Goat farmer Albie Horn aims to give the goat value chain a major boost through export opportunities, and to scale up production over time with the help of investors, fellow farmers and contract producers.
By Charl van Rooyen, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
South Africa’s variable climate, with its frequent droughts, places significant pressure on extensive farming systems, as there is not always sufficient grazing available, especially in winter, when the nutritional value of veld grass is low.
At the same time, there are strong opportunities for red meat exports, particularly goat meat, which livestock farmers can tap into. Goat meat is highly nutritious, contains less cholesterol than chicken, and is as flavourful as lamb.
Export opportunities are constrained, however, by inconsistent red meat supply. International markets require consistent supply and quality, which is difficult to achieve when animals are sourced directly from the veld. From the first frost until the rains return, veld conditions are poor and animal growth is limited. As a result, there are seasonal peaks and troughs in the supply of slaughter animals.
Carcass volumes and quality must be guaranteed year-round, says Albie Horn, a goat farmer from Kuruman and De Aar.
Also read: The Blackberry – a new goat breed and new opportunities
A Shift to Intensive Production
Albie’s solution is an intensive or semi-intensive production system in which environmental conditions are controlled so that animals are not exposed to extremes. This means they do not waste energy walking long distances to graze, but can instead channel energy into production and reproduction.
Plans for such a production unit have already been drawn up, and a comprehensive business plan – including a professional investment and financing model – has been prepared for potential investors. There is already strong interest in the concept, which could also be applied to intensive sheep farming.
Albie is the CEO of Lambco, trading as Karoo Mega Herd Operations. David Gallow, a financial specialist with experience in banking models, is the managing director. Their third partner is Bossie Clarke, a Dormer sheep farmer from Hermanus and, like Albie, an expert in animal genetics and nutrition in intensive systems.
Also read: Unlock the potential of Boer goat farming
Taking Goat Meat to Global Markets
Albie says Lambco is an integrated livestock export platform aimed at industrialising the African goat value chain and supplying international markets with live slaughter goats and goat meat that meet export standards.
Target markets for both meat and live goats, addition to South Africa, are the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Internationally, the goat meat will be marketed as chevon (derived from chèvre, the French word for goat), and in South Africa it will be sold under the brand G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). The aim is to capitalise on the global demand for goat meat, which is growing by about 4% per year – particularly for cultural and religious purposes in the Middle East and Asia.
Supply from traditional exporters is declining due to climate pressure and rising costs. Although South Africa has a large goat population, it remains only a marginal exporter because production is fragmented and there is no national export strategy.
Lambco aims to fill this gap through intensive and semi-intensive production units. To support this, Albie and his partners have developed a genetic platform and a capital-intensive operating model. Their target of 500 000 goats per year could generate an annual turnover of R1,2 billion.
Also read: This is what you must know about goats
Improving Genetics for Better Yields
Lambco Repro, a subsidiary of Lambco, will focus on breeding material by producing embryos, conducting in vitro reproduction and storing semen.
Albie says production systems will be supplied with top-quality genetics from this unit. Continuous selection focuses on animals with superior reproductive and carcass traits, fertility for multiple births, weaning and carcass weights, carcass quality, conformation and milk production.
Replacement ewes and rams for the production systems will also be supplied from this unit. Artificial insemination, combined with natural mating, will ensure that animals are bred using the best available genetics.
Albie believes this business alone has enormous potential. The plan also includes exporting breeding goats, embryos and semen to African countries, Australia, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There is also potential to export goat by-products to China, Vietnam and the Middle East, and goat skins to Italian and Turkish tanneries for processing into leather for the automotive and footwear industries.
Albie has already secured an expression of interest from the UAE to import 55 tonnes of goat meat every 14 days. He does not see foot-and-mouth disease as a major obstacle: “We have a protocol,” he says.
Also read: Areas suitable for goat farming in South Africa
Expanding Opportunities Across Africa
Several African countries where goat farming forms part of rural livelihoods have shown interest in the concept and in buying breeding material. These include Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia.
To support this, Albie plans to establish quarantine, reception and distribution centres in each importing country, where animals can be held before being distributed locally.
“There are about 500 million goats in Africa. The challenge is to improve the genetic traits of these indigenous goats, thereby increasing production potential, carcass weight and quality, and growth rates. This is possible with good breeding material, especially quality rams.”
He also plans to roll out artificial insemination projects as part of a broader genetic empowerment strategy.
Through the Lambco lamb production system, farmers can select for higher numbers of multiple births, and ewes returning to fertility more quickly after lambing. Lambs can start creep feeding from as early as one month, enabling faster growth and earlier market readiness.
Because lambs rely less on their mothers’ reserves, ewe fertility and lambing percentages improve.
Also read: A practical approach to keeping newborn goat kids safe
Starting in the Karoo
Albie plans to establish the first Lambco Karoo Mega Herd Operations unit on his farm Hartebeeshoek near De Aar.
His Albian Boer Goat and Kalahari Red studs are well known. He also farms two other breeds, the Blackberry and the Xhosa Lob Ear. The project currently focuses on these four breeds, although Angora goats may also be included to supply both fibre and meat.
Such a project could create jobs and income opportunities for communities and enable communal farmers to transition into commercial farming.
Albie and his partners are targeting farmers and investors who will rear goats on a contract basis. They will provide advisory services and remain involved as service providers to ensure optimal reproduction and knowledge transfer.
In areas where these production units are established, he says, extensive farmers will also be able to supply their lambs to the project and become part of the Lambco system. Their animals will be marketed through the system, allowing them to benefit from it and help meet growing demand for goat meat.
The partners plan to present the concept to the Department of Agriculture to create new opportunities for small-scale livestock farmers. This could include a 50:50 partnership between government and farmers to boost sustainable production and improve skills and knowledge.
With two lambs per ewe per lambing season, slaughtered at 20kg, a ewe could produce a total of 120kg of lamb carcass weight over two years. This translates to 6 000 lambs from a unit of 1 000 ewes over two years. Conservatively calculated, profits of about R1,5 million per year could be achievable.
The best ewe lambs can be retained as replacements or used to expand the flock, while poorer performers are culled. A farmer or business operating such a system could typically produce about 3 000 ewe lambs per year, selling the best and slaughtering the rest, thus tapping into the market for quality breeding stock.
Top ram lambs can be used as high-value stud animals or sold to other farmers, while the remainder are marketed as slaughter lambs.
Albie says he will also act as a service provider to ensure the project is run profitably, production is optimised, and staff are trained in all aspects, from reproduction and nutrition to animal health.
Also read: Farming with Boer goats: A guide to South Africa’s top meat breed
Producing Raw Materials
Contract producers can grow their own feed, such as maize, lucerne and oats, for the production systems. Concentrates are then mixed according to the animals’ production stages, including dry ewes, pregnant ewes, lactating ewes, creep-fed lambs and finishing lambs.
Albie sees Lambco Karoo Mega Herd Operations as a unique investment opportunity with strong potential returns. What makes it unique, he says, is the team of professionals involved, each a specialist in their field.
Enquiries: Albie Horn, email: hornalbie@gmail.com, 066 238 7805, 083 440 1355
Also read:
Beyond the price tag: What Puma the Boer goat can teach us about trust, genetics and the real value of livestock
Quality over quantity: The inspiring journey of Vhutolo Khangale and his pure Nguni goat genetics
Boer goat WhatsApp group grows into auction ring
Goat farming, skincare and blockchain: An inspiring model for rural enterprise
