The farm Boplaas in George dominated the National Carcass Competition, hosted by Bulida, Nova Foods and Schering-Plough Animal Health. Boplaas won first place in the Group and Carcass Division of the Beef Carcass Competition with their Simmentalers, scoring 80% and 91% respectively. They also won second place in the Single Carcass Division. L ouis van Rensburg from Sherwood in Blanco came second in the Group Carcass Division, while Thys du Toit from Du Toit Landgoed in Herhold was third in both the Group and Carcass divisions.
Bulida in George won the Group Carcass Division of the Lamb Carcass Competition with a score of 94% for their Dorpers, and came second and third in the Single Division. In the Group Division Salo Poggenpoel from Sandfontein farm in Albertinia came second and EP van Rooyen from Vergenoegd in the Langkloof was third. Louis Wessels won the Single Carcass Division with an astronomical 96% score for his Dorpers. R udi van der Westhuizen, national manager of quality control and assurance at the South African Meat Industry Company (Samic), said the competition is a benchmark, letting farmers evaluate themselves against their peers. He said escalating costs are making it increasingly important to farm as efficiently as possible. – Glenneis Erasmus
