Animals

The Nguni cattle breed has shown remarkable resilience to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) during the current outbreak in South Africa, which Dr Oswald Jannasch, president of the Nguni Cattle Breeders’ Society, attributes to thousands of years of selection for disease and pest resistance in Africa.

In South Africa, most beef calves are finished in feedlots, making carcass weight a major factor in the price received per animal. Carcasses that are too heavy or too light do not meet specifications and are penalised.

Grant Naudé, president of Merino South Africa, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about the Merino breed’s adaptability, dual-purpose strengths and vital role in sustaining South Africa’s wool and meat industries.

South Africa’s livestock industry continues to face one of its most severe challenges in decades. Since early 2025, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has spread across all nine provinces, despite the outbreak being declared a national state of disaster in February 2026.

At Babylonstoren’s Rietvlei farm, a quiet shift is taking place, gradually expanding the boundaries of dairy production in South Africa. Here, the focus has moved beyond conventional cattle to the distinctive and increasingly sought-after water buffalo. Owner Kobus Lambrechts spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about his operation.

High rainfall can benefit crops, but without proper grooming and timely treatments, muddy fields can lead to various ailments in horses, including lameness, mud fever, and foot rot, writes Dr Mac.

Len Harvey’s lifelong interest in cattle and his personal commitment to improving Southern Rhodesia’s livestock were the driving forces behind the Tuli breed’s development.

The lineage of Golden TT demonstrates founding breeders, car and medal winners and consistency of results. comparing with Europe’s best. Golden TT’s genetics is probably the best seen in South Africa in 129 years.

The genetics of polledness has long been of major interest to cattle breeders and livestock geneticists, and advances in genomics have helped unravel the genetic mechanisms that control horn development and polledness.

Obert Chinhamo, Tsungirai Tembo and Kelvin Mundeta are each using Simmentaler genetics in different ways to improve herd performance in Zimbabwe. From supporting communal farmers with semen donations, to building stud operations and crossbreeding for beef production, their experiences highlight how the breed is helping farmers boost productivity in a challenging environment.

In part two of this feature on the future of wildlife, Dr Mike Peel, specialist researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, and Dr Pete Zacharias, a consultant in vegetation and animal systems tell us how wildlife managers should revisit the basic building blocks of ecosystems.

Rachel and Jannie Beukes’s regenerative poultry farm in Stanford in the Western Cape is taking flight and growing from 100 birds to 700 birds a month through grit, practical learning, and smart use of social media.

The future of the wildlife industry lies in bridging the gap between science and management. Ecological balance and sustained productivity depend on effective management of biodiversity and understanding the interactions between species and the environment, as well as how ecosystems function and respond to change.

Decades of compulsory performance testing has shaped the Bonsmara into a reliable, data-driven beef breed. By prioritising measurable function over appearance, Bonsmara breeders have built a transparent genetic system that delivers proven performance, adaptability, and commercial relevance.

In just over a decade, Dorper breeder, inspector and judge Ashley Phillips has visited more than a dozen countries around the globe to conduct work involved with the breed. He spoke to Sabrina Dean about how the sheep breed’s adaptability, fertility, and proven carcass quality have positioned it as a global player.

Bonsmara producer Justin Stirk farms in an area in the Eastern Cape where seasons don’t follow normal patterns and no part of the farm is the same as another. Sabrina Dean found out more about his production practices in such a variable scenario.

Twinning in Dorper sheep can greatly boost productivity, but it requires precise nutrition, fertility management, and seasonal planning to safeguard ewe health and lamb survival.

As the agriculture sector starts to adapt to the fast-paced development of technology, producers and processors need to decide what to implement and what to avoid. Henning Naudé spoke to Izak Klopper, manager of shearer training at the National Wool Growers’ Association, about how shearing has changed, and what the industry can expect from new research and development from international markets.

When forensic fire investigator Zelda Greyling arrived at a farm to assess a blaze, she didn’t expect to meet a cow that would change her life. That meeting led her to purchase Mitzi, an elite Akaushi female, and launch Bizon Wagyu in Hammanskraal, Gauteng. She spoke to Hanlie du Plessis.

For more than 60 years, the Simmentaler has played a structured, performance-driven role in Southern African beef production. Jamie Berger, general manager of the Simmentaler Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about the breed’s performance, adaptability, and maternal strength.