Johan Erasmus, who owns and runs the Jeras Boran stud on the farm Wolvengat near Derby in North West, has been farming for 37 years. A founding member of the Boran Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa (Boran SA), he helped write the society’s constitution and remains involved in the promotion of the Boran breed. This year, he was named the Farmer’s Weekly/SA Stud Book Elite Mentor Breeder of the Year.
The award recognises the remarkable and ongoing mentorship that Erasmus has provided to emerging and commercial farmers, as well as fellow stud breeders. This includes the following:
• He mentors two groups of breeders in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
• Since 2013, he has helped a number of communal farmers in Namibia, especially in the Ovamboland, where the Boran breed has achieved great success.
• He is involved in a project on the farm Rayton in Mpumalanga, providing assistance and mentorship to a community livestock farming project. This involves a local church, which supports, among others, a local orphanage with food donations. In addition, he provides practical training in herd management and other skills for students from the universities of Mpumalanga and Pretoria.
• He is part of a joint venture providing training to emerging cattle farmers in North West that will enable the farmers to own and manage their own Boran herds within the next few years.
This story is from the November 20, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the November 20, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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