In his case, says Gawie Naudé of the farm Buttermead near Rhodes in the Eastern Cape mountains, he must pay attention to specific advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, he farms in a fairly remote area, but on the other, the region is a popular tourist destination.
“Tourism in our region offers good opportunities and we’ve recently started paying more attention to its development by means of guest accommodation and agritourism. As we speak, we are busy transforming a farmhouse to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Far from the market
“The remoteness of the area,” he says, “poses specific challenges if you want to market your livestock, especially if you want to bring your stud animals to the attention of buyers.” However, he is lucky in the sense that his grandfather Gawie started the well-known Eduan Braunvieh stud with the purchase of his first Braunviehs in 1935. The stud was registered in 1936. The Naudé name and Braunvieh cattle have been synonymous ever since.
Gawie and his Braunviehs are a well-known sight at the country’s major agricultural shows, where he regularly walks away with the laurels. Although a small breed in terms of numbers and breeders, the Braunvieh is more than capable of holding its own at interbreed championships.
Gawie farms in partnership with his son Willem on the farms Buttermead and Earlstown, focusing specifically on the Braunvieh stud as well as Merino sheep and miniature horses. The Bell River runs through both farms, making it possible for them to produce grazing under irrigation. This makes the area’s harsh winters considerably more manageable in terms of fodder flow.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2020-Ausgabe von Stockfarm.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2020-Ausgabe von Stockfarm.
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Shongololo Boer Goat Stud: Only The Best Will Do
South African Boer goats have proven popular worldwide for their ability to improve indigenous goat breeds. In addition, Covid-19 restrictions necessitated the establishment of electronic auctions, making it easier for foreigners to acquire outstanding genetic material exported by agents via established channels.
Feed Additives: A Veterinary Perspective
In an already volatile environment, dairy profit margins vary as milk prices and feed costs shift annually. Feed costs represent the largest input cost (an estimated 35 to 70% of the variable cost) in the production of milk. As a group of feed ingredients, feed additives can cause a desired physiological response in a non-nutrient way, such as pH shift, growth or metabolic modifier, and will usually be cost-beneficial.
Guard Against Lumpy Skin Disease
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Climate-Related Hazards: How Smallholders Can Mitigate Its Consequences
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Tips for a successful AI programme
The success of an artificial insemination (AI) programme depends on several factors that are largely within the control of the producer. It is interesting that those producers who take a hands-on approach to their cattle and inspect them regularly are also the ones who achieve the greatest success. Before his passing, Stockfarm spoke to Koot Louw, a well-known reproduction technologist from Brandfort in the Free State, about his insights into and advice regarding the AI process.
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Some of our readers may have treated or heard of sheep or goats that have been infected with orf (vuilbek).
Sanele Mbele: Where Passion And Skill Meet
Passion for farming runs strong in the Mbele family’s veins. Sanele Mbele, from the farm Rietspruit in the De Jagersdrift area near Dundee, has inherited this passion in huge dollops.
Land Reform: Case Studies In Kwazulu-Natal
Land reform in South Africa is complex. Land reform solutions are equally complex and within partnership and development models, this is no different – but there is hope. KwaZulu-Natal has several types of partnership models and the wide variation in farming systems, as well as their different needs, set each model up for different strengths and weaknesses.
Brahman Breeders In Limpopo Have A Winning Plan
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A Brahman Dream Comes True
For as long as he can remember, JP Mlangeni wanted to be a farmer. It might have taken a few years, from being a teacher and later a businessman, but his dream finally took shape and today he runs a fully-fledged breeding and commercial Brahman farming enterprise in Mpumalanga.
