Category: POULTRY AND LIVESTOCK

Poultry mites are a persistent challenge for farmers, affecting bird health, productivity, and ultimately, profitability. In South Africa, two of the most troublesome mites are the scaly leg mite (Knemidocoptes mutans) and the notorious chicken red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae). Effective control is essential to maintaining a healthy flock and minimizing financial losses. The Most Common…

Nigeria Faces Poultry Disease Outbreak in Kano: Government and Industry Respond to Safeguard Food Security The Federal Government (FG) and the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) have issued an emergency alert following a poultry disease outbreak in Kano State, raising alarm about its potential economic and food security impacts. The outbreak, which has caused significant…

New campaign in Taita Taveta to curb animal diseases and boost dairy productivity Taita Taveta County, Kenya – Livestock farmers in Kenya’s Taita Taveta County are set to benefit from a digital vaccination campaign that aims to tackle livestock diseases, improve dairy productivity, and enhance service delivery at the grassroots level. Launched under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development…

As the world’s largest consumer and producer of pork, China’s decisions in the livestock sector ripple far beyond its borders—including into African markets increasingly engaged in both local pork production and international agri-trade. In its latest move to address volatile pork prices and overproduction, Chinese authorities are cracking down on the speculative practice of “refattening” pigs. This involves smaller…

CP Kriek and his wife Gerda swapped their industrial engineering careers for farm life in 2012 with the purchase of Bloubank Estates, the holding company for Taaibosch Piggery. “As engineers, we love challenges and taking things that aren’t working optimally and making them better,” says Kriek, who grew up on a farm. The Krieks have…

According to Prof Jannie Crafford, senior lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria, there are several key differences between African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF) and swine flu. Some of these include the clinical signs, the way the disease affects pigs, and the risk of human infection.…

One common mistake farmers make is skipping the essential research related to their specific goals. To avoid this, it’s beneficial to visit other farms, observe different operations, and evaluate which approaches are best suited to your farm or operational space,” she adds. Starting with a business plan A robust business plan lays the foundation for…

Anybody who believes in the motto ‘go big or go home’ has clearly never met 28-year-old Clive Tigere. He is going big in his own home town of Louis Trichardt, Limpopo. Tigere and his mother, Dr Caroline Tigere, started a broiler operation back in 2011, when he was still in high school. “Things have changed…

As more and more producers realise the benefits of using large populations of micro-organisms on their farms, so the number of different ways to apply these micro-organisms grows. With the development of effective micro-organisms (EM) in the form of inoculants, these organisms are moving beyond crop farms and being used in livestock concerns, where they…