“The Afrikaner is a low-input animal with good-quality beef. Herein lies the real value of the breed,” says Jacquies Steenkamp, who registered his Derus Afrikaner Stud in 1996.
Today, he runs 240 Afrikaner female animals, half of which are registered, in the Rouxville district in the southern Free State, where they produce weaners almost entirely off the veld.
Steenkamp is highly committed to the breed and enthuses about its potential. A council member of the Afrikaner Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa, he says the breed offers superb business opportunities for the extensive beef farmer.
For example, the society registered Afri Beef as a quality free-range brand with the then Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2016, and the brand won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 African Livestock Trade Fair in Parys, Free State.
Steenkamp’s late father, Piet, ran a commercial Afrikaner herd near Vredefort in the Free State, and Steenkamp completed his BSc Agriculture, majoring in animal husbandry and genetics, at the University of the Free State in 1993. He, too, had become drawn to the breed by then, so after a few years in a mixed cropping/ livestock operation with his brother, André, in the Klerksdorp district of North West, he registered the Derus Afrikaner stud.
The foundation animals were from proven dam lines used by his father, while a process of genetic infusion using Bonsmaras helped him broaden diversity. Over the years, he sourced more Afrikaner bloodlines, including from the Cronjé and Ras families in Theunissen/Winburg and Hoopstad respectively.
In addition to his work on the stud, Steenkamp experimented with a European and an indigenous synthetic beef breed, comparing the performance of these breeds under the same conditions.
This story is from the June 5 & 12, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 5 & 12, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Protests in Poland turn violent
The farmers’ protest in Poland is fast becoming known as the most violent agricultural protest in Europe, according to national media.
Banana Hall of Fame celebrates banana industry
In celebration of its 125th Bananaversary, Dole Food in the US recently established a National Banana Hall of Fame to honour culinary and cultural institutions that have helped to establish bananas as one of the world’s most popular and most purchased fruit.
Underutilised crops come into their own
Diverse food systems are the focus of collaborative efforts at UKZN, writes Jyothi Laldas.
Why cybersecurity is needed in farming
The agriculture sector could be the most susceptible to cyberattacks.
Minister launches third National Status of Biological Invasions in SA programme
Biological invasions need to be treated as an urgent matter as they pose a risk to water security as well as biodiversity, writes Jyothi Laldas.
Two brothers who left their mark on SA
Born in Germany, Alfred and Otto Beit came to the Transvaal's diamond fields in the late 1800s, helping to found mining companies and build crucial infrastructure, writes Graham Jooste.
Driving impressions: Honda Elevate 1,5
Honda SA is back to its best in terms of packaging, build quality, value-for-money and efficiency with a new entry to the hotly contested compact SUV market. Ian McLaren for CAR tested the vehicle at its launch.
Starting a small-farm vegetable project: Part 2
The process of developing a small vegetable farm is gradual and the full benefits will only be realised later, writes Bill Kerr.
Basic vaccination and health protocols for pigs
Pigs are usually produced in intensive environments such as purpose-built piggeries, sties, or even enclosed sheds.
Saving Nigeria's forest elephants
Nigeria risks losing all its forest elephants. This is what Rosemary Iriowen Egonmwan, professor of environmental physiology of animals at the University of Lagos, and Bola Oboh, professor of genetics at the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics at the University of Lagos, found when they went looking for them.