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Plaas Media has been presenting its Santam Agriculture National Silage competition for eleven years now. This yearâs competition received 88 entries of which 67 were maize silage, 15 oats silage, and six feed sorghum silage. These entries are made up of 60 bunkers, 22 bags, and six bales.
This yearâs entries
A total of 21 companies entered themselves or their clients into this yearâs competition. These companies are Quantum Foods/Nova Feeds, Exact Silage, SSK, AFGRI Klipheuwel, Bloekomboom Boerdery, Sparta Beef, Nutribase, Kemin Industries, Lake Agriculture, Sparta Baby Beef, Heinz Boerdery, Pannar Seed, Strapping & Profile Manufacturers, Budissa Bagger, TWK Agri, Pioneer Seed, Meadow Feeds Natal, Meadow Feeds Randfontein, Van Greunen Boerdery, AFGRI Animal Feeds, and Leading Edge.
Sponsors
The main sponsor in this yearâs competition was once again Santam Agriculture, who has been the name sponsor since the competitionâs inception. The prize and cash sponsors are Pannar Seed, Nutribase, Pioneer Seed, TWK Agri, Raniplast, and Orkel. Various new companies were involved as prize or cash sponsors this year, namely Euro Bagging, Novatex, and Advanta Seed. The laboratory partner was once again Labworld.
Sampling
The sampling was conducted by two post-graduate Animal Science students from the University of Pretoria, Frans Malan and Stefan Corbet. Both were trained in the sampling process by Richardt Venter of AgSci Unlimited, one of the competitionâs co-ordinators. This year the team covered 14 641km while sampling.
Sample testing was conducted by Dr Elrisa Taljaard and her team at Labworld. The analysis was done by the overseer of the competition protocol, Prof Robin Meeske, formerly of the Western Cape Department of Agricultureâs Outeniqua Research Farm. Prof Meeske recently retired and this will be the last year that he is involved in the competition.
Meet the finalists!
There are three formal categories in which finalists participate, namely maize, feed (forage) sorghum, and small grains (oats). There is one open category in which other crops may be entered but for which no finalists nor winners are announced. These entrants do however receive a silage analysis report.
The maize category finalists boast a number of return participants. Here they are in alphabetical order:
Enterprise name | Farm name | Farmer/producer | Entered by | Storage format |
Allem Brothers | Jonkerskraal | Willie Dreyer | Budissa Bagger | Silo bag |
Bloekomboom Boerdery | Gelukvlei | David Britz | Bloekomboom Boerdery | Bunker |
HJP Boerdery | Witbank | Kobus Pieterse | Exact Silage | Bale |
JH Neethling Boerdery | Rooikoppies Dairy | Neels Neethling | Meadow Feeds Randfontein | Bunker |
Just Milk | Galla Hills Dairy | Steve Moss | Strapping & Profile | Silo bag |
Rockdale Industries | Rockdael East | Johan Harmse | Nutribase | Silo bag |
Rockdale Industries | Rockdale East | Johan Harmse | TWK Agri | Bunker |
Te Water Boerdery | Zelpy | Dewald te Water | Exact Silage | Bale |
Van Greunen Boerdery | Werda | Michael van Greunen | Nutribase | Bunker |
Here are this yearâs oats finalists in alphabetical order:
Enterprise name | Farm name | Farmer/producer | Entered by | Storage format |
Bakenskop Boerdery | Bakenskop | Brian Hume | SSK | Bunker |
Middelpos Agri | Goedertrou | PV du Toit | Quantum Foods/Nova Feeds | Silo bag |
MJ Slabber Plase | Goedehoop | Nina Slabber | AFGRI Veevoere | Bunker |
Ocean Breeze Holsteins | Swartwater | JK Basson | Quantum Foods/Nova Feeds | Bunker |
Saamstaan Boerdery | Vyevlei | Robbie Eksteen | AFGRI Veevoere | Bunker |
A fantastic result was achieved in the sorghum category this year which will be discussed at length during the annual silage conference and awards ceremony. In alphabetical order, here are this yearâs feed sorghum finalists:
Enterprise name | Farm name | Farmer/producer | Entered by | Storage format |
ALS Kuilvoer | Bergstroom Boerderye | Arno Joubert | Strapping & Profile | Silo bag |
Ternus Boerdery | Stompiesfontein | Marnus Fleischmann | Budissa Bagger | Silo bag |
Winterstorm Investments | Winterstorm | Marcu Janse van Rensburg | Kemin Industries | Bunker |
This yearâs winners will be announced during a silage conference that will take place on 27 November in Pretoria. The winners will also be announced on our various social media platforms, so be sure to keep an eye on the Plaas Media, Veeplaas Magazine and Stockfarm Magazine Facebook pages on the day! – Press release, Plaas Media
For more information regarding the competition, entries for 2025 or other queries, contact Deidré Louw at 066 231 2430 or deidre@plaasmedia.co.za