialist in animal biotechnology and genomics at the University of California, Davis, who participated in the call, said new gene-editing techniques don’t introduce genetic material from other organisms and produce similar risks to conventional breeding techniques, which aren’t regulated.
The Agriculture Department earlier this month proposed a broad overhaul of biotech rules that would exempt from regulation genetically edited farm products with traits “similar in kind” to modifications that could be produced through traditional breeding techniques.

https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/sheep-goats/getting-started-with-dairy-goats-practical-tips-from-a-farmer/

By Annelie Coleman

Designed specifically for South African conditions, the NOVAP Sub-Surface Water Diffuser facilitates deep root irrigation and supplies water directly to a plant’s root system.
As no water is exposed to the soil surface, moisture loss through evaporation is dramatically reduced.
Ferdinand de Klerk, NOVAP’s brand manager, says the system was developed and patented in Cape Town by Jan Nortjé, an inventor who strives to provide practical solutions to specific problems. “His insight into technical challenges has led to the registration of various international inventions,” says De Klerk.
Development started in 2013, and the irrigation system was launched in April 2017. Trials have shown water-use reduction of as much as 70%. In a Western Cape trial on 1ha of table grapes, a total water saving of 56,8% and a yield improvement of 31,5% were recorded after the change from micro irrigation to deep root irrigation.
The NOVAP system is suitable for any type of tree or shrub, including roses and other perennial scrubs with root systems deeper than 150mm. Fruit trees, vineyards, as well as nuts and date trees respond particularly well to this type of irrigation, according to De Klerk.
Water table at root level
The system consists of a compact plastic unit installed at the optimal depth for specific crops, typically 250mm. It supplies water and liquid fertiliser at a steady rate for maximum uptake, and artificially creates an underground water table at root level.
Depending on the soil type, a hydrated bulb with a radius of up to 600mm is formed 1,2m deep. The capillary movement of water allows the moisture to rise 120mm to 150mm above the system.
(Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow sideways and even upwards in narrow spaces without the assistance of external forces.)
“The subsurface water diffuser is placed in such a way that the hydrated underground bulbs overlap. This causes a long, continuous water table at root level,” De Klerk explains.
Ideally, the unit is attached to a solid feed line with regulated water outlets (drippers) feeding into it.
When the pumps are switched on, water is pumped from the source, such as a dam, through the main lines to the lands. From the moment it leaves the original source, the water is never exposed to sun or wind.
“This is why 100% of the irrigation water reaches the plants’ deep root levels. At the end of an irrigation cycle, all the water drains out into the soil.
Trials have shown that the soil temperature remains constant at an average of between 18°C and 22°C,” says De Klerk.
Research has found that when the soil temperature reaches 18°C, the plant can function at an optimal transpiration rate. Transpiration, which is water evaporation mainly via the stomata, aids the uptake of nutrient-rich water from the roots, aiding growth.
Deep root irrigation also results in higher chlorophyll content. In mature vine leaves, an improvement of as much as 7,4% was recorded.
The amount of chlorophyll in a leaf contributes to its transpiration efficiency. Higher levels of chlorophyll and increased root temperature work together to improve plant transpiration and fruit development.
“Visually, the differences in foliage growth, fruit size and colouration of the grapes were immediately evident. A plant’s leaf can be described as its food-manufacturing facility.
More and larger leaves result in a well-functioning plant, which obviously results in improved yield and quality,” says De Klerk.
Improving efficiency
Deep root irrigation uses considerably less water, and in South Africa’s dry climate, this is obviously welcome. But reducing water use has two additional benefits: it helps cut electricity usage, saving money, and it results in less humidity in the plant foliage canopy due to the dry soil surface.
Ferdi van Zyl, an independent environmental scientist and consultant in microbiology, plant pathology and botany, says that water savings of 56% were recorded in a deep root irrigation field trial in a 1ha block of Scarlotta table grapes in Piketberg.
The block of grapes was converted from micro irrigation to deep root irrigation in November 2017. In the first season, water use decreased 56%. The deep root irrigated block also showed a visible improvement in general foliage and grape size, compared with other blocks.
In another trial involving a block of Sweet Joy grapes in Robertson, water usage declined by 50%. The block was planted to the grapes in September 2017 and deep root irrigation was installed in January 2018.
“During my visit in December 2018, I noticed the difference in weed growth,” recalls Van Zyl. “With surface irrigation, all seeds present have the ideal opportunity to germinate. Deep root irrigation ensures dry surface soil, resulting in less weed growth and a reduction in the cost of weed control. Moreover, with water saving of at least 50% on average, we’re also recording better foliage growth.”
Increased soil moisture with less water
In a trial in Porterville, the NOVAP system was installed in a 2ha fig orchard, and tree growth monitored. The previous double- line drip irrigation had delivered water at a rate of 13,8ℓ/h/ tree but the deep root system was set to 8ℓ/h/ tree. The trees were planted in clay-rich soil on a slope.
According to Van Zyl, despite the fact that the water supply had been cut by 40%, the soil moisture content increased from less than 40% from 300mm downward to between 60% and 70% from between 400mm and 800mm deep.
Another advantage was a significant decrease in weed growth around the trees, which also have larger leaves than the trees in the surface drip blocks.