Developing profitable beef business systems for previously disadvantaged farmers in South Africa

• Agricultural Research Council, South Africa
• Animal Improvement Institute, South Africa
• Animal Nutrition and Animal Products Institute, South Africa
• Meat and Livestock Australia/Livecorp Joint Program, Australia
• The Northern Pastoral Group of Companies, Australia

Since South Africa's democratisation in 1994 agricultural development has been directed at previously disadvantaged farmers. These farmers can be divided into small-scale farmers who run cattle on communal grazing land and emerging farmers who own or lease land and are striving to become commercially profitable.

The groups targeted in this project own over 4 million head of indigenous and crossbred cattle. To improve profitability these farmers need to enter well-defined commercial markets. The growth of the feedlot sector in South Africa has meant the commercial market now requires animals that are earlier maturing, are efficient converters of food and have superior carcase attributes.

The aim of this project is to empower small-scale and emerging farmers in South Africa to be self-sustaining by opening new markets for their beef products. The vision is to achieve this aim through a 'Beef Improvement Network' of individuals in local groups focused on achieving continuous improvement and innovation of beef business systems.

The project has three distinct, interdependent sub-projects. Sub-project 1 addresses issues relating to the personal development of small-scale and emerging farmers in South Africa and development of their support structures. The project will specifically target emerging beef farmers in the Northern and North West Provinces of South Africa, identifying 3-6 teams in the region consisting of up to 20 farmers. Practising and achieving continuous improvement and innovation will the focus of the groups.

Sub-project 2 deals with improvement of the cattle owned by the emerging farmers, using both genetic and non-genetic approaches. There will be five different strategies, the first strategy being to compile a database of information on indigenous cattle so that their performance can be benchmarked and farmer profitability values established.

The second strategy will be to source steers from the emerging and small-scale farmer herds over two consecutive years from 4 different breeds and grow them out in a feedlot with comparable cattle from commercial herds. Extensive information will be gathered on growth and carcase characteristics.

The third strategy will involve ongoing training of emerging and small-scale farmers in best-practice livestock management. A technical officer will be appointed to work on-farm with farmers and provide an interface with the specialists giving advice. On-farm data will be collected through South Africa's Beef Performance Testing Scheme.

The fourth strategy will be a genetic screen of sires from 4 or 5 selected indigenous breeds that may carry genes for beef marbling, yield, fatness and tenderness. The fifth strategy will be a progressive assessment of the project's impact by an Industry Advisory Council.

In sub-project 3 genetically superior cattle for use in harsh tropical climates will be identified in Australia. Around 60 new Brahman and Belmont Red industry sires will be joined to 3000 cows of each breed and evaluated for retail beef yield percentage and intramuscular fat levels in Australia. This will demonstrate the use of genetic markers to select commercial cattle for carcase and beef quality attributes and adaptability.