Dairy

Dairy farmer, Tshilidzi ‘Chilli’ Matshidzula, the Eastern Cape’s Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year, manages and partly owns a dairy operation near Alexandria in the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess spoke to him about his contribution to resurrecting a failed empowerment initiative.

Enzootic bovine leukosis currently represents one of the largest threats to SA’s dairy industry. If nothing is done to prevent and control new infections, it is possible that in future there will be no uninfected dairy herds in South Africa, writes Dr Jan du Preez, managing director of the Institute of Livestock Technology.

Holstein farmers, Brett and Grant Puttergill, have proven that sire selection and selective breeding are crucial to a dairy operation’s viability.

The Dexter cattle breed is hardy and well-adapted to South Africa's harsh farming conditions.

Dairy farmers have used sand and straw as bedding in dairy cow housing sheds for some time, but recently there has been a change to alternatives such as recycled manure solids. Marié du Toit was one of the first producers in South Africa to introduce synthetic mattresses.

There is enormous demand for locally produced fresh milk and processed milk products in Zambia. Kalundu Dairy Farm contributes substantially to supplying this requirement.

KZN can become SA’s leading dairy supplier, but industry challenges must first be addressed.

OAD milking is becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand, but can it work in SA?

Cois Harman believes that the Braunvieh breed is ideal for both beef and milk production.

Jeff Every is shifting mind sets and boosting profitability in the Eastern Cape’s dairy sector.

Your Future Dairy Training offers aspiring farmers hands-on and practical training.

In her informal study, Jane Holliday investigates the differences between Holsteins and Jerseys.