The Project
The purpose of this project is to improve communal farmers’ cattle by providing high quality full blood Ankole bulls to local farmers. We have a surplus of Ankole bulls which we would like to sell or exchange with local community and subsistence farmers. These animals will be exchanged at a rate of 2 local bulls to 1 one Ankole bull or alternatively for an equivalent cash amount of R20,000 (2024 terms).
Because of our feedlot, we will be able to take these community bulls and extract enough value from them to sustainably support this project. Other Ankole farmers will also be offered the opportunity to sell or trade their bulls through this project.
Currently, we are in possession of 20 Ankole bulls that can be used for this project.
Zack Swanepoel has registered Salga Ankoles through which he runs this project with Kgoshi Moloto III, the King of Moletši.
Background
Early in the COVID lockdown our family relocated to our family farm, Fire Sky. At this stage the farm had only wild game animals on it. At the time, very few economic activities were allowed in South Africa, with the notable exception of cattle farming. We decided that we should start buying, raising and selling cattle as a proper business. That idea evolved into a 1600 head feedlot, which is currently running very successfully.
At around the same time, I got my first taste of Ankole cattle. I really liked the unique characteristics and features of the Ankole, and convinced my dad and uncle that we should try to build a herd of our own Ankoles. However, as we soon found out, there were only a few hundred Ankoles in the country. This was a space begging for expansion. Ankoles herald from the depths of Uganda, and are known for their remarkably hardy nature, deep dark red and brown colour, and striking white horns. They are almost tailor-made to survive and thrive under any conditions, and have beauty whilst doing so.
Because of the remarkable scarcity of these animals in South Africa, we explored alternative ways of getting Ankoles and increasing production. We have visited all of the various embryo facilities that are specialised enough to do this in South Africa and learned what we could from them. We also visited the other Ankole farmers and absorbed their assorted expertise and knowledge. We leveraged our own expertise and expanded infrastructure from the existing feedlot to create a one of a kind production facility – to help eliminate inbreeding and improve national herd quality responsibly and quickly.
The Idea
This project emerged in our earliest planning sessions, as it became apparent that because of our unique circumstances, we were going to produce many surplus bulls (which have very little economic value when compared to heifers). In our very first brainstorming session it became clear that we had to find a purpose for these bulls if we wanted to be Ankole farmers. This ignited my curiosity. After some research, I found existing projects where communal farmers were assisted through mainly government systems. This involved them gaining access to better genetic material, through access to better bulls.
Our problem is actually someone else’s solution: We could improve local communal (subsistence) farmers’ cattle by offering to exchanging their lower quality bulls for our higher quality full-blood Ankoles. This would give them access – that they otherwise would not have – to the hardy, beautiful Ankoles.
How It Works
There is a surprising abundance of Ankole bulls. This is understandable with the small pool of animals and everyone trying to grow their herds. Heifers are simply far more valuable for producing new cattle than bulls are, not withstanding the advances in assisted reproduction technology that we use. Therefore heifers are far more valuable and fetch a better relative price.
There are simply more bulls available than required. This is a typical problem associated with cattle breeding, and that is why typically surplus bulls are destined for feedlots and ultimately slaughter. However, in the case of the Ankole breed, these bulls can be put to better use. This project enables exactly that. Therefore, we have acquired some surplus bulls to initiate our Moletši Community Project.
This is how it works: we will offer one quality Ankole bull for two lesser quality community bulls, or the equivalent cash value of R20 000. Our family’s feedlot will be able to convert these community bulls into sufficient value to sustain this project and allow us to, in time, acquire bulls from other Ankole farmers. This makes the project inherently sustainable.
We do not believe that this project should be limited in any way to one farmer or another – it is for the benefit of all who get involved. It is a win-win situation – Ankole farmers can find a use for their bulls, and local farmers can gain robust and beautiful cattle. There is no reason why this cannot expand to thousands over the next few years as both the Ankole national herd and the community interest grows.
Why Ankole?
The reason I have stressed the robust nature of the Ankole cattle is simple. Climate change will affect our lives and the livestock of the future in ways we cannot foresee, but one thing is certain – life will only get more difficult for cattle. The Bonsmara, Jersey, Drakensberger and other breeds of today may not be able to survive under the strain of climate change.
And yet the Ankole breed will likely thrive.
The robust qualities of the Ankole will become even more sought after as the threats of extreme weather and potentially lethal humidity become realities. Farmers unable to acquire robust cattle will struggle to survive. Unfortunately, as things currently stand, most of those farmers are the community farmers who rely on cattle for their subsistence. This is why sharing the Ankoles genetic ability to survive is something that we are passionate about.
This is a way for communities to prepare for and deal with the inevitable hardships that climate change is starting to create. This is not charity, it is a partnership leveraging an excess of animals due to a unique set of circumstances into an opportunity that is deeply tied to the local cultural significance of livestock/cattle. The fact that Ankoles are a unique African breed with a history going back almost 10 000 years, with such deep connections to many African cultures, further emphasises why this project is the way to go.
Ultimate sustainability will depend on it remaining a win-win for the community as well as the Ankole farmers. This is why the exchanges need to be done responsibly, with a future focused mindset.
Where We Are Now
After 18 months in preparation, this project is in the early stages of implementation. We have laid the groundwork by eliciting support from Kgoshi Kgabo Moloto III. The Moletši Community Project is designed to be economically viable, address deep cultural affinities and communal relationships with cattle, and solve the commercial problem of surplus Ankole bulls. We believe that this project will create value for all involved, expand significantly, and only be constrained by the rate at which the national Ankole herd grows.
We estimate that the project should double annually for at least the next 3 years. After that, the sky is the limit.
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