GOBABIS – If you are looking for innovative people, look no further than the annual Omaheke Trade Fair currently underway at the Legare Stadium in Gobabis.
One such a highly creative man is Frans van Wyk who stole the show this week with his single and dual tray hay feeders for small stock and mobile kraals at the Omaheke Trade Fair.
His idea was born last year when he bought five goats as a part-time farmer in the Gobabis area. “Not being able to be around to feed my animals on the small piece of land I use, the idea struck me to build these feeders. Another farmer saw my first attempt after a friend did the welding for me on one such a feeder and immediately ordered a single tray feeder.
One thing lead to the next and before I knew it, orders starting to come in from farmers in the area. I expanded rapidly and formed my own company called Omaheke Communal Farmers Agricultural Feeding Equipment and I have since not looked back. This year, at the eleventh hour, organisers of the Omaheke Trade Fair contacted me with a request to build them some mobile kraals for small stock to ease handling and judging during the fair. It took off like a wild fire, and my mobile kraals have proved very effective and practical during the parading of animals and the judging.”
Van Wyk says he is now building single and dual feeders with and without canopies and his products sell for between N$3 000 and N$4 000. His products have attracted a lot of interest this week and even Governor of the Omaheke Region, Festus Ueitele congratulated him on a job well done.
“This is the kind of innovation and entrepreneurship we need from people in our region. Van Wyk has come up with a simple but very effective way to take care of small stock. It gives farmers’ headaches during the show to contain the animals and feed them in a highly practical and controlled way. We need more such people from our region to showcase their talent,” he told New Era.
Van Wyk says it takes about three full working days to complete one feed tray and he does virtually everything himself. “It’s hard labour and I don’t always make ends meet but the support has been great and I am sure that with some financial assistance I can take my products much further than just the Omaheke Region,” he noted.