“Over five decades ago, my late father-in-law, Japie Patience, started farming 10 Ile de France sheep on a 95ha piece of rented commonage land in Saron, near Porterville. He also had a few calves that he bought from dairy farmers in the area,” recalls Therecia Patience.
She took over the farm in 1989. “At that stage, I was a housewife, while my husband worked as a teacher. I was the only one who had time to attend to the farm.”
Her son Gary, an agricultural engineer, officially joined her in 2017. However, he had been involved in the family’s farming operation from a young age and regularly assisted his mother in some of the farming decisions.
“Although I wanted to farm after finishing high school, my father advised me to study towards a tertiary qualification so that I’d have something to fall back on should farming not work out,” he says. From the start, the family steadily expanded their livestock component. By 2002, however, they had reached the maximum carrying capacity of the farm.
“We couldn’t expand horizontally anymore, so we started to shift our focus from quantity to quality,” explains Therecia.
A SINGLE BREED
At that stage, they owned a variety of sheep breeds, ranging from the Ile de France to the Dorper. Determined to improve production, they realised they had to focus their attention on one breed.
“We looked at which would fit best in our area, as well as which breed’s input costs were the lowest. Based on our findings, we decided on the dual-purpose Dohne Merino breed,” says Therecia.
Today, their sheep component comprises 250 breeding ewes and 16 rams.
Denne historien er fra July 17, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra July 17, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New farmers' seedling pitfalls
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South African avocado production: a success story
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An agribusiness's dedication to community upliftment
For agribusiness NWK, located in Lichtenburg, North West, corporate social investment is an important part of creating a positive influence alongside financial returns. Johan Bezuidenhout, NWK’s group manager of corporate marketing and communication, spoke to Annelie Coleman about why the company chooses to invest millions of rands in the area it operates in every year.
Empowering dreams, transforming lives
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Foreign investment: agriculture maintains its appeal
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The real value and message of COP29 for SA agriculture
While the 2024 Conference of the Parties may have disappointed those who hoped for real progress, it's more important for South African agriculture to highlight its role in carbon mitigation
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Tips for better olive production
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More effort needed to protect vulnerable cheetah
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