6 December 2023
By: Lebogang Mashala
Karan Beef and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have launched a public-private partnership to boost profits for thousands of farmers.
MEC Super Zuma made the announcement after meeting Ivor Karan, the owner of Karan Beef South Africa. The MEC was accompanied by AJ Mthembu, the president of the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa.
Zuma said the agreement would provide a substantial stimulus to agriculture in the province, adding that both organisations share a common goal of supporting aspiring commercial farmers who want to grow their businesses.
Under the agreement, Karan Beef will offer abattoir services and a market to rural livestock farmers. They will supply the livestock giant with cattle monthly without having to negotiate bureaucratic hurdles.
Karan Beef’s feedlot in Heidelberg, Gauteng, is Africa’s largest, with more than 130 000 cattle. Ivor Karan founded the company on the family farm in 1974 with fewer than 100 cattle. The business is now an integrated value chain that includes primary production, feedlot and abattoir.
Zuma urged previously marginalised black farmers to seize an opportunity that will help them gain recognition. He also highlighted the department’s livestock beef improvement programme, which is aimed at enhancing genetics. He said it would greatly benefit farmers as breeding bulls provided to communities would result in the birth of high-quality calves that could be sold to global markets.
“Farmers will have to meet the target set for them by Karan Beef monthly and failure will not be an option for us,” he said. “KwaZulu-Natal stands ready to take full advantage of this marketing opportunity… and we will ensure that as farmers you grow flourishing businesses on our soil.”
Zuma said the department plans to launch an anti-stock theft awareness campaign and distribute branding kits to livestock associations to deter stock thieves.
He emphasised the importance of job creation and poverty reduction through the development of successful farmers. “We have many programmes that you will benefit from. Let us create jobs to alleviate poverty and groom another generation of successful farmers,” said Zuma.
Mr Mbatha, an executive committee member of the provincial livestock association, expressed gratitude for the government’s support. The livestock sector is the backbone of the province’s economy and development programmes are crucial, he said. “When our cattle suffer from disease, it hinders growth and robs our farmers. That is why we are grateful for the assistance that we receive from the government.”
