He added that these feedlots penalised Ngunis as they claimed that they put on too much weight (fat) too soon under feedlot conditions.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Harris said that according to the agreement, the Beefmaster Group’s feedlots undertook to purchase weaners directly from both registered stud and commercial members of the society.
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The society said in a statement that the agreement outlined two participation options: the first option provided for the direct purchase of weaners.
“A Beefmaster [Group feedlot] representative will visit the member’s farm to assess and classify the weaners. All assessments will be conducted fairly. The buyer will then classify the breeder’s weaners as standard or non-standard, with no bias or discrimination,” the statement read.
Partaking producers would receive a premium of R1/kg as a membership benefit. The final price offered would be determined by the quality classification of the weaners. Participation was entirely voluntary, and members were allowed to choose to accept or decline the price offered.
The second option allowed both stud and commercial producers to participate in the Beefmaster Group’s Field to Fork Programme. As part of this option, producers could choose to background their weaners, according to the Beefmaster Group’s specifications, until the animals reached approximately 240kg.
Should a vaccination programme as prescribed by the Beefmaster Group be required, participants would be reimbursed for the associated vaccination costs.
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Some of the guidelines for backgrounding required weaners not be overfed or fattened. The aim was to develop frame size, not body fat. No grain-based feeds were allowed during the backgrounding period.
After the backgrounding period, the weaners would be evaluated and priced following the same criteria used in Option 1. No animals from areas affected by foot-and-mouth disease would be considered.
@farmersweeklysa Nguni cattle represent one of the oldest indigenous breeds in Africa. Nico Harris, president of the Nguni Cattle Breeders Society, says that Nguni cattle face significant discrimination as feedlots do not like the breed . Watch the video to find out why. #FarmersWeeklySA #agriculturetiktok #farmingsouthafrica #cattlebreeders #cattlefarming #ngunicattle #indigenousbreed ♬ original sound – Farmer’s Weekly SA
