EL NINO WATCH: SELL LIVESTOCK IN DECEMBER FOR BEST RETURNS

MBABANE – Local farmers might just have to relive what befell them in 2015, where over 67 080 cattle died and 64 per cent in maize harvest was lost.

This comes after reports that the ruthless El Nino drought is set to hit the country once again. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary, Bongani Masuku, in an interview yesterday.

Masuku advised farmers to sell their livestock around December, as that was a time where they could be bought at premium prices. He also advised local farmers to engage in farming with a mind for business.
He said livestock that was ready to be traded in the market should be sold to enable calves to have enough grass to feed on when the drought comes.

“When cows are few in an area, it helps when weather conditions are unfavourable as the livestock will have better chances of survival,” he said.
Masuku stated that it created problems when there were too many cattle during times of drought, as the grass would not be enough to adequately feed them all. He advised that now was not the time to sell cattle, as they were just from the winter season and would not be attractive to buyers.

He warned that normally, rain stops between February and March and stated that this would not be the ideal time to sell cattle. Farmers who would have sold their cattle by that time would get profit, he said. He also warned farmers that their primary concern should not be having a large herd of cattle, but to sell and have enough grass for calves to feed.

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