“If you told me 10 years ago that I’d be a Beefmaster stud breeder, and selling and using my own Beefmaster bulls in my herd, I would definitely have said that’s impossible!” says Tabbie du Plessis, who runs Janmarck Beefmasters in the Free State with his brothers Bismarck and Jannie.
The Du Plessis brothers have always relied on weaner calves to generate income. Since farming Beefmasters, weaning weights in their herd have increased between 15kg and 20kg.
“It’s the small margins that make the biggest difference in farming, and the Beefmaster is capable of giving any farmer the edge,” says Du Plessis.
The brothers bought their first stud cows from the Bos Blanco Beefmaster herd in 2013.
Du Plessis says that their focus has always been quality over quantity, and they have thus focused on dam lines in the stud.
“Early on in our commercial herd, we saw that the bulls with the best dams produced the best calves and replacement heifers,” he says.
Looking back, Du Plessis says they certainly picked the right breed in the Beefmaster. They are also highly optimistic about the continuing excellence of the breed, as Beefmaster breeders are committed and disciplined in their approach to improvement.
PRODUCING THE BEST
Janmarck Beefmasters is run in Bethlehem in the eastern Free State. While summer grazing is usually sufficient, the winters can be exceptionally cold and dry.
Du Plessis says it is thus important to prepare enough fodder in summer for the winter months.
Denne historien er fra December 13, 2019-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra December 13, 2019-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
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.
