The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) hosted the 2024 National Beef Performers Awards recently, an event aimed at recognising and celebrating the achievements of farmers across the country.
This annual awards ceremony aligns with the goals of the National Beef Recording and Improvement Scheme (NBRIS), which works to enhance the production efficiency and sustainability of livestock farming in South Africa.
Una-Lou Orffer, public relations officer at the ARC, said the scheme places significant importance on the collaboration of farmers from all industries, as well as with government and other agricultural stakeholders.
Showcasing the best in beef production
According to Orffer, the scheme’s core mission is to enable farmers to adopt advanced technologies, improving their productivity and profitability.
“In doing so, farmers contribute significantly to food security and the socio-economic well-being of the nation,” Orffer said.
The event showcased seven prestigious categories, highlighting excellence across different facets of beef production.
Chief executive officer of the ARC, Dr Litha Magingxa, said their work is to ensure that the research and innovation they do get to the end users which are farmers, and it is a joyful moment when they see farmers exploring their findings to improve operations.
“Because we are involved in agriculture, we also have agricultural development responsibility. So we have a science council responsibility as a research organisation but we also have to transfer what we find to farmers so that they contribute to the agricultural sector.
“We are leaning towards more the applied to make sure that those technologies and research we develop are taken up by the sector, ” he said.
Magingxa said collaboration with the agricultural sector and institutions of learning is of critical importance and they seek to get their work to the ground for farmers to use.
Related stories
- Beefmaster breeding tour showcases how to beef up herd genetics
- Prodigal farmer returns home to rebuild cattle herd
Award categories and winners
The Best Elite Cows Awards featured 23 breeds, recognising cows that have excelled in production performance. The National Platinum Bull Awards celebrated 11 bulls from five breeds for their outstanding genetic and productive traits.
Sponsored by Molatek, this award honoured KwaZulu-Natal as the leading province in implementing the Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo (KyD) Scheme.
The winner of the 2024 ARC National Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo Award recognised Thamsanqa Mxokozeli from Riverside, Western Cape, standing out among nine provincial finalists.
Celebrating mentors
The Mentor of the Year category had two winners, Amy Williams of Scotston Farms (Pty) Ltd and Nick Serfontein of Sernick Group, acknowledged for their dedication to guiding and developing new-era farmers.
“A key measure of the scheme’s success is the progress and advancement of our farmers and the difference they are creating.
“The scheme presents its national awards annually to acknowledge and reward the remarkable progress that farmers have achieved by utilising performance recording and associated technologies, encompassing the whole range of the production industry,” Orffer said.
Meanwhile, in the category of special performance test class, the category highlighted 20 breeds, demonstrating excellence in performance testing. The National Beef Cattle Improvement Herd of the Year was presented to Hannes Eksteen of Piketberg, Western Cape, for his exemplary herd management and improvement practices.
READ NEXT: Funding, policy, and partnerships key to saving Africa’s food future
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain
