WINDHOEK – The so-called “Winter Blues” for livestock farmers was put under the spotlight last week when Christo du Plessis, Marketing Manager of Feedmaster, gave a presentation on winter supplementation based on a research conducted on Namibian rangeland some three years ago. Du Plessis spoke at Agra ProVision’s breakfast meeting at the Agra/Bank Windhoek Ring under the theme “winter supplementation.” The meeting attracted a diverse audience, from livestock producers and financial institutions to agricultural feed producers.
According to Du Plessis, the research was carried out to determine what nutrients need to be supplemented in the sandy and rocky veld areas. The results from the research revealed that in summer there is more protein than needed, whereas in winter, there is a need for more protein which is lacking on the rangeland. This means that in the summer season, food intake takes half a day to digest, whereas in winter, it takes approximately three days for the livestock to digest. He concluded by saying, “based on this research, Feedmaster developed feed supplements which are tailored to the needs of Namibian livestock.” He further advised the producers to use the right supplements for the livestock in their areas, based on the nutrients which are lacking. A product guide with all types of supplements by Feedmaster was then distributed to the audience for reference.
The event was opened by Dr Johannes Shoopala, Acting Chief Veterinary Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) who delivered the opening remarks on behalf of Joseph Iita, the Permanent Secretary of MAWF. He stated that nutrients supplementation during winter is not a new phenomenon; it is a good management practice coming a long way in history.
The theme, winter supplementation was introduced to the audience by Erastus Ngaruka, Junior Technical Advisor for Animal Production at Agra ProVision answering the question: “Why do we feed animals?” He emphasised on the need to feed the lacking minerals during the winter season and the diseases to watch out for. He cautioned the producers not to substitute the natural resources (rangeland) with the feed supplementation, as supplementation caters for the missing nutrients. “A winter recipe should enable animals to maintain optimal body condition and health; enable them to walk long distances in search of food and water and enhance the ability of the digestive system to utilize the available feeds,” he said.
Participants were also updated on the progress of Vocational Education and Training (VET) to be registered under the National Training Authority (NTA) by Dr Peter Lenhardt, Advisor of Agriculture at ProVET.
The deliberations were facilitated by Dagmar Honsbein, General Manager of AGRA ProVision, who directed the lively and very interesting discussions between the panel and the audience.
Agra ProVision offers breakfast sessions every two months to facilitate networking and brainstorming among individuals from various sectors in the government and private industry on topics regarding the agricultural industry. These interactive breakfast sessions are open for invited guests only, but members of the public are welcome to declare their interest to participate at such events