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Tumisang Ben Matshogo at the graduation ceremony where he received his master’s degree in animal science.
In addition to cattle farming, Tumisang has also ventured into chicken farming. The topic of his PhD study is “Improving the feed value of seaweed for broiler chickens using feed enzymes”.
Seaweed from Gansbaai
The seaweeds Tumisang used for his research were collected from the Aqunion abalone farm in Gansbaai in the Western Cape.
The seaweeds were harvested from a pond and left to drain in an oyster net overnight. After dawn the next day, the seaweed was sun-dried at the Marine Research Aquarium of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.
Alumnus and farmer turns to the sea for food security
Poverty alleviation and food security lie in the sea as well as the land, according to alumnus Tumisang Ben Matshogo, who is a final-year PhD student and farmer.
Alumnus Tumisang Ben Matshogo, who is a final-year PhD student, started farming in 2017 with only four head of cattle and now has 34.
He focuses on cattle and chickens ... and seaweed
From Driefontein in the North West Province, Tumisang started a farming business in 2017 on about 870 hectares of communal land in the village.
He began with just four head of cattle and now has 34 and is looking forward to having more in the near future. He has also ventured into chicken farming.
Tumisang, who is doing his PhD through Animal Science in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, says his love for farming was instilled by his late grandfather who was also passionate about agriculture.
“In 2017 I decided to start farming because agriculture contributes vastly to the economy and food security. I realised that many people are surviving because of farming,” says Tumisang.
Reaping the fruits of his studies
Before trying his hand at farming Tumisang pursued and completed a diploma in animal science in 2012, a BSc in 2015 and an MSc in 2017 – all at the Mahikeng Campus.
The topic of his PhD study is “Improving the feed value of seaweed for broiler chickens using feed enzymes”. He says his research will prove valuable to him and other chicken farmers and food security in general.
Tumisang, who believes strongly in putting theory into practice, has published three papers with his promoters, Dr Caven Mnisi and Prof Victor Mlambo.
“We use seaweeds as sources of nutrients and beneficial bioactive compounds for poultry feeds,” explains Tumisang.
They investigated the effect of graded levels of seaweed meal on the growth performance of Cobb 500 broiler chickens, among other parameters. “Our experiment explored the hypothesis that inclusion of seaweed meal in broiler diets would improve feed intake, physiological responses, and meat quality and stability parameters.”
Tumisang says his studies have given him valuable experience in the field of farming and farm management.
“The quality knowledge and the practical experiences that I gained from the university cannot be measured. It has prepared me to be a well-rounded farmer and follow my passion as a well-rounded animal scientist,” he says.
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Life lessons
Tumisang says his success is due to perseverance.
“If you think of starting something in life you should start on time irrespective of what your situation is, even if you fall, you should never give up,” he advises.
To positively and aggressively contribute to the economy of the country, Tumisang has big plans that are not limited to academia: “My next step is to join the ranks of commercial farming.”