The Agricultural Research Council’s 2024 national Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo (KYD) of the Year award went to Thamsanqa Mxokozeli from the Riverside Farm at Bredasdorp in die Western Cape. He farms with Bonsmara and Sussex cattle and owns 66 cows. The calving percentage is 90%.
The KYD is a dedicated animal recording scheme for emerging and smallholder farmers. The Scheme is implemented in terms of the Animal Improvement Act (Act 62 of 1998) and it is a special purpose vehicle that was designed to facilitate the participation of smallholder farmers in the mainstream livestock industries.
Participation in the Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo Scheme qualifies the participants to receive science-supported services that include information dissemination and technology transfer sessions about various livestock farming topics, ranging from basic animal husbandry practices, animal health, veld condition assessment, record keeping, market access, etc., to enhance the capacity of farmers.
