Capitalising on unused land with goats

The subtropical Lowveld is hardly prime goat country, but with good management, a farmer can add a valuable component to the crops cultivated in the area. Divan Maritz spoke to Lindi Botha about how he manages his goat stud of 300 animals for optimal farm profitability in this climate.

- Lindi Botha

FAST FACTS 

Divan Maritz, owner of Koati Boer Goat Stud, strives for a lower inter-kidding period to optimise profitability. 

The parasite load is very high due to the Lowveld climate, necessitating regular preventative treatment.

Maritz feeds the goats pellets every day to improve their condition and aid their growth.

The goats of Koati Boer Goat Stud graze in areas lush with grass, alongside verdant nut orchards. It's a far cry indeed from the arid farms in South Africa's western regions, where goat production thrives. While nut farming on its own has been enormously profitable over the past few years, a wise farmer will always seek to utilise every square metre on his or her farm to its optimum. In this case, the goats serve to kill several birds with one stone.

"We have a lot of unused land on the farm that's not suited to nut orchards, but where the veld and weeds grow rampant," explains Divan Maritz, owner of Koati Boer Goat Stud in Schagen, near Mbombela in Mpumalanga.

"Monkeys would breed there, creating a problem for the nuts when they descend into the orchards to feed. The goats can now feed on those unused pieces of veld, earning us an additional income while also solving the problem with the monkeys [by denying them an ideal breeding area]."

The stud was started in 2018 to complement the macadamia and pecan nut divisions on the farm. When the decision was made to add a livestock division, it was especially important that the animals were hardy, as the disease load is fairly high due to the subtropical climate.