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WINNER: Top farming award winner Matshediso Molale-Mooketsi with her husband Kabelo Mooketsi

 North West female cattle breeder wins top award and trip to Texas 

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Matshediso Molale-Mooketsi, a Bonsmara and Nguni cattle breeder from Lykso in the Greater Taung municipality, beat eight other competitors on September 7 2012 to pilot the North West province to the top position.

Molale-Mooketsi is one of the province's Nguni Cattle Development Project beneficiaries and owns the Barui Farming Cooperative.

She outperformed other competitors from eight provinces and positioned North West - for the second successive year - as the best in the promotion of good livestock production practices.

As the 2012 National Emerging Beef Farmer of the Year Molale-Mooketsi will embark on an educational trip to Texas in the United States in April-May 2013.

Texas is regarded as the cattle capital of the world.

The National Emerging Beef Farmer award was was bestowed on Molale-Mooketsi at the recent National Cattle Championship awards held at the Pretoria Show Grounds.

Molale-Mooketsi is a member of the Kaonafatso Ya Dikgomo Scheme, which is sponsored by the national department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council.

More than 1,400 livestock farmers across the country are members of the scheme.

The scheme seeks to support emerging beef farmers by teaching them how to apply best livestock management practices with a view to increasing their productivity and profitability.

Molale-Mooketsi won because of "her proper record-keeping, consistent participation in vaccination programmes, good financial management practices and self discipline".

Molale-Mooketsi said: "The experience I have gained in this scheme will be worthwhile as I will continue to put it to good use in unlocking my potential as a farmer.

"I am also grateful to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for presenting me with the opportunity to become a successful commercial livestock farmer."

Molale-Mooketsi, who entered this competition for the first time, started farming in 2008 with seven mixed-breed cattle.

Today she is the proud owner of 89 Nguni cattle and 58 Bonsmaras and employs three permanent workers.

Congratulating Molale-Mooketsi on her achievement, the North West MEC for agriculture and rural development, Desbo Mohono, said this milestone was the result of thorough planning, commitment and hard work.

"Seeing the beneficiaries of the department's farmer support programmes demonstrating commitment to the point of being recognised nationally is a great encouragement to us.

"This will also heighten the value we have attached to developing subsistence beef farmers who are prepared to do their part in livestock production and improvement programmes," said Mohono.

Clifford Nkokou from Ganyesa in the Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality won the award last year.

- tshehleb@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Wed May 22 10:19:50 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 17, 2012

SOLUTIONS

This is a great accomplishment, amazing to see how many woman is excelling in Agriculture.


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Oct 17, 2012

sweetlady1st

congrats to u 2 ...keep shining!
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Oct 17, 2012

MommaC

Now this is what we need more of. Well done, sister. Show them how it is done
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Oct 17, 2012

Papage

Bitso lebe ke seromo, she looks white to me and the husband is black, Mix breed couple farming in Mix breed cattles, what a mixture.
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Oct 17, 2012

N1_to_N11_Gilead

papage papage
Ruri ruri o tletse mehlolo wa tseba
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Oct 17, 2012

Shredder

@Papage
Bitso lebe ke seromo, she looks white to me and the husband is black, Mix breed couple farming in Mix breed cattles, what a mixture.
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Bitso lebe ke seromo?????? meaning what?????

We need more people like you Mashediso. Ra go lebogisa.
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Oct 17, 2012

Papage

Meaning mix breed couple farming in mix breed cattles
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Oct 17, 2012

TANTALIZA

thats good but i never got my 5 bosmaras that was promissed to me by you agriculture department, all you talk to me about is if my tax up to date and am i adhering to your standarts. hope you didnt give my life stock to you friends because it now almost a year since you said they were approved.
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Oct 17, 2012

KatakataEmaotoAditshepe

Well done our sister,aunt,mom,magogo and so forth.
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