Merafong Plaaslike Munisipaliteit Unclaimed

Stock Theft Farmers Day The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development together with Merafong City Local Municipality alongside with Local Economic and Rural Development gathered the farmers of Merafong at Carletonville Civic Centre. The primary purpose of the gathering was to have an open conversation with the local farmers on new technology that has emerged that will assist them in their field, as well as providing with information on how to protect their livestock as a means of reducing stock theft. Galaletsang Hutang from Agricultural Research Council gave an informative talk about the genetic service which is the DNA that the institute offers for the livestock. As a farmer it is important to take sample of your livestock to the council so they may have the DNA sample of your stock and the details of stock owner as a measure of identifying who the livestock belongs to in case of theft. She gave a mention that stock DNA is the same as human DNA as they are found in the blood, bones, hair, skin or teeth. Pranisha Soma from the same institution also said that as from 1st of April 2019, parent identification method is to be implemented in the area of Merafong as a means of identifying to whom the livestock belongs to. Colonel Majingo from South African Police Services (SAPS) addressed the farmers on procedures to follow once your livestock has been stolen; this topic was an indication that farmers are experiencing difficulties of theft in the surrounding town of Merafong, as they expressed their concerns and grievances. She indicated that farmers should know the number of livestock they own by constantly keeping record. If it happens that the livestock is missing immediately farmers should contact the SAPS and the stock theft officials. The stock theft officials will conduct an investigation upon the information you provide to ensure that they locate your stock. If it happens that the stock has been already slaughtered, the stock owner has to open a case against the perpetrators. Hence it is important to keep record of the stock sample through Life Stock Identification Catalogue (Lid CAT). Upon the discussion Ms.Lerato Makganya from the Department of Forestry and Fishery delivered an informative talk about the importance of branding. By branding your livestock you make it easy not just for yourself but for the stock theft officials to be able to correctly identify your stock in terms of theft. She identified several techniques which farmers should use when branding their livestock such as tattooing. It is a marking technique in which a permanent mark is placed in an unobtrusive area such as on the ear of an animal, ear notching is a simple and handy method to identify animals individually from a distance. There is an ascent technique which is still used which is burning, the farmer can brand its livestock by lightly burning it in an area that will be noticed by them. She also indicated the importance of not telling other people where you have marked you livestock, as it is your own secrete location.