Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) will once again present its National Beef Performers Awards in 2023. This is the 45th instalment of the awards, the aim of which is to showcase the best of the best in seven categories, all relating to beef cattle performance and beef cattle producers. Each of the seven categories is sponsored by various agricultural companies and role-players, and serve to honour those who have excelled in their breeding and production practices, as well as the mentoring of fellow producers.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has been a key stakeholder in these awards since its inception and continues to play this role this year. As of 2022, Plaas Media is the main sponsor of the awards and, as last year, will this year also be sponsoring certain categories.
National Platinum Bull Awards
The importance of a bull’s contribution to the genetics of the herd cannot be overstated since the bull is the most important factor that will influence the success of your beef enterprise. Bulls usually make up 3 to 5% of a beef herd and are central to the success of a breeding programme, especially since their impact is not only immediate, but will last for a number of generations in the herd, depending on the breeding goals and associated selection methodology for particular traits.
The ARC National Platinum Bull Awards, sponsored by GMP/Leader Products SA, recognises exceptional performance from both the bull and its dam. Besides having exceptional performance figures themselves, bulls can only qualify for this award if they were bred from an elite cow; hence the reference to the ‘best from the best’ award category. This ensures the inclusion of traits of economic importance such as fertility and genetic growth ability.
More than one bull per breed can be eligible for this award although, as a rule, very few bulls qualify due to the stringent adjudication criteria. Eligible bulls must have received a Gold Merit certificate when they completed an ARC phase C test and their dams must have received their Elite Cow status during the year in which the bulls received their Gold Merit award. Eligible bulls also had to complete their phase C tests between 1 January and 31 December in the year preceding the awards event. – Dr Ben Greyling and Frans Jordaan
The 2023 finalists
| Breed | Owner | Town |
| Bonsmara | Nelius Ferreira | Harrismith, Free State |
| Bonsmara | Nick Serfontein | Edenville, Free State |
| Limousin | Johan Fourie | Modimolle, Limpopo |
| Nguni | Doppies Nel | Augrabies, Northern Cape |
| Sussex | CB Cillié | Bloemfontein, Free State |
Tune in to the Farm TV YouTube channel on 23 November at 18:00.
Read about other awards categories:
For more information, send an email to Dr Ben Greyling at ben@arc.agric.za or to Frans Jordaan at fransj@arc.agric.za. You can also visit the Beef Cattle Improvement Scheme website.
