21 Feb 2019

Commercial goat and sheep farming is not popular in North West District because communities in the area have always preferred cattle.

Most farmers took into small stock at a subsistence level, but others developed interest to take it to a business level.

One such is 57 year-old Ms Enamile Oneilwe of Komana who sees small stock rearing as a lucrative business.

She explained in an interview that the business needed patience, commitment and perseverance, adding that rearing goats and sheep could be more fun and rewarding.

Ms Oneilwe said her passion for small stock dated back to 1995, after she learnt about Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) from her neighbour, who was an officer at the then FAP office.

She narrated that by then, life was tough since she and her six children depended on financial support from her late husband.

Although she did not have the love for small stock then, she found the need to try something, which could generate income to augment her husband little income.

Ms Oneilwe said she applied for the programme and was fortunate to be given 100 goats.

“The government, also provided me with all the necessary requirements such as construction of a kraal and also provided a herdboy,” she added.

Her passion for small stock started growing as the goats started multiplying and to date, she is a proud owner of more than four hundred goats.

She has raised a good number of goats and has built a good name for herself with her customers, who buy goats for meat and for rearing. She has also primarily supplied government’s Nyeletso-Lehuma programme.

“The goats have a very high fertility rate and multiply quickly. It is also pleasing as goats are docile, gentle animals and they serve many purposes such as providing meat, milk and I am happy that my business has grown up in leaps and bounds,” she said with a smile.

Ms Oneilwe revealed that through the goats’ sale, she managed to open a savings account, bought a vehicle, build some houses and financed other the domestic needs.

Her family, she said, was now living a happy life and that some of her children had developed interest to help her at the farm.

After a few years of watching her small stock business grow, Ms Oneilwe said she approached Gender Affairs for financial assistance since she wanted to buy sheep to complement her stock, but she was unsuccessful because she was told that she could only be assisted if they were a group.

She enjoyed being her own boss in her farm and wanted to increase her stock and improve her farming implements, but she was stalled by lack of funds.

She said she then took some of her savings to buy sheep because she believed that they could equally bring in good income.

She said some of the challenges included theft and shortage of water, but she did not let them deter her dream, adding that she had approached department of agriculture to be assisted with a fence and a borehole. Ends