Pointing at a calf lying motionless in a green field in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, farmer Igsahn Felix let out a heavy sigh. "That one is not going to make it," he said.
Home to more than two head of cattle per person, the province is the beating heart of South Africa's livestock industry.
kAmqFE :ED 6?5=6DD 6IA2?D6D 92G6 366? DH6AE 3J A2?:4 D:?46 2? @FE3C62< @7 9:89=J 4@?E28:@FD 7@@E\2?5\>@FE9 5:D62D6[ H9:49 H2D 564=2C65 2 ?2E:@?2= 5:D2DE6C :? u63CF2CJ]Â k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?>6?E :? y2?F2CJ C@==65 @FE 2 `_\J62C 5C:G6 E@ G244:?2E6 ?62C=J a_ >:==:@? 42EE=6 282:?DE E96 9:89=J 4@?E28:@FD 2?5 D@>6E:>6D 5625=J G:C2= :?764E:@?]Â k^Am
kAmqFE 72C>6CD =:<6 u6=:I[ H9@ :D 32D65 ?62C E96 E@H? @7 wF>2?D5@CA[ 244FD65 E96 8@G6C?>6?E @7 2==@H:?8 E96 4C:D:D E@ 6D42=2E6 F?E:= :E 925 8@?6 E@@ 72C]k^Am
kAm}62C=J `[___ @FE3C62<D 92G6 366? C6A@CE65 :? $@FE9 p7C:42[ 27764E:?8 2== @7 ?:?6 AC@G:?46D] %96 5:D62D6 92D 2=D@ 366? C6A@CE65 :? ?6:893@FC:?8 q@EDH2?2[ tDH2E:?: 2?5 +:>323H6 :? C646?E >@?E9D]k^Am
kAm~? E96 D:56 @7 2 5:CE C@25 ?62C u6=:IVD 72C>[ 2 =2C86 D:8?A@DE H2C?65 @>:?@FD=Ji Qu@@E\2?5\>@FE9 5:D62D6 4@?EC@= 2C62Q]k^Am
kAmtG6CJ A2DD:?8 G69:4=6 925 E@ 36 DAC2J65 H:E9 2 496>:42= D@=FE:@? E@ DE@A E96 DAC625 @7 E96 G:CFD[ H9:49 42? C6>2:? FA E@ D:I >@?E9D :? 4@H 5F?8]k^Am
kAm~7 E96 acd 2?:>2=D 36=@?8:?8 E@ E96 72C>6CDV 4@@A6C2E:G6 @7 H9:49 u6=:I :D 2 >6>36C[ `ag 92G6 72==6? :== 2?5 `c 5:5 ?@E DFCG:G6]k^Am
kAmu@@E\2?5\>@FE9 42FD6D 76G6C 2?5 3=:DE6CD ?62C E96 9@@7 2?5 :? E96 >@FE9 E92E AC6G6?E 2?:>2=D 7C@> 7665:?8[ 2D D66? :? E96 6>24:2E65 DFCG:G@CD]k^Am
kAmu@C D6G6C2= H66<D E96 2C62[ 23@FE `__ <:=@>6EC6D We_ >:=6DX 7C@> E96 E@H? @7 vB636C92[ 7@C>6C=J 42==65 !@CE t=:K236E9[ 92D 366? F?56C 2 BF2C2?E:?6 AC@9:3:E:?8 2?J D2=6 @C D=2F89E6C @7 >62E]k^Am
k9am\ w:89 4@DED \k^9am
kAmu6=:IVD 8C@FA @7 aa DF3D:DE6?46 72C>6CD 62C? 23@FE dc_[___ C2?5D W@G6C Sba[___X :? 2 ?@C>2= J62C] %96:C =@DD6D 7C@> 7@@E\2?5\>@FE9 92G6 2=C625J 4@DE E96> `g_[___ C2?5D]k^Am
kAmQx7 H6 H6C6 G244:?2E65 62C=J 6?@F89[ E96 5:D62D6 H@F=5?VE 92G6 366? 96C6 2?5 H6 H@F=5 92G6 ?@E =@DE E92E >F49 >@?6J[Q u6=:I E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmp55:?8 E@ E96 4@DED H2D E96 6IA6?D:G6 7@556C E92E 72C>6CD 925 E@ 3FJ H9:=6 E96:C 96C5D H6C6 F?23=6 E@ 8C2K6 :? E96 @A6? 7:6=5D]k^Am
kAmtI46AE 7@C E96 DE2E6\DA@?D@C65 G244:?2E:@?D[ 72C>6CD 92G6 E@ 42CCJ E96 7:?2?4:2= 3FC56? @7 E96 @FE3C62< E96>D6=G6D[ D2:5 42EE=6 3C6656C s@2?6 z2:K6C[ H9@ 92D 23@FE e_ 4@HD]k^Am
kAmQ$2?:E:D2E:@? 92D 2 4@DE E@@[Q 96 D2:5] Qx 2> DFC6 E96 8@G6C?>6?E 42? 5@ >@C6] %9:?8D ?665 E@ DE6A FA 2 3:E]Qk^Am
kAm%96 @FE3C62< 92D =65 $@FE9 p7C:42? 3667 E@ 36 32??65 :? +2>3:2 2?5 r9:?2[ 2 <6J :>A@CE6C]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2=D@ E96 C62D@? 8:G6? 3J 28C:4F=EFC6 >:?:DE6C y@9? $E66?9F:D6? :? u63CF2CJ H96? 96 2??@F?465 96 H@F=5 ?@E D66< C6\6=64E:@? 2D =6256C @7 E96 D64@?5\=2C86DE A2CEJ[ E96 46?EC6\C:89E s6>@4C2E:4 p==:2?46 WspX]k^Am
kAmQ|J ?6IE 492AE6C >FDE 36 E@ 6C25:42E6 E9:D 56G2DE2E:?8 5:D62D6 7C@> @FC D9@C6D @?46 2?5 7@C 2==[Q D2:5 $E66?9F:D6?[ H9@D6 92?5=:?8 @7 E96 4C:D:D 92D 366? D92CA=J 4C:E:4:D65]k^Am
kAm%96 @FE3C62< AFE $E66?9F:D6? \\ 2?5 9:D A2CEJ[ H9:49 5C2HD D:8?:7:42?E DFAA@CE 7C@> 72C>6CD \\ :? Q2 H62< A@D:E:@?Q[ D2:5 A@=:E:42= 2?2=JDE $FD2? q@@JD6?[ H:E9 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?E 6=64E:@?D =2E6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAmQw6 >:89E 6G6? =@D6 9:D 423:?6E DE2EFD[Q D96 D2:5]Â k^Am
k9am\ '244:?2E:@? 5C:G6 \k^9am
kAm$@FE9 p7C:42 =@DE :ED DE2EFD 2D 2 7@@E\2?5\>@FE9\7C66 4@F?ECJ :? a_`h[ H:E9 @FE3C62<D 7C@> a_a` DAC625:?8 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ]Â k^Am
kAmxE 7:?2==J C646:G65 a]d >:==:@? :>A@CE65 G244:?6 5@D6D :? =2E6 u63CF2CJ 7@C E96 G:CFD DEC2:?D 4FCC6?E=J DAC625:?8]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 @FC E6DE 3642FD6 E9:D G244:?6 92D ?6G6C 366? FD65 :? E9:D 4@F?ECJ 367@C6[Q D2:5 G6E6C:?2C:2? p?E9@?J s2G:D[ 2 >6>36C @7 2 565:42E65 8@G6C?>6?E G244:?2E:@? E2D< 7@C46]k^Am
kAmwF>2?D5@CA 2=C625J DF776C65 962GJ =@DD6D 5FC:?8 E96 AC6G:@FD 7@@E\2?5\>@FE9 4C:D:D :? a_ac[ H9:49 4@DE 36EH66? 7:G6 2?5 D6G6? >:==:@? C2?5 W2C@F?5 Sb__[___ E@ Sca_[___X 7@C 6G6CJ `[___ 52:CJ 4@HD[ D2:5 #F7FD sC6J6C[ @?6 @7 E96 72C>6CD D6G6C6=J 27764E65]k^Am
kAm%96 3=@H 4@>6D 2D 72C>6CD :? E96 t2DE6C? r2A6 C64@G6C 7C@> >@?E9D @7 D6G6C6 5C@F89E]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 762CD E96 G:CFD H:== DAC625 E@ E96 4@F?ECJVD E9:C5\=2C86DE 52:CJ[ (@@5=2?5D s2:CJ[ 2=D@ =@42E65 :? wF>2?D5@CA]k^Am
kAm%96 52:CJ 6>A=@JD >@C6 E92? `[___ A6@A=6 2?5 E96 64@?@>:4 :>A24E @7 2? @FE3C62< H@F=5 36 Q9F86Q[ H2C?65 56AFEJ >2J@C %:>@E9J y2?E;6D]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 62D:=J DAC625 G:CFD 6G6? 42CC:65 3J E96 H:?5[ E96 t2DE6C? r2A6 \\ H9:49 92D @G6C 7@FC >:==:@? 9625 @7 42EE=6[ >@C6 E92? 2?J @E96C AC@G:?46 \\ H2D 9@=5:?8 :ED 3C62E9]k^Am
kAm4=G^;43^3C^D3<k^Am
