Around two weeks ago, government announced the temporary suspension of the movement of cattle as a means to curb the rampant spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in South Africa. Industry role players say this action was necessary, but that it may be a case of too little, too late. “The industry has been wanting the […]
The term ‘small-scale poultry farmer’ covers micro-, small- and medium-sized broiler and egg production units. The South African Poultry Association classifies a small-scale broiler unit as one that delivers fewer than 4 000 birds per cycle. In contrast, small-scale egg production, according to South African agriculturalist Dr Gavin MacGregor, can start with nine point-of-lay pullets. […]
Beef cattle production is often regarded as a lesser part of diversification on a crop production farm, with the animals beingkept on marginal soils, grazing and grain stover. However, given the current economic realities and challenges, it can no longer be considered a low-input and low-income concern. “The cattle component, while it has the potential […]
“Our family’s long association with the South Devon breed has now been registeredin a system of science and measurement,” says PD Roets, the fourth generation of his family to farm these cattle in the Eastern Cape highlands, but the first to register a stud. This took place five years ago. “I love the South Devon […]
The town of Jansenville in the Eastern Cape is situated on the banks of the Sundays River on the southern border of the Camdeboo Plain. The area, known as the Noorsveld, is named after the succulent shrub Euphorbia coerulescens, known in Afrikaans as noor or noorsdoring. Angoras are ideally suited to the Karoo and the […]
In the past, Brafords have been called the best-kept secret in the beef cattle world. However, it’s not a secret that these medium-framed animals are among the most fertile cattle on the planet. “Its medium frame means that the animal is able to recover from a harsh winter much quicker than an animal with a […]
Deon Vlok, who runs indigenous veld goats on 50 000ha between Calvinia and Brandvlei in the Northern Cape, says his animals truly showed their mettle during the recent eight-year drought, proving to be a mainstay for his farm. “I’m extremely impressed by the economic value the goats added during the drought. I’ve always had a […]
R2,1 million Bull Seller: Phillip Poggenpoel, Poggenpoel Molopo BonsmarasBuyers: Baszohn Bonsmaras. In June 2022, Phillip Poggenpoel of Poggenpoel Molopo Bonsmaras sold the bull BBM 18 25 for a record price of R2,1 million at the Poggenpoel Molopo Bonsmara Production Sale. The bull was sold to Baszohn Bonsmaras, owned by cousins Eben Basson and Wessel Ebersohn, in Mooi […]
Conditions on Gielie Geldenhuys’s family farm in the Theronsberg region, 30km north of Ceres in the Western Cape, are harsh. Winters are cold, typically with snow, summers are hot, and the grazing comprises sourveld. Faced with these realities in the 1970s, Geldenhuys’s father, Basie, kept a variety of breeds on the farm to test which […]
In the past, some veterinarians would shake their heads when horse owners asked them about stem cell therapy. In recent years, however, research has broadened the nature and scope of this concept, which is now called ‘regenerative medicine’. Its aim is to reintroduce patient-derived biological substances locally in order to stimulate natural healing in damaged […]
