By Charné Kemp
The annual national Savanna and Van Rooy auction, known as the Top White Genetics auction, which was held in Kimberley on 20 March, yielded very good prices for the breeders despite the current economic situation.
Initially, 50 Van Rooy ewes and 15 rams, as well as 45 Savanna ewes and 10 rams were offered, some of which were later withdrawn.
The highest price was for a Savanna stud ram from Andrew Roberts of Maize Valley Farms at Hoopstad. It was sold online for R48 000 to Saif Alkaabi from the United Arab Emirates.
Tat Scholtz of G.P.J. Scholtz Farm at Griekwastad sold lot 35, a pregnant Savanna ewe, for the highest price of R40 000 to Steven Strydom of BGB Savannas at Molemole. He also sold the second most expensive ewe for R38 000 to Rofhiwa Khwerana of Khwerana Savannas at Tshipise in Limpopo.
Strydom, who is known for the Gladiator bloodline, says the ewe he acquired boasts a very feminine head and body. “She is very close to the perfect goat for me.”
He only has a stud herd and is busy preparing for a private production auction in June, at which he and three other farmers will offer 70 ewes and 18 rams in Polokwane.
Khwerana farms with Savannas, Damaras and Kalahari Reds. “I have only been farming with Savannas for two years. The auction in Kimberley was the first one I attended and enjoyed it immensely. The other breeders, such as Steven Strydom, Tat Scholtz and uncle Joe Scholtz helped me immensely to identify the best qualities in the animals. I will definitely spread the ‘gospel’ about them and the auction.”
He says the Northern Cape Savannas adapt easily to drought conditions in Limpopo and are very disease resistant. He can farm them extensively.
“My approach is to farm with quality animals, and not with a large number of animals. I only look for the best qualities in my animals and am impressed with the flock and stud animals of the other Savanna farmers and breeders. I like the male Savanna animals because they can produce good meat. The female animals are very fertile and often have more than one offspring at a time. Goat milk, which is very healthy, is also important to me, because it does well in our market.”
Scholtz says it is encouraging that farmers have enough confidence to spend money on good breeding stock in the midst of the difficult economy.
Pieter Wiese of Pieter Wiese Business Trust at Loxton’s type-5 Van Rooy ram (lot 15) achieved the highest price for a Van Rooy sheep at the auction. The animal was sold for R34 000 to M.C. Botha of Witputs Van Rooy stud near Carnarvon.
According to Wiese, the ram has incredible depth, especially groin depth and width, and also a consistent constitution. “I believe the buyer is satisfied and will take his stud forward with this ram.”
Wiese is also the chairman of the Van Rooy Sheep Breeders’ Society. As for the breed, he believes it is extremely suitable for the drier parts of the country. “Every breeder can be very satisfied with the auction at which ewes and rams were sold at good prices. The Van Rooy is a beautiful sheep and an incredible breed to breed or crossbreed with.”
According to him, the Van Rooy sheep is extremely profitable, because unlike some other breeds it requires the minimum input costs. “It’s no longer about the profit I can make, but about how I can reduce the input costs. This sheep breed is flock-bound, reproduces well under difficult conditions and is disease-resistant.”
The breeders had almost 100% sales.
The highest price for a type 5 Van Rooy ewe (lot 71) was R12 000. The seller was Louis van Rensburg of Leeuput trust, Prieska, and the buyer was Francois Venter of Helderhoek trust, Reddersburg.
The average prices for Savanna rams were R24 166 and for Savanna ewes R16 400, while the average price for Savanna stud ewes was R23 500. The average price for Van Rooy stud rams was R12 666 and for type 5 stud rams R26 500, while stud ewes sold for an average of R3 000.
According to Schalk Erlank, stud livestock advisor of the auction house André Kock & Seun, which presented the auction, the annual auction usually attracts buyers from all over the country since good quality animals are offered.
Hennie Goosen, independent auctioneer, said it was a good auction with top quality animals and a strong demand for females. “Top prices were achieved as a result of the outstanding animals on offer.”
Joe Scholtz, chairman of the SA Savanna Club, sold Van Rooy sheep and Savanna goats at the auction. “There is great interest nationwide and from Africa in the well-adapted Savanna breed, especially when you look at how many buyers have registered and purchased online.”
He says there is a boom in the Savanna market and among all population and religious groups, for which he and others are “very grateful”.
One of the most important genetic traits is the dark pigment in the thick skin to make the animal hardier and parasite-resistant and to keep it cool, as well as strong skin on the udders.
“This goat breed has extremely good maternal qualities with up to two and a half lambs per season on our farm. You can farm extensively with little production cost compared to the kilogram of meat per hectare. This is ideal for the commercial and stud farmer,” says Scholtz.
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