Having grown up on a maize and cattle farm in Viljoenskroon in the Free State, Lynne Griesel understands the work ethic required to make a success of farming.
“It’s early mornings and late nights. Success comes with constant hard work, day in and day out. It’s not about working hard for just a season and then expecting to reap the rewards,” she says.
Griesel has been at the helm of Tulane Chickens in Viljoenskroon for 15 years. What started out as a broiler chicken farm is today a thriving full-service operation that provides free-range chicken products and stretches across the value chain.
Griesel’s go-getter attitude has seen the business through the ups and downs of the economy and brought her the success she enjoys today.
“You have to be flexible to succeed. You can’t be set on an idea and stick with it regardless of the circumstances,” she says.
“When I was farming broiler chickens, I reached a point where I realized we couldn’t keep competing with larger businesses. The economy also took a dip at that stage and we faced shutting down.
“I decided to start farming free-range chickens because our smaller business model would be in a better position to survive in a niche market. With free-range chickens, we could make more profit per chicken and that made all the difference.”
ABATTOIR
The switch was made in 2012, and the farm grew from strength to strength. Four years later, Griesel was able to buy an abattoir certified for free-range chickens. This gave her a competitive advantage over normal broiler abattoirs, as only 5% of abattoirs in South Africa have this certification.
Her business also has a value-adding a section that prepares pre-packed chicken pieces and spiced, crumbed, and marinated products.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 19 - 26, 2020 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 19 - 26, 2020 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
