AFRO AGRI REVIEW JOURNAL

O-LA-LA! LITTLE MIRACLE IS SA’S LATEST CLONED CALF

Little Miracle follows in the footsteps of the first cloned calf, Michelle, born on 29 June. The clonings are proudly South African, with two local experts – Dr Gert Jordaan, a reproduction specialist, and Dr Niel van Zyl, a veterinarian from Parys – responsible for both. The process uses stem cells from a top cow’s […]

NEUMAN BROTHERS GETS EXCELLENT PRICE FOR DRAKENSBERGER BULL

vKlaas Venter from Grootvlei purchased the bull (HN 20-140 Frelon) for R200 000. All 49 bulls at the auction were sold. The average price was R95 760, which according to Rodney is the highest average for production auctions this year. All the female animals were also sold. The highest price was R19 000 for a pregnant heifer, […]

TUKS UNVEILS PLANS FOR NEW EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL PROTEIN FARM

The scale and integrated structure of the proposed experimental farm, Farm@UP, is the first of its kind in the country and the continent, said Prof Barend Erasmus, dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, during its introduction to potential private sector partners. According to Dr Hinner Köster, president of the UP convocation and […]

RMIS’S ROLE IN THE RED MEAT VALUE CHAIN

By Koos du Pisani (sponsored content) Commodity organisations in the red meat industry – the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO), the former National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (Nerpo), the South African Feedlot Association (SAFA) and the Red Meat Abattoir Association (RMAA) – realised the South African red meat industry has the potential to compete internationally, […]

20 BEST SHEEP IMPRESS AT INTER-REGIONAL FLOCK COMPETITION

The enthusiasm and display of quality animals showcased the passion and commitment of communal farmers towards their development and progress. The selected animals, chosen from regional flocks, were indeed of the best quality that the communal areas of the Eastern Cape have to offer. The number of entries, 102, was similar to previous years. There […]

STEENHUISEN’S VIEW ON ANIMAL DISEASES WELCOMED, BUT MUCH MORE IS NEEDED

Although it is encouraging that Steenhuisen recognises the seriousness of animal diseases, the process of finding solutions has been dragging on since 2000, says Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of Agbiz. Biosecurity, with animal diseases being the biggest concern, has been a much-discussed issue, especially over the past three years. Sihlobo says conditions such as foot-and-mouth […]

Tying-up’ linked to genetics, training and feeding

Most riders have heard about ‘Monday morning sickness’, ‘tying-up syndrome’ and polysaccharide storage myopathy in horses. Tying-up, also known as exertional rhabdomyolysis, is a condition that causes muscles running over the hindquarters to tighten and cramp up. Recent studies have highlighted links to training and feeding strategies in racehorses that can also be applied to […]

Dormer: using line breeding to set record-high auction prices

A few years ago, when South Africa was struck by an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, a leading cause of diarrhoea in sheep, Johan Barnard was forced to rebuild his stud, Johanri Dormers. As a result, he now runs a lucrative operation producing top-class animals. This is evident in the number of Johanri animals that achieved South […]

High-priced Drakensbergers

The Letelle sheep breed has European origins. It descends from the Rambouillet or French Merino, the development of which can be traced back to 1786, when King Louis XVI of France purchased more than 300 Spanish Merinos (seven wethers, 41 rams and 318 ewes) from his cousin King Charles III of Spain. The Rambouillet, a […]

Letelle sheep: profitable and resilient

The Letelle sheep breed has European origins. It descends from the Rambouillet or French Merino, the development of which can be traced back to 1786, when King Louis XVI of France purchased more than 300 Spanish Merinos (seven wethers, 41 rams and 318 ewes) from his cousin King Charles III of Spain. The Rambouillet, a […]