DAFF - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

DAFF
May 2013
Official newsletter of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
3
4
Also in this issue:
DEPARTMENTAL
Germany made
undertaking to increase
trade in Africa
DEPARTMENTAL
DAFF and
DPW bring
hope
CAADP recognising role
players
By Samuel Kgatla
5
DEPARTMENTAL
Global Feed and Food
congress
6
DEPARTMENTAL
Record-keeping important
in the dairy industry
8
SECTOR
9
Outbreak of armyworms
SECTOR
Mr Thulas Nxesi,
Minister of Public
Works and Ms Tina
Joemat-Pettersson,
Minister of
Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries.
11
12
Animal Identification in
Beef Cattle
SECTOR
UN launches the
International Year of
Quinoa
SECTOR
Monsanto and UP
collaborative research
programme
From now on, people in Alfred Nzo
District Municipality in the Eastern
Cape believe that things will improve
and change for the better.
This comes after successful site visits by
ministers of the Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Ms
Tina Joemat-Pettersson and Department
of Public Works (DPW), Mr Thulas Nxesi,
to Mvenyane and Ntsizwa projects in
Matatiele and Mount Ayliff in April. The
main purpose of the trip was to visit and
determine the conditions of the projects
and see how both ministers can assist. The
visits were also part of the Working For
Water Programme (WfW). The partnership
is expected to benefit many communities
and the above departments are expected
to play a vital role to ensure that the WfW
Programme works well and benefits all
the people.
WfW is a joint multidepartmental initiative
between DAFF, DPW, Department of
Environmental Affairs (DEA) and Department
of Water Affairs (DWA) and it was
to p 2

Departmental
CEO Forum meeting
By Musa Khumalo
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries, in association
with the CEOs of the different private
sectors, held a meeting sponsored by
the Industrial Development Cooperation
(IDC) on issues that challenge both
government and the private sector at
the Saint Georges Hotel and Conference
Centre on 24 April 2012.
The CEO Forum meeting is held twice
every year and involves the partnership
between government and the private
sectors in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
The chairpersonship rotates between
the industry and the department’s senior
head, Acting Director-General Mr Sipho
Ntombela.
Decisions were taken during the meeting
regarding the Land Audit and the uncertainty
that surrounds land policies. It was
agreed that the Director-General or the
Chief Land Surveyor of Rural Development
and Land Reform would be present in the
next meeting to present a comprehensive
picture of their policy initiatives around
land reform.
With regard to the Strategic Infrastructure
Project 11 (SIP 11) which addresses
agro-logistics and rural infrastructure
constraints in the country, the National
Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC)
has been commissioned by the department
to monitor and evaluate SIP 11,
which is a partnership between the private
and public sectors. Mr Sipho Ntombela
suggested that the private sector, though
it has self-funded projects, should report
to the department on the progress. In this
way, the department could assist them with
skills development and funding, among
other things, so that the department can
keep a record of job creation within the
sector.
The small, medium and micro enterprises
(SMMEs) from the West Coast rock
lobster sector, represented by Ms Mymoena
Poggenpoel, commented on the joys
of working with the department and they
were pleased with the way of addressing
the issues of small-scale fisheries.
There is an implementing body which
meets every six weeks and serves as the
arm of the forum. The steering committee
oversees and reports to the plenary on
implementations that were discussed and
implemented.
The next forum meeting will be held in
October 2013.
DAFF and DPW bring hope
from p 1
established many years ago. The WfW
is a public funded national programme
of DEA that aims at clearing, controlling
and eradicating alien invasive plants.
The WfW provides a vehicle for using the
employment opportunities that arise from
dealing with the environmental threat of
invading alien plants. In the longer term,
however, some cost-effective means must
be found to prevent reinvasion of cleared
areas. The programme also contributes to
job creation for local communities, which
includes processing the plant material which
has been harvested.
Minister Joemat-Pettersson said that they
need to commit themselves to the projects
and see how they can improve the situation.
“We must combine all our resources to
make sure that our people are assisted. The
government cannot do it alone, but we also
need assistance from private companies. We
must have a high-level management team
to be involved in these projects. I am glad
we are involved in this WfW programme.
Together with DPW, we must provide fencing,
seed, fertilisers and others. We are also
planning to resuscitate the irrigation scheme
around the uMzimvubu Dam. We must deal
with the WfW programme first and then
other projects can come in,” she said.
The Minister also advised people to
consider the issue of one family one food
garden and one school one garden to
eradicate hunger.
Minister Nxesi outlined that they will
only be prosperous if they can continue to
work together and reiterated that their visits
should yield positive results. He continued
that they want the WfW programme to work
effectively. “People must be trained in this
project so that they start working on their
own. There is sufficient water from rivers
flowing to the sea and this can be stopped
by building a dam. We must also remove
the middlemen who are impeding service
delivery. We will continue to collaborate
with DAFF to fast-track service delivery,”
concluded Nxesi.
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.
DAFFnews is printed on triple green paper.
Editor Piwe Mbiko (012) 319 6936 piwem@daff.gov.za
Reporters Thuli Dube (012) 319 7929 nokuthulad@daff.gov.za
Samuel Kgatla (012) 319 7181 samuelk@daff.gov.za
Innocent Mhlanga (012) 319 7827 innocentm@daff.gov.za
Rony Moremi (012) 319 6622 rincertm@daff.gov.za
Mercia Smith (012) 319 6666 mercias@daff.gov.za
Interns Elias Sekgwele (012) 319 7819 eliass@daff.gov.za
Zwiswa Mulaudzi (012) 319 6958 zwiswam@daff.gov.za
Subeditors Lerato Mofokeng (012) 319 7927 leratomof@daff.gov.za
Willie de Jager (012) 319 6636 williedj@daff.gov.za
Distribution Pam Sutherland (012) 319 7104 pamsu@daff.gov.za
Website: www.daff.gov.za
2
May 2013 DAFFnews No. 5

Departmental
Germany made
undertaking to increase
trade in Africa
The South African Minister of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Tina
Joemat-Pettersson, held a bilateral
meeting with the German Minister of
Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection,
Ms Ilse Aigner, recently.
The two ministers had discussions on
issues relating to current agricultural and
trade policies, world food security and
cooperation in vocational training.
Last week, Germany made an undertaking
to increase trade in Africa, and South
Africa in particular. South Africa exports
close to R3 billion of fresh citrus fruit annually
to the European Union. Germany is
one of the major markets for South African
citrus in the off-season of EU producers
which includes mainly Spain, Italy and
Greece. Approximately 40% of SA citrus
exports go to the EU.
The meeting culminated in the signing of
a statement of intent regarding cooperation
in the field of initial and continuing
vocational training for favourable economic
development of an agricultural
holding and for providing the population
with safe food.
Minister Joemat-Pettersson highlighted
some of these issues, among others, South
African citrus exports to the EU. South
Africa mainly exports wines, paper and
processed fruit and vegetables, including
fresh grapes and other products to
Germany.
As part of the trade partnership between
the two countries, South Africa is looking
at an agreement for the protection of
Geographical Indications (GIs) with regard
to agricultural products such as cheese,
meat products, olive oil, etc. The EU has
a well-developed GI protection system.
South Africa has just started with products
like rooibos and honeybush tea.
To date Germany has signed the following
agreements with South Africa:
• Declaration of Intent to Cooperation
in the fields of Assistance to Cooperative,
Legislation on Cooperation and
Assistance to Directorate Business
Ms Ilse Aigner, German Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, with
Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, after
signing the statement of intent regarding cooperation in the field of initial and
continuing vocational training.
and Industrial Development signed
10 October 1999.
• Agreement with SA regarding the
Development of Advisory Services
in the Northern Province signed 10
December 1999.
• A Cooperation Agreement was signed
between the Federal Republic of
Germany and the Republic of South
Africa on Cooperation in the Field of
Veterinary Affairs on 26 September
2008.
• A Declaration of Intent on Cooperation
in the Field of Initial and Continu-
ing Vocational Training was signed 26
September 2008.
Says Minister Joemat-Pettersson: “South
Africa’s partnership with Germany has
historical roots. Moreover, our partnership
since the advent of democracy has
gone from strength to strength. Today’s
bilateral will enhance the skills of our officials.
This has major benefits not only for
the department but for the general South
African public. We welcome this move
and look forward to even more investment
opportunities.”
No. 5 DAFFnews May 2013
3

Departmental
CAADP recognising role
players
By Rony Moremi
In recognition of the central role
played by agriculture in alleviating
poverty and hunger and its contribution
towards realising the Millennium
Development Goals, the African Heads
of State endorsed the Comprehensive
African Agricultural Development Programme
(CAADP) in July 2003.
The main focus of CAADP is to encourage
increased public investment in agriculture
(by 10%) to reach a target goal of
6% in the sector.
Since the endorsement, the Department
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
(DAFF) together with the New Partnership
for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) National
Planning and Coordinating Agency
(NPCA) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) hosted a Stakeholder
Sensitisation Seminar in October 2012 to
evaluate existing South African policies
and identify avenues to effectively implement
CAADP in South Africa.
A need to establish a national CAADP
country team emanated as a resolution
from the Stakeholder Sensitisation
Seminar. The country team is formed
by DAFF, Department of Rural Development
and Land Reform (DRLD), National
Treasury, the Presidency (Monitoring and
Evaluation), Agricultural Business Chamber
(Agbiz),Transvaal Agricultural Union
of South Africa (TAU SA), Agri SA, Food
and Allied Workers’ Union (FAWU), NAFU
(National African Farmers’ Union) and
AFASA (African Farmers’ Association of
South Africa).
As a continuation of stakeholder engagement,
DAFF together with the NPCA
and FAO, hosted another workshop in
February 2013. The aim of the workshop
was to provide a platform for dialogue
and come up with priorities and a commitment
to develop a shared roadmap for
the implementation of CAADP.
During his opening remarks Mr Andile
Hawes, DDG for Policy Planning and
Monitoring and Evaluation, said it is very
important for programmes to make a
meaningful contribution to communities
through social mobilisation. He emphasised
that programmes should have a
positive impact on the economic growth
of the country.
In agreement with Mr Hawes, the FAO
Representative in South Africa, Dr Tobias
Takavarasha, said the days of planning for
the mere sake of planning are over. He
Winston Makabanyane interacting with stakeholders during one the four
consultative group sessions.
said 40 countries have already launched
CAADP and 30 compacts have been
signed; he further explained that signing
the compact is like making marriage vows.
A compact is a strategic benchmark in the
country roundtable process. It is signed by
key stakeholders and players in the country
to demonstrate commitment to a shared vision
and emerging strategies to collectively
address the country’s agricultural development
agenda. This endorsement puts a seal
on the commitment of all parties to support
and work towards increasing investment in
the Agriculture sector. He also informed the
delegates that ten countries which signed
the compact have reached and surpassed
the 10% budget target and reached a
growth rate of 4,5% per annum in 2003 to
2009. The FAO has committed US$96,661
to the RSA for the review and alignment of
Agricultural Policies with the CAADP pillars.
The four CAADP pillars are: Sustainable
land and water management (including
reliable water control systems); improving
rural infrastructure and trade related
capacities for market access; increasing
food supply, reducing hunger and improving
responses to food emergencies; and
improving agriculture research, technology
dissemination and adoption.
One of the most important factors of
CAADP implementation is operationalisation
at provincial level by the provincial
departments of agriculture. Provincial
consultations are under way and so far
the North West provincial consultation
has been held in August 2012. These provincial
consultations will culminate in the
national and provincial specific priorities
and strategies, which will assist in designing
investment plans and they will be aligned
to the national government priorities. It is
anticipated that the South African compact
will be signed this year by the Minister of
DAFF, Minister of Finance, the Presidents
of the agricultural unions as well as the
President of the Congress of South African
Trade Unions (Cosatu) and representatives
of the private sector.
4
May 2013 DAFFnews No. 5

Departmental
Global
Feed and Food
Congress
Sun City International was abuzz with
global feed and food value experts for
a good cause. The 650 global leaders
from various parts of the world
converged for the 4 th Global Feed and
Food Congress (GFFC) in North West,
South Africa from 10 to 12 April 2013.
This was the first time it was held on
African soil after it had been hosted in
Brazil in 2005 and 2007, as well as in
Mexico in 2010.
The theme for the 4 th GFFC, which is
“Safe Feed and Food for All” links to the
global challenge to feed 9 billion people
by 2050 and to do so sustainably. The
theme further reflects the aspirations of the
entire feed and food value chain. The main
aim of the event organised by the Animal
Feed Manufacturers’ Association (AFMA),
International Feed Industry Federation
(IFIF) and Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) has
always been to provide a global platform
for the industry, experts and governments
to come together to discuss critical issues
of food and feed safety, technology and
sustainability.
Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize, Deputy
Minister of Economic Development, represented
the South African government
and said that South Africa is proud to be
hosting the 4 th GFFC.
“In South Africa, when we talk about
food security we also include the issue of
land reform. Even our President, Jacob
Zuma, alluded to that during his State of
the Nation Address this year. Agriculture
remains one of the most important drivers
of our economy. Our small-scale farmers
must be assisted so that our land can be
more productive. This congress affords
us the opportunity to review the key legislative,
trade and practical aspects of a
sector that plays a key role in food safety
and security,” she said.
She further urged delegates to learn
from one another and to recognise the
importance of transfer of technology and
partnerships, which are the key to increasing
global feed and food production and
food security worldwide.
Mario Sergio Cutait, Chairperson of
IFIF thanked the people of Africa, especially
South Africans, for their hospitality.
He also added that that the congress was
first class in terms of organisation.
“I think the feed and food industry does
not know how strong and powerful we
are. We must be proud of what we did
in South Africa. I close the congress with
more energy than that which I had when
I was opening it. The congress was the
best and we had many good speakers.
I want to thank you all and I hope to
see you soon at our next meeting,” he
concluded.
Meanwhile, international delegates
also proved that they can excel in
dancing. This was noticed during
the beach party at the
Valley of the Waves at
Sun City. The party
also presented
to everyo
n e
By Samuel Kgatla
an opportunity to network and exchange
contacts.
It was agreed that poverty, conflicts, starvation,
corruption and HIV/AIDS are some
of the challenges facing the feed and food
business in Africa. It was also agreed that
African agriculture is at the turning point
and must adopt more “market friendly”
policies. African governments must also
recognise the crucial role played by the
private sector in investing more for “food
security” in Africa.
The committee for GFFC will decide on
the venue for the 5 th GFFC in the coming
months.
No. 5 DAFFnews May 2013
5

Sector
Record-keeping important in
the dairy industry
By Lelanie Metaxas
Glen Agricultural Institute
When visiting dairy farms, Extension
Officers or other Specialists often ask
production questions to ascertain
which aspect of the dairy producer’s
production system needs to be improved.
Often the records kept by these producers
are totally absent or very sketchy, and
they are therefore unable to provide the
Extension Officer or Subject Matter Specialists
with good and reliable information.
This severely restricts the assistance the Extension
Officer or Subject Matter Specialist
can give the producer, as he/she cannot
quickly see where improvements can be
made to dairy farm management.
On a dairy farm the herd structure, reproduction
records, health records, milk
production records and nutritional records
are very important. Let us handle each
of these records separately to illustrate
why they are important for a farmer to
manage his dairy operation, as well as to
provide information to Extension Officers
or Subject Matter Specialists assisting the
dairy producer.
Herd structure records:
The herd structure of a dairy herd is
important because it tells you:
• How many cows are in the various
production stages:
Early in milk; mid lactation; late lactation;
dry.
This is an indication of how sustainable
the milk production is throughout the
year. There should be cows in every stage,
indicating a sustained breeding process
throughout the year with the goal of providing
enough milk for all the months in the
year. Dairy processing companies prefer
constant milk production, as this helps with
production targets in the factories.
• It also indicates the age structure in
the herd.
A dairy herd should have cows being
milked for their third or more lactation
cycle, second lactation cows and first
lactation cows. This shows that the cows
are well looked after and that replacement
heifers are joining the herd regularly. If
there are only young cows in the herd,
the farmer should improve the health and
general management programme, and if
there are very few first lactation cows joining
the herd, the farmer should investigate
the reproduction programme on the farm
for problems.
Reproduction records:
The reproduction records on a dairy
farm are very important because they
provide information on:
• The bull used to inseminate the cows
and heifers (AI or natural mating).
This is very important as breeding the
daughter (or another genetic relationship)
with the same bull as the mother
causes serious inbreeding. Inbreeding is
a big problem in the dairy industry, and
help from professionals (like officials from
semen companies or Herd Improvement
Scheme officials (ARC, breed societies,
Stamboek) when selecting semen for
artificial insemination is very important.
For this reason the pedigree of the cow
and the resultant calf is vital. From this
information professionals can determine
to what degree a certain bull will lead to
inbreeding or not.
• Records
The farmer should always have records
of which cow calved down when, which
bull’s semen resulted in successful conception,
and what the resultant calf’s records
are (ease of calving, birth weight, etc.).
This also gives an indication of bulls that
might breed big calves and might lead to
calving problems, or if a specific cow has
a tendency towards calving problems.
• The reproduction records provide an
indication of the success of the reproduction
plan on the farm.
1. Are the cows taking a long time to
conceive? Are there specific cows that
take a long time to conceive or is it a
general problem?
2. Is there a difference in the conception
success rates between the different
inseminators?
3. Are there variations in the conception
success rates between seasons and /
or weather patterns?
4. Did the conception rates suddenly
drop?
All these figures can give an indication of
whether the difference in conception rates
are management related (heat detection,
inseminator skill, nutritional problems), if
they are specific to certain animals, or if
they are climate related. The conception
rate of cows tend to decrease if it gets very
hot (heat stress), during very bad weather
periods (also stress related), and the
natural fertility of the cows also vary with
seasons. These are aspects that the farmer
does not have any control over. However
the farmer can improve heat detection
and inseminator skill by looking at the
work procedure of staff on the farm and
can cull inherently infertile cows. He can
also solve nutritional problems with expert
help or with greater diligence in nutrition
management on the farm.
Health records
Health records are an important indicator
of management practices on the
farm.
Regular vaccination and dosing of cattle
is important to manage the incidence of
certain diseases on the farm. This is specific
to the area, and assistance from the
local veterinarians to formulate these plans
is very important. The vaccination and dosing
plan for a farm close to the ocean in
KwaZulu-Natal will be very different from
the plan in the Free State area.
From the records it is also possible to
determine if there is a specific management
problem on the farm.
If there is a high incidence of metabolic
disturbances like milk fever, bloat, acidosis,
this would indicate that the nutritional
programme should be adapted to elimi-
to p 7
6
May 2013 DAFFnews No. 5

from p 7
nate the problems.
If there a high incidence of mastitis, this
might indicate hygiene problems in the
dairy itself, or in the camps where the cows
are kept throughout the day.
A high incidence of diarrhoea among
the calves might indicate a problem with
the health programme of the cows or
the calves (as the immunity status of the
cow can influence the immunity of the
calf through collostrum), or it could be a
problem with the nutrition or environment
that the calf is subjected to.
There are also legislatory requirements
if the farmer has a dairy and is supplying
milk to the public.
• The herd must be certified to be brucellosis
and tuberculosis free yearly,
as these diseases can also infect
humans through the milk. These tests
must be done by a Veterinarian, and
the herd must be certified free from
these diseases. This certificate must
be supplied to the dairy processing
company, or be freely available if there
should be any enquiry about the safety
of a producers’ milk. The State Veterinarians
and Animal Health Technicians
can also be approached to assist
with these tests.
• The dairy parlour must pass a health
inspection from the local municipal
health department, certifying that the
dairy produces hygienic and healthy
milk to the public. In this inspection the
facility itself is inspected, and various
samples are taken to ascertain whether
any harmful bacteria are present in the
milk or on the equipment used to milk
the cows and store the milk. The water
used in the dairy must also be of an
extremely high quality and should be
fit for human consumption.
These records can even give an indication
if specific problems occur in specific
areas on the farm, or during specific seasons.
Poisonous plants in specific camps
can poison animals during spring (when
these plants are the first to show green and
therefore attract animals), but cause no
problems during other periods of the year.
This would help the farmer determine his
grazing programme, or determine whether
steps should be taken to eradicate specific
plants.
Milk production records
These are the most likely records for a
farmer to keep, but the farmers do not
always understand how much information
can be extracted only from these records.
The best producing cows can be determined
from these records, and this is what
most farmers use these records for.
Good milk production is not just about a
high peak of milk production. The subsistence
(for how long she produces a lot of
milk and if her milk drops slowly or quickly
throughout her lactation cycle) of a cow
is also important. The volume of milk she
produces over her entire lactation cycle,
and if she had a normal or short lactation
cycle, is actually the more important
information that can be obtained from the
milk production records.
The milk production records can also be
used to determine if there are management
or health problems on the farm. A
sudden drop in production can be an immediate
indication of feed problems, that
the cow is ill, or that the conditions in the
camps have deteriorated. It is a management
tool, indicating that there is a serious
problem and that the farmer should
investigate the cause immediately.
On the milk production record sheet
(cow byre sheet) important management
information should also be recorded. The
cows’ calving dates (indicating in which
stage of their lactation cycle they are),
health problems, insemination attempts
(with which bull) and any significant event
that would influence the production of the
cows should be recorded. This can give a
quick overview of the state of the herd in
Sector
a specific month. This would also help the
staff to determine if the milk can be used
or should be discarded, for example if the
cow had been treated with antibiotics.
Nutritional records
It is important for a farmer to keep
record of how much of what is fed to the
cows, as this information will be vital if a
Specialist must try and determine where
nutritional problems started. This would
help the Specialist to determine if low milk
production or problems with the quality
of the milk could be related to problems
with fibre quantity or quality, energy or
protein ratios in the rations, mineral deficiencies
etc. Information on specific feed
sources could also assist in determining if
there were quality problems with specific
batches of feed. The cost of feeding the
cows versus the income received through
the milk is also of utmost importance, as
a farming operation that runs at a loss
cannot be sustainable.
Conclusion
Though keeping these records can be
seen as a lot of work, if the regular recordkeeping
procedure is incorporated
into the daily routine of the dairy farm,
it is easy to implement. The information
supplied by these records is priceless, as
it assists the farmer with his daily management
tasks, AND can help the Extension
Officer or Subject Matter Specialist to
assist the manager when and if problems
do occur.
No. 5 DAFFnews May 2013
7

Departmental
Phytosanitary import measures
for fresh citrus fruit
Citrus black spot (CBS) is caused by
the fungus Guignardia citricarpa and
results in superficial blemishes on
fruit, affecting the cosmetic appeal of
the fruit.
Within the global trade environment,
the introduction and spread of plant pests
are managed through the application of
phytosanitary measures, provided that such
measures are scientifically justifiable.
In 1992 the European Economic Community
and in 2000 the European Union
(EU) implemented phytosanitary measures
to prevent the entry of CBS infected fruit
into their territory. Considering that the
disease occurs in certain parts of SA and
that the EU is an important export market
for South African citrus, the department as
well as key industry partners has engaged
the relevant EU authorities over a number
of years. From South Africa’s perspective,
the phytosanitary import measure in question
in respect of Citrus Black Spot disease
is more stringent than can be scientifically
justified. Despite protracted engagements,
the EU’s stance in this regard has not
changed.
South Africa has continued to recognise
the necessity to comply with the relevant
import conditions as determined by the
EU legislation. This has been achieved
through strengthening phytosanitary systems
within the country. In October 2012,
SA received further notification that the EU
will be imposing a threshold of not more
than five interceptions for CBS in one trading
season. This means that after the occurrence
of five interceptions in the current
export season, the EU will initiate processes
to institute stricter measures, which could
include a ban on further imports of citrus
fruit from South Africa.
Based on a growing international body
of scientific evidence, the Department of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)
continues to uphold the opinion that the
EU phytosanitary import requirements in
respect of CBS are more stringent than
can be technically justified for protecting
the health of potential hosts of the relevant
pathogen in EU Member States. Within
the international trade environment, there
are several dispute resolution mechanisms
available to address this matter. We have
gone some way in following the consensual
dispute resolution processes but because
of the seriousness of this matter, the DAFF
and other key government departments are
considering initiating other parallel dispute
resolution processes.
Outbreak of armyworms
The armyworm is not a registered pest
in terms of the Agricultural Pests Act,
1983 as it is the case with locusts and
redbilled quelea, so the government
does not provide chemicals or financial
aid to farmers for the veld damage.
However, Agri SA in collaboration
with the Directorates Agricultural Inputs
Control and Disaster Risk Management
and Climate Change of the Department
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
succeeded to secure funding to supply
chemicals, spraying equipment to combat
the pest, owing to the high costs of insecticide
and the labour required. Training
of farmers and farm workers as to the
spraying methods were given as well. This
assistance from the department is truly
appreciated.
New outbreaks of armyworms are quite
possible and farmers are requested to
contact their nearest extension office
or provincial department of agriculture
should it happen.
As reported at meeting of the Commercial
Policy Committee of Agri SA on 13
March 2013, the intention was given that
as soon as the survey on the magnitude
of the outbreak of the armyworms and
damage done has been completed, the
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries will be approached to declare
armyworm as a pest in terms of the Agricultural
Pests Act, 1983
8
May 2013 DAFFnews No. 5

Sector
Animal Identification
in Beef Cattle
Mohlapo Teboho Daniel
Animal Scientist
Decision making about which cattle
to retain as breeding stock or to dispose
of by selling has been a problem
not only to emerging farmer but also
professionals offering them technical
advice.
This problem is commonly due to lack
of proper animal identification and performance
record keeping. Consequently,
cattle with good performance have been
selected against due to their temporary
short falls during selection e.g. they may
be sick at time of selection. Therefore,
good genetic material may be lost due to
uninformed selection practices.
First step to proper animal performance
record keeping is animal identification.
This can be done in number of ways i.e.
Ear notching, ear tagging, branding, tattooing
etc. However, the most commonly
used methods in cattle are ear notching
and ear tagging.
Ear notching
In this method, calves ears are clipped
on the edges at specific areas to resemble
a certain number.
Ear notch numbers
Even though this method gives an animal
a permanent mark, it does not provide
complete information to identify animal.
Thus, a year in which calf was born is not
included, hence necessitates insertion of
ear tags.
Ear clipping
If the calf is the first to be born during a
particular year, it will be clipped once on
the top edge of the left ear.
Ear tagging
Ear tags provide complete information
about the animal i.e. a year in which
animal was born and the calf number
for that particular year can be written on
ear tags.
The other positive thing about ear tags
is that the information can be read from
a distance without invading animal’s flight
zone. However, this identification method
is best applied together with ear notching,
since ear tags can easily be lost when animals
are in bushy camps or veld.
It is therefore important to give your
cattle identity at birth in order to have a
track record of its performance from birth.
Thus, the decision to keep or sell will be
based on known performance information
of individual animal.
Livestock imports
from Namibia
The Red Meat Industry Forum calls
all industry role-players to action to
adhere to the agreement reached in
the recent past between South Africa
and Namibia on trading of livestock
between the two countries.
The South African Red Meat Industry,
representatives from the Namibian
Meat Board, Namibian Agricultural
Union and the Livestock Producers
Organisation agreed that livestock
destined for South Africa could only be
exported to one of three destinations:
• directly to an abattoir for immediate
slaughter
• directly to a recognized feedlot
for eventual slaughter or
• as breeding stock for livestock
improvement, if accompanied by the
correct stud stock documentation
During recent months livestock
with the Namibian ‘N’ brand mark
on the neck, but with the traceability
ear tags removed, are appearing on
South African livestock sales in ever
increasing numbers in various Northern
Provinces.
No. 5 DAFFnews May 2013
9

Sector
Red meat research and
development
The livestock sector is often attacked
by the media, especially regarding
environmental and sustainability
concerns.
The livestock industries in South Africa
recognize the effect of livestock on
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) production
and climate change of between 4 and
8%. The livestock industries met recently
to interrogate current research commissioned
as well as relevant projects and
programs by other role players regarding
climate change. The most prominent
researchers in South Africa and industry
partners were engaged.
The aim of the workshop was to
establish a centre for excellence in the
livestock industry of South Africa for
climate and the environment. They have
the following objectives:
• Share available information and dissemination
of information
• Collate other information regarding
studies conducted as well as current
initiatives
• Study and contribute to the “Climate
sector plan for Agriculture, Forestry &
Fisheries” as published on 7-1-2013
for comment by 7-4-2013
• Build and secure an information centre
and data bank
• Build and secure Research and Development
capacity
• Identify areas of risk and potential
risks, as well as prioritization thereof
• Conduct Research and Development
studies
The above should be done in close liaison
with participating industries so as to
effectively address the special challenges
facing each industry.
Important factors that must be considered:
• The nutritional value of meat, dairy
and products thereof, its function in
a sustainable diet and the implications
of reductions in meat consumption
in the health status of a society
where micro-nutrient deficiencies are
increasingly prevalent;
• The multidimensional role of livestock
in a sustainable food, leather and
fibre system;
• Possible adaptive responses to reduce
vulnerability of the emerging sector to
climate risks;
• The noteworthy progress made by the
meat industry in an effort for continuous
improvement.
The workshop was concluded with
a concept R&D plan for the Climate
Change and Water Footprint research
focus area.
The following challenges facing the
industry are to be addressed:
• Restoring the value of grasslands /
rangelands
• Pastoral risk management and decision
support systems
• Improved production efficiency
• Global warming and sustainable
livestock production
• The disconnection between food and
nutrition needs
• Greenhouse gasses from South
African livestock, carbon sequestration
and water footprint (Measuring
techniques and Database of national
and regional figures)
• Greenhouse gas, water and waste
management
• Emerging sector
• Food security
The meat sector considers it vital to have
a balanced perception of how products
are produced and consumed and best
contributes to a sustainable food system.
It is encouraging that other industries contribute
resources to RMRD SA to manage
the process.
Liaison will be coordinated by Prof Hettie
Schönfeldt, RMRD SA Research Manager
and Dr Giel Scholtz, Subject Working
Group Coordinator
For further information contact send an
email to info@rmrdsa.co.za
10
May 2013 DAFFnews No. 5

Sector
UN launches the International
Year of Quinoa
By Rony Moremi
The United Nations (UN) launched the
International Year of Quinoa and the
aim of declaring 2013, International
Year of Quinoa is to raise awareness of
the nutritional, economic, environmental
and cultural values of quinoa.
The Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) Director-General, Graziano José da
Silva said, “Today we are here to recruit
a new ally in the fight against hunger and
food insecurity --quinoa”. It is estimated
that 1 billion people were affected by
malnutrition in 2010 according to FAO
reports. The recognition forms part of the
FAO strategy to promote traditional and
forgotten foods in order to promote food
security and will also contribute to efforts
of attaining the Millennium Development
Goal of halving poverty by 2014. This
also forms part of a broader strategy to
encourage the utilisation of indigenous
knowledge as a solution to modern-day
challenges, especially in food security.
At the launch, the Secretary-General of
the UN, Ban Ki-Moon said “I hope this
International Year will be a catalyst for
learning about the potential of quinoa
for food and nutrition security, for reducing
poverty, especially among the world’s
small farmers—and for environmentally
sustainable agriculture.” He also emphasised
the contribution quinoa will make
towards the zero hunger challenge, which
aims to provide adequate nutrition to all
people. He further added that quinoa
holds a promise of improved income for
small-scale farmers.
Quinoa is a grain-like crop which is
grown for its edible seeds, it is a pseudocereal,
meaning that it is not necessarily a
cereal. It has been grown in the Andes,
in North America, and because of its
versatility, it can be grown in arid areas; it
so versatile that it can be grown in areas
experiencing temperatures of 8 to 38 0 C.
It has been part of the staple diet of the
Andes for centuries. This superfood has
been referred to as the Andes’ ancestral
gift and is the only plant food packed with
all the good nutrients such as amino acids
and vitamins.
Cultivation of the crop has been expanded
to Kenya, North India, North America
and Europe and it is already showing high
yields according to da Silva. Studies by the
FAO indicate that quinoa production could
also be developed in the Himalayas, the
plains of northern India, the Sahel, Yemen
and other arid regions of the world.
As a way of promoting food security
through consumption of indigenous
foods, the Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) developed
a national strategy on indigenous food
crops. Indigenous crops are crops that
have their origin in South Africa or Africa,
crops such as sorghum, cow pea, millet
and amaranth. The purpose of the strategy
is to lay a foundation and framework for
the development of the indigenous crop
sector through supporting research and
technology development of indigenous
crops, promoting sustainable production
practices and promoting consumption of
these crops to create a demand on both
the local and export markets. DAFF also
hosted a consultative workshop to solicit
inputs from stakeholders regarding the
strategy last year. The strategy has been
submitted for internal approval.
No. 5 DAFFnews May 2013
11

Sector
SA’s foot-and-mouth disease
application rejected
The OIE has rejected South Africa’s
application to be decared free of footand-mouth
disease.
The OIE questioned certain technical
details regarding the Directorate Animal
Welfare’s testing procedures. South Africa
will be able to again apply in September
2013, but this application will only be
considered in May 2014. Pork producers
are, however fortunate in that they can still
export pork if they are compartmentalised.
This is, however, not true for other red
meat species.
Imports
Significant drop in imports in February
There was a significant drop in imports
in February compared to the previous
year. It seems that the weakening Rand is
having an effect on imports. A total of 33
314 tons of pork were imported in 2012.
This is the highest import figure ever. The
main exporting countries so far this year
are Germany, Canada and Spain. Imports
from Germany alone represent more than
37% of total imports. Ribs constitute 58%
of the total figure and other cuts, 39%.
Monsanto and UP collaborative
research programme
A media breakfast and information
session held in Pretoria served to
inform media role players of the agricultural
sector about the nature and
scope of the Monsanto - BE at UP Collaborative
Research Programme.
Monsanto SA contracted BE at UP (Pty)
Ltd in the second half of 2012 to undertake
a research and development programme
aimed at investigating weed resistance for
the broader South African farming community
and to undertake the promotion
of good agricultural practices (GAPs) in
this regard.
The project also aims to build capacity
and generate new scientific knowledge and
under the leadership of Professor Charlie
Reinhardt, extraordinary Professor to the
Department of Plant Production Soil Science,
a team of postgraduate students will
complete masters and Ph.D. qualifications
respectively, investigating the optimisation
of integrated modes of action for weed
control in the South African context.
“One of the main objectives of Monsanto
in contracting the University to do
research on this subject, is to be proactive
and we see this as part of our product
stewardship in South Africa,” says Kobus
Steenekamp, Business Leader for Monsanto
South Africa.
The programme in its current form is
dedicated to finding effective ways for
dealing with weeds’ resistance to glyphosate
in South Africa as well as to advocate
effective weed management practices.
The programme will run for three years.
Water quality for intensive pig
production systems
Dr James Meyer, Premier Pork Producer’s
Consultant on water affairs
and a member of PPP’s Water Committee,
says that producers should
take the environmental legislation on
water seriously, as many do not comply
with these.
The stipulations of the National
Water Act (NWA) and the National
Environmental Management Act (NEMA)
are especially important when farmers
want to expand their piggeries. The
major question that has to be answered
in terms of these acts is if water usage is
legal, Dr Meyer says.
He points out that the agricultural sector,
especially intensive industries such as the
pig industry, would be in the spotlight
in future and would be easy targets
for environmentalists. “Even if you do
everything right, you will still have to
prove your farming operation has no
impact on the environment. And be
assured that you will be inspected. Start
by monitoring your water usage so that
you know what the situation on your
farm is,” Dr Meyer says.
12
May 2013 DAFFnews No. 5