25 Feb 2025

Mantshwabisi Small Stock Ranch, which was established to breed superior sheep and goats for sale to farmers as breeding stock to enhance their herds, is being developed into a Centre of Excellence. 

In his inaugural address on Monday, Letlhakeng council chairperson, Mr Gordon Mokgwathi explained that the transformation involved upgrading the farm’s infrastructure and replacing the existing breeding stock with high-quality genetics for sale to farmers. 

He mentioned the replacement stock would be obtained from Lobu Small Stock Ranch, which consisted of 100 Dorper sheep and 100 Boer goats. Currently, he said a total of 132 boer goats and 72 sheep of various breeds, being 53 Dorper, 10 Meatmaster, and seven Damara, were kept at the ranch. Mr Mokgwathi said the department would sell off all livestock at Mantshwabisi Ranch through a public auction sale on March 5. 

He said preparations for the auction sale were under way, encouraging the farming community to come and purchase sheep and goats for both breeding and slaughter purposes. 

On other issues, Mr Mokgwathi said the department had decided to begin issuing vaccines for black quarter and anthrax to farmers so that they could immunise their cattle, after vaccination campaigns conducted by the department proved ineffective and difficult to carry out due to a lack of resources, primarily transportation. 

He explained that so far, 1 250 cattle had been vaccinated against anthrax and 610 cattle against black quarter. Regarding the Letlhakeng rabies vaccination campaign that ended on January 28, he said 394 dogs and 13 cats were vaccinated against rabies. ENDS