'Make yourself indispensable to ensure your future in farming'

Not only is Johan Odendal farming to leave a legacy for his three children, but he is also looking out for the interests of his fellow farmers through his role as chairperson of the Young Farmer Committee at Free State Agriculture. He spoke to Sabrina Dean about his approach to farming and his thoughts on the sector.

- Sabrina Dean

Thirty-seven-year-old Johan Odendal runs a mixed farming operation on the farm Theronskop in the Petrusburg district of the Free State. He farms in partnership with his father, Johan Sr, and has been doing so since returning to the farm after completion of his degree in agriculture at the University of the Free State in 2010.

Their main operation is potatoes, but the family also plants maize and oats, as well as fresh produce, such as cabbages and watermelons.

Five years ago, Odendal introduced a new branch to the operation, namely the cultivation of seed oats. This included the installation of a plant for sieving and cleaning seed.

He also has a prickly pear division where the main focus is on extracting seeds, which are sent to a company that presses oil from them. Odendal then sells the oil to the cosmetics industry.

Prickly pear leaves and waste material are fed to cattle.

His cattle component comprises a commercial Bonsmara herd of roughly 500 cattle. Around 400 weaners per year are sold directly to feedlots, such as Beefmaster, Karan, and Sparta.

Odendal says he and his father have spent years establishing relationships with meat buyers, and have built a reputation for providing good-quality weaners. They therefore receive a premium price, based on the quality of their previous deliveries.

Odendal also has a game component that is focused on breeding good genetics of basic plains game. He allows a small number of hunters annually during the hunting season.

His main focus is on breeding good genetic specimens of springbok, gemsbok, and lechwe, with the emphasis on natural specimens as opposed to colour variants. The antelope are sold at selected auctions.

PRODUCING POTATOES

The potato component is a significant part of the business, and Odendal says the potatoes are harvested from December through April annually.