A livestock specialist from Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) told farmers at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show that good breeding records can greatly raise the value of their animals.
Dr Helen Mapeka spoke on Wednesday, 7 October, at the show’s new Technology and Education Hub. The show ran from 7 to 11 October at its new home in Tweedie, KwaZulu-Natal, according to Farmer’s Weekly.
Mapeka is a lecturer at MUT and a registered livestock reproductive operator with the Department of Agriculture. Her talk focused on how breeding technology can help communal and smallholder farmers.
She used an example of two Boran animals of similar weight, breed and quality sold at an auction. The animal with full breeding records fetched R100,000, while the one without records fetched only R10,000.
The figures were an example and not real auction results. Mapeka said buyers need more than an animal’s looks to judge its breeding value. She said record-keeping is one of the first subjects taught to communal farmers.
Mapeka said communal farmers in KwaZulu-Natal own large numbers of livestock. But many animals do not reach their full production potential.
She listed poor breeding performance, falling livestock numbers, weak record-keeping and uneven animal quality as problems. She said these keep farmers out of formal livestock markets.
Assisted reproductive technologies help farmers control breeding instead of relying only on natural mating. They include artificial insemination, embryo transfer, controlled mating and semen sexing. They also include oestrus synchronisation, where hormones bring cows into heat within a planned period.
Mapeka said commercial farmers and stud breeders have used these methods for years. Communal farmers still have limited access to them.
Her talk drew on an MUT project with 33 farmers in Rietsdale, near Umzimkhulu in southern KwaZulu-Natal. The project started in August 2024 and is funded by the university’s Community Engagement and Development directorate.
On 22 January 2025, Mapeka and her team examined 90 cows owned by farmers in the project. The cows were ear-tagged and checked for pregnancy. Of these, 49 cows were synchronised with hormones to prepare for artificial insemination.
Eighteen third-year animal production students took part in the work. During her talk, Mapeka showed photos of calves born through artificial insemination.
She also spoke about breeding work with goats. She said one goat project produced a high number of twins and triplets.
Mapeka said MUT has trained officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture, including animal health staff and vets. The university also offers short skills courses in artificial insemination, with certificates for students found competent.
She said these skills could help young people who struggle to find jobs start their own businesses. MUT helps qualifying trainees register with the Department of Agriculture as reproductive operators.
The hub was part of the Royal Agricultural Society’s 175th anniversary. It offered five days of talks of about 30 minutes each on topics such as farm security, solar power, water and soil health.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Farmer’s Weekly SA. Image: Farmer’s Weekly SA. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.