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07 June 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
Agri Power Talk
At the first Agri Power Talk presented by Food for Mzansi, were from the left: Dr Frikkie Maré, Head of the UFS Department of Agricultural Economics; Ivor Price of Food for Mzansi; Dr Ina Gouws, UFS Department of Political Studies; Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor; Koos Janse van Rensburg, Managing Director of the VKB Group; and Kobus Lourens, Food for Mzansi.
The first power talk to create cohesion in the agriculture sector was presented by Food for Mzansi on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). Two UFS researchers, Drs Frikkie Maré, Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, and Ina Gouws, political analyst and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Studies and Governance, served on the panel of this initiative that aims to tackle and find solutions for difficult issues in the sector. 

Bringing role players together 
 
Dr Maré said their department is committed to engaged scholarship where the research and expertise of academic staff is shared with the broader public. 

“Hosting the Food for Mzansi Power Talk provides us with the opportunity to bring academic staff, students, and industry role players together on one platform to discuss the importance of agriculture in order to create social cohesion in the country.” 

“You cannot teach people to get along. You create cohesion if you share the same thing, such as passion for the sector. We need to get people to talk about that shared passion; in this way, we will create social cohesion.” For a good future, he believes that one needs to dream of a good future and to let go of the hurts of the past. 

Lack of government support

Dr Gouws’ take on this industry and it being demonised by politicians, is that there are several success stories, but all of them with that element of ‘in spite of government’s involvement, I prevailed’. “There is a massive lack of government support. We need a number of government departments to act, including Justice and Constitutional Development, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as Rural Development and Land Reform.” 

“Proper policies are overdue. We must let our voices be heard,” she said.

Co-founder of Food for Mzansi and Farmers for Change, Ivor Price, said they have found that people are hungry to talk about the news headlines that often make them feel scared – such as land reform and safety on farms. “We need to engage constructively on these issues. And we want people with different views to start engaging.”

Besides that, Food for Mzansi and Farmers for Change also aim to salute the unsung heroes of agriculture by sharing the success stories of the people who feed South Africa.

The role of thought leader

UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor,Prof Francis Petersen, said agriculture is crucial for food security and economic growth in South Africa. “It is important that we are aware of the challenges facing the sector, e.g. politics, climate change, sustainable production, change of technology, and using this technology properly in agriculture to be internationally competitive.”

“We need more debates about these matters to rightly address them. The role of the UFS is that of thought leader – bringing issues to the front. We cannot do it alone; we need to partner.”

MOS M Farm CEO, Mosele Lepheane, a pig farmer from the Viljoenskroon area, also made her valuable contribution to the discussion. She is positive about the industry. “I can see the light. And I do not want to sit still and wait for government to do something for me. I believe there is power in numbers. If we change our mindset and say we want to work together, we want to be friends, we have a plan – I believe we will make things happen!”

“We see more good than bad. I see my whole family growing this industry,” she said. 

No Google; hear their stories

Panellist Henk Harmse, CEO of Harmse Boerdery, also believes that South Africans need to make it a priority to work together. 

He said although the sector has its challenges, farmers should not focus on their problems, but on potential and on possible solutions. 

He also feels that government should be less involved in this sector. 

For the younger generation, his advice is to stop finding answers on Google, but to talk to people in the sector; to hear their stories.

Gerhard Kriel, founder of Friends of Agriculture, believes networks and friendships are key in this environment. “You can ask a friend a difficult question and you will get an honest answer. Organisations need to sit together, discuss issues, and find common ground,” he said.

He said, as Friends of Agriculture, they would like to partner with the UFS to share expertise and provide insight where needed. 

Agriculture, our source of food and fibre

Managing Director of the VKB Group, Koos Janse van Rensburg, said agriculture provides in all the very basic needs of South Africans, such as food and fibre for clothes. “The entire agricultural value chain needs to be internationally competitive to survive. If agriculture does not survive, the South African economy will suffer internationally.” 

“Tell the true story about agriculture. It is an honourable profession. Give the public the correct perception – the picture of black and white working together. Of commercial farmers helping small farmers. We need to concentrate on the facts and delete the noise.”

The discussion was facilitated by Dawn Noemdoe, journalist and content creator at Food for Mzansi.

News Archive

Inaugural lecture: Prof Robert Bragg, Dept. of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology
2006-05-17



Attending the inaugural lecture were in front from the left Prof Robert Bragg (lecturer at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor).  At the back from the left were Prof James du Preez (Departmental Chairperson:  Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences). Photo: Stephen Collett
 

A summary of an inaugural lecture delivered by Prof Robert Bragg at the University of the Free State:

CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS AVIAN DISEASES – LESSONS FOR MAN?

Prof Robert R Bragg
Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology
University of the Free State

“Many of the lessons learnt in disease control in poultry will have application on human medicine,” said Prof Robert Bragg, lecturer at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology during his inaugural lecture.

Prof Bragg said the development of vaccines remains the main stay of disease control in humans as well as in avian species.  Disease control can not rely on vaccination alone and other disease-control options must be examined.  

“With the increasing problems of antibiotic resistance, the use of disinfection and bio security are becoming more important,” he said.

“Avian influenza (AI) is an example of a disease which can spread from birds to humans.  Hopefully this virus will not develop human to human transmission,” said Prof Bragg.

According to Prof Bragg, South Africa is not on the migration route of water birds, which are the main transmitters of AI.  “This makes South Africa one of the countries less likely to get the disease,” he said.

If the AI virus does develop human to human transmission, it could make the 1918 flu pandemic pale into insignificance.  During the 1918 flu pandemic, the virus had a mortality rate of only 3%, yet more than 50 million people died.

Although the AI virus has not developed human-to-human transmission, all human cases have been related to direct contact with infected birds. The mortality rate in humans who have contracted this virus is 67%.

“Apart from the obvious fears for the human population, this virus is a very serious poultry pathogen and can cause 100% mortality in poultry populations.  Poultry meat and egg production is the staple protein source in most countries around the world. The virus is currently devastating the poultry industry world-wide,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research activities on avian diseases started off with the investigation of diseases in poultry.  “The average life cycle of a broiler chicken is 42 days.  After this short time, they are slaughtered.  As a result of the short generation time in poultry, one can observe changes in microbial populations as a result of the use of vaccines, antibiotics and disinfectants,” said Prof Bragg.   

“Much of my research effort has been directed towards the control of infectious coryza in layers, which is caused by the bacterium Avibacterium paragallinarum.  This disease is a type of sinusitis in the layer chickens and can cause a drop in egg product of up to 40%,” said Prof Bragg.

The vaccines used around the world in an attempt to control this disease are all inactivated vaccines. One of the most important points is the selection of the correct strains of the bacterium to use in the vaccine.

Prof Bragg established that in South Africa, there are four different serovars of the bacterium and one of these, the serovar C-3 strain, was believed to be unique to Southern Africa. He also recently discovered this serovar for the first time in Israel, thus indicating that this serovar might have a wider distribution than originally believed.

Vaccines used in this country did not contain this serovar.  Prof Bragg established that the long term use of vaccines not containing the local South African strain resulted in a shift in the population distribution of the pathogen.

Prof Bragg’s research activities also include disease control in parrots and pigeons.   “One of the main research projects in my group is on the disease in parrots caused by the circovirus Beak and Feather Disease virus. This virus causes serious problems in the parrot breeding industry in this country. This virus is also threatening the highly endangered and endemic Cape Parrot,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research group is currently working on the development of a DNA vaccine which will assist in the control of the disease, not only in the parrot breeding industry, but also to help the highly endangered Cape Parrot in its battle for survival.

“Not all of our research efforts are directed towards infectious coryza or the Beak and Feather Disease virus.  One of my Masters students is currently investigating the cell receptors involved in the binding of Newcastle Disease virus to cancerous cells and normal cells of humans. This work will also eventually lead to a possible treatment of cancer in humans and will assist with the development of a recombinant vaccine for Newcastle disease virus,” said Prof Bragg.

We are also currently investigating an “unknown” virus which causes disease problems in poultry in the Western Cape,” said Prof Bragg.
 
“Although disinfection has been extensively used in the poultry industry, it has only been done at the pre-placement stage. In other words, disinfectants are used before the birds are placed into the house. Once the birds are placed, all use of disinfectants stops,” said Prof Bragg.

“Disinfection and bio security can be seen as the ‘Cinderella’ of disease control in poultry.  This is also true for human medicine. One just has to look at the high numbers of people who die from hospital-acquired infections to realise that disinfection is not a concept which is really clear in human health care,” said Prof Bragg.

Much research has been done in the control of diseases through vaccination and through the use of antibiotics. “These pillars of disease control are, however, starting to crumble and more effort is needed on disinfection and bio security,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg has been working in close co-operation with a chemical manufacturing company in Stellenbosch to develop a unique disinfectant which his highly effective yet not toxic to the birds.

As a result of this unique product, he has developed the continual disinfection program for use in poultry. In this program the disinfectant is used throughout the production cycle of the birds. It is also used to ensure that there is excellent pre-placement disinfection.

“The program is extensively used for the control of infectious diseases in the parrot-breeding industry in South Africa and the product has been registered in 15 countries around the world with registration in the USA in the final process,” said Prof Bragg.

“Although the problem of plasmid mediated resistance to disinfectants is starting to rear its ugly head, this has allowed for the opening of a new research field which my group will hopefully exploit in the near future,” he said.

 

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