Gauteng Smallholder Gauteng Smallholder November 2011 | Page 24

POULTRY How to carry a chicken. From page 21 becoming skittish and stressed. It's good if you can get some help to corral them to where you are able to pick them up. Some poultry people talk of chicken hooks, which are made out of thick wire, but many experts caution against using them as it is too easy to injure your bird. A good idea is to use a large fishing net to help when catching the birds. Once they are in the net it is easy to pick them out without causing any stress. A very useful tip for handling birds with a minimum of fuss is to work in dim light. Birds are usually much quieter in dim light. So, wait for the birds to begin to roost and bed down for the night. This is the perfect time to treat birds with medication or give them an overall health check. Chickens become quite Continued on page 23 #SAFoodCrisis Immigrants’ favourites: Left: West African okra Above: Cocoyam From page 21 producing crops just because they have been producing for the past years with no profit. Farmers will have to immerse themselves in the life of their potential customers (immi- grants), as they have a different lifestyle as compared to the local market. Serving this niche market might not be permanent but it is worth exploiting now. And, as alluded by the interviewed respondents consumers of these crops are willing to pay premium prices. Exploitation of this market will really assist 22 www.sasmallholder.co.za a number of smallholder farmers in generating income and growth. Although not yet recorded, a number of foreign nationals are interested in leasing or purchasing agricultural land for production of their indigenous food. This indicates how much they value and need their indigenous food. Exploitation of this market will need an entrepreneurial mindset from farmers. For more information: Sandile Mahlangu, email [email protected] or tel [phone]