Building A Mega Business Through Egg Production

Toyota South Africa/Agri SA’s Young Farmer of the Year for 2019, Johan van der Schyff, whose agricultural concern has operations across the Southern and Eastern Cape, has utilised the advantages of economies of scale and technology to build up his substantial concern. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his layer business and other enterprises.

- Glenneis Kriel

Johan van der Schyff (36) had always wanted to farm, and needed little invitation to join his father, Johan Sr, on the family farm after completing school.

“I grew up on a maize and layer farm near Ventersdorp, but we moved to Plettenberg Bay in 1994 after my father had to sell the farm for health reasons. He had over 40 years’ experience, so I knew that having him as my mentor would be my best bet on becoming a successful farmer,” Van der Schyff recalls.

Johan Sr bought a smallholding near Plettenberg Bay as a property investment after moving there, but Van der Schyff’s desire to farm presented an opportunity to use the land more lucratively. The father-and-son team, therefore, started using all their free time to develop and build a layer facility.

“Helping to build the layer houses from the foundation up means that I know where every pipe and cable on the farm has been laid. This is a great benefit when there are breakages, we run into infrastructure problems, or want to expand the business,” says Van der Schyff.

BIG AND BIGGER

The business started out with six-layer houses with a capacity of 18 000 birds each, and opened with 100 000 birds in 2000 while Johan was still in matric. He joined the business full-time the year thereafter. Since then, another three houses have been added to the premises, bringing the farm’s capacity to 220 000 birds.

To further diversify risk and improve economies of scale, the Van der Schyffs expanded production to Humansdorp in 2006, starting out with four houses with a capacity of 18 000 birds each. Another seven houses were added later, bringing the total production of this plant to 250 000 birds.