12 Jun 2016

Business needs the buying power, but strategies have to be put in place for one to survive.

As for Ms Tshwanelo Gopolang (31), her poultry business called Moruleng which was funded through the Youth Development Fund to a tune of P100 000 in 2015, is a dream come true.

She said the day she applied for funding she had set her mind to be successful come what may.

Ms Gopolang said it has not been an easy road but she remains positive because as the owner of the business she must believe in it.

She said the poultry industry had a lot of potential.

She further said almost everyone eats chicken and the demand continues to rise especially during wedding celebrations, parties and even family gatherings.

Ms Gopolang said even though her businesswas still new she seeing the potential as she had already supplied different people even outside her village.

She added that the fortunate part was she had her own vehicle so she was not challenged by lack of transport.

Even though the business was running smoothly, Ms Gopolang said she still had challenges of lack of electricity and water in her poultry farm. 

This, she said hindered her business from growing at the rate which she had wanted but she planned to have all those necessities connected to her farm. Ms Gopolang said water and electricity were critical in any business because they made work easier.

She, however, said she would soon connect water through a borehole about four kilometres away and she had to buy water pipes to pump water from there.

She said even though she was still operating as a small business she intended to grow her business to include layers.

Gopolang said through her business she is able to put food on the table and my family can survive well.

“I have already applied for a house through the Self Help Housing Agency so that I can build a better house for me and my family.” Nonetheless, she said she continues to be challenged by expensive chicken feeds which keep on increasing. 

She said she usually buys Ross chickens which eat a lot forcing to buy time and again sometime to the tune of P4000 per month but at the end of the day she makes profit from them.

She said usually she stocks about 200 to 250 chickens in her farm and she has not have any challenges with diseases except the 16 chickens which died due to cold. Gopolang said because she does not have electricity, she uses gas or paraffin brooder to warm them up.ENDS

She also said she uses solar lamps to provide electricity for the chicks at night because they don’t like darkness.