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04 September 2018
Photo Thabo Kessah
Industrial Psychology Head of Department and lecturer, Thinus Delport; final-year BAdmin student, Nandi Radebe; and Jacobus Nel during the SABPP event on the Qwaqwa Campus.
The South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) recently visited the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa Campus to welcome new members to its Student Chapter. Over 100 Industrial Psychology students were issued with certificates of registration and membership.
Talking during the ceremony, the Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Jacobus Nel, congratulated all the students and the newly-elected executive committee on campus.
“You have taken the right step in advancing yourselves in the profession you are studying for, and we are pleased to see that you recognise that your future is in your own hands. Your future is not in the hands of the university, nor is it in the hands of the SABPP,” he said.
The SABPP was represented by the Chief Operations Officer, Xolani Mawande, who advised the new members and students in general to keep doing their best, even when conditions do not permit.
“The Human Resources profession wants individuals who do not just give up because there are challenges. Challenges will always be there, especially in a workplace. Being a member will expose you to other HR professionals as well as give you the opportunity to network with other students,” he added.
Mawande also announced that the new Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Qwaqwa Campus SABPP Student Chapter would be attending a national convention in Johannesburg that was scheduled for 30-31 August 2018.
Zama-geza Goba, a final-year BAdmin student, was elected as the Chairperson while Musawenkosi Mazibuko, a BA Industrial Psychology student, was elected as her deputy.
Inaugural lecture: World on verge of agricultural revolution
2008-05-19
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 A changing economic climate and new technology will see to a number of interesting changes in the livestock industry in the next few years. This is according to Prof. Frikkie Neser of the Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, who delivered his inaugural lecture at the UFS on the subject: “The quest for a superior animal”.
Prof. Neser focused on the future of animal breeding in the next few decades.
He said the world, but especially South Africa, stand on the verge of a revolution in the agriculture sector. The whole production scenario will probably change. The high fuel and food prices are the two biggest factors that will play a role.
“Increasing fuel prices opened the door for the production of bio-fuel. The fuel industry is in direct competition with humans and the livestock industry for the same resource that result in unbelievable high prices for maize, sunflower and soya. These prices can further increase with the worldwide shortage of food,” he said.
More profitable breeds could take the place of existing breeds because of the big increase in input costs, he said. “Selection for more effective, and not maximum production, will became more important.
“There are also indications of pressure on feed lots. If this industry downsizes, it could lead to a total turnaround in the beef industry. The feed lots prefer a later maturing animal that can put on a lot of weight before fat is laid down. If this industry declines, early maturing breeds and some of the synthetic breeds, as well as crossbreeding with early maturing breeds, will play a more prominent role in the meat industry.
“This will also lead to a decline in the total number of animals in order to prevent overgrazing. This can result in an increase in imports from neighbouring countries and especially Brazil, where production costs are much lower.
“One way to increase the profitability of meat production is to utilise niche markets. There is world-wide a shift to more natural products. The demand for grass-fed beef drastically increased. According to research it is healthier than meat from feed lots and usually free of hormones and antibiotics. If factors such as traceability are put in place, this could be a very profitable niche mark for the South African meat industry,” he said.
Prof. Neser also said: “In order for breeding societies to survive they need to increase the number of members and the animals that are being registered. This they do by replacing the word stud with recorded animals. Hereby they open the door for excellent commercial animals to become part of the seed-stock industry. Another benefit is that especially in the smaller breeds more information becomes available, resulting in more accurate breeding values.”
Prof. Frikkie Neser.
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