Cattle

Dairy farmers need to maintain profitable businesses despite being squeezed between high input costs and powerful milk buyers.

Steeped in history and rooted in the African soil, the rugged Boran is receiving more and more accolades. Tanzanian Boran breeder Mark Myatt-Taylor tells Lloyd Phillips why.

Eastern Cape’s Young Farmer of the Year, Richard Morgan, has built on his family’s agricultural legacy, which started in 1895 in the Mankazana Valley near Adelaide. Mike Burgess reports.

By forming a good working relationship, nine farmers from Mmakgabetlwane village in North West have found a way to farm on communal land. Peter Mashala visited them.

These days, it’s rare to hear stories of a family establishing, from scratch, a commercial farm in virgin African bushveld. But this is what one family has done in just seven years. Lloyd Phillips reports.

What you feed a dairy cow is important, but don’t lose sight of how you feed.

A city couple bought a run-down chicken farm in the Dargle, with the intention of changing it into a wedding venue. But the chickens turned out to be profitable on their own. Robyn Joubert reports.

Alwyn Marx, who farms with his father near Burgersdorp, started a small Tuli herd a decade ago. Impressed with the Tuli’s performance, they have expanded the operation to 300 stud cows. Mike Burgess reports.

The wool of the Charmac Merino, which is bred in the Karoo by the McNaughton family, was recently developed into an exclusive fashion fabric in Australia to meet the demand for wool from sheep that have not been mulesed. Heather Dugmore reports.

After completing agricultural studies and gaining work experience, Ananias and Mphai Rapholo returned home to Limpopo to start a family business, the Mohloma Agricultural Co-operative, with their father. The brothers intend building a top Dorper stud. Peter Mashala reports.

High genetic merit in a dairy herd cannot overcome inadequate management.

Pieter Schulenburg of Leeuwfontein Braford Stud has established an acclaimed stud herd through a tough selection regime. His animals thrive under the harsh conditions of the semi-arid bushveld, says Peter Mashala.

These plants grow almost anywhere, and can be deadly if your animals eat too many of them, warns Paul Donovan.

According to Johnny Morrison, chairperson of the SA Indigenous Veld Goat Club, a millenia-long migration through Africa has honed the breed into a superbly functional animal. Annelie Coleman reports.

Scoring body condition (BCS) in dairy cows is an economically important management tool to check the body reserves and energy status of cattle.

Brahman stud breeder James Prinsloo runs a thriving cattle enterprise on the Mpumalanga highveld where winter temperatures can fall to -12°C. Known for their resilience to heat and drought, the Brahman of the Jamica stud prove the commendable adaptability of the breed. Annelie Coleman reports.

South Africa’s beekeeping industry may still have room for newcomers, but this unusual type of agricultural production is far more challenging than it may appear. Lloyd Phillips reports.

This easy-care, dual purpose breed thrives in the harshest conditions, offers high net profits and is a pleasure to farm. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.

Malekaleke Maila farms with Pedi sheep on communal land in Limpopo. Unable to run his flock near his village, he is forced to spend each week away from home. Yet, through careful management, he earns a reasonable living and is paying for his children’s studies. Peter Mashala spoke to him.

Udder health problems, especially mastitis, can significantly limit profitable dairy farming, says vet Dr Vincent Turner. Robyn Joubert reports.