Cattle

During the drought of 2006, Paul Bester, head of ZZ2’s transformation initiative was approached by civil engineer Element Mashai and his partner Elvis Ramolo, who owned a herd outside Polokwane. The two men were desperately seeking grazing.

The Sussex breed’s strong prepotency in terms of muscling, fertility and adaptability makes it the ideal beef breed choice for Namibia’s extensive farming conditions, says Cobus van der Merwe, a Sussex breeder farming in eastern Namibia.

Cattlemen constantly debate how to market cattle off the veld in addition to through feedlots. A recent block test set out to address this.

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Commercial beef production, small and exclusive Limousin and Brahman studs, and large-scale bush clearance have changed Sigi and Heide Baas’s farming enterprise from high-risk to low-risk. Annelie Coleman visited their farm to learn more.

Argentina is, of course, one of the world’s top beef-eating countries, with an annual per capita consumption of about 60kg. However, an increase in red meat prices has opened a gap for Argentina’s a thriving commercial broiler industry.

In the beautiful Mooketsi Valley of northern Limpopo, ZZ2’s cattle division manager Paul Bester is getting on with the business of raising cattle profitably and efficiently in an environment relatively unforgiving to livestock.

Ruminants need mineral trace elements to maintain health and to achieve desired levels of production and reproduction. Trace elements help combat disease challenges and stress-induced problems and support a good return on investment for the producer, says Dr Jasper Coetzee.

Carel Nel and his family pioneered breeding Drakensberger cattle in the western and central Free State. His Drakensberger stud’s Afrikaans name, Grasmunt, refers to the breed’s ability to generate good profits under extensive conditions.

The Bonsmara is a breed par excellence in any beef production system, especially when selected over a quarter of a century in an environment that’s tough on the slightest weakness. Johan and Michiel Geldenhuys told Chris Nel how they do it.

While some South African dairy farms can number more than a thousand cows in milk, the average dairy herd in Argentina is far smaller. But dairy farmers in Argentina share a major obstacle with their SA counterparts: unfavourable agricultural policies.

Klerksdorp Dexter cattle breeders, sisters Kelpie Oosthuizen and Bienkie du Preez, recently imported new genetics for polledness and the dun colour for their Marso Uthando Farming herd.