New project to link emerging beef producers with SA retailers

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) today (4 November) launched a collaborative research project to directly link resource-poor farmers with major SA supermarkets.

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Woolworths, Pick n Pay and Massmart are retail partners of the project.

The bilateral initiative will also equip small-scale beef producers with skills to supply high quality beef and improve the productivity and profitability of their farms.

Speaking at the launch in Pretoria, Dr Shadrack Moephuli, president and CEO of the ARC, said the project is the first of its kind in SA: “This is a unique opportunity for the ARC to significantly contribute towards the economic viability of smallholder beef enterprises through the latest scientific technologies.”

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Joel Mamabolo, registrar of animal improvement at the department of agriculture, said the project can help reach the goals of the National Development Plan. “A key outcome of the project is developing integrated value chains and red meat is a main priority,” he said.