The Veeplaas Schools’ Herd Project was launched in April 2016 with the establishment of an Afrikaner stud at Bekker High School.
According to Albert Loubser, general manager of the PLAAS Agricultural Youth Foundation, the goal of the foundation is to involve and support the youth in the agricultural industry. The foundation aims to support agricultural education at the school level and expose the youth to mainstream agriculture.
Management and membership
The foundation’s membership has grown significantly over the past year and management consists of one representative from each corporate member. Plaas Media, GMP Basic, Voermol, Zoetis, Bayer, Santam Agriculture, FNB, BKB, and Sernick were all founder members who attended the launch at ALFA 2017. In 2019, Jooste Peters Incorporated, TAL-TEC, Promark, Engen, Toyota SA, and Trogtek joined as new corporate members. These members are committed to supporting the agricultural youth and extensive support for agricultural schools is planned for 2020.
Other members include EP Nel, chairperson of the South African Agricultural Teachers Association (SAATA), Frikkie van Zyl of Kroonstad High School (Blouskool), agricultural schools’ representative, and Lauren James, breeders’ society representative. Dawie Maree of FNB was elected chairperson at ALFA 2019 for a second term.
Excitement in 2019
The foundation kicked off 2019 with 16 herd projects at 15 agricultural schools countrywide. The projects consisted of mostly beef cattle herds, with one SA Mutton Merino herd and one Percheron herd.
The year began on a high note when Sernick Bonsmara handed over ten Bonsmara first-calf heifers to Reitz High School. It was the first new project of the year and the first project under the banner of the new foundation.
This story is from the January 2020 edition of Stockfarm.
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This story is from the January 2020 edition of Stockfarm.
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