GROOTFONTEIN- A communal farmer from the Otjituuo settlement recently suffered a huge setback when his well-fattened cow died from stress at the Grootfontein auction pens, leaving gutted and utterly devastated 

Farmer Cufas Tjipurua woke up at 04h00 and made the long winding journey to the Grootfontein auction with his beefed cow and two calves in the back of his bakkie, with the hope of selling them to solve some farming and family problems. 

But just as he reached the gate of the auction pens, his day took a terrible turn. 

“Just when I arrived, I got out of the car and saw my big cow lying dead. I was shocked. I don’t know what to say. I am speechless and disappointed,” Tjipurua told AgriToday. 

The cow was worth an estimated N$20 000, while each calf was valued at N$15 000. The loss was heavy and unimaginable, Tjipurua shared. 

Moments later, Tjipurua was seen holding his waist with one hand in distress, watching quietly as two men helped skin the cow, as he was left with no choice but to sell the carcass to the locals in Grootfontein. 

He said although he does not know the exact cause of death, some possible reasons include heat stress, long-distance transport without rest or water, overcrowding in the bakkie and possibly the animal being tightly tied in an uncomfortable position for too long. 

Transporting large animals without proper rest breaks and ventilation can easily lead to exhaustion or even heart failure. 

“I’m waiting here, hoping some local people will buy the meat so I can at least get money for fuel. I wanted to buy medicine for my other animals,” he said. 

Tjipurua knows he won’t recover the full value of his cow, but he hopes to get something from the meat. 

“One lost cow is more than just money,” he said. His face, pale and tired, showed the pain of a farmer who had hoped for better. 

ljason@nepc.com.na