Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The 17th LRF Annual Stockman School, hosted by the Livestock Registering Federation (LRF), kicked off with great enthusiasm at the Aldam Holiday Resort and Conference Centre in the Free State. Held over three days, the event brings together leading experts from a range of fields who met everyone’s expectations by addressing relevant and timely topics head-on.
This year’s theme, “Smart Stockmanship: Back to Basics,” highlights the enduring principles of livestock management, animal health, farm operations, and breeding – blended with the practical realities of modern agriculture. The first two sessions delved into critical areas such as market dynamics, competitiveness, genetics, research and development, and soil health.
Export readiness
Sponsored by ABSA, the opening session featured Dr Shayna Louw, a veterinary public health (VPH) technical veterinarian at the Red Meat Abattoir Association (RMAA). She addressed South Africa’s readiness for exports, the importance of meeting market requirements, and current regulations along the red meat value chain. According to Dr Louw, South Africa is ready for exports and this readiness is precisely why VPN 59 was developed to help the country meet the import requirements of various international markets.
“We are ready in the sense that we are capable of meeting those requirements. However, it ultimately depends on whether importing countries are willing to accept the risk posed by South Africa’s local animal health situation and residue monitoring,” she said. She believes South Africa should take a leap of faith by adopting an industry-led traceability system to meet these requirements and secure South Africa’s eligibility in global markets.
Dr Louw highlighted the fact that South Africa managed to lift a 21-year ban on meat exports to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023, demonstrating the country’s ability to move forward despite facing significant challenges. While South Africa lost its foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-free status in 2019 following an outbreak, the country has still managed to maintain certain export channels by implementing a split system. She also referred to the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) traceability platform that is taking shape.
Competitiveness and sustainability
Gerhard van der Burgh, a senior analyst at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), expanded on Dr Louw’s presentation by discussing the competitiveness and export potential of the South African beef industry. He emphasised that the growth and sustainability of the sector depend heavily on the country’s animal health status and how effectively the livestock industry responds to it – particularly in terms of traceability. Van der Burgh believes without addressing these issues, the industry will always be hamstrung and unable to reach its full potential. He suggested that improving the country’s animal health status could involve implementing a more robust vaccination protocol or adopting the FMD progressive control pathway.
However, he warned that without fully functioning and effective veterinary services, meaningful growth in the export sector is unlikely. He also pointed out that although local consumer demand for red meat exists, it has a ceiling which is actually declining. South Africa’s per capita consumption of beef and sheep is decreasing, placing further pressure on the industry to pursue export markets for future growth. He added that accessing and growing export markets requires a deliberate and coordinated effort, especially in getting veterinary services to a standard where FMD and other controllable diseases can be effectively managed.
Beef genetics
In the second session, sponsored by Unistel, Prof Bob Weaber, head of the Eastern Kansas Research and Extension Centers at Kansas State University, discussed the future of beef cattle genetics within the beef value chain. He emphasised that genetics play a critical role in livestock production, as it is the primary means through which producers influence and improve animal performance over time.
He explained that genetic improvement is a key component of the beef sustainability solution, as it is at the core of creating more sustainable beef and dairy supply chains. Over generations, genetic advancements in cattle have significantly improved production efficiency, which today translates into reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Genetic improvement is permanent and cumulative and complements existing tools that enhance production efficiency and resource stewardship, while also enabling the development of new tools to refine selection targets.
He described how genetic selection allows producers to harness the natural variation within animal populations to shift performance in a desired direction. With the animals under the producer’s stewardship, selective mating decisions can be made to drive that genetic progress. In today’s environment, genetic selection is particularly important for beef cattle as part of broader sustainability strategies. It offers producers direct control over multiple traits, provides long-term solutions to recurring challenges, and helps tailor animal performance to specific production environments. Importantly, it also ensures the final products meet evolving consumer demands, both locally and globally.
Effective veld management
Dr Louis du Pisani, an independent agricultural consultant, addressed the importance of effective veld management as a pillar of long-term sustainability. He explained that the primary goal of veld management is to allow the natural resilience of the veld to work in its favour by giving it the opportunity to recover fully after each grazing period. After each grazing episode, the veld has the natural ability to return to its original condition. It is the responsibility of producers to allow this recovery to happen, he said, as this will ensure that the land remains productive and usable into the future.
Dr Du Pisani believes if the basic principles of veld management are ignored, it leads to land degradation, eventually reaching a point where recovery is no longer possible, making continued grazing unsustainable. He outlined five key laws of effective veld management:
- Synchronise the applied stocking rate with grazing capacity.
- Allow sufficient recovery time between grazing events.
- Periodically rest each camp for a full growing season.
- Restrict seasonal grazing.
- Limit selective grazing.
For more information on today’s sessions, email Dr Shayna Louw at vphvet@rmaa.co.za, Gerhard van der Burgh at gerhard@bfap.co.za, Prof Robert Weaber at bweaber@ksu.edu, and Dr Louis du Pisani at ldupisani@gmail.com or 082 773 9778. – Christal-Lize Muller, Plaas Media
