Farmer’s Weekly’s upcoming Breed Focus Webinar will explore this question, bringing together two experienced Dohne Merino farmers for a 90-minute discussion on practical production, flock management and profitability.
Richard Armstrong, chairman of the Upper Cathcart Farmers Association, is a third-generation farmer whose family has been farming since 1937. He has been farming Dohne Merinos since 1976, started farming in his own right in 1996 and was named the 2025 National Sheep Farmer of the Year.
Joining him is Dries Pienaar of White Wools Dohne, whose breeding philosophy is centred on measurable performance and producing practical, efficient and profitable sheep for South African farming conditions.
Hosted by Farmer’s Weekly journalist Octavia Spandiel, the webinar will take farmers through the full production journey, from establishing the foundations of a flock to making informed breeding and management decisions.
The discussion will cover infrastructure, genetics, reproduction, flock health, disease management, nutrition, grazing, adaptability and the financial considerations that determine whether a flock is genuinely profitable.
The first hour will feature an in-depth conversation with Armstrong and Pienaar, followed by 30 minutes dedicated to audience questions.
Farmers are encouraged to join the discussion and submit their questions on the day.
