Angora: good money from a great breed

Mohair production is a valuable farming option even outside the Karoo. This is being demonstrated at two studs in North West’s Wolmaransstad district, as Annelie Coleman found out on her visit to three brothers-inlaw: Petrus Marx, Reco Pieterse and Stephan Erasmus.

- Annelie Coleman

Brothers-in-law Petrus Marx, Reco Pieterse and Stephan Erasmus farm about 20km from Wolmaransstad in the direction of Klerksdorp. Erasmus and Marx each run an Angora stud, while Pieterse runs a commercial flock. Although they run their flocks separately from each other, they work together for economic reasons and to ensure the best possible genetics and fibre yield.

The three farmers agree that strong global demand for mohair and the high profitability of mohair production make it a good choice for extensive farming conditions. Angora are exceptionally adaptable and known for their excellent grazing utilisation.

The fact that the goats are shorn twice a year is another advantage, as it ensures a regular income.

FIRST NORTH WEST STUD

Marx and his wife Angené registered the Marwyk stud in 2020, the first Angora stud to be registered in North West. Erasmus’s Erasmus Angora stud was registered a year later.

“One of the main reasons for our mutual co-operation is to buy top-quality rams together. This not only cuts costs, but allows us access to outstanding genetics that we otherwise probably wouldn’t have been able to afford. While each flock is managed independently, we share the rams for both natural pairing and artificial insemination purposes. We also work together in terms of research and development in order to breed the best possible Angoras for our farming conditions,” Marx explains.

CODE OF BEST PRACTICE