Farmers are under pressure to produce more food than ever before due to the rapid increase in the global population.
This is according to Tal-Tec, a South African manufacturer of livestock handling equipment, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Greg Talbot, CEO of Tal-Tec, on Friday said the evolution of farming practices has had an impact on the design and function of farming equipment.
“In the livestock farming industry, one of the most significant shifts has been the commercialisation of the beef industry to feedlots which has changed the way the beef industry supplies the market. Farmers remain the primary producers, breeding weaner calves,” Talbot said.
“If the farm doesn’t have its own feedlot, it will sell its weaner calves to feedlots when they are around seven months old. The aim of feedlots is to increase the weight of cattle through an intensive feeding system. Appropriate equipment such as scales to track each animal’s weight gain play an important role in this process.”
The manufacturer said farming relied heavily on manual labour 50 years ago but technological and scientific advances, combined with equipment innovations, had had a big impact on how farms were worked and managed, positively impacting productivity.
Talbot said the challenge is that although these advanced technologies do exist, not all farmers in South Africa can afford them or are prepared to sign up for the subscription services which accompany them which is why we ensure that in addition to these tech-enabled products, they also offered more affordable entry-level products.
“Not surprisingly however, younger and more tech-savvy farmers are embracing new technologies faster than their older counterparts,” Talbot said.
He said Tal-Tec, has been fortunate to survive economic upturns and downturns, floods and droughts and even outbreaks of diseases. The secret to the company’s longevity has been listening to the needs of farmers and then designing fit for purpose equipment, he said. Since 1994, the company said it has expanded its product line by 400%.
Demand for its product range exploded with the establishment of a website in 2000. While the bulk of the company’s business is in South Africa, the company has also expanded its footprint to Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia.
“We have always been very focused on manufacturing quality products that stand the test of time. Tal-Tec’s neck clamps and mobile equipment, the latter of which alleviates the need to bring livestock to a central point but instead allows farmers to manage and treat animals in even remote areas of the farm, are good examples of strong and durable products that just keep working as they are intended to,” Talbot said.
He added that farmers have enough risks and uncertainties that they are having to deal with on a daily basis; the last thing they need is malfunctioning or poor quality equipment.
“For the past 50 years we have prided ourselves on producing quality equipment that is robust, affordable and designed to withstand the harsh conditions prevalent on the African continent and look forward to continuing that legacy in the years to come,” Talbot said.
According to the National Agricultural Marketing Council’s (Namc) Market Intelligence Report-Quarter-2-2024, the beef sector in South Africa has played a significant role in the country's economy and job development.
Droughts and disease outbreaks, such the avian influenza (HPAI) in the poultry industry and the foot and mouth (FMD) in cattle, have had a significant impact on local consumption. However, the government agency said with the safeguards in place, the industry is expected to recover and reach stability.
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